USB type C

How to fix Galaxy S8 moisture problem?

Last updated on: October 29, 2018 · First published on: July 6, 2017 133 Comments

Galaxy S8 moisture problem can occur for any phones, even the phone is not in contact with water!

When you have the moisture problem in Galaxy S8 or S8+, you cannot charge the phone through USB cable.

This Galaxy S8 how-to guide explains the causes of Galaxy S8 moisture problem and shows you the solution for such a moisture problem in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Moisture problem message appears on many other Samsung phones. So, this guide also applies to the moisture problem on Galaxy S9, S9+, Note 8 and Note 9, and many other Samsung phones.

What is Galaxy S8 moisture problem? Isn’t Galaxy S8 waterproofed?

If you Galaxy S8 or S8+ was in contact with water, the USB port (multipurpose USB Type C port) in the bottom (see Galaxy S8 and S8+ layout) may be wetted.

Samsung equipped Galaxy S8 and S8+ with a humidity/moisture sensor to detect moisture buildup in the charging port.

Once the sensor detects the moisture is higher than a preset level, it will believe you get the Galaxy S8 moisture problem.

When you try to connect this Galaxy S8 or S8+ with moisture problem to the charger, the phone will refuse to charge the battery, and you will get a warning as shown below:

Check port

Moisture has been detected. To charge your device, make sure your charger/USB port is dry.

Preventing Galaxy S8 or S8+ from charging when moisture is detected in the USB port is a preventative measure to prevent more corrosion.

It is also a security measure.

Please note, Galaxy S8 moisture problem has nothing to do with waterproofing feature in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

The USB port is not sealed in Galaxy S8 and S8+. It is safe even if the USB port is immersed in water … Read the rest

Meaning of Galaxy S8 status icons and notification icons in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

Last updated on: March 24, 2018 · First published on: May 22, 2017 75 Comments

Galaxy S8 status icons and notification icons in the status bar offer you a quick glimpse of system status and notifications.

This guide explains the meaning of Galaxy S8 status icons and notification icons in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+.

What are Galaxy S8 status icons and notification icons?

As explained in Galaxy S8 Home screen, the top part of the phone screen is called status bar as shown below.

Of course, the status bar is in all screens (home screen, lock screen and apps screen) and in all apps. Even in full-screen mode, you can swipe down to bring back the status bar.

Anyway, Android does not allow you to disable status bar. You can only temporally hide it.

In the status bar, in addition to the time in the rightmost, you can find icons grouped in the left and right side of the status bar.

Normally, icons on the right side are called status icon which indicating status of system related features, like battery and network.

Icons on the left side are usually named as notification icons, which are usually (not always) associated with a notification message.

Third-party app notification icons will always appear on the left side.

Meaning of Galaxy S8 status icons and notification icons in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

To use Galaxy S8 or S8+ effectively, you need to understand the meaning of Galaxy S8 status icons and notification icons, because they offer quick info on what’s going on in the hone.

In this guide, we group status icons and notification icons into 6 parts.

Part 1: Mobile network related status icons in Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

You can use Galaxy S8 or S8+ without a SIM card. You can use most of the apps with WiFi connections. But this means … Read the rest

Migrate to Galaxy S8: how to transfer data from old device to Galaxy S8 and S8+?

Last updated on: October 19, 2017 · First published on: April 24, 2017 1 Comment

When you get your Galaxy S8 or S8+, you may want to transfer data from old device to S8 or S8+.

This guide explains to you what data can be transferred, what data cannot be transferred, and how to transfer data from old device to Galaxy S8 and S8+ in different ways: with USB cable, through wireless connection (WiFi direct), through a PC, or through Samsung cloud.

What data can be transferred? What data cannot be transferred?

Before migrating to Galaxy S8 or S8+, it is important to know what can be transferred, and what cannot.

In this guide, we are going to use Samsung Smart Switch, which was pre-installed in Galaxy S8 and S8+, to migrate or transfer data from old device to Galaxy S8 or S8+.

Your old device was very likely pre-installed with Smart Switch if it is newer than Galaxy S6 (for example, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy 6 edge plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, and many other Galaxy devices released in last 2 years).

If your device is older, or is other brands, you can install SmartSwitch app from Play store. The minimum requirement for Smart Switch app is Android 4.0, which is actually hard to find.

Basically, you can transfer almost everything from old device to Galaxy S8 and S8+.

The data can be transferred from old device to Galaxy S8 and S8+ include:

Contacts;
Messages;
Samsung Calendar (S Planner) events;
Memos;
Call logs;
Alarms and world clock settings (if you are using Samsung clock app);
Internet (browser) app settings (only for Samsung’s browser app);
Email account settings (only for Samsung Email app);
S Health (Samsung Health) settings;
Apps. Apps from all sources including Play store, Amazon appstore, Galaxy Apps, can be transferred.
App data of most

… Read the rest

Package contents in Galaxy S8 box

Last updated on: April 23, 2017 · First published on: April 23, 2017 9 Comments

After unboxing Galaxy S8 or S8+, you need to know package contents in Galaxy S8 box so that you can understand the usage of each items.

Please note, in different regions, the package contents in Galaxy S8 box may be slightly different.

For Galaxy S8 and S8+, the package contents are identical except the phone.

In this guide, although we often just refer to Galaxy S8, everything also applies to Galaxy S8+.

What are the package contents in Galaxy S8 box?

As shown in the picture below, in a Galaxy S8 box you can find at least 8 items, including:

the phone, which is the top deck.
USB type-C cable;
adaptive fast wall charger;
USB connector;
micro USB connector;
ejection pin;
AKG earphone; and
additional earphone gel tips.

Of course, there are some get-started leaflets and safety manual not shown in the picture below.

Usage of package contents in Galaxy S8 box

In addition to the Galaxy S8 phone (or Galaxy S8+ phone), all of the accessories in the Galaxy S8 box can help you in some special ways.

USB type-C cable

You need to use the USB type-C cable to charge Galaxy S8 battery unless you use wireless charging.

USB cable can also be used to connect to your PC or other devices to transfer data.

Please note, Galaxy S8 and S8+ use USB type-C port. The USB cable in the package is a USB type-C cable (normal Type-A to Type-C). You should never insert your old micro USB cable directly into Galaxy S8 or S8.

The USB Type-C connector is symmetric. You can insert the cable into the phone in either orientation.

Wall charger

The included wall charger in Galaxy S8 box is an adaptive fast charger.

You can … Read the rest

Charge Galaxy S8 battery

Last updated on: July 13, 2017 · First published on: April 19, 2017 62 Comments

Everything you need to know about charging Galaxy S8 battery: what chargers can be used to charge Galaxy S8 battery, how to use a wall charger, wireless charger or fast wireless charger to charge the battery in Galaxy S8 and S8+, how to disable fast charging or fast wireless charging in Galaxy S8 and S8+, and how to properly charge Galaxy S8 battery.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ use a non-removable battery, which can only be replaced at Samsung service center. It is impossible to carry a spare battery for Galaxy S8 or S8+.

So, it is important to charge Galaxy S8 battery properly to let the battery serve you at least one to two years.

What chargers can be used to charge Galaxy S8 battery?

In your Galaxy S8 (or S8+) box, you can find the adaptive wall charger (and the USB cable).

Of course, you can use other chargers to charge Galaxy S8 battery.

Namely, you can use any of the 4 types of chargers to charge the battery in Galaxy S8 and S8+:

adaptive wall charger (fast charger) included in the Galaxy S8 box;
standard USB wall charger;
wireless charging pad; or
fast charging wireless charging pad.

Adaptive wall charger (fast charger)

The bundled wall charger in the box is an adaptive charger, which can adjust its output based on feedback from the phone.

In other words, the adaptive wall charger will automatically adjust the charging power to offer fast charging.

For Galaxy S8 and S8+, the adaptive wall charger can charge Galaxy S8 battery at 9v 1.67A when the battery level is lower than about 60%.

When battery level is higher than about 60%, the wall charger will automatically switch charging voltage to 5V and charging current up to 2A.

So, … Read the rest

Galaxy S8 layout and Galaxy S8+ layout

Last updated on: October 19, 2017 · First published on: April 7, 2017 16 Comments

Galaxy S8 layout (and Galaxy S8+ layout) guide shows you the location and explains the functions of the buttons, cameras, sensors, ports, SIM card slot, NFC antenna and other components in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

You should spend a few mins to familiarize yourself with Galaxy S8 layout when you get the phone so that you can use Galaxy S8 and S8+ properly and effectively.

Please note, as explained in Galaxy S8 specs and Galaxy S8+ specs, the only difference between Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ is the size of the two phones (Galaxy S8+ is bigger with a bigger battery).

The layout of Galaxy S8 is identical to Galaxy S8+ layout.

Galaxy S8 layout: front view

The front view of Galaxy S8 layout is illustrated below.

Screen and edge screen

Samsung touts the infinity display as one of the major new design features of Galaxy S8 and S8+. This is evidenced by the front view of Galaxy S8 and S8+.

About 85% of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ front is occupied by the screen.

Because curved screen is used in Galaxy S8 (and S8+), edge screens can be found in both sides.

Hardware buttons

Power key is still in the right side and volume keys in the left in the front view of Galaxy S8 layout. If you have problems to power on Galaxy S8 or S8+, you may check this guide.

A new Bixby button was added below volume button.

If you often hit the Bixby button inadvertently, you may disable the Bixby button in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Navigation buttons

There are no capacitive buttons in Galaxy S8 and S8+.

The back and recent buttons are software based as shown above. You can re-order Galaxy S8 navigation buttons.

Home button is embedded … Read the rest

Top 10 new features of Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+

Last updated on: December 2, 2018 · First published on: April 3, 2017 Leave a Comment

With the announcement of Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ in March 29, 2017, we now have one more option in the top-tier of Android phones.

But is the 5.8″ Galaxy S8 or 6.2″ S8+ a right phone for you?

Here we summarized the top 10 new features of Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ to help you make the decision before you can get one on April 21.

#1. Galaxy S8 Infinity Display

One of the most important new features of Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ is the infinity display.

The screen size of Galaxy S8 (5.8″) and S8+(6.2″) is bigger than last year’s Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

But the difference is not just the size. The most obvious change is the aspect ratio.

Both Galaxy S8 and S8+ have a unique aspect ratio of 18.5:9. FYI, all previous generations of Galaxy S phones had a screen ratio of 16:9 since Galaxy S3.

This aspect ratio is similar to that in LG G6 which has a similar aspect ratio of 18:9.

Compared to the 5.1″ Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8’s display is about 18 per cent larger (in the area).

Galaxy S8 infinity display is good for:

watching 21:9 movies. You will get less black bar area compared to the 16:9 screen.
browsing websites. You will scroll less due to larger area. But this is only good for mobile-responsive websites.
multi window in portrait orientation. But it is terrible in landscape mode when using split-screen view multi window mode. You may check this guide on how to use multiwindow on Galaxy S8 and S8+.
Edge screen. Please check this guide on using Galaxy S8 edge screen.

Of course, the aspect ratio of the Galaxy S8 infinity display could be a disaster for taking photos.… Read the rest