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How to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update?

Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ allows you to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout so that you will not lose you customization due to accidental touches.

Although it sounds trivial and can be found in some other Android phones, many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners will find this is one of the very useful features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+.

This Galaxy S9 Android Pie update guide shows you how to lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update, and what the caveats are if you lock the home screen layout.

Why you may need to lock the home screen layout?

You can customize the Galaxy S9 home screen in many ways. You can use third-party themes, remove Bixby Home from the home screen, change wallpapers, adjust the grid layout, add app folders, pin individual files to the home screen, show photos on Galaxy S9 home screen (using widgets), and manage home screen panels.

Besides, Galaxy S9 and S9+ also support landscape mode of the Galaxy S9 home screen.

But very easily, the customization can be instantly wiped by accidental taps. For example, your kids may delete the widgets from the screen if they get their hands on the screen.

Many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners want to lock the customization after the initial setup because most owners seldom change the home screen after one or two months.

Now, in the Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout so that you will not lose your customization so easily.

Of course, it only locks the layout. You cannot add or delete app icons or widgets once you lock Galaxy S9 home screen layout. But you can still use Galaxy S9 home screen edit mode to customize the home screen.

How to lock the Galaxy S9 home screen layout?

As other new features of Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, the lock home screen layout feature is not enabled by default.

You need to enable this feature to lock the home screen layout.

In Galaxy s9 Settings, tap Display as shown below.

In the display settings page, as shown in the screenshot above, tap Home screen.

In the home screen settings page, you can then find … Read the rest

How to use Samsung DeX with Galaxy S9 and S9+ and other Samsung phones?

A Definitive Samsung DeX Guide

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Samsung DeX lets you turn your Galaxy S9, S9+, S10, S10+ S8, S8+, Note 8, Note 9, and Note 10 into a PC with a big screen, a full-size keyboard, and a mouse.

For Galaxy S8, S8+, S9, S9+ and Note 8, a Samsung DeX station or Dex Pad is needed to use the DeX mode. For Galaxy Note 9 and S10, a USB-C to HDMI cable is sufficient.

This Samsung DeX guide explains the details of the Samsung DeX, shows you how to use Samsung DeX, answers questions you may have on it.

This guide applies to Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy Note 9, and Galaxy Note 10, although most of the screenshots were taken from Galaxy S9.

Galaxy Note 10 added the DeX for PC. You can use the DeX screen on your PC or laptop with a USB cable. This feature is currently only available on Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10+. Please check this guide on how to use DeX for PC.

We will update this page once DeX for PC is enabled on other Samsung devices.

Update 1: Samsung DeX for PC is now also available on Galaxy S10 (including S10+, and S10e) after the September update as explained on this page.

What is Samsung DeX? What do you need to use Samsung DeX?

For Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones, it is always easy to connect to external monitor or TVs using a micro USB MHL adapter (for Galaxy S or Note devices prior to Galaxy Note 7 with a micro USB port), or a USB C to HDMI cable (for Galaxy S or Note devices with a USB type C port like Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ and Galaxy Note 9).

In addition to MHL support, Samsung also incorporated Micracast support in most in these devices. In recent versions of Galaxy S and Note devices, the Miracast support is limited to Samsung’s implementation only.

So, for Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can use at least the following three methods to mirror the phone screen to a TV or external monitor:

Use a USB-C to HDMI cable (like the official Samsung USBC to HDMI cable).
Use Miracast to cast the screen to a Samsung TV or monitor through WiFi direct. It may not

… Read the rest

How to pin files to Galaxy S9 Home screen (add file shortcuts to Galaxy S9 Home screen)?

use Samsung My Files to pin files to home screen

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You can pin files to Galaxy S9 Home screen so that you can open them directly by tapping them without fiddling through apps. For example, you can add a PDF file to the home screen and open it without opening the file explorer or storage manager.

After you add files to Galaxy S9 home screen (to be precise, you are actually adding file shortcuts to the home screen), you can use them just like using apps and widgets: open, relocate, delete them.

A file pinned on the home screen always occupies one spot (icon). This is different from adding and showing photos on Galaxy S9 Home screen as a widget, which is resizable.

This Galaxy S9 guide shows you how to pin files to Galaxy S9 Home screen, manage files added to the home screen, and how to add files to task edge in the edge screen.

When you may want to pin files to Galaxy S9 Home screen (add files to the home screen)?

Many owners who use Galaxy S9 or S9+ as a productivity tool often need to open or edit some files repeatedly.

By default, this means you have to open a file explorer (e.g., My files), navigate to the folder, find the file, tap on it to let the default app to open it.

But if you pin the file on Galaxy S9 home screen (i.e. add a shortcut of the file to Galaxy S9 Home screen), then you can tap the shortcut on the home screen to open it straight away.

If you want to show photos on Galaxy S9 Home screen, you may check this guide.

When you pin a file to the home screen, you actually add a shortcut of the file to the home screen. The file is still in the original folder and is NOT moved. If you delete the icon in the home screen, the corresponding file will NOT be removed. But if you update the file, the file in the original folder will be updated.

Technically, the shortcut (the pinned file) in Galaxy S9 home screen is a symbolic (soft) link to the original file, not a copy of the file.

How to pin files to Galaxy S9 Home screen?

There are many third-party apps that allow you to add file shortcuts to Galaxy S9 Home screen. But you do not install any of them.

The pre-installed … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S9 Apps screen on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Everything you need to know about Galaxy S9 Apps screen

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Galaxy S9 Apps screen is an integral part of Galaxy S9 and S9+. Unless you hide the apps screen, you have to work with it.

Although Galaxy S9 apps screen is just a special version home screen, there are some major differences between Galaxy S9 Home screen and Apps screen.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains what Galaxy S9 apps screen is, how to access it, how to use it and how to manage apps and app folders on it.

What is Galaxy S9 Apps screen?

Galaxy S9 Apps screen is the placeholder for all apps installed on your phone. All other Android phones also have a similar apps screen.

Sometimes, apps screen is referred to as the app drawer. In the old versions of Android, widgets were normally hosted in the apps screen as well.

Galaxy S9 Apps screen actually is a special version of Galaxy S9 Home screen.

You can find apps, hide apps, sort apps, manage apps in Galaxy S9 apps screen.

By default, all apps will be listed in the apps screen unless you hide them.

How to access Galaxy S9 Apps screen?

By default, there are a couple of different ways to access Galaxy S9 Apps screen. These include:

Use the apps screen button (apps button) in the favourite apps tray of Galaxy S9 Home screen, if you did not hide apps screen button on Galaxy S9 or S9+.
Swipe upwards on Galaxy S9 Home screen.
Swipe downwards on Galaxy S9 Home screen, if you did not enable quick-open notification panel.

Of course, if you hide the Galaxy S9 Apps screen, then you are working with Galaxy S9 Home screen only, and the apps screen will not be explicitly available.

How to use Galaxy S9 Apps screen interface?

On Galaxy S9 apps screen, if you tap on any app icons, the app will start. This is similar to that on the home screen.

If you tap and hold (long tap) an app icon without moving your fingers, you will get the context menu as shown in the following two screenshots.

For all apps, there are at least 3 options in the context menu:

Select items. You can then continue to select more app icons in the selection mode. You can use the selected apps to create an app folder. Or you can uninstall them in batch.
Add to home

… Read the rest

Understand and Use Galaxy S9 Home screen

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You can not bypass or hide Galaxy S9 Home screen on your Galaxy S9 or S9+. You have to use the home screen unless you power off the phone.

Although it is not complicated, many Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners are not fully aware of all functions and features of Galaxy S9 Home screen.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains the meaning and usage of all components you may find in the Home screen of Galaxy S9 and S9+. The differences between apps screen and home screen were also detailed.

What is Galaxy S9 Home screen?

Like all other Android phones, Galaxy S9 home screen, by default, is the first screen after you unlock Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+.

You can start apps, access notifications, check the phone status, use widgets, open edge screen in Galaxy S9 Home screen, which is the centre (home) of your Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Generally speaking, in Galaxy S9 and S9+, you have 4 types of pages:

Lock screen. You need to unlock the phone before you can use Galaxy S9 ort S9+. Always-on display screen usually is considered as a special lock screen overlayed over Galaxy S9 lock screen.
Home screen. The centre or starting screen of Galaxy S9 and S9+. It is the home of select apps and widgets.
Apps screen. Galaxy S9 apps screen is a special home screen. It is an app drawer for all apps on Galaxy S9 and S9+.
Individual apps.

Besides, edge screen on Galaxy S9 and S9+ is enabled by default. You may check this guide on how to use Galaxy S9 edge screen.

You will have to use Galaxy S9 Home screen if you use Galaxy S9 or S9+. There are no alternatives. You cannot bypass it.

How to access Galaxy S9 Home screen?

Galaxy S9 and S9+ are protected by Galaxy S9 lock screen to prevent unauthorized access to your apps and data. Galaxy S9 home screen is always “behind” the lock screen.

In other words, you can access Galaxy S9 Home screen only after you unlock the phone.

You can access Galaxy S9 Home screen in many ways:

After unlocking Galaxy S9 or S9+, you should get Galaxy S9 home screen directly.
When you are using any apps, tap the Home button in Galaxy S9 navigation bar to access the Home screen directly.
When you are using any

… Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures?

Seven Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures: tap, double tap (and triple-tap), long tap, swipe, drag, pinch and spread, are explained and illustrated.

simon · 2 Comments

You have to use some Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures if you want Galaxy S9 or S9+ to do anything for you.

Although most Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures work on all other Android phones, you may not be aware of some gestures that help you use Galaxy S9 and S9+ effectively.

This Galaxy S9 how-to guide illustrates the 7 Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures with animations, explains the features of these gestures and gives examples of using these gestures.

What are Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures?

As Galaxy S9 and S9+ do not have a physical keyboard or other input devices, you have to interact with the phone either through the touchscreen or voice (e.g., Bixby or Google Assistant).

In addition to the on-screen keyboard or keypad, Galaxy S9 and S9+ also accept some touchscreen gestures.

When your finger(s) or other capacitive pens (please note S Pen on Galaxy Note devices does NOT work with Galaxy S9 or S9+ screen) move on the screen, Galaxy S9 and S9 can recognize certain patterns and therefore responds accordingly.

These moving patterns are usually referred to as Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures.

So, understanding and correctly using Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures are essential if you want to use the phone efficiently.

Similar to other Android phones, there is nothing special in Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures. These gestures can be used in almost all other Android phones.

Although most of Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures are used on the screen, some can also be used on the physical buttons. e.g., the power button accepts press, double press and long press gestures.

List of Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures in Galaxy S9 and S9+

You can use the following 7 Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures on Galaxy S9 and S9+ for various operations.

1. Tap gesture (press)

Tap is one of the most used Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures.

As shown in the animation below, you need to tap an icon or a specific area to activate something, for example, to start an app, or to open a menu item.

The tap gesture actually mimics “click” of a mouse (e.g., when using Samsung DeX with Galaxy S9 or S9+).

Of course, the action or response of the tap gesture depends on what was tapped, or where you tapped.

Some example of using tap gesture includes:

You can open an app by tapping an app icon in Galaxy S9 home screen or

… Read the rest