charge Galaxy S9 battery

How to use Samsung DeX Pad for Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, Note 8 and Note 9?

Samsung DeX Pad lets you instantly transform Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, Note 8 and Note 9 into an Android PC.

Compared to Samsung DeX Station, Samsung DeX Pad has an improved design and offers generous accessories in the box. For a detailed comparison of the Samsung DeX Pad, DeX Station and DeX Cable, please check this guide.

This Galaxy S9 accessories guide shows you the contents in the Samsung DeX Pad box, the layout of the DeX Pad, and how to use Samsung DeX Pad.

What is Samsung DeX Pad?

Samsung DeX Pad, announced together with Galaxy S9 and S9+, is the 2nd generation of Samsung DeX dock accessories. But it is NOT a replacement of Samsung DeX Station. Rather it is a compliment to the DeX Station.

DeX Pad features a smaller footprint than its predecessor (DeX Station). And one of the significant changes is your phone can lay down on the DeX Pad. So, it is very easy to use the phone screen as a touchpad.

Samsung DeX Pad works with all DeX-enabled devices: Galaxy S9, S9+, S8, S8+, Note 8, Note 9 and Tab S4. It also offers identical Samsung DeX features as the DeX Station and DeX cable.

For the detailed comparison of three current DeX accessories DeX Pad vs DeX Station vs DeX cable, please check this page.

What is included in the Samsung DeX Pad package?

Samsung DeX Pad package includes the essentials you need to use Samsung DeX.

You can find the following items in the package:

One Samsung DeX Pad.
One HDMI cable.
One USB cable. The USB-A to USB-C cable is for you to connect the power adapter/wall charger to the DeX Pad. It can also be used for data transfer between your phone and a PC (e..g, for backing up Galaxy S9). The cable itself is similar to the USB cable included in Galaxy S9 box.
One USB power adapter/wall charger. In most regions, the included wall charger is identical to that in your Galaxy S9 box. Of course, you can use this power adapter to charge Galaxy S9 battery.
One quick start guide in multiple languages.

Basically, you just need a monitor to try Samsung DeX immediately. Remember Samsung DeX Station package does not include the cables and power adapter as explained in … Read the rest

How to reboot Galaxy S9 and S9+ if Galaxy S9 hangs?

Everything you need to know on powering on, powering off and rebooting Galaxy S9 and S9+.

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You may already know to use the power button to power on, power off and reboot Galaxy S9 or S9+.

But occasionally, the power button may be not working as expected. You may have to use button (key) combinations to power off, power on or restart Galaxy S9 or S9+.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains how to reboot, power on and power off Galaxy S9 and S9+ in both normal situations and abnormal situations (e.g. when Galaxy S9 or S9+ hangs.).

Please note, in this guide, we do not differ reboot and restart. They are used interchangeably.

Why do you need to reboot Galaxy S9 or S9+ periodically?

You may know you have to reboot Galaxy S9 when you update the phone (for example, updating Galaxy S9 or S9+ to Android Pie). In this case, some system files being used have to be replaced. Therefore, you need to “stop” the system, then restart the system with the updated files.

For apps, normally, it is not necessary to reboot Galaxy S9 if you update them. Apps in Android are running in its own container. The system can destroy the container and then reload the app with updated apps on Galaxy S9 or S9+. Therefore rebooting Galaxy S9 or S9+ is generally not required for updating apps on the phone.

But some tech guys may tell you to reboot Galaxy S9 or S9+ periodically (from once a month to once a week, NOT daily) to make the phone more responsive.

This is actually a valid suggestion.

When you reboot Galaxy S9 or S9+, all app leftovers (some apps sometimes may fail to clean up their own files after you close them) and ghost processes will be cleaned.

How to automatically reboot Galaxy S9 or S9+?

Samsung added the feature of “auto restart” feature in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

You can enable auto restart on Galaxy S9 and S9+ in Settings — General management — Reset— Auto Restart.

As shown in the screenshots below, you can enable auto restart so that Galaxy S9 or S9+ will be rebooted automatically within one hour of the specified time.

You can only set the schedule as once a week only. Frequently restarting/rebooting Galaxy S9 and S9+ will not be helpful.

How to power off and reboot Galaxy S9 and S9+ with the power button options?

The safest way to power off or reboot … Read the rest

Samsung Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover guide

Everything you need to know about Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover: unique features, how does the cover work, pros and cons of the cover, how to customize and use the cover.

simon · 129 Comments

Samsung Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover is one of the official accessories for Galaxy S9 and S9+.

In addition to protecting your Galaxy S9 and S9+, Samsung Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover offers a few unique features to make it fun and effective to use your Galaxy S9 and S9+.

This Galaxy S9 accessories guide shows you everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover: unique features, how does the cover work, pros, and cons of the cover, how to customize and use the cover.

Update: Added a new section of How to solve Samsung Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover problems after Android Pie update? If you get any issues with the LED cover after you update Galaxy S9 or S9+ to Android Pie, you may check this section. It solves two possible problems:

The LED wallet cover is not recognized by the phone.
Notifications are not shown on the LED cover.

For other new features in Galaxy S9 Android Pie update, for example, new navigation gestures, lockdown mode, n ight mode, s creen orientation lock (rotation toggle), new Recents screen, l ock Galaxy S9 Home screen layout, floating keyboard, remap the Bixby butt, Bixby quick commands, updated camera app, l ift to wake, t ap to show (display mode) for Galaxy S9 always-on display (AOD) screen, are discussed here.

What are the unique features of Samsung Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover?

The official Galaxy S9 accessories were designed to enhance some features or improve the user experiences of Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Unlike the Galaxy S9 clear view cover, Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover does not have a translucent front. It is opaque.

So, Galaxy S9 LED cover uses LED dots on the cover to display icons for calls and notifications on the front cover.

The unique features of Samsung Galaxy S9 LED wallet cover includes:

LED icons for incoming calls, notifications, alarms, battery status, clock, and music controls. You can assign different LED icons for different contacts and different apps so that you can know who is calling or where is the notification from without opening the cover.
LED with colors. You can assign border colors to the LED icons for Galaxy S9 LED cover. In previous generations of LED cover, there is no border color option.
Powered by the phone battery through the NFC connection

… Read the rest

Meaning of Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons in Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

simon · 80 Comments

Understanding the meaning of Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons in Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will help you to use the phone efficiently.

You can get quick system info and new notifications by checking Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons in the status bar.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains the differences between Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons, and the meaning of these icons in the status bar in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

What is the difference between Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons?

Android uses the top of the screen as the status bar, where Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons are shown. It applies to Galaxy S9 Home screen, lock screen and all apps.

The following screenshot is an example of the Galaxy S9 status bar with notification icons on the left and status icons on the right. When you use Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode or any apps in landscape mode, the status bar is also in the top of the screen.

Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons give you quick info about the system status (e.g., mobile network signal strength) and notifications from apps or the system.

When an app is in the immersive full-screen mode, the status bar will be hidden temporally. In this case, you can swipe down from the top of the screen to bring up Galaxy S9 status bar (and Galaxy S9 navigation bar as well)

The differences between Galaxy S9 status icons and notification icons include:

Galaxy S9 status icons are always related to the system; while Galaxy S9 notification icons are always linked to specific apps (including a few system apps and third-party apps).
Galaxy S9 status icons are normally shown on the right side of the status bar; while Galaxy S9 notification icons always appear on the left side of the status bar.
Galaxy S9 status icons are more or less universal in all regions; while Galaxy S9 notification icons depend on individual apps, whose developers can use whatever they want.

Typically, when you see an icon on the left side of the status bar in Galaxy S9 or S9+, there are usually at least one or more corresponding notifications in Galaxy S9 notification panel.

But if you see a Galaxy S9 status icon, there is seldom a corresponding notification.

Meaning of Galaxy S9 status icons

… Read the rest

Galaxy S9 layout (and layout of Galaxy S9+)

get to know the layout of Galaxy S9 and S9+

simon · 8 Comments

To effectively use your new phone, you need to know and understand the Galaxy S9 layout and Galaxy S9+ layout.

Sometimes, common sense works; sometimes it may not.

This Galaxy S9 how-to guide explains the layout of Galaxy S9 and S9+, the difference between the Galaxy S9 layout and Galaxy S9+ layout, and the meaning of essential parts in the layouts of Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Why do you need to know Galaxy S9 layout and Galaxy S9+ layout?

Although Galaxy S9 and S9+ are not a revolutionary product, the layout of Galaxy S9 and S9+ is substantially different from Android phones from other Android manufacturers.

Even compared to Galaxy S8 and S8+ layout, there are a few changes in the Galaxy S9 layout and Galaxy S9+ layout.

You need to know and understand Galaxy S9 layout when you want to know the functions of all buttons in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ layout can also help you find the locations of some parts. For example, a few Galaxy S9 and S9+ owners accidentally inserted the SIM card ejection pin into the top microphone hole. They may spoil the microphone. Had they known the layout of Galaxy S9 and S9+, they wouldn’t have made this mistake.

Besides, it is also beneficial to know the location of antennas and wireless charging coils when using some Galaxy S9 accessories.

Anyway, before using your Galaxy S9 or Galaxy S9+, you should spend a few minutes to learn and understand the layout of S9 and S9+ even if you are a seasoned Samsung phone user.

The difference between Galaxy S9 layout and Galaxy S9+ layout

Unlike Galaxy S8 and S8+, which differ only in size, Galaxy S9 and S9+ have a few considerable differences in the hardware configuration.

Due to dual rear camera configuration in Galaxy S9+, the back of Galaxy S9+ layout is different from that of Galaxy S9.

The second rear camera is the only difference between Galaxy S9 layout and Galaxy S9+ layout.

Galaxy S9 and S9+ layout: front view

The front view of Galaxy S9 layout is illustrated in the picture below. The front view of Galaxy S9+ is identical except the screen size.

As shown below, you can find in the front of Galaxy S9 and S9+:

touchscreen;
edge screens;
front camera;
LED indicator;
top speaker (earpiece);
proximity/light sensor;
iris recognition camera;

… Read the rest

How to charge Galaxy S9 battery?

Everything you need to know to charge Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ with USB charging or wireless charging

simon · 47 Comments

After unboxing Galaxy S9 or S9+, you may want to charge Galaxy S9 battery so that you can start to set it up and use it.

When Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ left the factory, the battery is charged to about 50% of the capacity, which is sufficient for you to inspect the phone on the counter.

Because the only difference between Galaxy S9 battery and Galaxy S9+ battery is the size (capacity), charging Galaxy S9 battery is identical to that for Galaxy S9+. Therefore, we use Galaxy S9 to refer to both Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Two ways to charge Galaxy S9 battery

You can charge the Galaxy S9 battery in two ways:

Using a USB cable (USB charging).
Using a wireless charging pad (wireless charging).

All Android phones now support USB charging. The charging port in most Android phones has been shifting from micro USB to USB-C.

Both Galaxy S9 and S9+ have a USB-C port for charging and data transfer (e.g., back up Galaxy S9/S9+).

In your Galaxy S9 box, you can find the wall charger and the USB cable to charge Galaxy S9 battery.

Galaxy S9 and S9+ also support wireless charging. Samsung has added the wireless charging to Galaxy phones since Galaxy S6.

You can put Galaxy S9 or S9+ on a wireless charging pad to charge the phone.

Besides, you can also charge Galaxy S9 or S9+ when using Samsung DeX. In this situation, the adaptive wall charger is connected to a Samsung DeX Station or a Samsung DeX Pad. Galaxy S9 or S9+ is connected to the USB-C connector of the DeX Station or DeX pad.

What is fast charging for Galaxy S9 and S9+?

A normal USB wall charger has a rated output current ranging from 500mA (0.5A/5V, 2.5W) to 2000mA (2A/5V, 10W).

When using such USB wall chargers to charge Galaxy S9 and S9+, the charging voltage does not change. It is fixed at 5V. And Galaxy S9 and S9+ battery can take up to 2A current for this type of wall charger.

In addition to “normal” USB charging, Galaxy S9 and S9 also support fast charging when an adaptive wall charger (aka fast charger) is connected.

An adaptive wall charger can communicate with Galaxy S9 and S9+. Galaxy S9 and S9+ can then choose two charging modes:

Fast charging

… Read the rest

Unbox Galaxy S9: understand package contents in Galaxy S9 box and S9+ box

simon · 10 Comments

Unbox Galaxy S9: understand package contents in Galaxy S9 box and S9+ box After unboxing Galaxy S9 or S9+, you need to understand the package contents in your Galaxy S9 box or S9+ box so that you can properly use them when needed.

The package contents in Galaxy S9 box, and in Galaxy S9+ box are identical except the phone.

Also, the Galaxy S9 package contents may slightly vary in different regions.

This Galaxy S9 guide shows you the contents of Galaxy S9 box and Galaxy S9+ box. It also explains how to use these items in the Galaxy S9 box.

What are the Galaxy S9 package contents in Galaxy S9 box and S9+ box?

You can find Galaxy S9 package contents in Galaxy S9 box and S9+ box as shown in the picture below.

They include (corresponding to the numbers marked in the picture):

The sealed box.
The phone.
Wall charger (adaptive charger, aka fast charger).
USB cable (USB-A to USB-C).
USB connector.
SIM card ejection pin.
AKG earphone.
Additional earbud cups (large and small).

There is also a getting-started booklet (leaflet) together with a safety manual (not shown in the picture below).

In some regions, printed stickers with IMEI number and serial number may also be included in the box.

For the official Galaxy S9 user manual, you may check and download it in your language in the official Samsung Galaxy S9 user guides page.

You can also get the online version of the user manual from Settings – User manual. This service may be unavailable in some regions.

Galaxy S9 package contents in Galaxy S9 box and S9+ box

How to use the items included in Galaxy S9 package contents?

Galaxy S9 box (or Galaxy S9+ box)

Everything is in the box.

Some vendors in some regions may offer additional free accessories. But they should be not in the box.

You need to check and make sure the seal is not broken.

Galaxy S9 phone or S9+ phone

The phone should have some protective plastic films on all sides. You should remove them before using the phone.

In almost all regions, the camera lenses are also covered by the plastic film, which must be removed before you take any photos.

In some regions, Samsung does not offer a 1-to-1 exchange if the new phone has any problems. They only offer repair services under warranty.

If this is the case in your region, you should power on the phone to test it before leaving the counter.

The … Read the rest