Galaxy S9 Guides

a community for owners of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

Galaxy S9 notification panel

How to use the night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update?

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use the night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie updateIn Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can use the night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ to get the dark (black) theme at any time (not only in the night).

The night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update is the combination of the dark theme and night mode. In the stock Android Pie, the settings of dark theme and night mode are independent of each other.

This Galaxy S9 Android Pie update guide explains the details of the night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update, and how to use the night mode so that you can enjoy the phone in all situations.

What is the night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update?

In Android Nougat update, Samsung introduced the blue light filter to tint the screen so that you can use the screen comfortably for a long time (e.g., for reading), or in a dimmed environment.

Many owners also hate the default white theme, which looks great in the showroom. For day-to-day use, many owners preferred a dark theme.

Of course, you can use third-party themes to customize the Galaxy S9 home screen and Samsung apps. But most of the dark themes in the Galaxy Apps (theme store) are poorly designed.

In Android Pie, Google introduced a dark theme. But it does not apply to Settings or to most Google apps.

Besides, Android Pie also introduced the night mode in developer options. But it is independent of the theme settings if dark them is used already. You may refer to this guide on how to use the dark theme and night mode in stock Android Pie.

In the Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, Samsung added the night mode as an alternative to the default light theme.

The night mode on Galaxy S9 and S9+ with Android Pie update lets you:

… Read the rest

How to use a USB flash drive on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

You can use a USB flash drive or even a 2TB USB drive to expand Galaxy S9 storage

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use USB flash drive on Samsung phonesA USB flash drive is often the most convenient tool to quickly share files between Galaxy S9 or S9 and other devices.

So, in addition to using a micro SD card, you can further expand Galaxy S9 storage with a USB storage.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains to you when you need to use a USB flash drive, the limitations of using USB storage on Galaxy S9, how to use and manage USB storage on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

When do you need to use external USB storage on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Although you can expand Galaxy S9/S9+ storage with a micro SD card as explained in this guide, sometimes you may find you have to use a USB flash drive or using a flash drive is more convenient than other tools/methods.

For example, if you use two SIM cards on Galaxy S9 or S9+, you then cannot use the micro SD card because slot 2 in the SIM card tray was used by the SIM card already.

Or if you want to share some large videos on your phone with others and you do not want to hand over the phone to that person, you can then directly transfer files from Galaxy S9 to a USB flash drive, or even an external USB drive.

Or when you want to transfer some large files between Galaxy S9 and the PC/notebook without using the USB cable, then a USB flash drive probably is the fastest solution.

Some Galaxy S9 owners also use a USB flash drive to save offline videos and music files.  They can use the drive on multiple devices without making copies on each device.

What are the limitations of using a USB flash drive on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Although a USB flash drive is a plug-and-play (PnP) device, sometimes you may find the USB flash drive simply refuses to work with your Galaxy S9 or S9+.

Before you try to get a USB flash drive for Galaxy S9 or S9, you need to know the following limitations of using such a drive on Galaxy S9 and S9+:

The NTFS file system is NOT supported.

You should format USB flash drive in exFAT file format (or FAT32). By default, most vendors format the drive in FAT32 format when it is shipped out of the factory.

If you format the drive on a … Read the rest

How to use Multi Window on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

The ultimate guide of Multi Window on Galaxy phones: how to use split screen view, pop-up view and snap window.

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The ultimate guide of Multi Window on Galaxy phones: how to use split screen view, pop-up view and snap window.Galaxy S9 Multi Window allows you to use two or more apps simultaneously on Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+ to improve your productivity.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains what Multi Window can do for you, how to use split-screen view, how to use the pop-up view, and how to use the snap window on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Update: a new section of Changes of Multi-Window in Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+ was added. In Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, many Multi Window features were removed.  Please check this section and Android Pie update guide for details. You may also check this guide for using the Multi Window on Galaxy S9 and S8 with Android Pie.

As Multi Window is available in many other Galaxy phones, this guide also applies to many other Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets including Galaxy S8, S8+, Note 8 and Note 9.

What is Multi Window on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Multi Window on Galaxy S9 and S9+ allows you to use two apps side-by-side in the split-screen view, or simultaneously use two or more apps in the pop-up view.

For example, you may want to browse the info of a product in the Amazon app and share some key info with your friends in the Messages app.

Or you may want to get some numbers from a spreadsheet in Google Sheets for an email.

Without the Multi Window, you will have to switch between apps several times.

If you are familiar with Multi Window on Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can greatly improve your productivity, and therefore get a better ROI of your Galaxy S9 or S9+.

Samsung introduced Multi Window many years in Galaxy Note 2 in 2012, which is 4 years earlier than the stock multiwindow feature introduced in Android Nougat.

Over the years, Samsung has improved and polished the multiwindow feature and made it one of the best features in Galaxy phones.

Basically, if you need to switch apps a few times for a task, you very likely will benefit from the Multi Window feature once you get used to it.

What are the two Multi Window modes on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

There are two screen modes of Multi Window on Galaxy S9 and S9+:

  • Split-screen view.
  • Pop-up view.

In the split-screen view, two apps share the whole … 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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pin files to Galaxy S9 Home screen (add file shortcuts to Galaxy S9 Home screen)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 Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

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use Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+You can use Galaxy S9 Do Not Disturb (DND) to keep you undisturbed by any apps.

You can also allow selected apps or specific contacts to reach you when the Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 or S9+ is activated.

This Galaxy S9 guide shows you how to turn on/off and schedule Galaxy S9 Do Not Disturb (DND) and how to manage exceptions for the DND on Galaxy S9 and S9+. App rules and Do Not Disturb access were also discussed.

What is Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

In some situations, you may want not to get disturbed by the phone. Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 or S9+ was designed to help you escape from annoying notifications and sounds.

With DND on Galaxy S9 or S9+, you can silence the phone during a scheduled period, or at any time you need it. You can also allow certain apps or certain contacts to bypass the Galaxy S9 Do Not Disturb settings.

Google introduced Do Not Disturb (DND) in Android Marshmallow (Android 6.0). It is an extension of Downtime introduced in Android Lollipop (Android 5.0).

As usual, Samsung tweaked the Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+. Therefore, the Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+ may not work as in stock Android, or other Android phones.

How to enable and disable Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

By default, Galaxy S9 Do Not Disturb (DnD) is off. You need to enable it if you want to use it.

There are a couple of ways to turn on and turn off Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+. Here let’s try two of them.

Method 1: Use quick setting buttons

In quick setting buttons, you can find the Do Not Disturb button as shown in the screenshot below.

You may check this guide on how to use Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons.

Tap the button to enable (if currently off) or disable (if currently on) Galaxy S9 Do Not Disturb.

If you tap and hold (long tap) the button, you will get the settings page for Do Not Disturb.

enable and disable Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+ enable and disable Do Not Disturb on Galaxy S9 and S9+

Method 2:  Use Galaxy S9 Settings

The traditional (not so efficient) way to turn on DND on Galaxy S9 is through Settings — Sounds and Vibration.

As shown above, in the sounds and vibration page, you can use the switch to turn … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S9 themes to customize the look and feel of Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Everything you need to know about Galaxy S9 themes

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Everything you need to know about Galaxy S9 themesGalaxy S9 themes allow you to customise many aspects of the UI in Galaxy S9 and S9+.  It is no longer necessary to customise the colour scheme, wallpaper, icons or always-on display (AOD) screen individually.

You can find many excellent free Galaxy S9 themes in Samsung themes to meet your needs.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains everything you need to know about Galaxy S9 themes: What are they? How to get them? How to access them in Samsung themes? How to install and use them? How to manage or delete Galaxy S9 themes.

What are Galaxy S9 themes?

Galaxy S9 themes are “skins” for your Galaxy S9 and S9+.

You can use Galaxy S9 themes to customise the user interface of Galaxy S9 or S9+. The customisation usually includes:

Please note, Galaxy S9 themes work with the default launcher. If you are using a third-party launcher, Galaxy S9 themes unlikely will work as expected.

Besides, themes for other Galaxy phones (e.g., Galaxy S8/S8+) will NOT work on Galaxy S9/S9+.

Where to get Galaxy S9 themes?

As a security measure, you should get new themes for Galaxy S9 and S9+ ONLY from Samsung’s Theme store, which is embedded in Galaxy Apps.

You probably should never get any themes from other sources.

How to access Galaxy S9 themes?

You can access Galaxy S9 themes from Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode.

In Galaxy S9 home screen, you can enter the edit mode by:

Once in the edit mode of the Galaxy S9 Home screen, as shown below,  tap Themes to access Galaxy S9 themes.

access Galaxy S9 themes access Galaxy S9 themes

In Galaxy S9 themes page, as shown in the screenshot above, tap Themes to enter themes tab.

Besides, you will get the notification about Galaxy S9 themes in the notification panel when … Read the rest

How to use quick-open notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+ to check notifications?

Quick-open notification panel allows you to open Galaxy S9 notification panel quickly on the home screen.

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use quick-open notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+ to check notificationsYou can use quick-open notification panel to access Galaxy S9 notification panel by swiping downwards on the home screen.

Quick-open notification panel adds an additional way to check notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+ quickly when you are on Galaxy S9 Home screen.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains to you what quick-open notification panel is, how to enable or disable it and its limitations.

Because quick-open notification panel is part of the Samsung Experience 9.0, it works identically on all Samsung Galaxy phones with Android Oreo update. Therefore this guide applies to not only Galaxy S9 and S9+, but also Galaxy S8, S8+, and Galaxy Note 8.

What is quick-open notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

As explained in this guide, you can access Galaxy S9 notification panel by swiping downwards from the status bar (or the top of the screen if status bar is hidden).

This method works in all situations. You can use it when you are on Galaxy S9 home screen or when you are using any apps.

Quick-open notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+, if enabled, allows you to access the same notification panel by swiping downwards on Galaxy S9 home screen.

By default, swiping upwards and downwards on Galaxy S9 home screen was assigned to switching to Galaxy S9 apps screen (if you didn’t hide Galaxy S9 apps screen).

So, after you enable quick-open notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can only swipe upwards to switch to Galaxy S9 apps screen.

Please note quick-open notification panel is included in the Samsung Experience 9.0. In addition to Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can use this feature on other Samsung Galaxy phones with Android Oreo update: Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

How to enable quick-open notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

By default, the feature of quick-open notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+ is disabled.

To enable quick-open notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Enter edit mode for Galaxy S9 Home screen

On Galaxy S9 Home screen, tap and hold (long tap) any blank area to enter the edit mode for Galaxy S9 home screen.

Step 2: Access home screen settings

In the edit mode, tap Home screen settings as shown below.

The alternative … Read the rest

How to hide Galaxy S9 apps screen and how to hide Galaxy Apps button?

You will learn to hide apps screen and hide/show apps screen button on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

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How to hide Galaxy S9 apps screen and how to hide Galaxy Apps button?Galaxy S9 and S9+ allow you to hide Galaxy S9 apps screen so that you can use all apps in the home screen if you do not want to use two screens: home screen and apps screen.

If you use Galaxy S9 apps screen, you can hide the apps screen button (apps button) so that you can just swipe up on Galaxy S9 Home screen to access Apps screen.

This Galaxy S9 how-to guide explains to you how to hide/unhide Galaxy S9 apps screen and how to hide/unhide Galaxy S9 apps screen button.

How to hide Galaxy S9 apps screen on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

If you want to use all apps in one central location, you may want to hide Galaxy S9 apps screen.

After you hide Galaxy S9 apps screen, you can then access all apps in Galaxy S9 Home screen. It is not necessary to manually add apps to the home screen.

To hide Galaxy S9 apps screen, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Enter Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode

You can tap and hold (long tap) any blank area in Galaxy S9 Home screen to enter the edit mode for Galaxy S9 Home screen.

You can also pinch on  Galaxy S9 Home screen to enter the edit mode.

Step 2: Access Home screen settings

In the edit mode, tap Home screen settings as shown below.

The home screen settings page should be shown up.

Alternatively, you can access the same home screen settings page through Galaxy S9 Settings: Settings — Display —Home screen.

hide galaxy S9 apps screen on Galaxy S9 and S9+ hide galaxy S9 apps screen on Galaxy S9 and S9+

Step 3: Choose to unhide or hide Galaxy S9 apps screen

In Galaxy S9 Home screen settings page, as shown in the screenshot above, tap Home screen layout.

In Home screen layout page, you can find two options:

  1. Home and Apps screen.
  2. Home screens only.

Option 1 is the default. It means you have both Galaxy S9 Home screen and Apps screen. In other words, the apps screen is not hidden.

Option 2 will let you hide Galaxy S9 apps screen. All apps will be added to the home screen automatically.

So, you can use these two options to hide or unhide Galaxy S9 Apps screen.

hide galaxy S9 apps screen on Galaxy S9 and S9+ hide galaxy S9 apps screen on Galaxy S9 and S9+

Step 4: Apply the settings

After you change the settings (either hide the apps screen or unhide the apps screen), you need to tap Apply as shown above to … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode to customize Galaxy S9 Home screen?

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How to use Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode to customize Galaxy S9 Home screenYou can customize the look and feel of Galaxy S9 Home screen after entering Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode.

The default Galaxy S9 Home screen may be OK for most users. But if you want, you can customize almost everything of Galaxy S9 Home screen without leaving the home screen.

You just need to switch to Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode.

This Galaxy S9 how-to guide explains to you the features in Galaxy S9 home screen edit mode and how to enter the edit mode from Galaxy S9 Home screen.

What is Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode?

By default, the Galaxy S9 Home screen is in the “presentation” mode.  What you see on the screen, and some behaviours, are the result of home screen settings.

If you want to change anything on the home screen, then you need to leave the normal mode and enter the particular edit mode of Galaxy S9 Home screen.

Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode allows you to customize the home screen of Galaxy S9 and S9+ without leaving the home screen.

Some customization can be done through Galaxy S9 Settings.  But some customization can only be done through Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode.

In short, Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode allows you:

You will need the edit mode of Galaxy S9 Home screen if you want to customize the home screen of Galaxy S9 or S9+ quickly.

How to enter Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode?

To enter Galaxy S9 Home screen edit mode, you can simply tap and hold (aka long tap) any blank area on Galaxy S9 … Read the rest

How to use quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

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The most efficient way to change settings of Galaxy S9 and S9+ is to use Galaxy S9 quick setting button.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains everything you need to know about the quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+: what are Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons? How to access them, how to use them, and how to customize them.

Update:  after you update Galaxy S9 or S9+ to Android Pie, you can use the night mode to set the background color of quick settings panel to dark. You can also use the quick setting button to switch between using the new Android Pie navigation gestures and using the traditional navigation bar/buttons.

What are quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Like other Android phones, Galaxy S9 and S9+ have quick settings buttons on the top of notifications in Galaxy S9 notification panel.

The quick setting buttons allow you to instantly turn on or turn off some features quickly without entering the complicated settings page.

For example, you can turn on or turn off mobile data or Bluetooth using Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Since Android Nougat, stock Android also shows quick settings bar (the first a few quick setting buttons) in the notification panel, in addition to the full list of quick setting buttons.

But Samsung added the quick settings bar in Galaxy phones a long time back.

Anyway, quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+ were designed to help you use the phone easily and efficiently.

The first 6 Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons (sometimes, it is referred to as quick settings bar) are shown above notifications in the notification panel as shown in this guide.

You can expand the list to show all quick settings buttons in Galaxy S9 notification panel.

How to access quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

There are two methods to access all quick setting buttons on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Method 1: Swipe down from Galaxy S9 notification panel (or swipe down twice from the status bar)

In Galaxy S9 notification panel, you can swipe down, as shown below, to expand the quick setting buttons so that all buttons are shown.

When you are not in the notification panel, you can swipe down from the status bar twice to access the same Galaxy S9 quick setting buttons … Read the rest

How to use Galaxy S9 notification panel on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

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Galaxy S9 notification panel allows you to check, snooze, dismiss and manage all notifications on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Without Android Oreo preloaded, Galaxy S9 and S9+ come with some new Android  Oreo notification features like notification channels and notification snooze.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains to you what Galaxy S9 notification panel is, how to access it, the layout of the notification panel and how to use notification panel in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

What is Galaxy S9 notification panel?

Like other Android phones, Galaxy S9 notification panel is an integrated part of Galaxy S9 and S9+.

There is no way to avoid it. You can access Galaxy S9 notification panel regardless what you are doing on the phone.

Galaxy S9 notification panel is a centralized location for all app notifications in Galaxy S9 and S9+.  In other words, all apps  “post” or push their notifications to the notification panel.

Apps can send or push notifications even when you do not use the app in the foreground.

In short, Galaxy S9 notification panel is a special panel for you to check, dismiss, snooze and manage all notifications in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

How to access Galaxy S9 notification panel?

You can swipe down from the status bar to access Galaxy S9 notification panel, as illustrated below.

If the status bar is hidden (e.g., when you are in full-screen mode), you can just swipe down from the top of the screen.

You can access Galaxy S9 notification panel even when the screen is locked. Of course, in Galaxy S9 lock screen settings, you can choose how notifications are shown.

access Galaxy S9 notification panel

In Galaxy S9 and S9+, there is another way to access Galaxy S9 notification panel quickly on Galaxy S9 Home screen.   The feature was named as quick-open notification panel.

You can swipe down on Galaxy S9 Home screen to access Galaxy S9 notification panel. This method, however, is turned off by default. You need to enable it.

In fact, by default, when you swipe up or swipe down in Galaxy S9 Home screen, you will access Galaxy S9 Apps screen.

To use the swipe down gesture for Galaxy S9 notification panel, you need to enable it Galaxy S9 Settings.

As shown below, in Galaxy S9 settings, tap Display.

quick-open notification panel quick-open notification panel

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

In Home screen … Read the rest

How to use two SIM cards on Galaxy S9, S10, and S20?

A complete guide to using two SIM cards on dual-SIM version of Galaxy S9, S9+, S10, S10+, S10e, S10 Lite, S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra

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You can use two SIM cards on Galaxy S9, S9+, S10, S10+, S10e, S10 Lite, S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra,  if your phone is the dual-SIM version of Galaxy S9/S10/S20.

However, the dual-SIM version of Galaxy S9 and S9+ is dual standby only, not dual active. Therefore, you may encounter some limitations when you use two SIM cards in the Galaxy S9 and S9+.

This Galaxy S9 guide answers all questions you may have on using two SIM cards on Galaxy S9 and S9+.

As the dual SIM features in Galaxy phones are similar, this guide applies to the dual SIM version of Galaxy S10 (all models) and the dual SIM version of Galaxy S20 (all models).

Is your Galaxy S9/S9+ capable of using two SIM cards?

Only the dual-SIM version Galaxy S9/S9+ can use two SIM cards. Don’t waste time or money to use two SIM cards if you got a single SIM version of Galaxy S9 or S9+.

If you bought your Galaxy S9 or S9+ in the US, very likely, it is a single SIM phone only. You cannot use two SIM cards on these phones sold in the US (through carriers and official distributors).

In most international markets, your Galaxy S9 or S9+ is very likely a dual-SIM version. And therefore, you may use up to two SIM cards on the phone.

You should always check with the seller on whether you can use two SIM cards on the phone you want to buy.

You can also check the Galaxy S9 box to see whether the Galaxy S9 or S9+ is dual SIM or single SIM version.

In most regions, the dual-SIM capability is usually marked as “duos” on the left side of the official Galaxy S9 box as shown below.

Is your Galaxy S9/S9+ capable of using two SIM cards?

What are the limitations of using two SIM cards on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

The dual-SIM Galaxy S9  and S9+ are dual standby only, not dual active. This means both SIM cards are reachable when in the standby mode.

When you are talking through one SIM card,  the other SIM card, by default, will be unreachable unless you enable dual SIM always on.

For the explanation of the differences between dual standby and dual active dual SIM phones, you may check this guide.

The limitations of using two SIM cards on Galaxy S9 and S9+ include:

  • When you are talking
… Read the rest

Understand and use Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots, app icon badge)

Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots, app icon badges) is entirely different from the old number badge. This guide shows you the detail.

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If you upgraded your old Galaxy phone to Galaxy S9 or S9+, you might be frustrated with the new Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots, aka Galaxy S9 app icon badges).

Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots) simply does not work like the old number badge with which you are familiar.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains the differences between Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots) and the old number badge and shows you how to customize Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots).

What is Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots)?

When you get a notification in Galaxy S9 notification panel, by default, you will find a number badge on the top right corner of the corresponding app icon in Galaxy S9 Home screen and Apps screen.

For example, as shown below, when you have 3 notifications for the Internet app (browser app), you will find the number (3) in the top right of the browser app icon.

What is Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots)?

This number badge is usually referred to as Galaxy S9 notification number badge. In old Galaxy phones, there has been a number badge which looks similar to Galaxy S9 notification number badge.

Because Galaxy S9 notification number badge corresponds to notification dots in stock Android, the notification number badge was sometimes referred as Galaxy S9 notification dots.

If you think the new Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots) is just a beautified version of the old number badge, you are then totally wrong.

What are the differences between Galaxy S9 notification number badge (notification dots) and the old number badge?

Although they look similar, Galaxy S9 notification number badge and the old number badge are two entirely different things.

The major differences include:

  • Galaxy S9 notification number badge is actually the notification dots introduced in Android Oreo. The old number badge in Samsung’s phones is Samsung’s proprietary implementation in TouchWiz (now Samsung Experience).
  • Galaxy S9 notification number badge directly links to notifications in Galaxy S9 notification panel. The old number badge is not linked to the notification panel.
  • Galaxy S9 notification number badge works for all apps. The old number badge only works with selected apps, usually Samsung apps and a few pre-installed apps.
  • Galaxy S9 notification number badge only counts notifications, nothing else. The old number badge may count both notifications and unread messages depending on apps.
  • For Galaxy S9
… 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.

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use Galaxy S9 touchscreen gesturesYou 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+).

Galaxy S9 touchscreen gestures: tap

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

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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 bar with notification icons on the left and status icons on the right

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

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How to use and customize Galaxy S9 lock screen?

The ultimate guide to Galaxy S9 lock screen

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The ultimate guide to Galaxy S9 lock screenGalaxy S9 lock screen not only keeps your data safe but also offers some useful features and information to improve your productivity.

This Galaxy S9 how-to guide shows you how to set up, use and customise the lock screen of Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Please note although Galaxy S9 supports landscape mode in Galaxy S9 Home screen, Galaxy S9 lock screen is always in portrait mode.

What is Galaxy S9 lock screen?

Galaxy S9 lock screen likes a door to Galaxy S9 and S9+. You need this door to protect your data and info saved on the phone.

But Galaxy S9 lock screen is also an information centre for you so that you can get some essential info without unlocking the phone or opening any apps.

The information provided through Galaxy S9 lock screen varies depending on your customisation. By default, you can get at least the following info in Galaxy 9 lock screen:

  • Time and date (clock).
  • Carrier info.
  • Media player controller.
  • Your schedule.
  • Notifications.
  • Next alarm.

In addition, Galaxy S9 lock screen allows you to:

  • Change a few settings (not related to data or privacy) of Galaxy S9 and S9+ through quick setting buttons, for example, turn on/off the blue light filter.
  • Add up to 2 app shortcuts to lock screen.
  • Use Galaxy S9 camera without unlocking the phone.
  • Make emergency calls.

Of course, to protect your data in Galaxy S9 or S9+,  most of the settings can only be changed after you unlock the phone.

How to set up Galaxy S9 lock screen security?

By default, when you set up Galaxy S9 or S9+, it will ask you to set up the lock screen security.

If you skip that step, the default lock screen security, swipe, will be used.

Of course, you can change Galaxy S9 lock screen security at any time.

And you should NOT set Galaxy S9 lock screen security to swipe or none.

If you use either of the options, your data in Galaxy S9 or S9+ are at risk. Anyone, including thieves, can access your phone without restrictions. They can impersonate you.

To change Galaxy S9 lock screen security, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Access Galaxy S9 Settings

There are a couple of ways to access Galaxy S9 settings, for example

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How to use Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode?

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Samsung added the Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

You can change Galaxy S9 home screen to landscape orientation when you hold Galaxy S9 and S9+ horizontally.  Of course, this also applies to Galaxy S9 apps screen (app drawer), which essentially is a special home screen.

This Galaxy S9 guide explains what Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode is, how to enable and disable Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode, and how to use Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode.

Update: in Android Pie update for Galaxy S9 and S9+, you can use the rotation toggle button to quickly change and lock screen orientation, including the home screen.  You may check this guide on using the rotation toggle to change and lock the Galaxy S9 screen orientation.

In addition, you can also lock the layout of Galaxy S9 home screen in Android Pie update as explained in this guide.

What is Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode?

By default, the home screen (and apps screen) was always in portrait mode on most Android phones even if you hold the phone horizontally, and if you turn on auto-rotate.

So, it is hard to use the home screen in landscape mode, and you may have to hold the phone in portrait orientation to use the home screen and apps screen.

Please do not confuse this limitation in home screen with the auto-rotate.

Most apps including system apps like Settings support landscape mode for a long time. When you turn on auto-rotate, you can use most apps in the landscape orientation.

In Android tablet, since Android Honeycomb 3.0, the home screen landscape mode has been supported.

However, on the phone, the home screen landscape mode is still new.

The larger screen aspect ratio beyond 16:9 in many recent flagship Android phones exacerbates the implementation of landscape mode for the home screen. The screen simply looks too narrow for the icons.

Anyway, Samsung now offers the option to use Galaxy S9 home screen landscape mode in Galaxy S9 and S9+.

This means the Galaxy S9 home screen can automatically rotate to landscape mode when you hold the phone in landscape position.

Undoubtedly, the app icons and widgets in Galaxy S9 home screen will be re-organised in landscape mode. Simple rotation is not enough due to insufficient height in the landscape mode.

In a nutshell, Galaxy … Read the rest