Galaxy S9 status bar

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

A USB flash drive is often the most convenient tool to quickly share files between Galaxy S9, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S20 and other devices.

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

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

Since Galaxy S8, Samsung has moved to USB-C port on all Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones. So, this guide applies to all Galaxy phones with USB-C port, including Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S20, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy Note 10, and Galaxy Note 20.

In this guide, we use SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive in some examples. You may get a detailed guide on how to use SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive here.

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 … 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.

simon · 2 Comments

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 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.

simon · 2 Comments

You 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

5 ways to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+ without using any apps

simon · 4 Comments

There are at least 5 methods to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+ without using any apps: hardware buttons (power+volume down), palm swipe, the assistant menu, Bixby voice command and Google Assistant.

This Galaxy S9 how-to guide explains to you how to use them and how to use scroll capture to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+

Why do you need to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+?

Sometimes, you may need to keep a record of a conversation, to share a webpage, to show some locations on Google maps to others, or to record some transactions when you are using the Galaxy S9 or S9+.

A screenshot is the easiest and the most effective way to keep info and pieces of evidence. The image saved can be read on almost any devices.

Although you can edit them after you take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+, most people give more trust in screenshots than the text you typed.

Sometimes, if you want to report a problem of an app, or request technical services, you may be asked to take some screenshots so that the technical staffs can understand the problem quickly.

How to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+ without using any apps (and without using your PC)?

There are at least 5 ways to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+ without using any apps:

Using hardware buttons (volume down + power button).
Palm swipe.
Using the Assistant menu.
Using Bixby voice command.
Using Google Assistant.

This guide will show you the details of these 5 methods in the following sections individually.

Method 1: use hardware buttons to take screenshots on Galaxy S9 and S9+

You can take a screenshot on Galaxy S9 and S9+ by pressing the holding Power button and Volume down button simultaneously, as illustrated below. You should hear a click /shutter sound once screenshot is taken.

This method works on almost all Android phones.

In old Samsung phones with a physical Home button, the physical home button was used with the power button to take screenshots. But this does NOT work on Galaxy S9 and S9+ because the Home button on S9 and S9+ is considered as a software-based button.

The key point of using physical buttons to take screenshots is to press the two buttons simultaneously.

As a human, we always press one button earlier than … 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

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