We have to commend Samsung on explaining all their features in great detail even in the menus. So most of the things are really easy to understand however, due to the density of the features, many are left unexplored by a lot of users. I’ve been a Samsung fan for a very long time and even I sometimes overlook an essential feature that is not available elsewhere. Here are some of the best Samsung Galaxy S8 tips and tricks that will make your smartphone shine more.
1. Remove App Drawer Button
The app drawer button is still present on the new Samsung Galaxy S8 interface however, Google Pixel has completely removed it. Thankfully, you can do so as well by simply going over to the home screen settings. You can access the Home Screen Settings by long pressing on the home screen and selecting the option. Now, head on over to the “apps button” and you can toggle the button on and off from here.
2. Change Apps Grid Size
Want to see more apps in the app drawer at the same time? Want the icons to be bigger so they are more identifiable? You can do so easily by heading over to the Home Screen Settings and selecting the Apps Screen Grid. Now you can find the options of switching between 4 x 6 and 5 x 6. The 5 x 6 option will have more apps on display.
3. Apps on Home Screen
If you like the iPhone layout or want what some Chinese manufacturers do when it comes to displaying all the apps on the home screen, this option is made for you. Go into the Home Screen Settings > Home Screen Layout. From there you’ll find 2 options, the Home Screen Only or Home Screen and App Screen. The last option will completely remove the app drawer and display apps on the home screen.
4. Arrange Apps
If you install multiple apps on your Samsung Galaxy S8, it can be a little problematic locating the one you need. Thankfully, you can just as easily sort of the apps in alphabetical order. When in the app drawer, tap on the menu button on the top right corner. Select the sort option and from there choose alphabetical order. Now everything will be well arranged.
5. Customized Arrangement
If apps arranged in alphabetical order are not your cup of tea, you can select the Custom Order option in the sorting menu. The menu can be accessed by pressing the menu button on the top right corner in the app drawer screen.
6. Make an App Folder
If you want to make a folder that contains specific apps, you can do so with ease. All you need to do is long press an icon and drag it over another to create a folder. Then you can place the folder anywhere, change the name, or even color it to your personal taste.
7. Easy Uninstall
The Samsung Galaxy S8 presents an easy way to uninstall apps directly from the icon. All you need to do is long press on the icon of the app you need to delete. A menu will appear that will give you the option of uninstalling the app. However, a point to be noted here is that some apps are deemed essential and cannot be removed from your smartphone.
8. Change Icon Style
Samsung makes the icons a little square. That’s fine for most folks but if you need the normal app icons, you can get them by heading over to the Settings > Display > Icon Frames and choosing Icons Only. This will remove the square background from the icon and make them look normal.
9. Powerful Search
Right on the top of the apps screen you will find a search bar. It is not just for searching apps, it is a powerful tool that can also search across multiple apps and find results. For example, it can easily Sift through messages, reminders, and even calendar entries and come up with results. However, you can access the menu button and choose which apps it searches.
10. Customize Navigation Bar
As the Samsung Galaxy S8 doesn’t come with physical or capacitive buttons, you have to use the navigation bar on the screen. Thankfully, Samsung allows you to change the appearance of the navigation bar or even swap out the control buttons with ease. Go to Settings > Display > Navigation Bar and you can change it to your liking.
11. Activate Bixby
There is a dedicated Bixby button on the smartphone that enables you to access the smart assistant with ease. However, if you don’t want to use the physical button, you can activate Bixby from the home screen as well. In order to enable it, long press on the home screen and then swipe right. There you’ll find the Bixby panel and use the toggle on the top left corner to turn it on.
12. Automatic Format
If you have sensitive information on your device and want it to be safe in case it falls into the wrong hands, the automatic format option is a great one to have. It will only trigger if there are 15 failed unlocking attempts in a row. In order to activate it, head over to the Settings > Lock Screen and Security > Secure Lock Settings.
13. Block Lock Screen Notifications
If you don’t want certain applications sending you lock screen notifications, you can do so easily. Go over to Settings > Lock Screen and Security and you will see a list of all your apps. From there you can switch off the apps that you don’t want lock screen notifications from.
14. Flashing LED Notifications
If you don’t want the LED flash when you receive a notification, head over to Settings > Display > LED indicator. From there you can turn this feature completely off. It is nice of Samsung to be considerate of people who simply hate flashing lights and include this option.
15. Full Screen Apps
As the Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio screen, it is a little bit taller than most smartphones. It also comes with curved screen edges that make it look seamlessly beautiful. While some apps will easily fill the whole screen automatically and are optimized, others may need a little bit of a nudge. Go to Settings > Display > Full Screen Apps to make the change.
16. Always On Display
The Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with an AMOLED display that makes it capable of displaying images on the screen without being a burden on the battery. In order to activate it, go to Settings > Lock Screen and Security > Always on Display and turn it on. You can also enable a schedule for it to display, making it a lot more convenient for you.
17. Always On Display Layout
Now that you are already in the always on display options, you can also customize what you see when it is activated. There you’ll find numerous options that will enable you to select what is being shown and how it is arranged. One great thing is that you can also download additional always on display layouts directly from Samsung. Go to the Samsung Themes App, from there select the AODs on the bottom of the tab. Now select the one you like and click on download. After it is downloaded, you’ll get a notification and then you can apply it.
18. Blue Light Filter
Samsung has introduced a great feature called Blue Light Filter which minimizes the effects of blue light on your eyes and avoid eyestrain. This also helps you sleep better after using your smartphone in bed. To activate the blue light filter head over to the Settings > Display > Blue Light Filter.
19. Edge Features
The Samsung Galaxy S8 has the edge features that can be customized further in order to increase their usefulness. Go to Settings > Display > Edge Screen. From there you can enable as lighting for incoming calls that will activate whenever your phone is lying face down. It is especially great when you work in an office environment where ring tones are frowned upon and you don’t want your smartphone to vibrate off the table. You can also tap on the edge panels to see what other panels are available for usage. There are many edge panels to add but we recommend that you only add those you need the most because scrolling through them can take time.
20. Easy Multitasking
If you want to enable multi window view on your Samsung Galaxy S8, all you need to do is press and hold the recent apps button. However, you need to activate this option before using this shortcut. You can do so in Settings > Advanced Features > Multi window.
End Notes
These were some of the best Samsung Galaxy S8 tips and tricks that will surely make the smartphone more useful to you in your day-to-day life. Of course there are many other features Samsung has included but we tried to include the ones that most people ignore or are not aware of completely. If you have another nifty little Samsung Galaxy S8 trick up your sleeve, feel free to wow us in the comments with that. Feature Image Credits
