Samsung Galaxy devices are known for their sleek design and great performance, but they can also be a little too easy to control. Here are 10 default Samsung Galaxy settings you should change to make your device more user-friendly.
- Default Wallpaper: Choose a wallpaper that is comfortable for you and your device. Some good options include the Samsung Galaxy S5’s default wallpaper, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2’s default wallpaper, or the Samsung Galaxy Note 3’s default wallpaper.
- Default Language: Choose a language that is comfortable for you and your device. Some good options include English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, or Mandarin Chinese.
- Default Keyboard: Choose a keyboard that is comfortable for you and your device. Some good options include the Samsung Galaxy S5’s default keyboard or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2’s default keyboard.
- Default Browser: Choose a browser that is comfortable for you and your device. Some good options include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, or Microsoft Edge.
- Default Email Accounts: Choose an email account that is comfortable for you and your device (such as Gmail or iCloud). Some good options include Google Mail, Yahoo Mail, iCloud Mail (if it is enabled), or Microsoft Exchange Online (if it is enabled).
Disable Bixby From the Power Button
Let’s kick things off with arguably the most annoying part of Samsung Galaxy phones: Bixby. Not many people like Samsung’s virtual assistant, yet the company ties it to the Power Button by default.
If you don’t use Bixby, you should take the Power Button back. You can restore the power button’s original function, which is to show the options for “Power Off” and “Restart.” At least Samsung gives us the option.
RELATED: How to Disable Bixby on the Samsung Galaxy S22
Show the Battery Percentage in the Status Bar
By default, the battery percentage is indicated by how full the battery icon is in the status bar. You can keep an even closer eye on it by showing the exact percentage in numbers. It’s a simple thing to toggle on, and you’ll be able to know exactly when your phone needs some extra juice.
RELATED: How to Show the Battery Percentage on Android
Change the System Color Palette
Google introduced a new way to theme your phone with Android 12. Samsung’s implementation is different than Google’s, but it still allows you to change the system theme based on your wallpaper.
The “Color Palette” applies to the Quick Settings buttons, the background color of the notification shade, as well as the colors in system apps and in some third-party apps. It’s a little more subtle of a way to change up the look without a full-blown theme.
RELATED: How to Change the Color Palette on Samsung Galaxy Phones
Customize the Lock Screen Shortcuts
By default, Samsung puts shortcuts to the Phone and Camera on the lock screen. You can swipe left or right on the shortcuts to quickly launch the apps without unlocking the phone. These shortcuts can actually be any app you want.
RELATED: How to Customize the Samsung Galaxy Lock Screen Shortcuts
Switch to Gesture Navigation
Mobile operating systems have transitioned to gesture-based navigation. One UI on Galaxy phones is no different, but Samsung still uses the old three-button navigation style by default.
Look, if you really despise gestures, that’s cool, but they’re not going away. You should at least give the gesture navigation a shot. It gives you more screen real estate and works pretty well once you get the hang of it.
RELATED: How to Change the Navigation Buttons or Gestures on Android
Mute Calls By Flipping Your Phone
Sadly, the days of slamming your phone down to end a call are gone. However, you can still achieve a similar effect with a feature that allows you to flip your phone to mute incoming calls.
This feature doesn’t hang up during a phone call, but it makes it easy to ignore calls. You can flip the phone or put your hand on top of the screen to stop the ringing.
RELATED: How to Mute Calls By Flipping Your Android Phone
Customize the Lock Screen Clock
Let’s go back to the lock screen. By default, Samsung uses a very simple digital clock with white or black text. You can customize this clock with a few different styles and color options. It’s a simple way to freshen up the look of your lock screen, which you probably see many times throughout the day.
RELATED: How to Customize the Clock on the Android Lock Screen
Get Rid of Duplicate Apps
Samsung includes many of its own apps that duplicate similar apps that are also pre-installed by Google. Getting double notifications from Samsung and Google Calendar—for example—is super annoying.
Unfortunately, some of Samsung’s default apps—such as the Calendar—can’t be fully removed. If you can’t uninstall or disable the apps, there are ways you can make them essentially go away without actually removing them.
RELATED: How to Get Rid of Samsung Calendar on Galaxy Phones
Undo Typing With a Gesture
The default Samsung Keyboard on Galaxy phones includes an “Undo” feature that isn’t enabled by default. In this context, “Undo” will remove the last few words you typed, not the individual characters. All you have to do is swipe across the keyboard with two fingers. The one downside is you can’t use swipe typing if you enable this feature.
RELATED: How to Undo Typing on a Samsung Galaxy Phone
Stop Apps From Being Killed in the Background
One of the most frustrating things about Samsung Galaxy phones is their aggressive killing of background apps. This is done to save battery life, but it sometimes results in missed notifications and misbehaving apps.
There are a couple of settings you’ll want to take a look at to ensure apps are running correctly in the background. You can also give individual apps permission to always run to ensure you never miss notifications from them.
RELATED: How to Stop Android From Killing Background Apps
Samsung’s “everything but the kitchen sink” approach means there are a lot of options at your fingertips. Hopefully, you can get your Samsung Galaxy phone working exactly how you want it to.
