Samsung makes some of the best Android phones on the market, thanks to its polished One UI experience and great software support. But if you're a longtime Galaxy phone user, you'll know that there are some settings and features that you need to reset before you start using them.
1. Enable navigation gestures
Google did away with the three-button navigation bar when it released Android 10 in September 2019. For reasons only Samsung knows, the company continues to sell phones with the navigation bar enabled by default. Worse, you don't even get the option to switch to gesture navigation during initial setup.
Typically, the first thing you should do after setting up your new Samsung Galaxy phone is switch to navigation gestures. Follow the steps below to learn how:
You can also enable or disable the Circle to Search and Assistant app gestures from the navigation bar settings page.
2. Display more information on the screen
Despite having a large, beautiful, high-resolution display, Samsung's phone screens are very low in information density. Compared to the Pixel 8 Pro, for example, the Galaxy S23 Ultra displays less content on the screen despite having a slightly larger and higher-resolution display. Thankfully, changing the Screen Zoom level alleviates this problem to a large extent.
If the minimum option isn't good enough for you, enable the hidden Developer options menu on your Galaxy phone. Then, go to Settings > Developer options and scroll down to Minimum width . The default value should be 411. A higher value will allow your Galaxy phone to display more information on the screen. Don't enter a higher value, as it can cause UI scaling issues.
3. Use Good Lock for additional customization
Samsung’s One UI interface offers a lot of customization options. However, the Good Lock app lets you take things to the next level by unlocking experimental features and options. The app itself doesn’t have much functionality; you have to download the relevant Good Lock modules for that.
Using modules, you can customize your lock screen and navigation bar, add new triggers to Modes and Routines, and unlock new multitasking features. Check out the best Good Lock modules to customize your Samsung phone.
Given the power of Good Lock, it's one of the first apps you should download on your new Galaxy phone to unlock extra features and customization options. There are a number of other ways to customize your Galaxy phone, but Good Lock stands out for its powerful options.
4. Reduce shutter lag with Camera Assistant
A big problem with all Samsung phones released in the past few years is shutter lag in the Camera app. There is a noticeable delay when the phone takes a photo after you press the shutter button. One reason for this is that the phone takes the photo when you lift your finger off the shutter button, not when you press it.
That's why Camera Assistant is one of the first apps you should download and install on your new Galaxy phone. It lets you take better photos on your compatible Galaxy phone. Available as a Good Lock module, it has an option to reduce shutter lag.
While Camera Assistant doesn't completely eliminate shutter lag and slow shutter issues on Samsung phones, it does significantly reduce them.
The next time you open the Camera app on your Galaxy phone and press the shutter button, the app will take a photo almost instantly.
5. Turn on Notification categories
Notification channels are one of Android's coolest features. Also known as Notification categories, they let you restrict specific types of notifications from apps. For example, you can use them to block unwanted marketing notifications from one app while still receiving others.
However, for some strange reason, Samsung ships newer Galaxy phones with Notification categories disabled by default.
Because Notification categories are so useful, this is one of the first features to enable on your new Galaxy phone. Here's how to do it:
You can then manage the app's notification channels by pressing and holding the app's notification, tapping Settings , and selecting Notification categories . From the page that opens, turn off notifications for the categories you don't want.
6. Switch to Adaptive Battery Protection mode
Starting with the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung promises to provide up to seven years of OS and security updates for its flagship phones. This means you can use your phone for a long time. So keeping your battery in good condition is important.
Most Galaxy phones have great battery life, and if you charge your phone overnight while you sleep, you should switch the battery protection mode to Adaptive mode to extend the life of your battery.
In this mode, your Galaxy phone will automatically stop charging when the battery reaches 80% while you sleep. Based on your sleep schedule, your phone will switch to Basic mode, charging the battery to 100%. This ensures that you start the day with 100% battery while also prolonging the battery life during overnight charging.
Follow the steps below to enable Adaptive Battery Protection on your Galaxy phone:
Adaptive mode will help increase your Galaxy phone's battery life without affecting overall battery life.
7. Set up Phone Link
Phone Link bridges the gap between your Android phone and Windows PC. The included Link to Windows app comes preloaded on all Samsung Galaxy phones and mirrors your incoming notifications, photos, and more to your Windows PC. Premium Galaxy models also get exclusive access to features like Instant Hotspot.
In addition to all the things mentioned above, you should also change some settings on your new Galaxy phone for the best experience. This includes blocking ads, switching to Google Password Manager for autofill, and enabling floating notifications.
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