10 things you should do first

Your new cell phone can do a lot of cool things, but good luck finding them all. We’ll help you with the most important thing. […]

The Galaxy S21 series Embodied Samsung Approach to smart phoneDesign made to accommodate more functionality than the competition. This means your new phone can do a lot of cool things, but good luck finding them all. However, we can make it easy for you to get started. Here are 10 things you can do with your new guy Galaxy S21 He can.

Side button repair

Most cell phones have a button on the right edge that turns it on and off, which you will probably call the “power button”. Samsung The “function key” is preferred, and this does not behave like the keys on others smart phones. By default, long pressing this button will open Bixby (accidentally triggering this button is probably the only reason anyone should keep opening Bixby at all)

Thankfully, you can banish Bixby from your button. Just go to Settings> Advanced Features> Function key. From here you can change the pressure setting continuously to produce the power menu just like on any other phone.

Discover Google on the home screen

After years of resistance Samsung I allowed Google Discover panel on the One UI home screen. It is not yours by nature smart phone Enabled, but quick to set up. First, invoke the editing interface of the Start screen by tapping and holding an empty space or tapping it with two fingers. Swipe left and you should see a switch. If this is activated, you will get the dashboard specified on the far left of the start screen. You have two options: Google Discover and Samsung Free. Trust me you want to discover.

Lift up to wake up

Samsung There are S 21 A new fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen is much faster. All you have to do is find it. Only the area in which the sensor is located is highlighted when the screen is awake or in “always-on” mode. The fastest and most effective way to unlock your phone is to activate the “Lift to wake” feature, which Samsung has buried deeply in the settings.

You can find this switch under Settings> Advanced Settings> Movements and Gestures> Lift to Wake. Once this feature is enabled, the screen will wake up when you pick up the phone, which makes it a lot easier to find the sensor and unlock the phone with one smooth motion.

Effects of video calls

The use of video conferencing software such as Zoom has risen over the past year S 21 It has a feature that makes these apps a little more powerful. Even if your app doesn’t have live wallpaper effects, S21 can add them. Just go to settings> advanced settings> video call effects.

In this menu, you can choose between opacity, solid colors and your images. The effect can be integrated into many applications, including Duo and Zoom. It uses a little more power during video calls, but you don’t have to worry about what’s behind before you answer a call.

Set background borders

Samsung It has long been aggressive at restricting background processes on its phones and in S 21 It is even tougher. There is a way in setting to bypass Samsung clumsy apps sleep mode, but it is also available in Settings under Settings> Battery and device maintenance> Battery> Background usage limits.

This feature differs from the app optimization that all Android phones have. Sleep apps Samsung– Phones cannot run in the background, which is annoying when you want an app to forward notifications even if you don’t open it regularly. Turn off this feature and you will avoid these problems. Battery life might be affected a little, but this is smart phone It will work better.

Dualer Messenger

Some of the most popular social media and messaging apps don’t support multiple accounts, which is a pity. Samsung However, it has a handy built-in feature called Dual Messenger that makes copies of these apps so you can sign in with a second profile. You can find this function in the advanced settings at the bottom.

Dual Messenger works with Facebook, Telegram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and more. You will get a second copy of the app with an icon to remind you of the Dual Messenger version. You can use this app as normal alongside the ‘normal’ app. If you decide that you don’t want a separate app anymore, just turn it off in your Dual Messenger settings.

Customize smart home devices

Samsung He has a new one from Google Smart home– Pick up the dashboard, but don’t put it on the power menu screen. On the S 21 You will find a new item “Devices” at the top of the notification window. Click on that and you will see an overview of smart home devices under Google Home or Samsung SmartThings. You can control lights, thermostats, cameras, and more.

You will need to adjust the visuals here, which are hidden in Settings in the full menu. Just choose a file Smart homeThe devices you want to include, then tap and hold and drag to move them to the place you want.

Bixby Actions

However, Bixby’s voice assistant is not very useful Samsung Bixby actions are. Although they share the same brand, there is no link between the functions. Bixby Routines lets you create automation diagrams that work for you smart phone– Change settings and control of connected devices.

To get started, just go to Settings> Advanced Settings and find Bixby Routines. Turn on the console and start linking actions and services to see what you can create. Routines are also easy to set up – they are initialized as “if-then” statements. There are a few recommended actions to start your morning or mute your smartphone at work, but the possibilities are nearly endless.

Install Good Lock

You might think so S 21 It has a lot of features built in and you are right. But that is not the extent of your change options. Samsung Good Lock Hub provides more customization options for home screen, lock, screen, clock, buttons, and more.

To start, grab Good Lock from the Galaxy Store. It’s free and connects you to all the individual modules to control different parts of the phone: LockStar, QuickStar, Clockface, MultiStar, NavStar, Home Up, and NotiStar. With everything installed, there are tons of settings to explore. With Good Lock, you can for example force apps to work with multiple windows, change the color of the navigation button, keep notification logs, and much more.

S Pen support (S21 Ultra only)

If you are Samsung The newest and the best S21 Ultra There’s another job for finding out other S21s not having: S Pen-the support. This phone has an on-screen digitizer that allows you to use Samsung’s Inductive Pen technology. You can purchase a stylus specifically designed for the S21 Ultra, as well as a box to house it. Or, you can just buy an inexpensive Note20 stylus pen replacement for under $ 20 and it also works.

With th S Pen Easily draw, write and paint on your phone. It also gives you Ai Command popup, making it easier for you to access apps that support the stylus. The S21 Ultra It doesn’t support the Note S Pen’s Bluetooth functionality, but most of the functions are there.

* Ryan Whitwam writes for its sister magazine PCWorld, among others.