There are a lot of hidden features that you didn't know existed in your Samsung Galaxy mobile phone. Perhaps you are wondering if this is for a few Samsung devices, but you should be assured, regardless of the Samsung Galaxy phone you use - either Samsung Galaxy S Series, A, Z, and so on, there are plenty of features that are quite useful but you're probably not utilising. 

Things like taking a screenshot by swiping your hand across your phone's screen, customising your home screen, and so on. Let's see the secret tips and tricks people can make use of on the Samsung Galaxy phones.

Accessing Hidden Features

There are hidden features (until now) in your Samsung Galaxy that you're not using and we are sure there is something useful for everyone. Let's check them out!

Navigation Bar

There's a feature in the Samsung Galaxy that provides you with three different navigation bar options. These options would be very helpful for those who would love to try out new navigation gestures and also those who love large displays.

You can find this option when you go to Settings, then click on the Display and press the Navigation Bar. 

Take Screenshots with Your Palm

Another feature that isn't popularly known but has been on Samsung smartphones forever and that is the gesture that allows you to take a screenshot with your palm. 

To access this feature, go to Settings, Advanced Features, and click on Motion and Gestures. 

Taking Selfies Easily 

Taking selfies has been made easier on Samsung phones, as there's a feature that allows you to take selfies or other types of photos with your voice or hand. You can find this feature in the Camera Settings:

• Open the camera app.
• Tap the settings cog in the corner.
• Select “Shooting Methods”

For Voice Commanded Photos:

• Find Voice control and slide the toggle to activate (you may also need to deactivate Bixby Voice wake-up via Bixby Voice settings) 
• Return to the camera app and make sure you have selfie photo mode activated.
• When you're ready, say "cheese", "shoot" or "capture" to start the shoot sequence. Slide over to video mode and say "record video" if you want to film.
• There is a timer in the top-right corner.

For Show-palm Photos:

• Find Show Palm and activate the option.
• Return to the camera app and make sure you're using selfie photo mode.
• When you're ready to pose, hold up your palm until you see the timer appear in the top right corner.
• Drop your hand and keep posing until you've got your shot.

Take Photos with a Depth-of-Field Effect

Live Focus is a camera feature available on many Samsung Galaxy phones that allows you to capture photos with a depth-of-field effect, also known as 'bokeh'. This effect helps to create professional-looking images by blurring the background while keeping the subject in sharp focus. Live Focus works by using the phone's multiple camera lenses and software algorithms to create a depth map and apply the desired level of blur to the background.

Live Focus is particularly useful for portrait photography, as it helps to emphasise the subject and separate them from the background, giving your photos a professional, DSLR-like quality. In addition to the standard Live Focus mode, some Samsung Galaxy phones also offer variations like Live Focus Video (for recording videos with a depth-of-field effect) and additional effects such as colour point, spin, and zoom.

To use Live Focus on your Samsung Galaxy phone, follow these steps:

• Open the Camera app on your device.
• Swipe through the available camera modes until you find "Live Focus" or "Portrait" (the name may vary depending on your specific model).
• Compose your shot, ensuring that your subject is within the recommended distance from the camera (usually indicated on the screen).
• Use the slider or on-screen controls to adjust the level of background blur, if desired.
• Tap the shutter button to capture the image.

After taking a Live Focus photo, you can still adjust the level of background blur by following these steps: 

• Open the Gallery app and locate the Live Focus photo you just took.
• Tap on the photo to open it, and then tap the "Change background effect" button (usually represented by an icon with sliders or a magic wand).
• Use the slider or on-screen controls to adjust the background blur and apply any additional effects, if available.
• Tap "Save" or "Done" to apply the changes to the photo.

Enable "Find My Mobile"

Find My Mobile is a feature that could save your life if you've forgotten your Samsung smartphone unlock code or, worse, lost your cell phone.

On the Find My Mobile website, users can sign in with their Samsung account and access the following features:

• Make the smartphone ring
• Lock the smartphone
• Track the smartphone's location
• Erase smartphone data
• Create a backup
• Receive calls and SMS
• Unlock the smartphone
• Extend battery life
• Manage parental control features

To activate these features:

• Go to Settings.
• Go to Biometrics and Security followed by Find My Mobile.
• Enable remote unlocking, last known location transfer and even tracking functionality when the smartphone is turned off.

Customising Your Home Screen

Do you know that you can customise the layout and the theme of your home screen on your Samsung Galaxy mobile phone to your desire? 

Follow these steps to customise your home screen:

• Touch and long-press a space on your home screen. 
• Release when you see the screen zoomed in with options such as wallpaper and style, widget, themes, and settings below.
• You can choose any of the options to customize your home screen as you want. 

Customising Your Lock Screen

Just as you can customise your home screen, you can also customise your Samsung Galaxy lock screen. Follow the instructions below to design your phone's lock screen.

• Go to Settings.
• Select "Lock Screen".
• Click on Wallpaper Services and click on the Dynamic Lock Screen.
• Choose any category you want and download. The fun part is you can choose more than categories. 

Adjust Battery Settings 

Aside from customising your home and lock screen, you can adjust your battery settings. 

• Go to settings and click on "battery and device care".
• Optimize your battery and put unused applications to sleep to prevent excessive use of the battery from the background.
• Disable apps that you haven't used for a month by pressing the battery, then go to more settings and turn on and disable unused apps. 

Open an App in Split Screen or Floating Windows

Samsung offers some alternatives to work with two applications at the same time on your smartphone. The usability of this feature can depend on screen size and smartphone performance.

To view two apps in split screen:

• Swipe up and then hold the home screen to display recent apps.
• Select the application of your choice, then press and hold the icon at the top of the window.
• In the pop-up window, select Open in split-screen view.
• Select the three horizontal dots icon in the middle of both windows to create a pair of apps that will open in a split screen by default every time via a dedicated shortcut.

To display one or more applications in a floating window:

• To view recent apps, swipe up and hold the home screen.
• Select the application of your choice and press and hold the icon at the top of the window.
• In the pop-up window, select Open in a split-screen view.
• You can also just press and hold anywhere in the app window in step 2, it works just as well and then you can skip step 3. You can move the window as you like and resize it to launch.

Protect Your Data

Secure Folder is a security feature available on Samsung Galaxy phones that helps protect your sensitive information, files and apps. It uses the Samsung Knox security platform to create a private, encrypted space on your device that is separate from your main apps, files and any other setting. You can save apps in a secure folder to keep them separate from the main apps on your device, especially in case other people have access to your phone. This is useful if you want to maintain privacy for some apps, such as social media accounts, banking apps, or email clients.

Secure Folder allows you to store sensitive files such as documents, images and videos in a secure area. This ensures that your important files are not easily accessible to others who may be using your phone.

To set up Secure Folder on your Samsung Galaxy phone, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Scroll down and tap on “Biometrics & Security”.
• Find and tap “Secure Folder”.
• Sign in to your Samsung account or create a new one if you don't already have one.
• Select the authentication method you want to lock the secure folder and follow the on-screen instructions.

Once set up, you can start adding apps and files to the secure folder by tapping the “Add apps” or “Add files” options in the folder.

Use Two Accounts for the Same Messaging App

Dual Messenger is a feature available on many Samsung Galaxy phones that allows you to use two separate accounts for the same messaging app on one device. This can be especially useful if you want to have separate personal and work accounts or maintain multiple profiles for different purposes.
Dual Messenger works with various popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat and Telegram. The availability of supported apps may vary depending on your device and region. You can customise each instance of the messaging app independently, including notification settings, profile pictures, display names and other content.

To enable Dual Messenger on your Samsung Galaxy phone, follow these steps:

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Scroll down the menu and tap on “Advanced Features”.
• Find and tap “Dual Messenger”.
• A list of supported applications is displayed. Toggle the switch next to the app you want to enable Dual Messenger for.
• A second instance of the app will be installed on your device. You can now set up a second account by following the onboarding process in the app.

View the Screen Time of Your Samsung Smartphone

Screen time is an important metric in Android's digital well-being settings, and Samsung offers its own version that's a bit more flexible than Google's native solution. Steps to check screen time on a Samsung smartphone:

• Open the Settings.
• Go to Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls.
• Tap Digital Wellbeing.
• Under Your Goals, select Screen Time.

There you will see the cumulative screen time for the last few hours, days and weeks.

If you want to monitor screen time, you can also activate the widget. This allows you to display statistics on the home screen, which will be updated regularly. Follow these steps to activate the widget:

• Long press on the home screen.
• Select Widget.
• In the selection, you will find a utility called Screen Time.
• Choose one of the designs and add the widget to your home screen.

Other Features You Might Want to Try Out

• Edge Screen: Some Samsung Galaxy models have a curved edge display that allows you to access frequently used apps, contacts and shortcuts with just one swipe.
• Always on Display: This feature allows you to see the time, date and important notifications without having to wake up your phone.
• Samsung DeX: Connect your Galaxy phone to a monitor, keyboard and mouse to turn it into a desktop experience.
• Bixby: Samsung's intelligent voice assistant Bixby can help you with tasks, answer questions and control your smart home devices.
• One UI (user interface): Samsung's custom user interface provides a clean and intuitive experience with improved navigation and personalisation options.
• Wireless DeX: This feature allows you to wirelessly connect your Galaxy phone to a compatible smart TV or monitor, offering a PC-like experience without cables.
• Night Mode: Samsung's Night Mode adjusts the colour temperature of your screen, reduces eye strain and helps you sleep better.
• Samsung Pay: Use your Galaxy phone to make secure contactless payments at supported merchants.
• Game Launcher: This feature optimises your phone's gaming performance and lets you manage games, screenshots, and more from one place.
• Link to Windows: Sync your Galaxy phone with your Windows PC to access notifications, messages and photos on your PC.
• Knox Security: Samsung's built-in security platform helps protect your device and data from malware and hacking attempts.
• Reverse wireless charging: Some Samsung Galaxy models offer reverse wireless charging, which allows you to charge other compatible devices by placing them on the back of the phone.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When you find out that some of the features on your Samsung phone aren't working properly, you can troubleshoot these issues easily by doing any of the following. 

• Clear apps cache or cookies.
• Force restart or reset the settings.
• Update your phone. 
• Factory reset. 

Conclusion 

If you haven't been making use of a number of useful and fun features and tools on your Samsung phone, then you've been missing out. For example, you can take selfies with your voice, take screenshots with your palm, keep your data well protected and many more. Make good use of your Samsung Galaxy mobile phone from now on. Remember to check your specific Galaxy model to see which features are available and how to activate them.