Posted by : huda207
Sabtu, 07 Desember 2013
Check out these Galaxy S4 tips and tricks to help make the most of your device
Whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned Galaxy owner, chances are you could use some tips and tricks for the new Samsung Galaxy S4.
Even as a seasoned Galaxy S3 owner I had trouble figuring out how to use all the nifty new features, tricks and gimmicks that the Galaxy S4 had to offer.
Even as a seasoned Galaxy S3 owner I had trouble figuring out how to use all the nifty new features, tricks and gimmicks that the Galaxy S4 had to offer.
Samsung stuffed its new smartphone with so many goodies that we decided
to create an ever-evolving guide on how to make the best of it. So, if
you’re the proud new owner of a Samsung Galaxy S4 and have no idea where to begin, let us help you out.
Before we dive into it, let's talk about why the Samsung Galaxy S4 is such a great handset. In ourfull review, we said:
"The Samsung Galaxy S4 is a great smartphone. Its build quality is good,
the screen is excellent and the camera is better than most smartphone
cameras, too. Battery life
is great, Samsung’s added dozens of new features and its Samsung Hub
are all very excellent additions to the device. Will this be a
ridiculously popular and another best-selling device from Samsung? You
bet."
Activate desktop view in your Galaxy S4 web browser
So here’s a handy little nugget when using a screen as large as the one
on the Galaxy S4: You don’t need to go mobile. What we mean by that is
you don’t have to fret over viewing your favorite websites in the
mobile-friendly versions (and thank the high heavens, because so many
sites are still terrible about this). To opt for the full-screen
experience, simply go to Settings and check the box that reads “Desktop
View.”
Snap photos and record video with your voice
Keeping in line with the whole eye-scrolling craze, Samsung’s Galaxy S4
also lets you control certain features with your own voice. This
includes taking a photo or recording a video simply by speaking a
command. First, make sure that the voice feature
is enabled (look for the little microphone icon near the top of your
camera’s settings). Once it’s activated, simply focus on your object as
you normally would and say “Shoot.” If you want to be cheeky, you can go
with “Cheese,” as that seems to work just fine, too. Video works in the
same manner, except your command will be “Record video.”
Access new toggles and features via notification panel
Pull down on the notification panel, the same one you use to see new
messages, emails and alerts at a glance, and press the upper right icon
(it looks like a bunch of small blocks). From there, you’ll get an
expanded view of so many new features that you can toggle on and off
with just a touch of the screen.
You’ll see new features like Air View
-- a feature accessible on the Galaxy Note 2 using the S Pen, but now
you can use it with just your finger -- and Smart Scroll, a feature that
lets you use your eyes to scroll the screen up and down in certain
apps. If you’re not sure how to use any of the features, simply press
and hold the particular toggle button you’re interested in and you’ll be
taken into its settings where instructions are clearly laid out.
Take a screen shot
Sometimes you want to share what's on your screen with friends or family, and the easiest way to do that is by taking a screen shot.
Doing so is super easy: simply press the power button located on the
upper right side of the device, and the home button at the same time. If
you've done it correctly, you'll see the screen flash and a copy of the
image whisked away into your gallery.
Hard reset your Galaxy S4
Did you tinker around too much and now you have to hard reset your Galaxy S4?
No worries, it's pretty easy. First, turn your phone off. Then press
and hold the volume up, home and power buttons all at the same time
until the device turns on. When it's on and you see the Android logo,
release all three buttons at once. Using the volume down button, select
Wipe data/Factory reset and press the power button. Then choose "Yes --
delete all data" and press the power button again. Once the process
finishes, you can use the power button to boot the phone up again and
you should be good as new.
Set up a screen lock
We do everything on our smartphones these days -- from email to banking
and social networking -- so it's important to keep all of our info
secure. The first line of defense is a screen lock. To enable that,
simply go into Settings and go to My Device and tap Lock screen. From
there, tap Screen Lock and you can choose a pin or pattern amongst other
things to lock your phone. You'll also be given the option of having
two security measures just in case one fails. Once you've set your lock,
you can choose when to enable the lock, too, whether you want it to
lock as soon as your screen is turned off, or if you want it to wait for
a few minutes.
Install new apps on your Galaxy S4
In order to install a free Android application on the Samsung Galaxy S4, proceed with the following:
- From the Galaxy S4 home screen, select the Google Play Store app.
- From the main Google Play Store screen, select the Apps panel on the left.
- Here, any mobile app can be accessed and installed. You can either browse or conduct a search using the magnifying glass icon in the top right of the screen.
- After you find a free app that interests you, tap Download.
- Then tap Accept & Download to accept the permissions for the app (or press Back if you change your mind) -- your item will start downloading immediately.
- After downloading it will install in the background and will be instantly available for use.
- That's it! You're now well on your way to using apps and games.
To install a paid Android application on the Samsung Galaxy S4, proceed with the following:
- From the home screen, select the Google Play Store app.
- From the main Google Play Store screen, select the Apps panel on the left.
- Now go ahead and find any paid app you want. You can either browse or conduct a search using the magnifying glass icon in the top right of the screen.
- After you find a paid app that interests you tap on the blue box with the price.
- You will then be brought to a screen with the total and payment method. If no credit card is shown it should allow you to add a card.
- When finished confirming or adding a payment method tap Accept & Buy to accept the permissions for the app (or press Back if you change your mind) -- your item will start downloading immediately.
- After downloading it will install in the background and will be instantly available for use.
Go to Easy Mode for a simple interface
If you're new to this whole smartphone thing, or you find yourself
wanting to go back to a few basics, the Galaxy S4 has an Easy Mode.
Simply go to Settings, My Device, Home Screen Mode and hit Easy Mode.
From there you'll be limited to just three home screens, big fonts and
icons and basic apps. This will help you transition from using a more
basic phone to a full-fledged smartphone. When you think you've
graduated from the Easy Mode, you can easily revert back to the normal
settings at any time and take advantage of all the bells and whistles
that the Galaxy S4 has to offer.
Save battery life with Power Saving Mode
The Galaxy S4 has a 2,600mAh battery, but sometimes you need extra help
in saving up every last bit of juice you can. Samsung has a Power Saving
Mode built right in Settings > My Device > Power Saving Mode.
From there, you can tweak just how much it affects your phone. It can
throttle your CPU, adjust your screen's power level (perhaps the biggest
battery hog of any phone) and turn off haptic feedback if necessary.
With any battery saving measures there are compromises, but it's better
to have a phone with fewer features enabled than to have a completely
dead phone. Wouldn't you agree?
Use Air View
Air View is one of the nifty gimmicks that can have practical applications in your day to day life.
If you enable it in Settings or the toggle via the drop-down
notification panel, you'll be able to hover your finger over emails,
messages, galleries, videos and even the pre-loaded Flipboard app to
expand items and see what's inside. The nice thing about Air View is
that it lets you save just a little bit of time by previewing content
before getting into it, so you'll know if certain things need immediate
attention or if you can just pass on it. It's a little tricky to keep
your finger hovering over the screen -- I find it takes more effort to
do that than to simply tap on the screen -- but once you get used to it
it's not a big deal. I tried doing this with gloves on and it doesn't
work, and it also doesn't work if you're more than about a centimeter
away from the display.
Try dual shot to take front and rear camera photos at the same time
You can plug yourself into photos that you're taking by enabling the new
Dual Shot feature. When you get into the camera module, you'll see the
Dual Shot icon between the front/rear camera switch button and the
Settings button. When you click the Dual Shot button on the Galaxy S4,
you'll immediately see yourself in a small part of the screen. That
portion of the image can be resized, and you can also change the borders
on it, too. I believe the default one is the stamp, but you can change
it into a heart and other shapes. It's a little odd, but I guess if no
one is around and you want to be in the photo you're taking, it's not a
terrible feature to have.
Enable Smart Stay
If you're tired of your phone turning off every time you're looking at
photos or reading an article, you can force it to stay on as long as
your eyes are trained on the screen. It's a feature that was found on
the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2,
but if this is your first Samsung device, you'll want to know how to
enable it. The easiest way is by pulling the notification panel down and
expanding the toggle keys by pressing the icon on the upper right next
to the Settings gear. Click on Smart Stay to turn it on, and now your
display won't dim or turn off as long as you are looking at it. The only
time it might not work is if there is a bright light source behind you
or if it's too dark for the front-facing camera/sensor to detect your
eyes.
Add a new home screen
By default, the Galaxy S4 has five available home screens. If you want
to add more screens, simply press the menu key from the home page and
press edit. Conversely, you can just pinch the screen inward with your
thumb and forefinger to bring in the same options. You'll see a pane
with a plus button on it, and from there you can add new screens. You
can delete home screens by pressing them and dragging them to the
"Remove" bar on the top of the display when you're in the Edit screen
page. It's as easy as that!
Use Multi Window on the Galaxy S4
From any app in the Galaxy S4, simply press and hold the back button and
a tab will pop up on the left side of the screen. Bring out that tab if
it isn't fully drawn out already, and you'll see a list of apps that
you can edit. When you want to open your second window, simply press and
hold the app from the tray and drag it out onto the main screen. You'll
have the option of resizing or swapping the windows, just like you can
on the Galaxy Note 2.
It's a great feature for true multi-tasking, though I don't find myself
using it very often. I can see it being put to good use for notes while
reading news or a live feed of some kind. Either way, now you know how
to do it.
Switch/kill apps
If you want to quickly switch to a different app you used recently,
press and hold the home button and you'll get a list of your recently
used apps in reverse chronological order. You can swipe them away to
kill them, too. Or, you can press and hold the home button and and press
the pie chart icon on the lower left corner to be taken into your
active applications. You can choose to kill them one at a time or to end
them all at once. From here, you can also manage your downloaded apps
and check your RAM and storage.
Access new modes in the camera app
The camera is filled with little tricks and goodies, but they take a
little practice and time to get right. To see the new features, you can
do one of two things: press the mode button down by the shutter button
to get a scrolling list of the new modes, or press the icon on the upper
left corner (it is a box with four little boxes in it) and you'll get
an immediate list of icons on your screen so you can quickly choose one.
The benefit of doing the mode button is that, for beginners, a
description of each mode is listed before you go into it. That way
you'll know what you're getting into. Otherwise, sometimes you just want
to get to a mode quickly without any fuss. That's when the icon list
comes in handy. From there, you can enjoy the new Drama Shot or the
Animated Gif features.
Set your mobile data limit
If you want to make sure you don't go over your data limit on your
smartphone plan, the Galaxy S4 lets you set your mobile data usage
limit. If you hit that limit, the device will automatically shut off
mobile data for you. Go into your Settings, and under Connections you'll
find Data usage. Tap on that and check the box titled Set mobile data
limit. From there, you can drag the slider to set your data limit, and
even select your data usage cycle dates. Now you won't have to worry
about getting charged insane overage prices anymore because your phone
will stop you from going over your data plan.
Set up multi windows
You can get a quick multi-tasking button on the side to quickly hop to
apps. To enable this, simple hold the back button for a few seconds and
this will create a little tab on the left side of the screen. Tap on
that and you can then hop into other apps quickly, no matter what app
you're using.
Edit multi windows
If you're using the multi window, you probably want to customize it with
the apps you use the most. To do this, enable the multi window with the
step above and then scroll down and tap on the Edit button. From there,
drag out the apps you don't want and drag the apps you want to the side
bar.
This list will continue growing and expanding, so be sure to check back every now and then for many more tips and tricks!
Activate Samsung's WatchON app
Samsung’s WatchOn app lets you turn your Galaxy S4 into your own
personal TV guide. Even better, it allows you to use your device as a
remote control (seriously, what can’t this thing do?) You can use the
app to watch whatever you want whether you’re at home, at the office or
even in transit.
Here’s how you can set it up:
- Go to your Home Screen > Apps > WatchON
- Select your country
- Enter your ZIP code and then tick Done
- Select from the list of providers and then select your TV provider
Once you’re done with that, you’ll be able to personalize the app to
suit your tastes. From there, you’ll be able to put your genre
preferences in order by simply touching and holding the dotted icon (it
looks like a big square) and then dragging it to the desired location on
your list. You’ll also have the option to sign in directly to your
Netflix account from the WatchON app.
To set up your Galaxy S4 as a TV remote, click the remote control icon
and then click “Set up now.” Follow the instructions. If things get
glitchy, it can help to move closer to the device you’re attempting to
connect with.