15 Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge Tips and Tricks

Get the most out of your Samsung Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge with this collection of valuable tips. Learn about basic features and the more advanced, hidden options.

Basic Features

Quick Settings panel: To get to frequently used settings quickly, just swipe down from the top of your phone screen to bring up the Quick Settings menu. Voila! Now you can quickly change Wi-Fi, location services, Bluetooth, screen auto-rotation, and volume settings. For more options, tap on that upper right arrow that’s facing down, and you’ll get several extra icons for features such as airplane mode, mobile hotspot, power saving, flashlight, NFC, mobile data, sync, and do not disturb mode.

No more accidental dialing: Ever got in trouble because your phone turned on in your pocket and accidentally dialed a contact who then overheard a conversation they should not have? To prevent the dreaded accidental dial:

1. Launch the Settings app.

2. Select Display.

3. Activate the option to Keep screen turned off. This will prevent the phone from turning on in a dark place like your pocket or purse.

Changing your main font: If the default text looks, well, too default for you, no worries. Just launch the Settings app, go to Display > Font, and pick a new one that better suits your tastes. In addition to the extra fonts included, you can download new ones as well.

Moving apps to the home screen: Looking to move one of your favorite apps to the home screen? Simply go to your home screen of choice, tap on the Apps icon on the lower right bar, and find the app you want. Hold the icon, then drag it into the home screen.

Adding windows to your home screen: If you want to add additional windows to your home screens, tap and hold an empty spot on the home screen. Then, swipe to the right until you see a blank window with the plus sign, and tap on that. You can also use this minimized view to remove a window by touching and holding the window you want to take out, then dragging it to the trash can icon.

Managing apps, wallpapers, themes, and widgets: This starts the same way as adding windows to your home screen. After touching and holding an empty space, look at the bottom screen, and you'll see a new bottom menu. Options from this menu include switching wallpapers and themes, adding widgets, and changing the screen grid for the number of apps that can fit in a home screen.

Screenshot: Taking a screenshot requires holding the Power and Home buttons at the same time. You could also tap into your inner kung fu expert by shaping your hand into a knife then swiping the side of your palm across the screen. If this doesn't work, go to Settings > Advanced features and make sure Palm swipe to capture is on.

Quick Launch Camera: What about the times when you need to take a quick photo? Just double-tap the Home button quickly, and this will take you to camera mode right away.

Advanced Features

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge share "Advanced features" that you can access as a menu option via the Settings app. Here's a rundown of the features and what they do.

Direct Call: Want to call someone ASAP? Direct Call allows you to automatically call a contact whose call log, message, or contact details are on the screen, when you put the phone against your ear.

Easy mute: The sound of silence isn't just a song. Enabling Mute With Gestures allows you to mute your phone by placing the palm of your hands on the screen or turning over your phone face down.

One-handed mode: This one is especially handy for the S7 Edge, whose big screen is excellent for watching videos but can be a challenge to operate with one hand. Use this feature to scale down the screen for more comfortable one-handed control. Turn it on in Settings: Advanced features > One-handed mode.

Pop-up view: This one lets you easily switch a fullscreen app into a smaller pop-up view mode. Just swipe downward diagonally from either top corner, and you're all set.

Palm swipe to capture: As mentioned in the screenshot tip earlier in the article, this allows you to take a screenshot with a knife-hand gesture while swiping the side of your palm across the screen.

Smart Capture: Enabling this will show options for sharing, cropping, and capturing hidden parts of the screen after you take a screenshot.

Smart Alert: This feature makes your phone vibrate when you pick it up to alert you about missed calls and messages.

Get an Edge

The Galaxy Edge S7 model gets extra functions over the regular S7 thanks to its screen edge. These include Edge panels that show apps, contacts, and news. You also get Edge feeds that you can use for sports scores, news alerts, and missed calls. Lastly, there's Edge lighting, which makes the edge of the screen light up when receiving calls or notifications while the screen is facing down.

You can access the Edge screen by swiping leftward from the right edge of the screen. You can also turn individual Edge settings on or off via the Edge screen setting.