Samsung Galaxy S Tips and Tricks - Optimize Your Experience

Samsung Galaxy S Tips and Tricks - Optimize Your Experience
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Tips and Tricks For The Samsung Galaxy S

The Samsung Galaxy S series of phones has been a phenomenal hit, in the U.S., as well as internationally. Ranging from the Samsung Captivate from AT&T to the Samsung Epic 4G, from Sprint, all four major U.S. carriers have had success through the Samsung Galaxy S phones. But what are some tips and tricks to get your Samsung Galaxy S at its most optimal level? Or tips and tricks to protect the Samsung Galaxy S, both internally and externally?

Top Tips and Tricks

Trick - Rooting the Samsung Galaxy S

  • The biggest trick to perform on the Samsung Galaxy S is to root the phone. There are many tutorials out there to root the Samsung Galaxy S, and depending on the carrier specific phone you have, the process may be slightly different. Some are as simple as using a one click installation program after hooking up your Samsung Galaxy S.
  • Once you have root access to the Samsung Galaxy S, you can install many third party programs outside of the Android Market to enhance your phone. For instance, there are wireless tether applications, root explorer applications and back up applications that are great additions to the Samsung Galaxy S.

If you feel uncomfortable with rooting a phone, that’s okay, there are other tips and tricks outside of rooting to help you enhance your experience on the Samsung Galaxy S.

Trick - Creating Folders

  • As the Samsung Galaxy S comes with Android 2.1 (Eclair), you have the ability to create folders on your home page. Simply go to your home screen and keep a finger on the screen, after some haptic feedback you’ll be met with some options. One is to create folders. Creating folders allows you to save your valuable 7 screens and to help organize all your applications.

Tip - Install Antivirus Software

  • The Samsung Galaxy S is a powerful smartphone, some would consider just as powerful as a computer. One thing to remember is that there are malicious users always looking to make an extra buck. The best way to stop yourself from ending up with a virus is to install a piece of antivirus software. Lookout is one such antivirus software that is highly recommended. Being proactive rather than reactive to malicious users is always a good tip.

Tip - Buy a Case, Not Protective Screen

  • If you’re prone to dropping the Samsung Galaxy S, look into investing some money on a protective case, however, don’t waste time buying a screen protector. The screen protectors are useful, however, the Samsung Galaxy S has a Super AMOLED screen made out of Gorilla Glass. This means the Super AMOLED screen on the Samsung Galaxy is nearly unscratchable. Save the money from buying a protective screen and use it somewhere else, such as an extra battery.

Trick - Take Advantage of DLNA

  • One addition on the Samsung Galaxy S that many people ignore is that it has DLNA, which stands for the Digitial Living Network Alliance. DLNA allows you to seamlessly stream media from another DLNA enabled device to your Samsung Galaxy S and vice versa. You can even watch a Playstation 3 Blu-Ray movie on your Samsung Galaxy S using DLNA. To learn more, go to DLNA.org.

Trick - Swipe to Call, Swipe to Message

  • The contacts screen in the Samsung Galaxy S has a very interesting feature. Click on one of your contacts and swipe their name to the right to call them, or swipe their name towards the left to send a text message. This is a nifty little trick to help you keep in touch with your contacts more easily.

Trick - Switch Among Recent Applications

  • Don’t feel like going through all your applications just to go back to an application you just had open? Simply press and hold the ‘home’ button for 5 seconds. You’ll receive a pop up of your 6 most recently used applications. This pop up is extremely useful for switching between applications quickly.

Trick - Change the Middle Two Applications

  • The Samsung Galaxy S has four so called dedicated shortcuts at the bottom of the screen. The middle two applications can actually be switched out! Simply click on the ‘Applications’ shortcut, then click the menu button located on the bottom left hand corner of the phone. Once you click it, you’ll see two options, Edit and View Type. If you only see View Type, then click it and select Customizable Grid. Now, click Edit and you’ll notice a faint white outline on the upper left hand corner of your applications. Now select and hold an application you want to be in the four dedicated shortcuts, wait for the haptic feedback, then move it into place. Only the 2nd and 3rd shortcuts can be replaced.