Samsung

Galaxy
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G oo gle Play Volume 2
storage

C lo ud
hacks
 ROM
 S ap
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Unlock the potential of your Samsung Galaxy device

Explore the
S H ub

Learn new
skills

Use so
450
essential
med ia ocial hints and
yo ur de n
vice tips inside
 Tips Tricks Hacks Apps

News and magazines

Get the news you want, when you want
Press
Price: £1.93/$2.99
RSS feeds are Flipboard
commonplace on many Price: Free
of the web’s most popular sites, so This app was built into the Galaxy
having an RSS reader app is pretty S3 and is ideal for the S4’s AirView
essential. Press is the best of the feature, Flipboard takes the best
bunch, offering users a simple way bits of print and digital media and
to pull together content from their combines them. A slick interface
favourite websites into one place, showcases image-driven content
without having to trawl through like a glossy magazine would, while
individual sites. Feeds are saved by a quick swipe of your finger, like the
specific and targeted keywords, flicking of pages in a book, allows
so no matter what sort of content you to move between stories.
you’re looking for, you’ll find exactly All content is drawn in from your
what you’re after. Ideal for use on social networks and favourite sites,
the go, you can also save articles for ensuring you get breaking news
offline reading. your interested in, as it happens.

Zite
Price: Free
Pocket Bacon Instapaper Despite being a
Casts Reader Price: £1.93/$2.99 fairly overlooked
Price: £2.70/$3.99 Premium Price: £1.23/$1.99 This stripped-back app’s sole app, this free download is
If you love listening to Above all else, what makes aim is to provide a simple one of the most intelligent
podcasts, Pocket Casts is a BaconReader by far the way to store and read any reader apps on the Google
great way to manage your best Reddit feed you can webpages you earmark for Play store. For the most part,
library, with clean up features download, is just how simple later while browsing the web. Zite is an interactive magazine,
and auto-download to it’s to navigate through the Each story is formatted to fit filled with content you’ve
make sure you don’t miss a multitude of content available into Instapaper’s design and handpicked to be included
shows. There’s also a series on Reddit’s various boards. You users can also customise the within it, but the app soon
of social features which lend can use your account to leave text to make it easier to view. begins to predict headlines
themselves well to people comments on different threads Download up to 500 articles on you’ll like, analysing millions of
who want to see what others and also start your own topic of your device, or store as many as articles to select those that fit
are listening to. conversation too. you like in the cloud. your previous search history.

Apps for hackers Got a rooted device? Then you need to download these essential apps

Titanium ROM ROM Greenify Voltage

Backup Manager Toolbox Price: £1.99/$2.99 Control
Price: Free Price: Free Pro Greenify can Extreme
Titanium Backup For many, ROM Price: £3.50/$4.99 extend your rooted Price: £2.07/$3.36
is the one-stop Manager is the Avid hackers will phone’s battery If you’re keen to
download to back up, staple application for their want to explore life to save you reaching overvolt your
restore and freeze any apps rooted Android device. Not ROM Toolbox Pro’s range of for your charger by identify device, then download
and external data stored only can you use it to install apps and services it includes juice-draining apps. It this simple tool. Voltage
on your phone or SD card. various ROMs, but also use it in-app to help manage and targets and block apps that Control Extreme allows you
If you’re into the hacking to flash to the ever-popular tinker with any ROMs and run in the background and to get the voltage you want
scene, this is a must-have. ClockworkMod recovery. their installations. hog your memory. quickly using sliders.

10 Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

 Tips Tricks Hacks Apps

Customisation
The apps and expertise you need to reinvent a device
Just because the user interface (UI) of your device. You can add shortcuts to your
your Samsung device looks and works a lock screen to open up apps straight out of
certain way the first time you pull it out of your pocket.
the box, that doesn’t mean it has to stay Some smartphones have motion control,
like that for the rest of its life. There are lots reacting to being picked up and put down
of simple and effective ways to change the or flipped over in different ways. You can
look and feel of your Samsung experience, control this in the Motion section of the
and we’re going to look at a few of them in settings. You can also change what certain
detail now. swipes and gestures do here.
There’s no rooting necessary here – all The Display menu offers even more
you’ll have to do is download a few apps and customisation options. Here you can adjust
set up a few preferences and you’ll be taking what your notifications bar does, plus
control of your UI in no time. play around with various settings like the
In fact, there are plenty of ways you wallpaper, LED indicator and colour of the
can customise your UI without having to screen, to name just a few.
download anything. Dive into the Settings In these tutorials we’re going to look
menu of your phone or tablet and you’ll find at how you can get the most out of your
a wealth of things you can tweak and play notifications bar, an easy way to customise
around with. the LED light on your device, a clever
If you want to change the font size of launcher app that lets you use your phone
your interface head into the Accessibility one-handed, a new and incredibly useful
menu. Here you can also turn on TalkBack, download manager and a clever little beta
change the sound balance and modify a app that means you can silence your phone
number of different settings that affect the in advance. We’ll even throw in a couple of
way the phone works across a range of extra tips and hints to get you on your way.
situations or environments. By the end of this masterclass, you may never
Things as simple as altering the lock look at your Samsung Galaxy device in the
screen settings can change the way you use same way again.

Customise your UI Three ways to change how you interact with your Samsung Will
rooting
give me
more
options?
Absolutely.
Installing a
custom version
of the Android
OS gives you
more freedom.
But it’s not a
Download a launcher Pick some widgets Find what works necessity; there
Downloading a different launcher Adding widgets to your home screen Almost every aspect of your Android are plenty
app will change your home screens. lets you customise its look and gives experience can be modified. If you of apps and
Some will just add a few aesthetic you quick access to apps and useful don’t like the apps you’ve currently widgets that
tweaks, but others completely info. There are loads on the Google got, then go and find new ones. can change the
look and feel of
overhaul the way you activate apps or Play Store, and a lot of devices come Without a doubt, experimenting is the your device.
access your contacts. with certain widgets pre-installed. best way to get the UI you want.

20 Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

 Tips Tricks Hacks Apps

Samsung Hub
Access your multimedia content from within the Hub
Samsung Hub is a collection of built in using Kindle while Music Hub prices are
applications on your Samsung Galaxy similar to Spotify or iTunes.
that are designed to pull together music, Readers Hub is a neatly presented app
games, video and learning into a single to buy and read books, newspapers and
location. There are five hubs in total, namely: magazines and comes with all the tools
Music, Books, Video, Games and Learning. you’d expect from a digital reader such as
While each app is designed to handle a the ability to add bookmarks and make
different sort of media, such as music, they notes. The Learning Hub follows a similar
all have one thing in common and that is layout but is built to bring together your
that they link to stores where you can buy courses and learning content and track your
new content and download it onto your progress as you pick up new skills. If you’re
device. In the past the different services looking for entertainment over academia
were individual apps that could be used you’ll find the music, video and game hubs
independently, but now they have been a perfect fit. While the Music Hub includes
brought together in a single service that is a store to purchase individual tracks and
easy to navigate through. All the apps work albums it also comes with a subscription
with your Samsung Account so you’ll need option where you pay a monthly fee to
to log in first to start using them. When you stream music from your device. Video Hub
make a purchase, depending on the app, doesn’t have a subscription option but it
you can pay by charging the item to your does have a lot of great content on offer
phone bill, use a voucher or connect a credit to download and watch wherever you are.
card to your account. Prices across the stores Game Hub is by far the simplest of the lot
are very competitive and match what you with the options to browse and download
would expect to pay using another service. recommended games. By pulling in all
For example, in Readers Hub the prices are gaming content you already have it offers a
on par with what you would expect to pay neat place to go for a bit of fun.

Readers Hub Buy and read books on your phone

Can I read
my books
on other
devices?
Yes you can.
If you’re
using another
device such
as a Samsung
Galaxy tablet
The Books Section Browse the store Learn reading gestures you can view all
Either swipe right to left to reach Touch the word Books to open the Open a book to start reading. Turn the your purchases
the Books section from the Hub book store. Here you can browse page by swiping your finger across the by signing into
homepage or tap the Books icon in hundreds of titles by category or see screen. Long press at the top of the your Samsung
the middle of the screen to be taken the bestseller list. To buy a book tap screen to add bookmarks and notes. account
on your
to the Books Store, where all the titles the title to see a detailed view, then To create a shortcut to a book long other device.
on offer are waiting. tap the Buy button. press in the library view.

60 Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

 Tips Tricks Hacks Apps

Command your voice assistant

Use S Voice to carry out tasks
S Voice is Samsung’s built in voice assistant, in performing tasks that you’d usually have ‘Hi Galaxy’. If you want to customise the word
ready and at your service. The simple to type for, such as sending a message. By or phrase your device responds to you’ll also
interface can be deceptive but underneath it default the app is set to talk back to you find this under the Settings menu. You can
lies an incredibly intuitive piece of software confirming your commands. To turn off this choose to keep S Voice easily accessibly by
that allows you to perform tasks just by function head into the Settings menu which setting it to respond to your command at any
speaking into your phone. While you can can be accessed by tapping the Menu button time while you’re using your device. While this
ask S Voice general questions and return on your device. When not in use the app puts is a useful function to have it can also drain
quite accurate answers, the app really shines itself to sleep. To wake the app up simply say your battery easily.

Send a text Use your voice to type a message

1: Give first instruction 2: Name your contact

Launch S Voice by tapping the icon in your Say the name of the desired contact loud
app draw. Once opened give your first and clear into your device. If you have more
command by speaking directly into your than one contact under that name then you’ll
device. Speak the command ‘Send a message’. be given the option to pick one. Do this by
The phone will confirm your instruction and tapping one of the options that the device
then will respond by asking who to send it to. gives you.

3: Speak your message 4: Learn the commands 5: Check your settings

Read out your message to your device. The For help with commands while you’re using Tap the menu button on your device to
message will be read back to you and you will S Voice, tap the small question mark icon to view the S Voice settings options. Here you
be able to check the text too. If you’re happy the right of the microphone icon. Here you’ll can change the language of the application
with the recipient and the text then tap see all the commands you can use to use S as well as specify settings such as hiding
the send button or say ‘send’. You’ll receive Voice to perform functions from searching for potentially offensive words with asterisks
confirmation that the message is sent. contacts to adding an event to your schedule. when used in texts and memos.

66 Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

 Apps Hacks Tricks Tips

Power up your notifications Tailor LEDs

We show you how to get more out of your notifications bar with Light
Your notifications bar is always available at the
top of the screen, waiting for you to drag it
granting access to a variety of content just by
swiping down the tray. In this quick step-by-step
Manager
down. Android 4.1 has added some interesting we will show you how to get the app up and An app that lets
new features to the stock notifications bar, but the running and explain how you can tailor the various you set bespoke
Quickly app takes things one step further, instantly settings to suit your own personal needs and style.
LED flashes
Quickly Enhance your phone’s UI

Once you have downloaded

and installed the app you’ll
be taken to a screen listing
the different notifications
you can change the light for.
Some are only available on
rooted phones.

1: Choose your settings 2: Set your actions

This is the first screen you’ll see after downloading Tapping on a blank space in the bars brings up this
the app from Google Play and installing it. Quickly options panel. You can then pick what goes in the
lets you create bars of apps and actions in your space that you tapped on. Tapping on the different
notifications tray. Once you’ve selected how many actions that appear expands the option, letting you
you’ll need it’s time to start adding in the apps and refine your choice or select which contact you
assorted actions. want to call. Choose the notification from
the menu that you want to
alter. You can turn off the
LED light altogether, change
the colour or flash rate and
even set a custom colour to
alert you.

3: Customise the bars 4: See what you’ve done The advanced settings
When you’re happy with your selections, you can When you’re ready, drag down from the top of the menu lets you delve deeper,
customise them by tapping on the top-left of the screen to access the notifications tray and you’ll changing your notification
screen to get to the options menu. Here you can find a notification from Quickly waiting for you. settings for when you’re
modify the look of the bars by changing their Rather than tapping on it, pinch out to expand and asleep and playing with the
colour, backgrounds and the way the app displays you’ll see your neatly ordered apps waiting to be brightness and speed of the
your choices. accessed in an instant. flashes, for example.

Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks 21

 Tips Tricks Hacks Apps

Set up one-handed functionality

Splay Launcher is an innovative app that totally changes how you handle a phone
There are plenty of launcher apps out there Admittedly it takes a bit of getting used Android phone with just one hand.
that play around with the way your phone to, but once it clicks you’ll find yourself able Once again this is an app that doesn’t need
works, but few of them go as far as Splay. In to swipe around with the same hand you’re root permissions, and because it’s currently in
fact this application almost entirely abandons holding your phone with no problem. There beta it’s free.
the traditional smartphone layout in favour of are a few customisation options as well, so On the downside, that means not all
a sci-fi-style wheel that lets you slide a thumb in this tutorial we’ll walk you through how the kinks have been ironed out yet, but
around to select the apps and actions you the app works and how you can set it up to nevertheless it’s still a brilliant way of
want to initiate. maximise the ease of surfing through your interacting with your smartphone.

Splay Launcher Revolutionise your handset

1: Watch the video 2: Have a thumb through

Head to the Google Play Store and grab Splay You control the launcher by sliding a thumb
Launcher for free. Once it’s installed it will around the spokes. Slide one farther down
run you through a brief video that shows a spoke to get more options. Once you’re
you some of the features the launcher offers. familiar with how things work, navigate to the
Afterwards you’ll be taken to the main screen Apps spoke; you’ll see there are some empty
of the app. slots here.

3: Set your apps 4: On the menu 5: The search function

Use the Edit Shortcuts spoke to get to this Your notifications bar is still accessible as Tapping the magnifying glass in the
screen and add seven of your most-used apps usual by sliding it down from the top of the bottom-right of the screen opens a search
to the free spaces. Now you can get to them screen. If your device has one, the menu box. Here you can look for apps, contacts
in a few simple swipes. You will find the rest of button offers up a few different options too. and media files on your phone, as well as
your applications in a standard layout via the You can access your phone’s settings and a list quickly searching the internet using your own
Apps spoke. of your apps from here. web browser.

22 Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

 Apps Hacks Tricks Tips

Manage your Loader Droid is a brilliant download

manager app for anyone who
this guide we will look at how you can
make sure your downloads are as quick

downloads downloads lots of things onto their

Android smartphone or tablet. It boasts
a great number of clever features that
make downloading a doddle – including
and as flexible as they possibly can be, and
show you how to set up a special time
slot when all of your downloads will be
completed as well, using the advanced
Get to grips with the files you’re the ability to resume downloads and settings that Loader Droid has to offer.
downloading from the web with download scheduling – and most of them Grab it from the Google Play Store now –
a little help from Loader Droid turn on as soon as you install the app. In for free – and we can get started.

1: Let Loader take the load 2: Try a download 3: Set a schedule

Once the app is installed it’ll already be poised When you go to download something you’ll If you’ve got something big to download, like
to start grabbing your web downloads. see this box appear. Essentially it shows a movie, you can schedule it for when you’re
It groups them into handy categories so you the name of the file, its destination and asleep. Go to Settings, then the Advanced
navigating to them is straightforward. You the settings for the download. Tapping the Preferences and scroll down to Scheduling.
can edit the sections too and change the orange boxes on the right lets you modify From there you can arrange a time to grab
category your downloads end up in. these settings and rename the file if you wish. the file when you don’t need the bandwidth.

Silence your phone automatically

SmartSilence ensures your phone never goes off when it’s not supposed to again

Once you’ve downloaded the Here you can choose when your Finally you can set whether or not When your profile is saved you’ll
app, you can start creating phone will activate Silent mode. you want your phone to vibrate be taken back to this screen
profiles. The first screen asks if Pick the day, followed by the during the time period by ticking where you can set new schedules
you want to make a schedule of time period, and give the profile the checkbox at the bottom of the or one-off events. It’s not the
silence or a one-off event. Pick a a name so it’s easy to find if you settings. When you’re done, just most in-depth app, but it’s ideal
schedule and you’ll be taken to a ever need to amend any details tap the Save button to create and for making sure your phone never
screen that lays out your choices. or remove it altogether. remember your profile. causes a disruption again.

Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks 23

 Tips Tricks Hacks Apps

Use full MS Office on your Android

Get the power of Microsoft Office on your device and link it to a cloud service
Although there are great word processors Office on your Android device. What it also file types as well, including images and PDFs
out there for Android, having the familiarity does is enable you to save your files to the using the built-in File Viewer and Adobe
and flexibility of features of Microsoft cloud using one of four existing services: Reader. CloudOn doesn’t only cater for word
Office is hard to beat for those who work Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive and Box. processed documents. It also lets you use
with it on a daily basis on a desktop or You are also able to pull documents from Excel and PowerPoint to create, review and
laptop computer. CloudOn, an app which any of these services and edit them on your edit spreadsheets and presentations. There
can be downloaded for free from Google device before making notes and saving them are facilities for renaming files and sharing
Play, lets you access the power of Microsoft back. The app also lets you open up other them as links or attachments via email.

CloudOn View and edit Office files

1: Sign up to CloudOn 2: Seeing your files

After downloading it from the Play Store, With access to one or more of your cloud
when you open CloudOn, it will ask you to services, you can begin to view files. Other
sign in or create an account. We’re assuming storage options can be accessed by tapping
you don’t have an account so tap the latter and signing in. Tap the storage account where
and then select a storage account from either the document you want to access is located.
SkyDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox or Box. We’re using Google Drive.

3: Choose a document 4: Get editing 5: Using the keyboard

A list of the documents in your chosen Now you will see a familiar word processing When you tap anywhere within the text,
storage account is listed. By the side of layout. Across a bar at the top of the screen the keyboard will appear and you can make
each, you will see the file type, for there is a series of menus. Tap one of these amendments that will then be saved to your
example Microsoft Word or Adobe Reader. and icons appear underneath offering various cloud storage facility. You can add a note
Tap on the file that you want to access and it functions such as bold, italics or pie charts about your amendment and editing times are
will be opened. and so on. also shown.

26 Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

 Apps Hacks Tricks Tips

Shoot a stunning panorama Crop an

Sweeping vistas made easy by Android image
The best thing about smartphone photography If you’re trying to capture a scene in its entirety,
is that you always have your Samsung device in why not shoot a panorama? Camera apps now
Change the size of
your pocket to snap a memory in the making. have these features built-in, and you needn’t mess your shot
The field of view available for a single shot is pretty about with stitching images together as this is all
good, but there are some situations that call for a taken care of, leaving you free to create a seamless
more considered approach. panorama of the scene in front of you.

Capture the scene An amazing way to fit it all in

Start on your home screen

and open up your Gallery
app. Scroll through the
images in the various folders
of your gallery and once
you’ve found one that you
want to crop, tap on it to
open it up.

1: Select the function 2: Begin shooting

Open up your Camera app on your Samsung. At To shoot your panoramic image, begin by lining up
the top of the interface you will see a few icons for your shot. Tap the Shutter button at the bottom
various different camera functions. The centre icon of the camera interface once to begin shooting
contains your choices for Shooting modes. Tap it and then slowly and steadily sweep your camera Hit the Options button on
and scroll down to tap on the Panorama option, around the whole scene, in order to capture it in all your device to call up a host
which has an icon that looks like mountains. its glory. of choices. Scroll through the
many options by dragging
your finger up or down the
list, then tap on Crop. A
bounding box will appear
over the image.

Tap, hold and drag the

3: Sweep the camera 4: View your masterpiece corners of the box to crop
As you shoot your panorama you’ll see a small Once you’ve taken enough images your camera the image. Everything inside
preview of your shot appear, showing the progress with automatically stop shooting your panorama. the box will remain, and
of your image. To help you line up your images When it’s finished shooting, tap on the small everything outside will be
exactly, you will see guidelines showing you which preview button in the bottom-left corner of the removed. Then hit Done and
part of the image is currently being photographed camera interface. This takes you to your Gallery app your crop will be saved as a
and where to line up your camera next. where you can view your impressive panorama. new file in your Gallery.

Samsung Galaxy Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks 57