Database Users

Become a G2 / Android Ninja with these Tips/Tricks

I thought I'd share everything I've learned regarding Android & the T-Mobile G2 over the past 2+ weeks (thanks XDA!). I'm amazed at how many people don't read these forums - they simply blurt out their questions. Well follks, here's what I've picked up by reading reading reading & exploring exploring exploring. Hope this helps n00bs and leets alike.
Android
Press & Hold HOME to see multitasking applications sorted by most recent
Press & Hold SEARCH to activate Google Voice Actions (or VLingo if installed)
Long Press keyboard keys to see alternate characters
Tap Dots near the Dock Bar (bottom set of icons) to shift screens
Assign your Power Button to 'End Calls' via Menu >Settings >Accessibility > Check "Power button ends call"
Add 'Power Control' Widget to easily enable/disable your WiFi/BlueTooth/GPS/Screen/Auto-Sync
Using Volume Control buttons, you can put the phone into Silent or Vibrate modes
You can add Shortcuts to your most used contacts & it will give an icon that lets you access Call/SMS/Email/GTalk/Facebook
Keyboard Tips
Double Press ALT for Num/Symbol Lock
Double Press SHIFT for Capitalization Lock
Hold ALT & Long Press physical keys to see alternative characters
Map Application Shortcuts such as Search + G to launch Gmail. Located under Settings >Applications >Quick Launch
Menu +A(Select All), +C(Copy), +V(Paste), +X(Paste)
Menu +F(Find), +S(Share)
(G2 Only?) Reboot, Press and hold Power + Volume Down + trackpad
(G2 Only?) Use LauncherPro to Assign 'Activities' to the Quick Keys such as Compose SMS or Tweet
(G2 Only?) Press & Hold the Camera Button to activate the Camera
(G2 Only?) While in Camera Mode, gently press the camera button to auto-focus
Miscellaneous
Install a custom launcher like ADW or LauncherPro
- Tip 1: If you get LauncherPro, I encourage you to explore the 'Swipe' feature by Long Pressing any icon in the Dock. Allows for two actions!
- Tip 2: My personal favorite is when you hide the status bar and set the HOME button to display notifications when you press it (Only possible if you make LauncherPro default launcher)
- Tip 3: Long Press an Application & when the Trash Can Appears, Hold over the Trashcan to get an Uninstall Option
Use Tasker to automate things on your phone
TeslaHD will turn your phone's LED into a Flash Light or Strobe Light
AppBrain + Fast Install is excellent for exploring apps from the comfort of a browser (also lets you set backgrounds)
- This App also makes it easy to restore apps if you didn't remember to set your 'backup' as automatic when configuring your phone
VLingo is a great alternative to Voice Actions if you're not on 2.2 OR you want deeper integration with Twitter/Facebook/Foursquare
Google Gestures is a great app to assign to a secondary swipe (see LauncherPro) & is handy when voice doesn't work and you can't easily type
DolphinHD is a great alternative browser that has three great features: Tweet a Page (with Title & Link), Desktop Mode, and Google Mobilizer View
Dial 611 to get to T-Mobile Customer Support (not always clear to new subscribers)
Best Keyboard for two-finger text input is SwiftKey. Swype is good if you practice with one finger.
Other Great Apps to Consider
Evernote (for note storage)
Dropbox (for access to files from your desktop)
Fast Reboot (for a heavy handed, kill all apps when you notice slow performance)
Dato GTasks (simple, easy to use app that integrates with Google Tasks)
NewsRob (elegant RSS reader for Google Reader)
Smooth Calendar (nice calendar widget that shows more than the default Calendar widget)
Xtremelabs Speedtest (helps you test for HSPA+ speeds)
Twicca (better than the standard Twitter App & very beautiful. Easy to map Tweet-Activity to a G2 Quick Key)
Chrome to Phone (possibly my favorite app once I learned how to use it. Great for a variety of needs so I encourage experimentation)
Optimize Your G2
Go to SETTINGS > APPLICATIONS > DEVELOPMENT and enable USB DEBUGGING
Search the Market for "Visionary" and Install (advice: Reboot & then run it for the first time) By default, it will run automatically on boot each time.
- Note: If you want to remove ROOT, visit APPLICATIONS > MANAGE APPLICATIONS > VISIONARY and press "Clear Data". Then re-run & turn off Root-on-Boot or just Uninstall.
Search the Market for "ConnectBot" & Install. Run Connectbot & press the down-arrow next to "ssh" to choose "local" & press Enter (no Nickname needed)
- You will be presented with a command line prompt of "$" & yes, it will be VERY TINY on your screen. Simply type "su" (no quotes) to gain super user.
- Read the first post to determine which items you want to permanently disable (essentially remove) from your phone: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=809231
Visit the market to download "Startup Cleaner 2.0" by Bright Wallace. It will allow you to prevent items from starting up. The software is buggy, but works better than anything else I've encountered.
- Tip: Use the 'Batch Prevent' to prevent all apps from starting, then exit the app. Run the app again & then toggle the apps you want to start by tapping them. Otherwise, the app is very unresponsive when trying to manage apps on an individual basis. You may need to re-run Visionary after you've allowed it to run on boot via Startup Cleaner.
Setup Wifi Tethering
Once you have Root & SuperUser, use your browser to visit http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/downloads/list & download the most recent version of "Wireless Tether".
- Once downloaded, run it to install. If you have trouble with this, I recommend using Chrome-to-Phone & simply right-click the file link to choose "Chrome-to-Phone"
After successful installation, run the Wireless Tether app. Recommend changing the SSID Name (name that appears).
- Note: Multiple people report issues with WiFi Encryption, so I recommend SETTINGS > ENABLE ACCESS-CONTROL. Your phone will log when something tries to connect to it & then you can "allow" by choosing MENU > ACCESS CONTROL and clicking the checkbox next to the device you want to allow.
{Update} If you're feeling adventurous, check out this article on how to use Tasker
http://androinica.com/2010/08/19/9-ways-to-make-android-automatic-with-tasker/
{Update 2} Long-press App & dragging over trashcan for uninstall is a LauncherPro feature, not android. Thanks to tekkaman_01 for the note!
{Update 3} Removed "When screen is locked but keyboard is open, you only have to press a key to unlock" because it isn't a consistent experience. Not sure what makes it work sometimes.
{Update 4} Added two sections: Optimize Your G2 & Setup WiFi Tethering. Small formatting changes to previous entries.

Long Press an Application & when the Trash Can Appears, Hold over the Trashcan to get an Uninstall Option is a feature of LauncherPro not stock android...

Updated - much thanks!

No problem
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Great job, OP.

Great job, OP. I'm sure many people will appreciate this.

Does this merit a sticky?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Ghostcreamy said:
I'm amazed at how many people don't read these forums - they simply blurt out their questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right....people who don't read the forums and just blurt stuff out are horrible. Oh wait....what's this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=804439
Ghostcreamy said:
[*]When screen is locked but keyboard is open, you only have to press a key to unlock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard this before but this hasn't worked for me on two different G2s.

great, thanks

aedv said:
You're right....people who don't read the forums and just blurt stuff out are horrible. Oh wait....what's this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=804439
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thank you
<10 chars>

The cheat sheet of all cheet sheets!
Another good one is to:
HOLD Dots near the Dock Bar to see all screens in a mini navigation look.
Thanks!

Snap!
aedv said:
You're right....people who don't read the forums and just blurt stuff out are horrible. Oh wait....what's this?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=804439
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SNAP!
I read that thread, but it was fragmented and I already had all of this in Evernote. Regardless, I appreciate the response & I'll continue to monitor that thread for any other tips that I can compile into this one.
Side note: You don't have to be mean to make a point Put a little love in your heart!
GC

Ghostcreamy said:
SNAP!
Side note: You don't have to be mean to make a point Put a little love in your heart!
GC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1!! Great post OP!
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Updated original post (OP) with a section on optimizing your G2 & setting up Wifi Tethering. Hope it helps!

awesome tips. i was wondering if theres a good way to allow the home screen and apps screen to auto rotate with gravity(only rotates with keyboard out)? and then on the flip side, to lock the orientation?

Not sure about locking, but LauncherPro or ADW launcher will rotate to landscape.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Here's a tip if you are using Launcher Pro: setup a 2x2 picture frame widget in the middle of a home panel. The frame should have a picture of an icon for things like settings, games, news, people, etc. Then add related app icons around the frame. This way, when you pinch a homescreen and pull up the 7 panel view, you can easily tell at a glance which panel has the apps you want
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using The Force

"+X(Paste)"
Shouldn't that be "+X(Cut)"?

In the gmail and xda apps (the only ones I've tested so far) when you push the space bar after a word/letter, it will add a '.[space]'.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Great post Ghostcreamy. I figured out that you could swipe the home icon of launcher pro, but why it never occured to me that the other icons also have this feature?
Edit:There's your first "Thanks" on the meter...awww.

[Q] Launcher Pro? Not working

I just installed Launcher Pro on my brand new Arc - but its not working?
It shows up in the Installed Apps - but a cant find any where how to turn it on?
Could anyone help me out
Tks

frostywinter said:
I just installed Launcher Pro on my brand new Arc - but its not working?
It shows up in the Installed Apps - but a cant find any where how to turn it on?
Could anyone help me out
Tks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
press the home button, a pop up screen will apear where you can choose between launcherpro or SE home launcher

Yeah I thought thats all that was needed also....
But nope nothing happens when pressing home button

frostywinter said:
Yeah I thought thats all that was needed also....
But nope nothing happens when pressing home button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried installing it again?

yeap tried re-installing also - still no luck..
I just installed SBP Shell 3D and that works as its meant to - pressing home button brings up choice of it or sony home..
Very odd - Launcher Pro cost me money!

Try Home Switcher maybe.

You need to go into the following..
Settings
Manage applications
Select 'home' app..
Click on clear defaults.
Press home key..
Voila.
Sent from The Arc!

Very odd - Launcher Pro cost me money!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hardly launcherpro's fault - it's behaving perfectly according to the rules.
Sony Ericsson Home is set to the default launcher, so if you want to change launchers you have to clear the defaults for the launcher. You wont get the choice otherwise (which makes sense, you wouldnt want it asking you *every* time you pressed home would you)?
[menu] -> settings -> applications -> manage applications -> all -> Sony Ericsson Home -> Clear Defaults
Now if you press home you get the choice, enabling you to choose a different launcher as default if you like. This is all that apps like Homeswitcher, homesmack etc are doing.
edit: heh, iceman got in there while i was writing this - must type faster!

Ok got it going with Home Switcher app..
Tks
Frosty

[Q] Is there a way to force a menu to appear?

I have several apps which work fine on phone.
They also run on the tablet - BUT there is no menu icon, neither at the bottom next to the 3 standard ones, nor is there a menu icon in the upper right corner. There is no menu icon.
So I wonder if someone has a trick to send a "menu pressed" signal to the app so i can access the settings.
I know i know, tell them to update their apps, but some people have left and others will take years to fix that if ever -
So i thought perhaps there was some sort of shortcut or perhaps hack which could make a menu appear? You know like you can record keypresses on a PC and then play them back.

The soft menu button on the screen works fine for me, its the 4th icon (Series of lines, top one one is longest) - same goes for the menu button that's on the keyboard.

PhonicUK said:
The soft menu button on the screen works fine for me, its the 4th icon (Series of lines, top one one is longest) - same goes for the menu button that's on the keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes..
It also works for me when they are there. But they are NOT THERE for the apps in question.

I think you got this backwards,
The menu button will only appear if the app has a settings menu.
Majority of the Honeycomb optimized apps do not have a menu button because there either isn't no menu for that app or they have moved the menu button to the action bar on the top right, which is the new standard
The settings button is primarily used for backwards compatibility with older apps. This is why developers are removing the menu buttonwhen they optimize their app.

slateac said:
I think you got this backwards,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlikely.
slateac said:
The menu button will only appear if the app has a settings menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I said: The apps have menu settings on the phone.
slateac said:
The settings button is primarily used for backwards compatibility with older apps. This is why developers are removing the menu buttonwhen they optimize their app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I also indicated, there is nothing "optimized" about these apps. (And these have many settings which are now unreachable)

Kermode said:
As I said: The apps have menu settings on the phone.
As I also indicated, there is nothing "optimized" about these apps. (And these have many settings which are now unreachable)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some apps on the phone will scale differently on a tab, if you used the menu button n your phone doesn't necessarily mean the tablet version will need a hard menu button.
As I said before, if there is no menu button the bottom nav bar, it would be on the top right corner of the action bar. Older phone apps should show up a menu button automatically anyway. The only reason if there isnt one is that the developer chose so because they added one on the action bar.

Kermode said:
As I also indicated, there is nothing "optimized" about these apps. (And these have many settings which are now unreachable)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give us an example?
I've yet to encounter a single application with this issue, so I'd like to take a look.
Regards,
Dave

foxmeister said:
Can you give us an example?
I've yet to encounter a single application with this issue, so I'd like to take a look.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well for instance there is Navigon, though they say "it works on Xoom" (good for those with a Xoom), but also Android System Info https://market.android.com/details?id=com.electricsheep.asi

Kermode said:
Well for instance there is Navigon, though they say "it works on Xoom" (good for those with a Xoom), but also Android System Info https://market.android.com/details?id=com.electricsheep.asi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see, in this case its the developers fault. For some reason he disabled the menu button which should be there by default.

slateac said:
I see, in this case its the developers fault. For some reason he disabled the menu button which should be there by default.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know its not there. I was asking for a hack or some way to force a program to show the menu.

Kermode said:
Look, you are not helping. I KNOW IT IS NOT THERE - I was asking for a hack or some way to force a program to show the menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright alright :/ Sorry that I am not any help but as far as I know there isn't any way to forcefully press the menu button.
The only option is to contact the dev and say the menu button is disabled.

If you're rooted you can install Soft Keys.
https://market.android.com/details?id=net.hoopajoo.android.SoftKeys

danguyf said:
If you're rooted you can install Soft Keys.
https://market.android.com/details?id=net.hoopajoo.android.SoftKeys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alas, but thanks

danguyf said:
If you're rooted you can install Soft Keys.
https://market.android.com/details?id=net.hoopajoo.android.SoftKeys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for this helpful comment. I am also looking for this as I have an Asus Eee Tranformer without the dock and cannot setup SetCPU app on my tab.

[REF] Stock Firmware - Features Hints and Tips

Below you will find a list of tips for the Galaxy S III - Stock Firmware. I will try to keep this list updated with more tips as they come in.
Alphabetical Sorting of the Apps Drawer
1) Open the apps drawer
2) Press Menu
3) Select “view type”
4) Select “Alphabetical Grid”
Turning on Swype Keyboard
1) Press Menu
2) Press Settings
3) Select Language and Input
4) Press the settings icon (the cog) next to “Samsung Keyboard”
5) Tick “Continuous Input”
Please note: this appears to only let you Swype in certain applications and text boxes
Adjusting the Lock Screen Settings - including shortcut icons
1) Press Menu
2) Press Settings
3) Press Security
4) Press Lock Screen Options
To Change shortcuts:
Press Shortcuts
To Use s-voice to unlock phone:
Tick “Wake up in Samsung Unlock”
To create your own vibrate pattern
1) Press Menu
2) Press Settings
3) Press Sound
4) Press “Device Vibration”
5) Press “Create”
6) Tap the screen to the pattern you wish to vibrate
7) Press Save
To turn on Battery Percentage Indicator
1) Press Menu
2) Press Settings
3) Press Display
4) Tick “Display battery percentage”
To enable Smart Stay - Screen stays on while you look at it
1) Press Menu
2) Press Settings
3) Press Display
4) Tick “smart stay”
Please note: An indicator of an eyeball will flash on the notifications bar when it is activating, it does not stay on forever, it only flashes on when its letting you know smartstay is keeping your screen on for an additional however many seconds.
How to activate some motion features e.g. direct call and smart alert
1) Press Menu
2) Press Settings
3) Press Motion
4) Press the toggle on the features you wish to use

--Reserved--

Swype
Is Swype available on stock fw, if yes how could it be activated?

It's all in the first post! It's kind of like a cut down version, it's a mash up of the samsung keyboard and swype.
I have installed the swype beta, and while on the s3 the swype keyboard height is about a third shorter than other keyboards I still prefer it over the stock.

If you want a real swype experience then your better off applying for the beta, the version in the s3 is very limited.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Lennyuk said:
If you want a real swype experience then your better off applying for the beta, the version in the s3 is very limited.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For some reason the Swype installer doesn't work on mine. When I run it, I get a parsing error.

I'm quite liking the built in Samsung 'swype' feature. But then i'm new to this kind of input, but it's def quicker and more accurate for me than using the standard way. My girlfriend loves Swiftkey on her GSII though and i may try that at some point.
In regards to tips, when in the contact list, you can swipe along the right hand side and flick through the alphabet quicker, as usual, but if you push your finger further left while doing this it will then narrow the search even more.
Hope that makes sense!

stripealipe said:
I'm quite liking the built in Samsung 'swype' feature. But then i'm new to this kind of input, but it's def quicker and more accurate for me than using the standard way. My girlfriend loves Swiftkey on her GSII though and i may try that at some point.
In regards to tips, when in the contact list, you can swipe along the right hand side and flick through the alphabet quicker, as usual, but if you push your finger further left while doing this it will then narrow the search even more.
Hope that makes sense!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I won't include that in the first post as it is not s3 specific. But thanks anyway
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

@LennyUK How about including how to activate Direct Call & Smart Alert as it's deactivated by default.
Go to Settings -> Motion -> Direct Call / Smart Alert
Does anyone know how and where Tap to Top works?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

musafir84 said:
@LennyUK How about including how to activate Direct Call & Smart Alert as it's deactivated by default.
Go to Settings -> Motion -> Direct Call / Smart Alert
Does anyone know how and where Tap to Top works?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After activating it from motion settings, gently double tap on the top of the phone to go to the top of a list, unfortunately it only works in contacts and email. Another thing is that it sometimes needs more than one trial to work!

sevoflurane said:
After activating it from motion settings, gently double tap on the top of the phone to go to the top of a list, unfortunately it only works in contacts and email. Another thing is that it sometimes needs more than one trial to work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! And you are right... It does indeed take more than once to work...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Install call vibrate from market to allow vibration when call is activated or deactivated
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Must install Light flow from market as well. It uses the LED function of SIII to max. You can customize 8~9 colors for various alerts. e.g i use orange for low battery, red for missed calls, green for missed sms, white for charging, green for full charge, blue for no signal etc.
Although sometimes the charging light doesn't come on when playing around with phone and switching it to sleep mode but hopefully fix will fix this issue.
Must have app though

Enable Palm swipe to capture from Settings -> Motion and show it off to iPhone users...
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Swype
Plexicle said:
For some reason the Swype installer doesn't work on mine. When I run it, I get a parsing error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I managed to get Swype installed on my stock Pebble Blue.
Got Swype Installer & attempted for about 10 times over Wifi before it finally started downloading.
Before that, I kept getting the "Parsing.." error.
There was nothing new / different in my attempts - just had to keep hammering at it to download.

Just found these neat tricks on http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_iii-review-757p3.php
"There's one more trick - you wake the phone (tap the power button or the home key), then press and hold the screen and rotate the phone horizontally. It will unlock and start the camera as soon as it's in the right orientation to snap a photo"
"Shaking the device lets you detect nearby Bluetooth devices, as well as update your email, news or weather apps."

sak500 said:
Must install Light flow from market as well. It uses the LED function of SIII to max. You can customize 8~9 colors for various alerts. e.g i use orange for low battery, red for missed calls, green for missed sms, white for charging, green for full charge, blue for no signal etc.
Although sometimes the charging light doesn't come on when playing around with phone and switching it to sleep mode but hopefully fix will fix this issue.
Must have app though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Light flow is really nice but it didn't work as i wanted it to...
after install and reboot of the phone all suddenly it started to speak if i opened a folder or closed one so i had to remove it for a while lets hope the developer will fix that bug lol

A great alternative!!
Touchpal keyboard is an awesome alternative for swype.
Download it from playstore.

If anyone's phone feels a little sluggish (I know mine doesn't) you could try enabling 2D hardware acceleration to make it a bit more snappy
(settings->developer options->force gpu rendering)
please note this may drain your battery more than usual

Freakadroidz said:
I managed to get Swype installed on my stock Pebble Blue.
Got Swype Installer & attempted for about 10 times over Wifi before it finally started downloading.
Before that, I kept getting the "Parsing.." error.
There was nothing new / different in my attempts - just had to keep hammering at it to download.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does it look on your phone? Is it a shorter keyboard as I've reported in the q and a forum? (as in it's height is about a third shorter than other keyboards).

Galaxy S6 Tips and Tricks

1. Double tap home button to launch the camera in under one second.
1B. Disable the double-tap quick launch in the camera options to get rid of the delay when pressing the home button. It's a neat feature, but makes the home button much more quicker. (Thanks to @B1aze)
2. Use themes to change the look of your phone (limited as of right now; will be more widely available in the coming weeks to developers/themers).
3. Go into your App drawer and long press an icon as if you want to move/delete it. The small circles with the red '-' sign will let you either delete an app (if third-party) or disable it (if built-in).
4. Hold the power key for more than 7 seconds and the device will reboot. Hold VolUp+Home+Power to boot into recovery. Hold VolDown+Home+Power to boot into Download Mode.
5. Whenever you want to take a "selfie", you can simply frame the image first, and then put your finger on the heart rate sensor under the LED light at the back in order to take one.
6. When downloading a large file (30+ MB) and you have LTE AND are near WiFi, activate Download Booster! Settings--->More Connection Settings--->Download Booster. It combines both your WiFi and LTE connections into one for amazing DL speeds.
7. Notification reminders! Settings--->Accessibility--->Notification reminders.
8. Don't forget to claim your free 100 GB cloud storage with OneDrive!
9. Private mode... You can hide content from prying eyes, including photos, videos, music, web history, and such. To activate it, go to Settings--->Privacy and safety--->Private mode.
10. Do Not Disturb mode. Dare I say... Better than Google's implementation of "priority notification only" mode. You can set a schedule for it, who IS/ISN'T allowed to contact you while it's on, etc.
11. Screen Pinning. Go to Lock Screen and Security--->Other Security Settings--->Pin Windows.
12. Customize your screen grid (4x4, 4x5 or 5x5) by pinching in when on the home screen.
13. Developer Options.. To enable this, go to Settings--->About Device--->Tap "Build Number" 10 times and you will unlock Developer Options!
14. Make your device a bit faster by going to Developer Options and setting window animation scale, transition animation scale & animator duration scale all to 0.5.
15. When you are in an app (Chrome, Gallery .... whatever) and you drag your finger from the upper right corner to somewhere in the middle of the screen the app shrinks which makes it more usable with one hand. (Thanks to @derWolf_)
16. You can have changing lockscreen wallpapers by changing it in the settings and selecting multiple wallpapers in the selection box. (Thanks to @altimax98)
17. For those having issues with Snapchat videos, go into Developer settings (see #13) and uncheck Nuplayer.
18. For better results with the fingerprint scanner, register your thumb multiple times for it to be more accurate.
19. Screenshot by holding power+home at the same time or using palm swipe to capture (turn on in settings).
20. Direction lock... Settings-->Accessibility. New way of unlocking your phone.
21. Under voice wake you can use Svoice to set a custom phrase to wake up the phone directly to listening for a command. (Thanks to @benjmiester)
22. If you rest any registered fingers over the scanner, it'll light up which registry it is. Helpful is you need to redo the fingerprint. (Thanks to @hayabusa1300cc)
23. Really debloat your GS6 (no root needed!)
24. Cell standby drain? Go into recovery mode and wipe your cache, power off phone completely then reboot.
25. Go to the dialer, and press the green dial button. It will load the last dialed number. (Thanks to @Jrhoop)
26. Disable the capacitive lights with no root required! (A LOT OF THANKS to @Averix)
26B. How to disable capacitive button lights. (ADB)
27. The volume down button can be used to take pictures when the camera app is running. (Thanks @segag)
28. Use volume keys in default messaging app to increase/decrease font size. (Thanks @jambo89liam)
29. If you want to enable grayscale without going into super power saving mode, go to settings -> personal -> accessibility -> direct access and turn both direct access on and grayscale. Once you do this, a triple tap of the home button will toggle grayscale on and off. (Thanks @shappy0869)
30. Pinch in/out in the Gallery increases/decreases the number of the thumbnails. Swipe right from the left edge of the screen shows a panel for the albums. (Thanks @akira888)
Will be adding as time goes on, feel free to add your own and I will add it to the OP!

Another tip, if you want to get rid of that small delay in the home button, disable the double-tap quick launch in the camera options. It's a neat feature, but I like my snappy home button more.

B1aze said:
Another tip, if you want to get rid of that small delay in the home button, disable the double-tap quick launch in the camera options. It's a neat feature, but I like my snappy home button more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Keep em coming!

Really great tips. I was unaware of the themes option. I hope someone makes a theme that is more in line with stock android. I kinda hate the colors Samsung choose for the dialer and the menus.

S5, too?
Lots of these seem to be applicable to the S5 also, although I guess due to the categories on the XDA forums, there'd be no way of sharing it between the two devices easily.
Great tips though!

One more: when you are in an app (Chrome, Gallery .... whatever) and you drag your finger from the upper right corner to somewhere in the middle of the screen the app shrinks which makes it more usable with one hand (I wouldn't call it one-handed mode, because.... well it isn't, but feel free to name it as you wish)

PhoneArena made a list with 36 tricks and tips!
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Samsung-Galaxy-S6-and-Galaxy-S6-edge-36-tips---tricks_id67772

derWolf_ said:
One more: when you are in an app (Chrome, Gallery .... whatever) and you drag your finger from the upper right corner to somewhere in the middle of the screen the app shrinks which makes it more usable with one hand (I wouldn't call it one-handed mode, because.... well it isn't, but feel free to name it as you wish)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure they call it windowed apps
Edit according to the last link it's called pop up view.

derWolf_ said:
One more: when you are in an app (Chrome, Gallery .... whatever) and you drag your finger from the upper right corner to somewhere in the middle of the screen the app shrinks which makes it more usable with one hand (I wouldn't call it one-handed mode, because.... well it isn't, but feel free to name it as you wish)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Added, thanks!

Another tip:
You can have changing lockscreen wallpapers by changing it in the settings and selecting multiple wallpapers in the selection box

altimax98 said:
Another tip:
You can have changing lockscreen wallpapers by changing it in the settings and selecting multiple wallpapers in the selection box
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No freakn way?? SO I don't have to use Muzei for that anymore, haha sweet!

Phone is officially out! Share your tips and tricks guys if ya have any :good:

Is there a way/trick to order the apps in the app tray (alphabetically).

crobo said:
Is there a way/trick to order the apps in the app tray (alphabetically).
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Click to collapse
Tap the "A-Z" button at the top of the app drawer.

wildmaiden said:
Tap the "A-Z" button at the top of the app drawer.
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Click to collapse
Not all versions have that button. I imagine it will come in a future update.

Sevael said:
Not all versions have that button. I imagine it will come in a future update.
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Click to collapse
Ah .. interesting. FWIW, T-Mobile's S6 does.

crobo said:
Is there a way/trick to order the apps in the app tray (alphabetically).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I reordered all mine manually. But only had about 50 apps so not too bad.

crobo said:
Is there a way/trick to order the apps in the app tray (alphabetically).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not a fan of touch wiz, so downloaded the Google Now launcher, and the app drawer automatically organizes apps in alphabetical order.

noeffintalent said:
I am not a fan of touch wiz, so downloaded the Google Now launcher, and the app drawer automatically organizes apps in alphabetical order.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I prefer Nova (prime), it does the same, plus much, much more!:good:

You use Svoice to set a custom phrase to wake up the phone directly to listening for a command. Under voice wake. I woke, wrote, and sent a text with (look ma) no hands!
Sent from my SM-G920T using XDA Free mobile app