10 Things You Can Do With Note 8
The Galaxy Note8 is an Android phablet that Samsung announced on August 23, 2017 and released about three weeks later. The Note8 is the successor to the discontinued Note 7 -- which was recalled due to battery manufacturing defects.
The Galaxy Note8 looks very similar to the Galaxy S8+, but it is the first smartphone Samsung made with a dual camera system on the back. One of the cameras has a wide angle lens and the other has a telephoto lens. And the S Pen that comes with the Galaxy Note8 has better pressure sensitivity than previous versions.
Inside of the Note8 is a Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 chipset, depending on your location, along with 6GB of RAM. The display is a 6.3-inch Super AMOLED with curved edges. The Note8 and the S Pen have an IP68 water- and dust-resistance rating. And the Note8 has a physical key to activate the Bixby digital assistant.
What I noticed about the Note8 is that it has hundreds of features, many of which are not as obvious. Here are 45 Galaxy Note8 tips and tricks that you may find useful:
1.) Adjust App Permissions
If you want to control which apps can access your calendar, camera, contacts, location, etc., then you can control this in the settings of the Note8. To adjust these settings, go to the applications menu, select the app and tap App permissions . From there, you can decide which apps have location access.
2.) Adjust The App Screen Grid
You can adjust the app screen grid size by going to the Home screen settings and tapping on "Apps screen grid." From there, you can select from different options like 4x6, 5x6, etc. And then tap on Apply after you pick the desired option.
3.) Adjust The Edge Screen Handle Settings
The curved screen of the Note8 is customizable. This can be set up by going to Settings > Display > Edge screen > Edge panels . Or you can set it up by opening the edge screen and tapping on the settings icon at the bottom. And one of the edge panels allows you to create app shortcuts for up to 10 apps, making it easier to quickly load your favorite apps.
When you tap on the edit button at the bottom of the apps edge, you can also create App Pair shortcuts, which allows you to launch two apps in split screen mode. This can be set up when you tap on Edit on the edge panel and tap on "create app pair."
Plus you can also control the Handle settings by going to Settings > Display > Edge screen > Edge panels > menu icon > Handle Settings . Within this menu, you can change the position of the Edge panel handle, adjust the size, tweak the transparency and turn vibration on or off.
4.) Adjust The Long Press Function On The Home Button
Along with a dedicated button to activate the Samsung Bixby digital assistant, you can also push down the home button on the Galaxy Note 8 to activate the Google Assistant. However, you can change the functionality of the long press on the home button if you want it to do something else.
This can be adjusted by going to Settings > apps . Then tap on the menu at the top right and select default apps . From there, select device assistant app and select the app that you want to have opened when you long press the home button.
5.) Camera Shortcut
When you double tap the standby button, it will automatically launch the camera even if your Note8 is locked. If this feature does not work for you, then you can set it up under the Camera app settings or under Settings > Advanced features > Quick launch camera .
6.) Change The Camera Shooting Method
If you want to use a different gesture for taking a photo, then you can do that by going to Settings > Shooting methods . In this section, you will notice that you can take photos using the heart rate sensor or by tapping on the screen.
7.) Change The Launcher
There are a number of different Launcher apps for Android that you can use. To do this, you have to start by downloading the launcher of your choice from the Google Play Store.
Then tap on the Home button and select the Launcher you want to use. You can change the default launcher by going to Settings > Applications . From there, tap on the top-right menu and select Default applications > Home screen .
8.) Cleaning Up Storage Space
If you want to clear up some space on your device, then you can do so by going to Settings > Device maintenance > Storage > Clean Now . This will free up storage by deleting cached data and ad files.
9.) Clear App Badges
There are some apps that will place a badge count with the number of notifications you currently have. You can clear up these notifications by pushing down on the icon and tapping on "clear badge."
10.) Controlling Your Security Login
The Galaxy Note8 has fingerprint, iris and facial recognition software and hardware for unlocking your device. You can decide how to unlock your device by going to Settings > Lock screen and security > Screen lock type. In this section, you can also decide if you want to use a PIN, a pattern or a password instead.
And you can also use Bixby Voice to unlock your device. You can do this by going to the settings within Bixby and tapping on "Unlock with voice password." Bixby will ask you to say a few phrases so that it learns your voice. Once it learns your voice and you set your password, you can start using your voice to unlock the device.
11.) Customizing The Always On Display
With the Galaxy Note8, you can have the lock screen show you "Always On" details by going to Settings > Lock screen and security > Always On display . Some of the options include digital clock, analog clock, world clock, calendar and image.
You can also set up FaceWidgets for the Always On Display. One of the best FaceWidgets are music controls. This can be customized under Settings > Lock screen and security > Information and facewidgets > FaceWidgets .
12.) Customizing The Home Screen
When you long press on the wallpaper of the home screen, you can customize the wallpapers, themes and widgets.
When you tap on "Wallpapers and themes," you can change the wallpaper by selecting "My wallpapers" and then tapping on the Gallery icon. Or you can open the image within the Gallery and selecting "Set as wallpaper" from the menu at the top right. To add a motion effect on the wallpaper, select the "wallpaper motion effect" toggle before setting the wallpaper.
You can also customize the frames of the app icons. This can an be controlled by going to Settings > Display > Icon with frames . And you can change the size of the screen grid by going to the Home screen settings and tapping "Home screen grid."
13.) Disabling Bixby Home
You may notice that when you swipe right on the homepage, you will see Bixby Home. But there is a way to disable this feature.
Simply long press on the wallpaper of your device and swipe right to the Bixby Home again. Then toggle the off switch. To access this feature again, you simply have to press the Bixby button on the device and turn it back on.
14.) Disable Icons From Being Added To The Home Screen
If you want to prevent icons from being added to the home screen after downloading them, then there is a way to set this up. You can set this up by pushing down on the home screen and tapping on the gear icon at the bottom of the screen for the home screen settings. Then go to the bottom of the settings screen to the Home Screen section. From there, disable the Add icon to Home screen for new apps feature.
Another way of doing this is by opening the Google Play Store app. Then open the settings of the app by tapping on the three line menu and tapping on Settings . From there, deselect the Add icon to Home screen feature.
To add the icon of an app to the home screen, you would have to enable the feature again or drag it over to the home screen.
15.) Enabling Download Booster
To download files faster, you can set this up by utilizing a combination of Wi-Fi and mobile data. This can be controlled by going to Settings > Connections > More connection settings > Download booster. The download booster icon will be displayed on the status bar when the Download booster is being used.
16.) Hard Reset The Galaxy Note8
In case your Note8 starts to freeze up, you should consider doing a hard reset. To do that, you simply hold down the power button and volume down button at the same time for about 5-10 seconds. Once you do that, the phone should restart.
17.) Hi Bixby
There is a way to activate the Bixby digital assistant using your voice. This can be enabled by opening Bixby Home > tapping the menu at the top right > Settings > Voice wake up . You can also manage the voice sensitivity level in this setting.
18.) Making Apps Full Screen
The resolution of the Galaxy Note8 has an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. As a result, many apps do not open in full screen mode by default. However, you can turn on full screen mode by going to Settings > Display > Full screen apps .
19.) Managing Do Not Disturb
You can manage the Do Not Disturb settings by going to App > Settings > touch Search and search for 'Do not disturb' > Tap Allow exceptions . Under these settings, you can decide whether to select No exceptions, Alarms only or customize whether you want sounds or vibrations based on certain rules that you set.
20.) Managing Notifications
You can manage the notifications that appear on your lock screen by going to Settings > Lock screen and security > Notifications . You can also have just the notification icons appear within these settings.
To hide content from appearing in app notifications, you can control this by going to Settings > Notifications > Advanced . In this section, you can manage the notifications of each individual app. And in the advanced settings of notifications, you can also have notifications appear silently and set priority notifications so that it appears even if Do Not Disturb is activated.
21.) Managing The S Pen
There are a number of S Pen settings that you can control when you tap on the Settings icon. For example, you can adjust the Air Command settings such as shortcuts and decide whether to show a floating icon that can be moved around the screen. Within these settings, you can also set up an alarm if you walk away with your phone without inserting the S Pen and the screen is off.
22.) Organize The App Drawer
If you want to organize the app drawer, then you can do so by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and tapping the apps icon. Then tap on the three dot icon at the top-right corner of the app drawer and select whether you want the apps to be ordered alphabetically by the title. And if you want to remove the spaces from the app drawer after moving the apps around, you can do so by tapping "clean up pages."
23.) Pulling Up Quick Settings
To pull up the full quick settings, you simply have to swipe down with two fingers or double swipe down. Then you can swipe left or right to switch between the quick settings panes.
And to access the full settings from a quick setting, you simply have to press down on that icon. So if you push down on the Wi-Fi icon, it will pull up the full Wi-Fi controls.
24.) Removing The App Tray
To reduce clutter from your screen, there is a way to remove the app tray. This can be set up by Long pressing on the home screen and selecting Home screen settings . Then tap on the Home screen layout option and select home screen only .
25.) Removing The S Pen Settings
You can customize what happens when you remove the S Pen from the device. To control this feature, go to Settings > Advanced features > S Pen > When S Pen is removed . There are three options, which are Air Command, create note or do nothing.
26.) Set A Data Limit
To avoid going over your mobile data, you can set up a data limit. This can be controlled by going to Settings > Connections > Data usage > Mobile data usage . In this section, you can set a data limit and the date that your data plan resets.
27.) Set Up Dual Messengers
The Note8 allows you to have two of the same app downloaded in case you want to be logged into multiple accounts at the same time. This feature is especially handy if you have a personal account and have a business account. You can activate this feature by going to Settings > Advanced features > Dual Messenger .
And you can set this up by long pressing the messaging app icon and tapping "Install second app." Apps that currently support Dual Messenger include Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat.
28.) Set Up Easy Mode
Another way to reduce the strain on your eyes is by setting up Easy Mode. Easy Mode increases the size of the fonts and icons. You can set this up by going to Settings > Display > Easy Mode . This makes the phone easier to use for older consumers.
29.) Set Up Edge Lighting For Notifications
There is a setting where the edges light up after receiving a notification. You can control this by going to Settings > Display > Edge screen > Edge lighting . And if you only want specific apps to activate the edge lighting, then you can set that up by going to Edge lighting > Manage notifications . In this section, you can adjust the color and flash size.
30.) Set Up Instant And Smart Lock
If you want to have your Note8 instantly lock, you can set this up by going to Settings > Lock screen and security > Secure lock settings . Within these settings, you can press the standby button to quickly lock your phone. And there is a way to have your device locked as soon as the device goes to sleep.
And within these settings, you can also set up Smart Lock. Smart Lock allows you to unlock your Note8 device when it connects to another device such as a Bluetooth smartwatch or connected vehicle.
31.) Set Up Wi-Fi Calling
Wi-Fi Calling is a helpful feature in case you spend a lot of time in an area where your device struggles with a mobile data connection such as a basement. You can set this up by opening Settings > Connections > Advanced calling > Wi-Fi Calling . And you will have to confirm that your phone carrier supports this feature for it to work as well.
32.) Setting Adaptive Wi-Fi
You can set your Note8 to connect to a mobile data connection in case your Wi-Fi network drops. This can be set up by going to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > Advanced > Adaptive Wi-Fi . If you enable Aggressive switching, it will still switch over to mobile data even if the Wi-Fi connection is not that bad. This feature could increase your data usage so make sure that you have plenty of mobile data.
33.) Setting Up Blue Light Filter
You can set up your Galaxy Note8 so that it makes the display warmer by reducing the blue light in order to reduce eye strain. You can set this up by going to Display > Blue light filter . You can adjust the intensity and set up a schedule of the blue light filter in these settings.
34.) Shortcut For Switching Between Rear And Front Camera
When the Camera app is open, you can quickly switch between the front and rear camera mode by swiping the screen up and down. This may be faster than tapping on the small switch icon. You can also switch between the cameras by double pressing the standby button.
35.) Smart Stay While Reading
Smart Stay is a feature that automatically detects your face while reading and it prevents the display from going to sleep. You can set up this feature by going to Settings > Advanced features > Smart stay .
36.) Stream Audio To Multiple Devices
Since the Galaxy Note8 has Bluetooth 5.0, it supports Dual Audio. This means it can play audio to different audio sources simultaneously such as smart home speakers. You can set this up by going to Settings > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth > Turn on Bluetooth > menu at the top right > Dual audio .
37.) Switch Default Apps
You can decide what apps to use for certain tasks by change the default settings. You can set this up by going to Apps > Menu > Default apps . From there, you can change what is the default web browser, calling app, messaging app, launcher, etc.
38.) Switching The Navigation Buttons
You can change the button order around at the botttom of the display by tapping on Settings > Display > Navigation Bar . From there, you can switch between Recents - Home - Back and Back - Home - Recents .
39.) Take A Wide Selfie
If you are taking a group selfie, then you know how tricky it can be to get everyone in the shot. Fortunately, the Note8 has a wide selfie mode. To set this up, you will need to have the front camera open. Then tap on wide selfie mode and the camera will take a wider photo as you move the camera.
40.) Take Photos With Your Voice
One of the most convenient camera features is the ability to take a photo with your voice. You can set this up by going to Settings > Voice control .
41.) Taking A Screenshot
There are a couple of ways to take a screenshot with the Note8. You can quickly take one by pushing and holding the standby and home button at the same time. Or if you go to Settings > Advanced features > Palm swipe to capture , you can set up the device so that you can swipe the display with your hand to take a screenshot.
And under Settings > Advanced features > Smart capture , you can capture screenshots of full documents or websites instead of just what is above the fold:
42.) Turn On One-Handed Mode
As the Galaxy Note8 has a large 6.3-inch display, it may be challenging to use it with just one hand. To make it easier, you can set up One-Handed mode. This feature makes the windows smaller and compresses the keyboard over to one side. You can set this up by going to Settings > Advanced features > Turn on one-handed mode .
43.) Utilize A Secure Folder
Built into the Note8 is a Secure Folder, which has enterprise level security. Personally, I would keep important email, social media and document apps in this folder. You would have to unlock this folder using the same security requirement that you have set up for unlocking the device such as the facial, iris or fingerprint recognition.
44.) Video Stabilization
The dual camera supports 2x optical zoom and both cameras have optical image stabilization. To enable video stabilization on all video resolutions, go to the Camera app > Settings .
45.) Write Notes On The Lock Screen
With the S Pen, you can quickly take notes without unlocking the device. You can press the button to undo mistakes as you write the notes. And tapping on the screen with the S Pen saves the note. You can set this feature up by going to Settings > Advanced features > S Pen > Screen off memo .
10 Things You Can Do With Note 8
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2018/06/18/galaxy-note8-tips-and-tricks/