Samsung Features
How To: Monitor System Resources Right from the Notification Tray on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Anyone who uses a computer on a regular basis probably knows how to access the task manager to check system resources and usage stats. However, on a Samsung Galaxy S3 or other Android device, it may not be so obvious. There's no equivalent to Control-Alt-Delete, but it's still fairly easy to monitor running processes and battery usage.
How To: Play Super Nintendo Games (SNES) On Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Those of us who lived our childhood through the '90s remember the rapid advancement of console gaming. From the Nintendo to Game Boy to Dreamcast to PlayStation, we were consistently greeted with newer and better technology on a year to year basis.
How To: Control When the Alarm Icon Shows Up in the Status Bar on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
One of the things I hate most about Android's alarm clock is that you get the alarm icon in your status bar way ahead of time. Regardless of whether the alarm is in five minutes, five hours, or five days, that icon just sits in your status bar.
How To: Change Backlight Duration for the Back & Recents Keys on the Galaxy S6
For some strange reason, not all variants of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have a menu option for changing the backlight timeout for their capacitive keys. According to user reports, only the AT&T variant of these phones has such an option.
How To: Lock Individual Apps to Prevent Friends from Snooping on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Keeping unwanted clowns off on my Samsung Galaxy S3 is priority number one. I've shown you how to snag a picture of people opening your apps and how to lock your screen for whenever you hand off your phone, allowing them to access only the page you left open.
How To: Theme TouchWiz on Your Galaxy Note 3 with Android Lollipop
While the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is sure to get an Android 5.0 Lollipop update, there's no official confirmation on when exactly that will happen (rumors state January). In the meantime, there are a number of ways to get some of Lollipop's features on your KitKat device right now, but today I'll be focusing on the looks with a Lollipop-themed launcher.
How To: Turn Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3 into a Personal Ambient Weather Station with These Apps & Widgets
The majority of Android devices have built-in sensors underneath the hood that measure motion, position, and several environmental parameters that provide data needed to monitor your movements and adjust accordingly.
How To: Stop Lag & Save Battery on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 by Hibernating Background Apps
If your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has been feeling sluggish lately, or you've noticed the battery not lasting as long as usual, the problem could be that you have too many applications running in the background.
How To: Turn Photos & Selfies into Moving 3D Images on Your Galaxy S3
The way you use your camera just got a bit more interesting. Phogy, a brand new camera app for Android, allows you to capture pictures with a 3D effect that comes alive when shifting your phone from side to side.
How To: Make Photo Time-Lapse Videos of Yourself Using Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or Other Smartphone
In early 2000, at the age of 19, Noah Kalina began taking a photo of himself with the same facial expression—every single day. Six years and over 2,000 photographs later, Kalina turned his project into a time-lapsed montage on YouTube. In just one day, his video received over a million views.
How To: Simplify Your Android's UI for Less Distracted Driving
Most new Android devices come with at least one feature that helps control navigation, music, and more through voice-controlled, hands-free communication. While they usually don't end up being completely "hands-free," these apps do stop people from using both hands to perform tasks on their smartphones while driving, therefore distracting them less overall.
How To: Disable the High Volume Warning When Using Headphones on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
I've been told numerous times that I listen to music way too loud, to the point of potential hearing damage, especially when I have my headphones plugged in. Not only do my friends tell me this, but my Samsung Galaxy S4 likes to nag me as well. Once I pass a certain volume threshold (nine steps) with my headphones, I get that annoying high volume alert. Sorry, my hearing isn't as good as it once was, so let me jam in peace!
How To: Get Better Quick Settings on a Samsung Galaxy S3 with This Fully Customizable Control Center
Apple may have unabashedly lifted their upcoming "Control Center" from Android devices, but visually speaking, it's an awesome take on Quick Settings that would look pretty good on a Samsung Galaxy S3.
How To: Give Your Android Phone Some “Material Design” with Google's New Calculator App
With Google's latest version of their mobile OS, Android L, the most notable aesthetic difference is the newly introduced Material Design concept that will soon be ever-present through the interface. The objective of this bold design is to create "hierarchy, meaning, and focus," as described by Google, and the deliberate choices of color and white space "to create immersion and clarity."
How To: Get Fine-Tuned Audio Control by Adding More Volume Steps to Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Getting the volume on our phones to be just right can be a pretty annoying task. Some people like to listen to music and videos with max volume while some like it a little lower. With the default volume control on your Samsung Galaxy S3, there are only 15 steps before you reach max volume, making it tough to find that sweet spot.
How To: Launch Note 4-Style Floating Windows from the Multi Window Tray on Your Galaxy Note 3
One of the Note 3's best features is Multi Window mode, which allows users to display more than one app on the screen at the same time, taking advantage of the large and high-resolution display.
How To: This Energy-Saving Live Wallpaper Gives Your Android Home Screen a Fresh Look Whenever You Want
If you're not acquainted with 500px, you should be. One of the more preeminent photography communities out there, 500px takes you through a journey of incredible shots—anything from nature and urban explorations to cities and architecture to the abstract. Whatever your preference is, you can be sure to find it on 500px.
How To: Burnt or Buttered? How to Add App Names & Icons to Your Galaxy S4's Toast Notifications
Toast notifications are a type of pop-up alert built into Android, letting us know when an app has performed a certain action. Whether it's Gmail saving a draft or Firefox opening a new tab, toasts are meant to be informational while not being totally intrusive.
How To: Carrier Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy S4 So You Can Use Another SIM Card
Unlocking your Samsung Galaxy S4 so you can use a different SIM card isn't the easiest thing in the world. In the states, unlocking cell phones was actually illegal, despite the White House's disapproval, though, a recent bill has making its way to the House floor and has made it legal again.
How To: Root ANY Samsung Galaxy S5 Variant (Even AT&T & Verizon) in 20 Seconds Flat
With a root bounty of over $18,000 up for the taking, developers were highly motivated to get the AT&T and Verizon Wireless variants of the Samsung Galaxy S5 rooted. Legendary hacker George Hotz, aka Geohot, has won the race and can now step up to claim his prize.
How To: Automatically Silence Your Phone When You're Wearing Your Galaxy Watch
Smartwatches are great for notifications. No need to dig your phone out of your pocket or purse when someone texts you — just glance at your wrist! It's great for driving, walking, and any other activities where you need to stay connected to your surroundings. Except it can still be a little distracting, depending on your settings.
How To: Root Any Samsung Galaxy S4 in One Click
Something pretty awesome happened over the last couple of days. George Hotz, better known as Geohot, the infamous hacker known for jailbreaking iOS and exploiting the Sony Playstation 3, has brought joy to owners of just about all Android smartphones and tablets, especially those on AT&T and Verizon.
How To: Schedule Bluetooth, Data, Wi-Fi & Other System Settings on Android
Before you head to class, work, or sleep, you're probably doing the same thing over and over again—toggling off system settings like Wi-Fi, sound, data, or brightness, depending on the circumstances. Schedules and routines can help increase efficiency, so while you abide to a particular schedule, so should your Android.
How To: Network Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy S3 to Use with Another GSM Carrier
Why unlock your Samsung Galaxy S3 to use with a different SIM card? One possible reason is that you love your phone, but not your cellular provider because of the poor service or an unreliable connection. If you purchased a Samsung GS3 with AT&T, T-Mobile, etc. on a contract, it might be locked for a specific amount of time called the contract period.
How To: Hide Your Call & Message History for Specific Phone Numbers Using Reflection for Android
Only scumbags hide their call and message history, right? Wrong. While it may seem like a tactic for the unfaithful, it's still a good thing to do for certain contacts on your phone that you don't want to block outright.
How To: Set Your Favorite Video as Your Alarm or Ringtone on a Samsung Galaxy S3
Your smartphone has a ton of ringtone options built in, but ringtones haven't really changed much in the past decade, and it's definitely not cool to hear someone in the supermarket with the same lame ringer. While replacing the stock sounds with a song of your choosing is the best way to keep your phone personalized, why not go a step further using a video?
How To: Root Your Samsung Galaxy S3 (And Flash Stock ROMs) Using Odin for Windows
Need root on your Samsung Galaxy S3? Phone not getting the Jelly Bean update? Stuck on the Samsung screen? Phone bricked? Need to restore back to stock? Odin can help!
How To: Galaxy S5 Battery Dies Too Fast? Here's Why & How to Fix It
Samsung makes some wonderful phones, but one thing I've noticed is that battery life can start to degrade over time, causing the phone to die a lot faster than it used to. If you've been experiencing this issue, and have asked yourself, "Why does my Galaxy S5 die so fast?" there are a few likely causes—and we've got you covered with troubleshooting tips and simple fixes below.
How To: Unroot & Restore a Samsung Galaxy S6 Back to Stock
There are several reasons that you might want to restore the factory firmware on your device—maybe you need to send your phone back for warranty purposes, or perhaps you're getting ready to accept an over-the-air update and need to unroot first. In some cases, reverting to the stock firmware can even resurrect a soft-bricked phone.
How To: Remove the Annoying “Wi-Fi Connected” Notification on Android
Call it OCD if you will, but I make it a priority to have a clean Notification panel. Like a chalkboard that isn't wiped spotless, I get an unsettling feeling that something in the universe isn't complete when there's unnecessary clutter in the drop-down. For this reason, I loathe the fact that I can't remove the "Wi-Fi connected" tile from my "Notifications."
How To: Use the Earpiece & Speaker Together for Surround Sound on Your Galaxy Note 3
Located at the bottom of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 lies the speaker from which music, notifications, and most other audio comes from, which provides warm and clear sound when needed.
How To: Monitor CPU Temperature from Android's Status Bar
At the core of your Galaxy S5's hardware lies the central processing unit, or CPU for short. Practically every piece of data, every binary bit, has to pass through your CPU before it can be used to display a video or execute a game command.
How To: Replace a Broken Home Button with a Soft Key on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
There may only be a few hardware buttons on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but when they're not working, your phone might as well be a doorstop. A few years back, I was texting while walking to class and a student on a bicycle crashed into me. My phone was flung thirty feet—straight into a puddle. I picked it up and checked for damage, but everything seemed okay. The biker apologized profusely, but nothing was wrong, so I told him not to worry about it and proceeded to class.
How To: Secretly Record Videos Using the Volume Keys on Your Galaxy S4 or Other Android Phone
Unlike the suave 007 that Daniel Craig portrayed, I am not a spy, nor am I that charming, but I do occasionally enjoy taking a stealthy video. Maybe I'm a jerk, but I often catch people doing ridiculous things and just think, "Aren't you embarrassed?"
How To: See Who's Trying to Unlock Your Galaxy S4—And Where
There's a lot of personal information residing on your phone, possibly even more than on your computer, so it's only a matter of time before someone tries to access it.
How To: Install a Custom Recovery & New ROM on Your Bootloader-Locked Samsung Galaxy S4
Third-party ROMs like CyanogenMod are the ultimate form of customization for softModders. Hard-working developers offer us alternate Android experiences to replace our often bloatware-riddled stock ROMs.
News: 20 Official Samsung Galaxy Themes That Don't Totally Suck
Taste is certainly relative. When you look at Central American architecture and notice all of the bright pastel colors, then move just a thousand or so miles to the north and see that buildings in the United States are mostly painted in earth tones, this becomes abundantly clear. Imagine if you were to switch hemispheres altogether—what would you see in East Asia?
How To: Install the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) Utility on a Windows PC
While still extremely awesome, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch is limited as to what you can download on to it, especially apps. It also doesn't have its own internet access (only Bluetooth), so apps like Instagram, Facebook, and Vine have yet to make their way to the Gear Store.
How To: Root Almost Any Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge Without Tripping KNOX
Both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have had root methods available to them before the phones were even released, but the problem with these existing root methods is that they would trip the KNOX counter on your device.
News: Download All the New Samsung Galaxy S7 Wallpapers Right Now
The leaks keep trickling out for Samsung's new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge handsets. Hot on the heels of the first images of the S7 Edge, 13 of the wallpapers for the new flagships have surfaced online (courtesy of J.K. Shine from the SamMobile forum), and are here for you to download if you'd like to get a head start on the action. If you like any of these wallpapers, just long-press on the image and hit "Save," and you'll be able to set it as your home screen background (on your computer, click o...