Get the most out of Lollipop.
Ever since the Galaxy S4 received the Lollipop update, the old beast has become very good. We love the S4 so much, so it's no surprise that we've updated the Galaxy S4 tips and tricks collection for this update. The Galaxy S4 is still a great smartphone, but read on to find out how much better you can make it.
Battery Tips
Save battery with smart Wi-Fi
If you've set Wi-Fi to turn off whenever you turn off your screen, you might think you're saving battery. And it's not. Most of us check our smartphone (start the screen) on average about 150 times a day, so keeping the Wi-Fi connection active is actually better than turning it off and then searching every time the screen turns off. Go to Settings - Wi-Fi, press the menu key, then "Advanced" and set "Work Wi-Fi in hibernation" to "Always".
WiFi connection support is actually better for time battery life smartphone.
Increase your battery life
The Galaxy S4 doesn't have Android Lollipop's Battery Saver mode, but it does have Samsung's power saving mode. Go to Settings - My Device - Power Saving Mode and toggle the switch to turn it on. The mode works by disabling certain features to save battery life. You can choose which features it will restrict in the settings.
Power saving mode can help extend the battery life of your Galaxy S4.
Turn off pointless tricks
Samsung has long been known - at least until recently - for packing flagship phones with some not-so-useful features. Some of these features are enabled by default and are constantly draining battery power, along with CPU power, even if you never use them. If you are one of those users, why not disable them? Go to "Settings" - "Motions and gestures", where you can turn off unnecessary features. The same goes for Smart Screen and Air View.
If you are not using it, disable it.
Display Tips
Always use the best display
One of the best things about Samsung screens is that they adapt to different conditions, so you get the best picture whether you're reading, watching photos or watching videos. Just go to "Settings" - "My Device" - "Display" - "Screen Mode" and select "Adapt display" or take a look at other options.
Optimize your Galaxy S4 display.
Activate Smart Stay
Smart Stay uses your smartphone's front-facing camera to detect whether you're looking at the screen or not, a feature that helps make sure the display stays on while you're looking at it. This is a great solution if you set a short display timeout but also do a lot of reading on your smartphone.
To activate Smart Stay, go to "Settings" - "My device" - "Smart" - "Smart Stay".
Smart Stay means your phone stays on as long as you read or look at the screen.
Software Tips
Turn off S Voice for quick navigation
S Voice can be launched by double-clicking the S4 Home button. However, this solution actually slows down the response of the home button. TouchWiz pauses after the first press, waiting for the second, after which it directs you to the home screen. Navigate to S-Voice, press the menu key, select "Settings" and uncheck "Open with Home button" to get to the home screen faster and speed up general navigation.
Disabling S-Voice will speed up phone navigation thanks to the freedom of the Home button.
Protect your lock screen
Lollipop comes with lock screen notifications, meaning you don't have to fully unlock your phone to read a text or message Email. However, you may experience some discomfort when the content of your notifications fills the screen and is available to others. If this is true for you, open "Settings" - "My device" - "Sounds and notifications". You can choose which apps show content on the lock screen and notifications, and choose which apps keep content hidden.
Choose content for your lock screen using app and content settings.
Turn off annoying Samsung sounds
You might not have thought about this before, but why not turn off some of Samsung's most annoying sounds? Even if you like them, we can assure you that everyone on the bus, at work and in the supermarket hates them. So, do the world a favor: go to Settings - My Device - Sounds & Notifications - Other Sounds and uncheck the boxes next to the sounds you can live without.
Do the world a favor and turn off those annoying Samsung sounds.
Lock screen customization
Don't settle for a boring old lock screen, add a camera and dialer shortcut, choose your clock and private messages, highlight your lock screen with wallpapers. Go to Settings - My Device - Lock Screen and check the box for the camera, and then customize the lock screen widgets.
Customize your lock screen so you can access what you need faster.
Recharge your camera
Install the app Samsung Smart Camera and connect your smartphone to the camera using NFC for quick photo transfer, use your phone as a remote viewfinder, and more. Best of all, your camera automatically connects to your phone when it's turned on.
Pairing your phone with a camera is very helpful.
Customizing Quick Settings
Why settle for standard quick settings when you can browse the most appropriate switches with a little tweaking? You can even group them exactly the way you like. Swipe down on the screen, tap on the little grid on the top right, now select the little pencil to edit, now change the quick settings.
Add your favorite shortcuts to the quick settings menu.
Boost your security!
Why would you want to unlock your phone with a PIN or pattern when you're at home where (hopefully) you can trust everyone? To do this, there is a wonderful Smart Lock feature from Lollipop. You can save your time by disabling the lock of your smartphone in certain places, identifying the latter by a trusted person, network or voice, a trusted accessory, be it a smart watch or something else.
Smart Lock - One of the coolest features of Android Lollipop.
Do not disturb mode
Another great feature of Lollipop is Priority Notifications, also known as Do Not Disturb Mode. It allows you to set the time at which the phone will not ring and distract you, except for the most important notifications or alarms. You can whitelist family or boss calls, set days of the week and times, and choose between calls, messages, and calendar reminders. Go to Settings - My device - Sounds and notifications - Interruptions.
Enjoy peace and quiet with Priority Notifications.
Use shortcuts for calling or contacts
Why use menu buttons when one gesture is enough? In the contact list, you can simply swipe someone's name left or right to make an instant call or message. Now you can stay connected longer and save your time.
Call or text your friends faster with gestures.
Always take the best photo
Let's face it, not all of us are Pulitzer Prize winning photographers. So when the moment comes, why not take a burst of photos and then leave the choice to the S4? Just open the camera app, choose "Mode" and "Best photo". Hold down the shutter to take as many shots as possible and let your phone automatically select the best one.
"Best Photo" knows which shot is better than others.
Enjoy Quiet Mode
The Galaxy S4 is one of the few devices that offers true silent mode, even on Lollipop. You can go to "Settings" - "My Device" - "Sounds and Notifications" - "Interruptions" - "Sound Mode" - Mute" or you can use the switch in quick settings to turn off the sound.
The Galaxy S4 is one of the few Lollipop devices that has retained this mode.
Custom Sound Profile
If you have very perceptive ears, or just need to have complete control over what sound comes out of the device you use to communicate with people, why not get your own custom sound profile? Open "Settings" - "My device" - "Sounds and notifications" - "Adapt sound". Insert a pair of headphones, click "Start" and follow the instructions.
Creating a custom sound profile will make things better.
Tricks
Make your keyboard smarter
If you're using a basic Samsung keyboard, make sure predictive text and automatic typing are turned on. You'll be surprised how much time these features save. Go to the keyboard and long press on the button to the left of the space bar. Select the "Settings" tab and make sure "Predictive Text" is enabled and the settings are set to "Continuous Typing". You can also replace the keyboard with SwiftKey or another app.
If you are not using text prediction, you are living in the year 2000.
Try a floating keyboard
Depending on what you're doing, sometimes a smaller floating keyboard might be more appropriate. It's a neat little feature that doesn't block your keyboard at the bottom of the screen. Go to the keyboard, long-press the button to the left of the spacebar, and tap the tile with two overlapping squares. Your keyboard will shrink a little and you can move it around.
A floating keyboard can be really useful.
Make Chrome easier and better!
Chrome on Lollipop is a bit annoying. By default, your Chrome tabs reside individually in the latest list of apps (can be accessed by long pressing the Home button). If you prefer the old way - all your tabs are contained within Chrome itself, go to Chrome, tap on the three dots in the top right corner, select "Settings" and disable the "Merge" and "Apps" tabs.
Use Chrome the old way and don't merge tabs and apps.
Make it easy with Easy Mode
If you're a bit discouraged by all the Samsung widgets and other TouchWiz elements, try Easy Mode. This mode will clarify the situation. You'll see only the most important things, get larger icons and simplified controls and navigation. Go to "Settings" - "My Device" - "Easy Mode" to get to the switch.
The Easy Mode is great for beginners, the elderly, and the visually impaired.
Hands-free mode
If you don't want to miss any incoming messages or notifications and your hands are busy, why not use Hands-Free mode on the Galaxy S4? Incoming calls, messages and notifications will be read to you so you always know what's going on. Open "Settings" - "My device" - "Handsfree mode" and turn on the option. You can also select additional options.
Samsung offers hands-free options for the laziest users.
Use your phone to control your TV
Download the Peel Smart Remote app and use it as a TV guide to tune in to your favorite channels, control your TV and set-top box, and more. You can even put the app on your lock screen to make sure you can always control your TV from your couch.
Use your Galaxy S4 as a remote control.
Use your voice for hands-free control
Did you know that your S4 has a variety of voice control options? You can use your voice to turn off the alarm, take a photo, play music or answer a call, you can even reject it with your voice. Just go to "Settings" - "My device" - "Voice control" and use the switches opposite the commands you want to use. You can also use S-Voice to set reminders and check the weather.
Use your voice and protect your fingers from unnecessary work.
Multi-window and recent apps
S4 can open recently open applications, but did you know that the smartphone also offers a Multi-Windows feature that allows you to have two windows open at the same time? This feature is well hidden, but very handy! We have dedicated a whole article on how to use Samsung Multi-Window, search the site.
Multi-Windows: Difficult to understand, but very convenient.
Common problems
No sound…
Some users are experiencing a software bug that takes away the voice of the Galaxy S4. When there is no sound, it is due to a faulty application that accesses the sound driver and blocks it. Rebooting the phone usually fixes the problem.
Wi-Fi connection issues
When you are at home, you may notice that sometimes your smartphone has problems connecting to the wireless network. This usually happens when the Wi-Fi signal is weak, but can occur at other times as well.
Problems with online access? Try turning off mobile data.
You may find yourself plagued by messages informing you that your internet connection is down due to slow speeds. And while this solution may seem counter-intuitive, try disabling mobile data - it usually helps. Swipe down from the top of the screen and toggle the Mobile Data option to Off.
The hidden menu provides access to Wi-Fi power saving options.
Another option is to turn off Wi-Fi power saving mode. Launch the keypad to dial the number, enter the code * # 0011 # to enter the service mode. Press the menu key and select the Wi-Fi option. In the Wi-Fi Power Saving Mode section, click on the On button so that it changes to Off. Press the back button to return to the main screen.
Video playback not working
Many users find it difficult to play video sent via WhatsApp on Galaxy S4. When you receive a WhatsApp error message that "video cannot be played", it can be fixed. Go to "My Settings" and find the app manager, then reset your app to default. If this does not solve the problem, download the VLC media player.
Additional Tips
Access to hidden Galaxy settings S4
There's a great app called Note 2 Hidden Settings that also works with other Galaxy devices, including the S4. It won't work with some models, but it's worth installing and giving it a try because there are tons of cool stuff in this app.
Hiddenn Settings doesn't work on all Galaxy S4s, but it's worth checking compatibility with yours.
Fix bugs in safe mode
If your Galaxy S4 is acting weird, you can restart it in safe mode until you fix the problem. To do this, simply turn your S4 off and on again. As soon as you see Samsung screen, press and hold the volume down key and you will see that many apps have been disabled on boot. To exit safe mode, simply turn your phone off and on again.
Safe mode allows you to work while most applications are disabled.
Use the best launcher interface
If TouchWiz seems a little slow to you, why not replace it with something faster? Like Google Now Launcher, Nova Launcher or Action Launcher? Try these systems - they are free and you can always go back if you want.
Mix it all up with the new custom launcher.
own Charger qi
If you want the wireless charging that the Galaxy S6 offers without having to shell out a fortune to actually buy the S6, why not pick up a wireless charging kit? All you have to do is align the smartphone on the charging pad and also replace the back of the smartphone.
Buy a wireless charging kit for S4 online.
Access to hidden developer options
To access the Galaxy S4's hidden developer settings, go to your device's settings, click "Advanced" and navigate to the software information. In the About section, tap the build number seven times to access. You will now be able to change the animation speed, limit background processes, or use USB debugging among other cool things.
Root smartphone
To access the advanced features of your S4, you can root the device. This should be done at your own risk as accessing the root directory will most likely void your warranty. You can find a full explanation of what root is, how to do it, and why you should or shouldn't do it in a separate guide.
root Samsung smartphones this is a fairly simple procedure.
Get Android 6.0 Marshmallow with CyanogenMod
The Galaxy S4 is selling very well, and many people still have these smartphones. Thus, there are many who want to receive further updates. software for his old flagship. You can get special android update 6.0 Marshmallow.
Have you tried any of these Galaxy S4 tips and tricks? Do you have others? Share them in the comments.
Year 2 we already see how much has changed android system and how seriously Google has improved it, making it convenient, fast, with a smooth interface, with great opportunities. Now we can confidently say that Android is in no way inferior to its main competitor iOS.
However, sometimes it can be noted that an Android smartphone or tablet starts to work more slowly. This is especially common if you work with the device for a long time. If we compare the operation of the device immediately after purchase and after a few months, we can admit with unpleasant surprise that the difference is obvious. Switching between running applications is already slow, launching an application requires a few seconds of waiting, which was not the case before. Everything can be hidden in a very simple reason - too many applications are launched when the device is turned on and then they continue to work in the background, clogging the memory.
Often this can be seen on Android smartphones and tablets with 1GB random access memory or even less, since this becomes the minimum necessary for Android to work normally. Do not be upset, as there is a simple solution to the problem. There are many applications from independent developers who are actively promoting their own solutions to optimize the operation of the operating system.
We decided to choose for example a very useful BootManager application, the name of which already speaks for itself. We can manage all applications that are loaded together with the system itself at the start. In BootManager, you can manually set the choice on those applications that really need to be loaded, and which ones just take over additional memory and resources. Editing the application list automatic download can be a good way to offload the system and improve performance.
Do not be afraid to work with BootManager. First you need to install the Xposed framework, which can be downloaded from this link. You will also need root permissions to install. It is worth worrying about this in advance.
Once you have everything installed, run the BootManager program and you will see a complete list of applications that automatically load when you turn on your Android device. It is worth noting that in free version BootManager does not display system applications and you can edit the startup list of only those applications that were installed by yourself.
Deleting an application from the automatic download list is very simple - click on the name of the application and that's it, it will no longer be loaded when you turn on your Android smartphone / tablet. All disabled applications from startup in the list will be highlighted in red.
The above method offers a tool available to many to disable unnecessary applications from startup, which will help to significantly improve the performance situation, there will be more free RAM, which is more needed for multitasking and for working with really necessary applications.
You can download the BootManager app from Google Play store by this link.
Updated 2015.02.29: alternative program to disable system applications is Autostarts . Also, with its help, you can monitor the resource consumption of all processes and already decide which ones to disable and which ones to leave.
It is worth noting that you carry out all actions at your own peril and risk, and the consequences of insufficient knowledge or inattention may be the following: unstable system operation, stop application errors, application crashes.
Found an error? Select it and press Ctrl+EnterDisabling auto-start applications should undoubtedly speed up the start in a smartphone or tablet. It doesn't matter android 5 or android 6 and you can do this trick without root.
To disable a system element, it must be removed from the autorun list (automatic loading when the gadget is turned on).
You can add other elements that do not start loading at startup, if necessary, and not just remove them.
NOTE: for some system applications in android it is impossible to make a ban at startup, more precisely, after that the phone may not work at least with full functionality.
The first way to cancel autorun applications on android
NOTE: this option is not very effective, with its help a forced blocking is done, but it is not a fact that after a reboot the application will not automatically start, especially if it was built by the manufacturer.
Therefore, this option is not worth much hope, but there is nothing else to use in android - it is not provided by the developer.
As they say, we have what we have - if the attempt was unsuccessful, do not write in the comments it didn’t work out (I’m powerless to help), but go to the second option.
The second option is much more preferable, more efficient and faster, it only requires the installation of the program.
In the first method, enter the settings, open applications and go to the application manager (it may not be on older versions).
Choose which one you want to disable and click on it. For example, on android 5.1, I choose the newly installed "Klondike".
On the left, I click "disable", and then click on "Force disable".
Now I reboot the Samsung Galaxy smartphone and see what happens.
As you can see, the blocking turned out to be successful - it was possible to stop the “Kerchief” in autorun. Everything is done without root and additional programs.
NOTE: I won’t write how things are on older versions of android now, since there are no such devices now. Only android 5.1, 6.0.1 and with android 7.0.
The second way to disable autorun applications on android
For this option, you will need to install an additional program that can disable autorun.
There are many such developments. Some require root, others can do without it (a lot depends on what to disable). I have my own collection.
Simple and choose for yourself as you wish. Everything is in Russian.
If the goal is achieved, great. If there is no comment form to help, we will decide together.
The Internet, as always, is not silent about the topic of how to stop android applications in autorun so that the device becomes more frisky.
Everyone agrees on one thing - this requires third-party programs, in particular Boot Manager - there are no system tools.
Undoubtedly - an option, with Boot Manager it will work with android versions 2.3, 3.4, 4.4 and so on, only root, you will also need it.
NOTE: getting root access on versions 4.0 and below is very easy, but when trying on android 5, not to mention android 7, the barriers are insurmountable, except to do a re-graft.
Who got root, after installing Boot Manager, you will need to run Xposed Installer and activate Boot Manager, then restart your tablet or smartphone.
After starting the phone, we launch Boot Manager, we see the list of applications in autorun and you can quickly disable the required ones.
The first is paid - the second is free and, most importantly, the name says - you can turn it off without root rights.
The functionality of the first is simply impressive, however, as for a paid program, this is quite normal.
ATTENTION: the fewer programs there are in autorun, the faster the device will start, the system memory will be kept in reserve and the battery will last longer.
IMPORTANT: having super-rights, you do not intend (out of ignorance) to disable unnecessary things - the result: at best, some functions fail. Be careful. Good luck.
Application autorun is a process accompanied by the spontaneous loading of an application, or one of its parts, to perform tasks in the background. The background mode is the active work of the process in the closed state. That is, even if you do not use the program, it works. Most programs now work in Android in this way.
To make it even clearer, let's take an example from life. For example, any messenger or client you know social network can run in the background regularly checking for new messages, replies, likes, posts and so on. Even if your messenger or client is closed, you will be able to receive a notification that a new message has arrived. In order for the client or messenger to be able to find out about the received notification, it has to work in the background, constantly checking for the presence of these same messages. Even if the smartphone screen is turned off, and all processes from the recently launched ones are closed, the messenger or client will work.
From the article you will learn
What programs are running in the background?
In total there are two types of applications running in the background, namely:
- With auto start;
- With active work in the background.
Applications with autorun. They are activated together with the system and always work in the background. Such programs include clients, instant messengers, weather utilities, launchers, widgets, and so on. They never turn off and stay in the background.
Applications with active work in the background. These are programs that are in this mode only when they are active. For example, you started installing your favorite game from Google Play. The service will download the file, even if you are currently engaged in other processes on the phone. As soon as the game is installed, the Play Market will unload itself from the background and will not appear there until the user tries to download / reinstall / update something again. Such applications include players, downloaders, torrents, browsers, and so on.
What are the consequences of applications constantly running in the background?
If you have several programs running in this mode, then this is normal. At the same time, it is quite acceptable practice that exactly those processes are launched that, it would seem, are not needed now at all. For example, you should not unload the browser from RAM, since it does not create a high load on the system, but at the same time, each launch of it will not “clog” the processor, but will only be unloaded from RAM. Also, do not remove from autorun Google services, launcher apps, widgets, instant messengers and other programs with push notifications.
The number of processes allowed to run in the background is calculated directly from the amount of RAM and their "gluttony". For example, if you have 4GB of RAM, it will be perfectly normal for you to load it at 1GB. If only 1GB is free, then, definitely, it is worth turning off several programs from startup.
To calculate the rate for your device, use a simple formula: see how many applications you have running in the background. All these utilities are shown in the settings, in the "Memory" section, and are displayed as running processes. If there are a lot of them, but they all occupy somewhere between 10-40 MB, then they will not cause much harm. Often, such applications hang in autorun for a faster start, to search for updates, send anonymous statistics, try to receive new notifications, and so on.
If an application that is used very often hangs in the background, and it takes up a meager amount of RAM, do not touch it. But if you run it very rarely, but it still hangs in active tasks, feel free to turn it off.
Pay special attention to programs that take up 10% of RAM. They should be turned off as much as possible. But if among them there are messengers you need, Google services and other important processes, then it is better to leave them. The analogy is simple: if you often use a utility or program, then you should not disable them. It's normal to have about 10 applications running in the background, of which 5 are not used as often at all.
How to disable an application from autostart?
It is technically impossible to disable an application from autorun. But you can limit its work in the background. To do this, follow the steps below.
Instructions for Android 8, 9, 10 and above
- Go to the "Settings" of the smartphone and find the item "Apps and notifications", open it.
- Open the list of all applications by clicking on the "Application Details" tab.
- Open the application that you think needs to be turned off in the background, that is, removed from startup. For a more convenient search, you can use the alphabetical slider on the left or the search at the top right.
- After opening the program, in it click on the "Battery" tab.
- In the "Battery" item, find the "Run in the background" slider and turn it off. We also recommend that you go to the “Battery” item and set the application status to “Save battery power”.
Thus, you can easily disable applications from autorun by simply turning off their work in the background.
Android is a well-thought-out operating system, so it itself recognizes the processes and programs that can run in the background and allows you to turn it off. And if the application cannot work in this mode and automatically start, this slider will not be provided initially.
Instructions for Android 7 and below
If you have more old version, then you should perform a number of the following actions. They can also be useful for Android Oreo versions:
- Go to the "Settings" of your smartphone and find the item "About phone" or "System" at the very bottom of the list.
- Click on the "Build Number" item several times until the "For Developers" tab appears. Then return to the main settings screen and open the "For Developers" item there.
- At this point, find the "Inactive Applications" tab and easily disable active processes through it.
Using the All-In-One Toolbox
This is a multifunctional application, the main task of which is to optimize the work operating system Android. Among the available tools, it is possible to stop autoloading of some system and most user applications.
- Install All-In-One Toolbox from the official store using the button below.
- After the first launch, you must provide access to media and other files in the device's memory. To do this, click the "Allow" button.