[Novice Guide] 50+ Tips and Tricks - Make phone faster - Better battery life & More!!
Source by Andrew Williams :-> HERE
50 Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Tips and TricksFor novice users
Hi everybody
So you decided to join the ranks of Android and the millions of happy Note2 owners. But It can be troublesome to setup your phone at the begining. So I decided to search for you some little tricks you can use to better know and use your phone. I found this excellent article by Andrew Williams. I modified some content to better fit XDA's forum format but the info are the same. I also add a touchwiz tweaks that was not in the aticle, Here are 50 useful tips and tricks for new(even less new) Note2 users to pull out the best of your phone. Enjoy!
TouchwizMake Touchwiz go faster.
To make Touchwiz look good, Samsung created some animations to transit between screens. These animations take some times and can make your phone seems slow. The solution is to go in your phone Settings-> Developer options and turn off -> "Windows animation scale", "Transition animation scale" and "Animator duration scale". Now check how much snappier your phone is.:good:
If Developer Options is not enable go to SETTINGS->About Phone and tap BUILD NUMBER for 7 times.
***You can also turn on "Force GPU rendering" but SOME applications don't like that, so you can try it, but if you find you start having problem with some of your aplications, turn it off.
Ringtones - Alarms - NotificationsPut your Sounds in the system.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 allows us to use mp3 as ringtones, alarms or notifications. But if like me you have over 16G of music on your phone it might be anoying to "Go To Files" and search for them. Another way to do it is by creating a folder where Android will automatically look in and put the files in the "Ringtones". To do this just create a folder called "Media" on your sd-card. Inside the Media folders create 3 more folders "Ringtones", "Alarms" and "Notifications". It should look like this.
Media..
--------Alarms
--------Notifications
--------Ringtones
Now move/copy your mp3 files in the according folders. Now if you go on your phone settings->sounds->device ringtones you should see your mp3 files in the list.(Phone restart might be needed)
Screen and video
Get AMOLED colours in check
OLED-based screens like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2's tend to bring oversaturated colours that make skin tones look unnatural. They pop, but they pop a little too much. There's a solution, though. In the settings menu is a Display Setting submenu that lets you choose how vivid the colours are. We recommend the "natural" or "movie" settings.
Fill video codec gaps with third-party players
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has an excellent inbuilt media player, but there are some files it can't handle. We found that high-quality 1080p MKVs were too much for it. Snag a third-party media player like MX Player from the Google Play app store, though, and you'll be flying. These can use software encoding to fill gaps in natuve video support.
Video multi-tasking is in
One of the neatest additional features of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 is that you can overlay a video playback screen on top of any part of the phone. Just press a button in the nav bar of the media player and a little window will pop-up on the homescreen, playing the vid. Watch an episode of Peep Show while browsing the web? Don't mind if I do.
Free games to show off the screen
One of the best ways to show off the Sasmung Galaxy Note 2's screen is with a fancy 3D game. Top free picks to try include Dead Trigger.
Not bright enough? Turn off auto
The standard setting of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 uses automatic brightness, which judges the intensity of screen brightness using an ambient light sensor on the front. If it's still not bright enough at the max slider point, switch off the auto mode for real searing intensity. But it will affect battery life.
The microUSB port can output video
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2's microUSB port is more special than you might guess. It has MHL capabilities when used with a special Samsung cable, letting it output HD video and surround audio. The Samsung adapter, which is essentially an MHL-to-HDMI converter costs around £25. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 does not come bundled with one, though.
Mini home cinema? Tick the surround box
If you want to output surround sound, make sure you tick the Surround box within the Settings menu. This isn't within the Audio bit, which you might expect, but is actually in the Accessory submenu.
Battery life
Keep battery life riding high with auto management
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has a massive 3100mAh battery. Stamina is good at the worst of times, but there's also an auto power management mode to make the most of the phone's juice. It's called Power Saving and has its own section within the main Settings menu. It can throttle the CPU, change the background of the web browser to conserve power (it turns the white background blue), and turns off haptic feedback. These are compromises, but they do work.
Switch off features for extra battery life
The best way to conserve power in any phone is to switch off features - most importantly 3G mobile internet. You can do this manually in the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, directly from the pull-down notifications menu, and apps such as MySettings let you do the same thing.
Reduce screen timeout time
Another dead simple trick is to reduce the screen timeout time. This is in the Display submenu within settings, and lets you choose between 15 sec and 10 minutes of time the screen stays lit after a screen press. It's hardly a secret, but it is something not enough people consider.
Grab a spare battery, live forever
In a time of non-removable batteries - the HTC One X and iPhone 5 to name but two - we love that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has a removable battery. You can swap it out within about 15 seconds. Spare batteries are available from eBay for well under £10. We recommend shopping around for a reliable brand though as some third-party batteries are as dodgy as Del Boy's VCRs.
Turn off S Pen
The S Pen digitser sucks away at the Note 2's battery life a little, so it's a good idea to switch off the detection feature entirely if you're unlikely to use it for an extended period. You'll find it within the S Pen sub-menu in Settings.
S Pen
Quick commands let you launch… anything
An S Pen feature that's easy to miss is Quick Commands. This lets you launch any app on the phone with a quick flick of the S Pen. Just press the stylus button and swipe up the screen, and the Quick commands box will pop-up. Draw your pre-determined character or symbol and key-presto, the right app will launch.
OCR means you can forget the virtual keyboard
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 features excellent OCR, optical character recognition, and it's built into the Samsung keyboard. Whip out the S Pen and the keyboard area will turn into a little box for you to write in, whether you're writing an email, text or searching the web. It's remarkably clever at working out your scribbles too although we haven't tested it on a doctor yet.
S Pen keeper - it's a keeper
We love the S Pen, but the thing is terribly easy to lose. Samsung has devised a way to make sure you don't leave home without it. It's called S Pen keeper. Using the accelerometer and the digitiser sensor of the Note 2, the phone can tell when you're walking away without the stylus in its little hole in the bottom of the device. Walk far enough and it bleats out an alarm tone.
Keep the kids happy with S Note
The stylus of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 makes it an obvious choice for creative types, business types and a host of other busy folk. But it'll keep the kids entertained too. S Note has a feature called Idea Sketch, which lets you write the name of an object, only for it to appear in your sketch. It's a perfect educational tool, and a fun one too.
Air View - hover pen fun
Something that makes the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 S Pen so much more than a standard stylus is that it can be sensed without even touching the screen. Samsung makes great use of this with Air View. It's used throughout Samsung's apps, and makes info pop-up when the S Pen hovers over items. For example, you can read the first lines of emails, see previews of pictures and take a closer look at calendar events. It's fantastic.
You can scribble - on anything
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 S Pen also let you scribble notes on anything. Just hold the button on the stylus down, press the nib down on the screen and hold it there until you see a flash around the screen edges. This is the phone taking a screenshot of what's on-screen, which you can then write notes on. This is further integrated into apps like S Planner, which have dedicated handwriting modes.
Other apps use S Pen pressure sensitivity
Now that the Note series is fairly established, a bunch of excellent apps already make use of the pressure sensitive S Pen stylus. Top picks include Sketchbook Pro and Infinite Painter. It's not just S Note that shows the S Pen off these days.
The S Pen takes screengrabs
Here's a really neat S Pen tool to show off to your "non stylus" friends. Press down the button on the Galaxy Note 2 stylus, draw a shape on the screen and whatever's on-screen within the shape will be saved as a screengrab.
For full S Pen compatibility, check out Samsung Apps
Samsung says that if you want full S Pen certified apps, you'll need to go to the Samsung Apps store. This comes built into the Note 2, and there's even an S Pen apps section. At present, you're still best off using the Play Store as well, though, as the Samsung Apps store isn't exactly rammed full of Note 2 apps yet.
Left handers need a tweak
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 comes setup for right-handers as standard, but there's also a mode for lefties in the Settings menu. This offsets the digitiser sensor, to compensate for the way those strange left-handed types hold pens. A creepy bunch, aren't they?
Interface
One for your grandma? Easy home screen mode
Here's one feature we were a little surprised to see in a device that's such a geek's dreamphone. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has a mode called Easy home screen, which simplifies the layout of the phone's home screens in a way that even your technophobe grandma might be able to get along with.
Full screenshots are easy
Like the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Galaxy Note II makes it pretty easy to take screenshots of whatever's on the phone's display. Just hold down the home button and the power button at the same time, wait or a white flash and a screenshot will be taken and whisked over to the Gallery app.
A cooler/easier way to take screenshot is to swipe the palm of your hand from right to left. For this to work you need to enable "Motion" in Settings and check "Palm swipe capture".
Use one-handed operation mode for on-the-go use
The big screen is one of the main selling points of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but it doesn't half make it hard to use one-handed. Knowing this, Samsung as included a one-handed mode, which organises things like the keypad, virtual keyboard and the unlock pattern screen so that you can operate them with one mitt. You'll find it in the Settings menu.
Don't forget side-loading of apps
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is an Android device, with all the benefits that brings. You don't have to rely on the official Google Play app store for one, with APK installation files available for all sorts of other apps online. Be careful, though, as Android viruses are a real issue.
Customise your phone with non-Samsung widgets
Samsung supplied a nice handful of widgets with which you can customise your home screens, but far too few people try a new look with third-party widgets from Google Play. And there are loads out them out there. Some of our old faves include those of the Beautiful Widgets package.
Gadgets and Gimmicks
Motion control
Here's one we're not big fans of, but some of you may like it. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 lets you control things like the photo gallery and the navigation of you home screens using the accelerometer - by tilting your phone, basically. You can turn it off, though, and it's set to "off" as standard. Phew.
Face unlock
A bit Minority Report, this one. The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 can scan your face to unlock your phone. It takes a picture of your mug, remembers the basic geometry of it and then scans your face whenever you try and unlock the phone. It works pretty well, but as a security measure is about as flimsy as the padlock on a filofax.
Smart Stay
The last user-facing camera gimmick is one that sounds kinda neat in principle. It scans for your eyes to check if you're reading, and if it spots them, Smart Stay stops the backlight from turning off. It's designed to make reading on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 a good deal less frustrating. It's a feature you'll find in the Settings menu.
Jelly Bean easter egg
The Jelly Bean easter egg has made it in the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Go to Settings menu > About device and tap on the Android version number entry. You'll be transported to a screen with a picture of a giant jelly bean on it. Hold your finger down on said jelly bean and the screen will fill up with dozens of the blighters, which you can flick around. Pure joy.
Arrange your music by moods
The music player of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 features a fun little extra called Music square. This scans through your music library, arranging the tracks by mood - passionate, calm, exciting, joyful or a little in-between. Tap a block in the 5x5 square grid and you'll be greeted with a tune to match your mood.
Storage
Expandable storage - where to get it cheap
If you're out to spend as little as possible (and the Note 2 doesn't come cheap as it is), your best bet is to buy the cheapest 16GB model, and supplement any other storage needs with a microSD card. Top retailers for bargain basement-price memory cards include 7DayShop and Ebuyer. A 32GB microSD card these days will set you back less than £15 if you shop hard enough.
Flush the cache for extra memory
If you find yourself running low on memory, you can easily delete the cache and temporary files of any apps you have installed. To do this, go to the Applications Manager section within settings and tap on an app to see how much memory it's leeching. There will be buttons to wipe the cache and data for the app here.
Comes with 50GB of dropbox storage
Cloud storage is the future - you may not like it, but you may as well embrace it. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 owners get to benefit from 50GB of free cloud storage from one of the best providers out there - Dropbox. There are Dropbox apps for mobiles, tablets and computers, and it honestly works like a dream. If this won't convert you, nothing will. You only normally get 2GB of free from Dropbox, making it a pretty sweet deal.
Don't sync, drag 'n' drop
If you chose to go Android rather than opting for an iPhone, there's a good chance that the open-ness of the platform had something to do with it. Samsung is keen on trying to make its users adopt the Kies desktop software, but it's actually completely unnecessary. Plug the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 into a computer with a microUSB cable and it'll show up as a media player drive, which you can drag and drop all kinds of files onto. Transfer speeds are impressively fast too.
Contacts
Nab contacts from Facebook and Twitter
When we first got our Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in, it didn't have any of the usual social apps installed. Even if you're not a massive mobile Facebook-er, it's worth giving the app a download because it lets you harvest contacts from the network, making populating your contacts book a good deal easier.
Blocking Mode
Do you have a bug-a-boo stalking you? Is there a creep who keeps calling? The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 lets you keep them away with the blocking mode. It restricts notifications and calls from all but your approved contacts - and that can be at all times, or just during the hours you choose.
Camera and Video
Use HDR mode in mixed lighting - or all the time
The 8-megapixel sensor of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is pretty good on its own, but the neat camera app ups its skills significantly. One of our favourite bonus bits is the HDR mode. This effectively combines multiple exposure in a single shot to bring out extra detail in shadows. Both the HDR and normal shots are saved, meaning there's very little downside - other than that taking shots is a little bit slower.
Check out slow and fast motion modes
Nestled within the menus of the video camera app are fast and slow motion modes, capturing either more or fewer frames per second than normal. It's not quite the 120fps mode you get in some dedicated cameras, but will come in handy if you're trying to video a sports event, for example.
Don't forget video effects
The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 doesn't have the fun face-distorting video effects you get with a vanilla Jelly Bean phone, but it does have a range of funky filters. There are colour pop modes, extracting all but certain shades from your videos, and the cartoon filter is perfect for some arty rotoscope-style vids.
Give the exposure longer time than the sound effect suggests
Each time you take a photo, a shutter sound plays in the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. However, we found that occasionally the phone needs a little bit longer to attain a solid focus. Hold still for an extra half-second for good measure.
Get vid previews with Air View
Using Air View, if you hold the pen over the transport bar of a movie clip in the media player, you'll be given a preview of what's going on in the film at that point. It makes finding the right part of a film or TV ep a doddle.
Connectivity
Don't go over you allowance, with Data Usage
A staple Android feature is the Data Usage counter. This can be found within the Settings menu, and it monitors your data usage, showing it as a colourful graph. You can use it to cut off your mobile data connection once you reach a certain limit, to ensure you won't get charged by your carrier.
Wi-Fi sync with Kies
We've already endorsed drag 'n' drop file transfers over Kies sync'ing, but if you're a Kies fan, don't forget that you can also sync wirelessly. To set this feature up, scroll to the bottom of the More Settings sub-menu, where you'll find the Kies via Wi-Fi option.
S Beam
A feature introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S3, S Beam uses a mixture of NFC and Wi-Fi Direct to let you transfer files between compatible Samsung phones. You just need to tap the phones together to get them playing. S Beam needs to be switched on, though, from within the Wireless and Networks menu.
NFC lets you buy coffee
The NFC connectivity of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 also let you buy small items such as cups of coffee, sandwiches and the like. Several big high street chains have taken the NFC plunge, including Starbucks and EAT, using apps to let you dump credit onto your phone.
Share screens with AllShare Cast
AllShare used to be just about sending a video file from, say, your phone to your Blu-ray player. But now it does a lot more. AllShare Cast lets you send your Galaxy Note 2's screen contents to another display, a bit like AirPlay Mirroring.
Forget Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct is better
Wi-Fi Direct is tied into the S Beam transfer feature, but you can also use it easily on its own. This is a version of Wi-Fi that doesn't need an internet connection, as it can hook-up directly with another compatible device. It some ways it's a successor to Bluetooth, letting you transfer files, and at a much greater speed than old Bluetooth could handle.
Watch your 4G
If you want to get a 4G-capable Note 2, be aware that the LTE edition is separate from the standard one. EE says it'll stock the LTE Galaxy Note 2 from October 15.
Enjoy!:good:
PS: Without comments this thread will fall in the abyss of the system(unless it becomes a sticky, which would be good). So please keep it alive with a little reply. thanks.
<--Don't forget to hit THANKS if I helped
Thank you for this!
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Nice dude. Great write up buddy. Thanks for this. I know all of this stuff already but this is most certainly a fantastic guide for people who just got this phone. Quite invaluable. I applaud your effort. Great stuff brother. Cheers :beer:
Can a mod please sticky this?
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Kick A$$! Thanks.
TaPpEd from my TwEaKeD N2
Good tips, thanks didn't know about the spen drawing screen capture feture, nice!
Very useful. Thank you:good:
Awsome Job Sir!! Adding link to my guides directory!!!
Thank you most of this I knew already but some of it I did not very cool. Thank you for putting it all in one place.
Thanks, I learned a few new tricks with the S Pen. Also I turned off the animations per your suggestion, will see what affect that has.
This the first I heard of the dropbox promo. I will have to look into this, do you have more details on it? Although I currently am only using 50% of my 3.5 gigs right now anyhow.
AximUser08 said:
Thanks, I learned a few new tricks with the S Pen. Also I turned off the animations per your suggestion, will see what affect that has.
This the first I heard of the dropbox promo. I will have to look into this, do you have more details on it? Although I currently am only using 50% of my 3.5 gigs right now anyhow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Dropbox Promo works only if you have Dropbox "Preinstalled" on your device. If you have to download Dropbox it won't work.
Op Updated
Good tips!
Thanks for your contribution!
esegype absolutely
Straight up awesome...really appreciate the time and effort this must have taken...Noobs everywhere rejoice!!!
Awsome post. The SPen tid bits are especially handy (scribble directly onto a screenie).
Luv it.
Just wanted to send a little bump to this thread. Just read over entire OP again and still found something I didn't see the first time. Or remember Lol. This is great and very useful. I hope this thread stays alive
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
npainter7 said:
Just wanted to send a little bump to this thread. Just read over entire OP again and still found something I didn't see the first time. Or remember Lol. This is great and very useful. I hope this thread stays alive
Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do tell
Thanks for the tips. Very useful.
Thanks for the tips! Some useful stuff in there I didn't know about.
Thanks for the info. Being a new note 2 owner and switching from IOS these hints and tips are a great help.. Makes the learning curve not so long.
Thanks Again
Good Stuff
Related
So I decided to write this little review to try talk about/point out/explain certain things that I thought other major reviewers (Engadget, The Verge, etc) didn't mention or didn't explain well enough, as well as things I do and don't like about the phone. (Don't let the Great Wall of Text scare you) Here goes!
The first thing I have to point out is how well this phone feels in your hand. I never want to put it down. Ever. That cold aluminum body feels amazing when you pick up the One and really drives home the flagship status of this phone. While this is great, I am terrified of dropping this phone. It feels like it would scratch very easily on a rough surface (I have yet to see a scratch, but I have been babying it until my case arrives). The aluminum feels very similar to the Macbook Pro case. While a lot of people are complaining about the false "zero gap" manufacturing, it virtually is zero gap. I have the slightest of space between the top aluminum strip on the front and the white band circumventing the phone. I would be hard pressed to fit even an eyelash in this gap, however. So far all intents and purposes, I think we can call it zero gap Anything larger than this, and I would consider returning it or waiting a few weeks for HTC to iron out the issue. Just ask to see the phone they give you before buying it and you can avoid this problem all together.
Sense 5 is a welcome upgrade and I don't miss CM 10.1 as much as I thought I would. My most missed feature is quick reply from the notification shade, but I'm living without it. This software flies through animations, opening apps, responding to input, scrolling, everything. Slick as oil. And the aesthetics of Sense 5 aren't too bad either. Not everything is rosy perfect though. Adding apps from the drawer to the homescreen is annoying. You have to tap and hold the app as you normally would. But then instead of transitioning to the home screen automatically so you can place the app somewhere, you have to first drag it all the way to the top left where it says "shortcut" and then it transitions to your homescreens. Gets old when you're setting up your home screen. Also, let's say you open an app by searching for it in your app drawer (not from the home screen). If you exit that app by hitting the home button, it does not send you home. Rather it sends you back to the notification drawer with all your apps. That's annoying. Pressing the back button also does not send you out of the notification drawer and to your homescreen like it normally does. You must hit home once again to enter your homescreen.
At first, I thought blink feed was gimicky. Just some marketing technique to set HTC apart in the consumer's mind. But after playing around with it, it has grown on me. The selection of news sources is small, but hopefully that will grow or allow you to add your own custom websites. I do find myself occasionally scrolling through it when waiting in line, the drive thru, waiting for someone, etc. Which was the original purpose anyway. I have not noticed a hit on battery life from this feature.
An annoying feature of the gallery is that in throws in all your Facebook Friend's photo albums into your gallery. Yes you read correctly. Jimmy Bob's recent Everglades field trip WILL show up in your gallery as well as other friend's albums. So far I have not figured out a way to remove this besides unlinking my phone from my facebook account (aka logging out of the app). While your photos have their own area/folder apart from these Facebook albums, it's still annoying to see the faces of people I never talk to in my own gallery.
Now onto the camera. There is definitely some truth behind the "UltraPixel" marketing. Compared to an iPhone 5 and Note 2, the One most definitely takes better pictures in low light settings. Even in extremely dark settings (night time with some light filtering in through closed blinds), the One is able to make out rough pictures, something the iPhone and Note 2 could not do at all. While the One is able to take pictures in very low light, this does not mean the pictures come out amazing or noiseless. Don't expect to just run out into the pitch black night and be able to photograph anything. In very low light settings, the pictures are still grainy and sometimes crappy. But most definitely better than the two phones mentioned already. All these comparisons were done with the flash off. Even with the flash on, the One still managed better photos in my opinion. They looked more natural and less like the came from a camera phone. Slightly lower than ideal lighting is where the One is able to shine. The other phone's flashes sometimes washed out or harshly lit up the scene while the One didn't even use the flash and took a great photo. Can't wait to use it more.
Zoes are pretty cool, another feature I initially thought was gimicky. The short clips appear as normal photos in your gallery, but then begin to randomly play like the photos in a Harry Potter movie. Looks pretty cool in person. A feature I haven't been able to try out is the "Event" categorizing of my photos. Basically the phone looks at the time and location where you took pictures, and tries to group them into "events". Think of these as different albums in your gallery. When you open an event, at the top there will be a highlights reel: basically a slideshow of your photos, zoes and perhaps videos (not 100% sure about the videos). It adds music, transitions, Instagram-esque filters and automatically starts playing. Watching your whole photo gallery come to life is pretty cool.
Other tid bits: there's a permanent power saver notification in your notification dropdown. Always there no matter what. There's an app that lets you remove it if you're rooted however (the app is somewhere in these forums). The front facing camera is a big upgrade from the HOXL one. Did I mention how amazing this phone feels? Finally, 32GB on an HTC flagship. 24.4GB available to you. Although the camera lens is slightly slightly slightly recessed, I still feel it can get scratched.
In the end, this is definitely the best Android phone I have handled and used (yes, including the S4 yes I said it). And I used to work in Best Buy Mobile until very recently, so I have handled my fair share of smartphones. I would highly recommend this phone to anyone and everyone.
Well this turned out a lot longer than I anticipated. Hope this shines some light on the One from the perspective of an everyday owner. Let me know if you have any questions!
TL;DR. Read it! This took [email protected]#$ing forever to type.
Congrats on getting away from Best Buy!
are we going to have one of these at 15 days 30 days etc etc ?
Great review! I would like to point out though that you can get rid of the power saver notification by long pressing it, going to app info, and force stopping it. It reappears when your battery gets low since it automatically turns on, but you can avoid looking at it most of the day!
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Excellent review. I've had it 4 days and I guess I haven't opened my gallery since linking my Facebook account, cause that annoyance was new to me... Thanks for pointing it out!
One other thing that I feel isn't getting the attention it deserves is the addition of IR. I haven't had IR in a smartphone since my Treo, and I missed it. The first thing I did when I got my One was setup all my TV's/Receivers to be controlled by my phone.
Wallaby8 said:
Great review! I would like to point out though that you can get rid of the power saver notification by long pressing it, going to app info, and force stopping it. It reappears when your battery gets low since it automatically turns on, but you can avoid looking at it most of the day!
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for this tidbit.. It would be nice if the "show notifications" option allowed you to select/deselect...
The chassis is zero gap. the speaker covers are add-ons to the chassis.
To add apps, widgets and shortcuts to your screens long press any blank area for your home screens and the popup will allow you to select said icons to which ever screen you want by highlighting it with a tap 1st. It will put the icon in the first available space starting from the top left but you can then move it.
I haven't setup Facebook yet but I have read there is a setting in the gallery to un-check this option. *Edit* My bad. The only way to stop pic syncing from Facebook is by not allowing Facebook to sync in the 1st place. Not an ideal solution but all there is atm.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2197998
Lastly, with pics/camera. Set sharpness to -1 and there will be much less post processing. (Credit hamdir) I think you'll like the pics even more!
Hope this helps.
Thanks!! it was helpful.
Yeah I haven't had a chance to test out the IR but I've heard its pretty cool. But it may not work on cases that cover the button and I wish they allowed you to hit "hide notifications" it almost looks like they went our of their way to block that setting lol
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
If you long press on the 'Power Saver' notification and go to App Info, you can force close that app. Then the notification will no longer be there. Each time the phone reboots, you'll see it and need to do it again, but I did it once and haven't had to reboot for any reason. Notification Gone!
Hey All Getting new G2 on 7/7/14 and I'm excited
Found a website for some tips and tricks and i really like it for people who are new to the device
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/515749/20131022/lg-g2-top-30-tips-tricks-fully.htm#.U7oK3ZEgOao
Shout outs to the Website Poster Ryan Inoyori
LG G2 is an innovative smartphone which understand gestures rather than reliance over hard buttons. It is packed with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2GB RAM and 3,000 mAh battery pack to suit your needs. If you want to make it more powerful and get the hidden secrets, know the top 20 tips and tricks for performance optimisation and extended battery life.
Features and System Hidden Tricks
1. Smart Screen
It is quite similar to the Smart Stay feature of Samsung Galaxy S4 which detects your eyes if you're looking at the screen and dims or lights up accordingly.
2. KnockOn
KnockOn allows you to wake up the display without pushing the power key. Simply knock twice to light up the screen. Use the same gesture to turn off the screen display.
3. Instant Desktop
Pinch out to hide all applications and reveal the home screen instantly. This feature will not let alternative launchers to access unless otherwise said.
4. Quick Camera
For three seconds, hold the volume down when the screen is off, to quickly access the camera app and snap a picture. This acts as a camera button whenever you are facing the rear-camera.
5. Quick Note
For a quick launch of Note app, hold the volume up for three seconds when the screen off to quickly make notes.
6. SMS Themes
Messaging app on G2 feature themes and changing is as easy as going to Menu > Settings > Conversation theme. You can customise the theme yourself and set different wallpapers per contact.
7. Screenshots
Normally, you need to use the volume and power keys to get a screenshot but in G2, you can swipe the button of the screen then slide right to access quick memo. Use it to take a screenshot and share it if you want.
8. Wireless Storage System
Transfer files wirelessly through wireless network connection using IP and password. Once connected to a wireless network, enable it using the notification drop down and follow the instructions provided to you. Using the optional static IP address is also possible.
9. Images with Full Frame
Use the W10M option or wide 10-megapixel for viewing images on your G2. Using the 13MP has an aspect of 4:3 ratio which creates black bars on images.
10. Clipboard Manager
All copied images or texts are stored in a built-in clipboard and you can access it by press and holding on an empty text box. A clip tray will take directly to the clipboard.
11. Gallery Functions
Inside the gallery app, pinch the image to show the option mode where you delete the file by sliding up or share it by sliding down.
12. Guest Mode
You can now personalise a guest mode on LG G2 and it can control apps and capabilities available depending on which mode is enabled. Go to Settings > Lock Screen settings > Set a separate pattern for Guest Mode > Set apps accessible in Guest Mode.
13. Plug and Pop
Set the animation appearing on the home screen whenever you plug in an ear jack or OTG cable. Go Settings > General > Accessory > USB Storage or Earphone > Edit app panel > Set preferred apps.
14. Audio Zoom
Zoom in on a specific audio source during video recording by zooming on your subject. Audio Zoom uses three stereo microphones to amplify the sound from that specified source.
15. Text Link Transfer
You can transfer information from a text into another application. Simply press and hold on the text and a pop-up menu will prompt to which app you want to be transferred such as map, browser and calendar.
16. Dual Camera Functionality
Like the Galaxy S4, LG G2 can use both of its camera at the same time to capture images and even record videos. In addition, the feature uses picture-inpicture technology to put your face in any photo or video you are recording.
17. Tracking Zoom
Use this feature to zoom in on moving subject you select and track actions in a separate pane overlapping the background video.
18. Zoom to Track
If you want to view the subject on a closer range within a video, select the moving object on the playback and choose Zoom to Track to zoom in to track the subject throughout the clip.
19. Capture Plus
Use the Capture Plus to get a screenshot of the entire Web page with precise border controls.
20. Clip Tray
The Clip Tray or commonly known as Clipboard in PC which stores memory of pictures, text and links for future reference use. In addition of sharing it to other apps, it also allows you to store multiple items, create visual collection of information and add items selectively.
Battery and Memory Optimisation
1. Home Screen Panels
Use as many as needed home screen to avoid slowing down the LG G2. It is recommended to utilise the default home launcher for best performance.
2. Widgets
All widgets in the home screen and lock screen consume battery and memory which you should monitor regularly. Use widgets which you truly need and enable auto-syncing if necessary.
3. Live Wallpaper
No matter how fast and fluid the G2, make sure to use Live Wallpaper which are stable and eats less power. Live Wallpapers combined with several widgets can slow down the device eventually.
4. Brightness Level
Manage the brightness level to juice more out of the battery and minimise it before you go to bed for battery saving purposes.
5. Screen Time-Out
If you prefer the device to turn off its screen automatically, set the screen time-out to a minimum such as 30 seconds or 1 minute max to save power.
6. Removing Applications
Uninstall apps which you do not use anymore to clean the clutter to the RAM and battery. Some apps may contradict functions to one another, so be careful on downloading from the Play Store or any other sources.
7. Wireless Connection
Disable wireless connectivity such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and mobile data when not in use to prevent them from draining power.
8. Software Updates
Don't forget to check in regularly to the LG G2 Web site, on your software updates found in the settings and the default PC suite of the device for new firmware releases. New updates include stability improvements and battery enhancements.
9. Regular Reboot
Reboot your smartphone regularly after every full charge so that the memory and apps will get refreshed after an entire day of usage.
10. Backup and Factory Reset
Always create a backup of all personal files and information stored on your device to ensure protection if something happens. Performing factory reset may be needed if an error or technical issue occurs. Backup first before performing any reset.
Good point, but i think you should format it a bit, maybe with bold fonts and underline etc. for better reading, maybe something like this:
jcbjoe said:
Features and System Hidden Tricks
1. Smart Screen
It is quite similar to the Smart Stay feature of Samsung Galaxy S4 which detects your eyes if you're looking at the screen and dims or lights up accordingly.
2. KnockOn
KnockOn allows you to wake up the display without pushing the power key. Simply knock twice to light up the screen. Use the same gesture to turn off the screen display.
3. Instant Desktop
Pinch out to hide all applications and reveal the home screen instantly. This feature will not let alternative launchers to access unless otherwise said.
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Click to collapse
kewkie said:
Good point, but i think you should format it a bit, maybe with bold fonts and underline etc. for better reading, maybe something like this:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks ... Will do next time
Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk
Thank you! ? Great tips & tricks
Sent from d802 via tapatalk
The battery optimization options are kinda useless.
I've yet to see a live wallpaper that will slow down a Snapdragon 800 with 2 gigs of RAM. Plus, not all live wallpapers drain the battery (maybe it was so in the olden days of Gingerbread, but today stuff like Muzei are pretty light on the battery). Disabling wireless connections also makes no sense to me, especially in today's world where everyone and everything is connected. Also, the GPS module does not use battery when it's on, only when an app needs location access.
The biggest battery munchers are:
- high accuracy location access, coupled with Google location history
- CPU intensive apps (games, mostly)
- too short sync intervals (like every 10 minutes)
- rogue apps running in the background that won't let the phone go into deep sleep (I'm watching you, Facebook, I know what you're doing).
Great information,.very use full for G2 noobs
I am always confused with screenshot process.
Could anyone here do a little more detailed guide.
Sent from my LG-D802 using xda premium
vishal11in said:
I am always confused with screenshot process.
Could anyone here do a little more detailed guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you try pressing power and volume down in the same time?
60nine said:
did you try pressing power and volume down in the same time?
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Click to collapse
I was taking about the other method via quick memo.... Anyways i have sorted it out. thanks for your help.
robogo1982 said:
The battery optimization options are kinda useless.
I've yet to see a live wallpaper that will slow down a Snapdragon 800 with 2 gigs of RAM. Plus, not all live wallpapers drain the battery (maybe it was so in the olden days of Gingerbread, but today stuff like Muzei are pretty light on the battery). Disabling wireless connections also makes no sense to me, especially in today's world where everyone and everything is connected. Also, the GPS module does not use battery when it's on, only when an app needs location access.
The biggest battery munchers are:
- high accuracy location access, coupled with Google location history
- CPU intensive apps (games, mostly)
- too short sync intervals (like every 10 minutes)
- rogue apps running in the background that won't let the phone go into deep sleep (I'm watching you, Facebook, I know what you're doing).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great article I learned alot! ty
9. Images with Full Frame
Use the W10M option or wide 10-megapixel for viewing images on your G2. Using the 13MP has an aspect of 4:3 ratio which creates black bars on images.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is kind of a misunderstanding.
The sensor in the G2 is indeed 4:3, so full size (13MP) images indeed have black bars on the sides when viewed on the phone - but nothing is added to the images. The black bars are simply blank screen space.
Also, using the W10M mode effectively crops a bit from the top and bottom of the image. If someone is only viewing the photos on the phone, than indeed W10M might be better, but if you plan on downloading them to your PC, it's better to shoot in full resolution and then crop as needed.
Thank you!
Thanks for the tips and tricks.
So I decided to try developing for the Edge screen (hey, why not) and whipped together a quick sample app with Look API backed in. Unfortunately, even though I have the feed enabled in settings, it doesn't seem to actually show up in Feed Mode. Has anyone poked around the sample app Samsung posted? I can see that they have separate Providers for each Edge feature, but it seems like there's a Service which the Feed doesn't use, so I didn't implement it. Any thoughts on what could be the cause?
russianzilla said:
So I decided to try developing for the Edge screen (hey, why not) and whipped together a quick sample app with Look API backed in. Unfortunately, even though I have the feed enabled in settings, it doesn't seem to actually show up in Feed Mode. Has anyone poked around the sample app Samsung posted? I can see that they have separate Providers for each Edge feature, but it seems like there's a Service which the Feed doesn't use, so I didn't implement it. Any thoughts on what could be the cause?
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Click to collapse
Nice initiative, I have begun development on it as well! I feel like there's plenty of untapped potential here, that we can take advantage of.
Using the example, I was able to make my own Feed that displays. I can send you what I got so far. I got discouraged because it didn't display either, right away, but you gotta give it a little bit (the default refresh timer is rather high). Try restarting your phone, and see if it works then. Might be helpful to disable all other feeds except for the one you want! If not, yeah, I can just share my source
I am currently probably 55% done with a "Quick Shortcut" feed, to add whatever apps to tap, and it'll wake up and launch. Simple, but brainstorming we could make more, better, ones!
I was one of the only devs for the Samsung Continuum (cute little thing with a ticker ahead of its time), so to have a new something to play around with, with the possibility of working together with other people, has me excited.
trailblazer101 said:
Using the example, I was able to make my own Feed that displays. I can send you what I got so far. I got discouraged because it didn't display either, right away, but you gotta give it a little bit (the default refresh timer is rather high). Try restarting your phone, and see if it works then. Might be helpful to disable all other feeds except for the one you want! If not, yeah, I can just share my source
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for this tip! I was wondering why nothing was showing up on my feed panel. It finally started working after I restarted! As an aside, Samsung's example layout is pretty deceiving since it can cut off content depending on the orientation of the device. Anyways, I think I like the possibilities here. I'd use this feature all the time if the gesture weren't so difficult to pull off on a table!
Please do share any features that you create as I'm sure MANY people would like new options available to them. (But, most do not have the ability to do so).
Can't wait to see what functionality you guys/girls come up with. I wish I could do this stuff, but never really learned myself. Keep up the good work!!
Hey guys!!! Was hoping there would be an update here but I know you're all busy. I was wondering if there was a chance that you might be able too. . .
1) Make changes to Samsung edge ticker that allows it to turn on automatically if
- Phone is screen up
- Screen is off
- Text message received or missed phone call listing
2) Set time frame for ticker/edge feature above ^^ to work for. This way it doesn't consistantly display info for over 1 hour from last text/missed call. Also make it able to set how long the message is displayed for before turning off and then back on.
Unfortunately, before buying this band, I had made a lot of research and reading people's reviews on this device but there are just simple touch and go writings which do not really provide a better understanding for people to understand this Smartband and its potential. I do hope I could rejoy whoever using this smart device with its pros and care its cons.
Design
Just like the Fitbit and Jawbone, SWR10 was well-known with its minimalistic yet futuristic looking. Simple structure with high quality strap which is amazingly comfortable to be worn. The textured finishing with a silver colour button made the smartband looks simple and premium. The texture difference between top and bottom of the strap brought a unique outlook when it was came with colours other than black. Featuring a feather-weighted core (main part) did really made users to forget its existence occasionally.
Pros
As rated IP58, the smartband was a water resistant device which brings no fear when you wearing it for bathing and swimming. But NOT FOR SEAWATER! For dust proof aspect, it was not perfect to be burried into fine sand. Checkout the IP rating list for more details.
SWR10 was a life companion as it works perfectly with Lifelog app when both of them not as simple as just a fitness tracking combination, but they do record down your daily activities like the moment when you USING YOUR PHONE for social networking and entertaining. It records the moment when you trigger the camera button and what the photos you take, and even more. Just a double presses on the button at the side of the core, the smartband capture your LifeBookmark and send to the Lifelog to bookmark your interesting moment with location.
The sleep tracking amd Smart Alarm were wonderful for me. Using these features, I felt that now I am able manage my sleep better and wake up fresh every morning. Inspecting the trend of my sleeps, I know my body well and will try out a better relaxation method when preparing to sleep so that I could really rest my body with a longer Deep Sleep phase.
Vibration feature does really helps me a lot at pushing notification from phone to my smartband and also wake me up by vinrating on my wrist. When I kept my phone in my bag and go to the kitchen, I can know when there is an incoming call as the smartband will vibrate to notify me. Now I never miss out any call since using smartband!
With the aid of different smartband extension apps, you can remote your phone even better than other brands. Example, when activated the Media Player mode, a single tap after pressing the button of the smartband once, Music app will open and plays the songs! With Smart Camera Extension, taking a Groupfie will be so easy like never! Just press the smartband button and a single tap will trigger the shutter!
Cons
Overall, this smartband has some cons as below
1) Not as accurate as pro tracker like Jawbone Up or Fitbit or Garmin, but since it is activity. tracker and life recording device, I could say it worth the drawback. As even it was not a perfect steps counter, but it still did its job to show whether you are more active than yesterday!
2) Limited functionality, might just for now since no API was available at this moment, this smartband just works for different tasks without allowong you to customize own vibrationpatterns or LED indicating patterns. Without a display was the biggest drawback...But who cares? Even you are notified or able to see the content of message, you still need to take out your phone and reply, so it makes no difference unless you willing to buy the expensive Samsung Gear smartwatch or Apple Watch or others.
3) Remote media player by tapping on smartband was not flawless last time, but with new updated firmware, it works better with some practices. Practice makes perfect!
Extended functionality
The word "functionali-" was not end with "ties" is because by now, there is only an app called Smartband Notifier which is available at Google Play Store which works with Tasker to produce customized number of vibration with customized interval between vibration for different apps' notification. Without display or LED pattern, at least, you can determine which app is notifying you without a glance on your phone.
Suggestion
1) Time feature
Since smartband has three LEDs, I suggest developer to make a gesture like Miband to show the current time. Like example, 1 o'clock, LED A flash once and so on for 2 and 3 o'clock with flashing of LED B and C respectively. Add once more for a cycle like flashing LED A twice for 4 o'clock, understand? And for 10,11 and 12, set the LEDs to flash alternately with combination of two LEDs : 10 (x_x) , 11 (xx_) , 12(_xx). Dividing 60minutes into four quaters and light the LEDs with different patterns to tell the quater might be a simple solution for the minutes.
2) Enhance the media control by flashing the LEDs but not just remain light up to tell the users whether their taps on the smartband are registered or not. A beep sound also can be played on the phone to tells the users that their phone is responding with the taps. Also, adding volume control by movement of wrist as with the 3D accelerometer, the smartband can tells the phone that users is turning their wrist clockwise to increase the volume. This situation is just similar to the game which designed for Smarband (forgotten the name of it, is a bombing airplanes game).
This is my step-by-step reviews and I hope the developer will see these and modify the smartbamd firmware to fully extend its potential to be not just a simple band! Goodluck everyone!
Forgive my bad grammars but I am learning to be better =) Correct my grammars before sharing if you willing to do so =D
Goodjob bro.informing post.i'm waiting for new band
Thanks man, do share it so developers might give it a shot to enhance the band.
Hello! I have just transferred from Apple to Android, and I couldn't be happier!
There are a few things I would like to know to enhance my experience:
1. How do you move, not copy, my pictures/videos from my Galaxy S6 Edge to my computer (Mac)? I tried Android File Transfer and AirDroid and both copy the files, not move the files. In addition, if there is an app that can modify the file names upon import, that will be super! For example, I used to use Nikon Transfer which allows me to set rules for the filenames upon import (e.g. MMDDYYYY_###).
2. I find the night clock function to be useful during the day when I need to glance at a time without pressing any button. I set it to be on from 8 am to 8 pm, but I find that a lot of the times the clock is not there even though it's set to be on. In addition, when it is on, the brightness is so dim that I can't see. Swiping on the edge left and right a few times make it brighter, but I want to make it as bright as possible all the time and also be on.
3. What is the most convenient, universally accepted pay app in the U.S.? (live in the northeast). Android Pay or Samsung Pay?
4. How do you turn off the startup sound and annoying Verizon logo?
Being a noob to android and also with the warranty I don't want to root the device yet.
Please share your expertise!
if i am not wrong the night clock feature turns on while your phone is on idle for a specific amount of time maybe you receive notifications etc which prevents it from turning on. secondly i have never used the feature outdoors but as the name suggests it's a night clock and is supposed to be always on at your side table etc during night time i assume it was designed to be dim to conserve battery.
in order to change your boot animations and startup sounds you need to be rooted. rooting is the android equivalent of jailbreaking in iphones which gives you complete access to your phone after which you can flash mods, custom roms which have there own unique features, custom kernels tailored for different needs (performance, battery savers etc) and many more there are some nice mods for the edge which i think you'll like.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...4-cocktail-autoon-mod-galaxy-s6-edge-t3116699
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...4-28-musicplayer-feed-galaxy-s6-edge-t3095371
the second link does not require root..welcome to the dark side bro