Top 33 Galaxy S6 & Galaxy S6 Edge Tips And Tricks!


Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are one of the best Android smartphones of 2015 and the best that Samsung have ever made.  This article gives you the top 33 tips and tricks of S6 and S6 Edge.

– As previous Samsung phones, there are two different ways of taking screenshots.

1. Hold down (power button + home button) at the same time.

Galaxy s6 edge taking screenshots

2. Swipe the edge of your hand across the screen from side-to-side to take screenshots.

Settings > Motions and gestures > Palm swipe to capture.

Galaxy s6 edge taking screenshots 2

Settings > Lock screen and security > Security > Fingerprints

Samsung first introduced this service in Galaxy S5, it was not the best, swiping through the home button to unlock the phone was certainly not the best way to unlock the phone.  Thankfully, Samsung has fixed those issues and introduced a whole new way of unlocking your phone by simply putting your finger on the home button with NO SWIPE!

Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge fingerprint scanner can do the following:

1. Web sign-in.

2. Verify Samsung account.

Galaxy S6 Edge Fingerprints 2

Registering fingerprint

You can register up to 4 fingers, and the process is fairly simple.  All you have to do is to go to Settings > Fingerprints and tap on ‘Add Fingerprints’, a new screen will show up giving you info about registering your fingerprints by simply placing your finger on the home button and lifting it off until the process is done.  Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge fingerprint scanner is ridiculously fast and it took no effort at all to unlock the phone.

Go to Settings > Lock screen and security > Security > Fingerprints.

Galaxy S6 Edge Fingerprints 1

Galaxy S6 Edge Fingerprints 3


This features gives you the ability to hide your personal content in different apps including:

1. Gallery

2. Video

3. Music

4. Voice Recorder

5. My Files

6. Internet

Galaxy S6 Edge Private Mode 2

Hiding Content

Whether it’s a photo, video, music or other different files, hiding contents is fairly simple.  All you have to do is to select the file that you want to hide, then tap on ‘More’ button that will appear at the top right corner of the phone, then select ‘Move to Private’.

Steps:

1. Enable Private Mode from either notification panel or from Settings > Privacy and Safety, and you’ll be welcomed with a disclaimer screen informing you about not protecting your contents from other 3rd party apps.  After that, you should choose a lock method varying from pattern to fingerprint and then choose a backup method just in case your primary lock method didn’t work.

Galaxy S6 Edge Private Mode 1

You can also disable the Private Mode when the screen turns off.

Galaxy S6 Edge Private Mode 3

 

Note:

When Private Mode is enabled, a folder with the name of ‘Private’ will appear in My Files app, that folder will include every thing that you’ve hidden on the phone using this mode.

2. To hide the contents, we simply select them.  After that, a ‘MORE’ button will appear at the top right corner of the phone.  Tap on it then choose ‘Move to private’.  Finally, you’ll be prompted with a message ‘X items moved to Private‘.

Galaxy S6 Edge Private Mode 4


Samsung has implemented a handy feature in Galaxy S6 Edge which enables you to launch the Camera app in only 0.7 seconds, which is quite fast especially when you want to take those important photos in life. This feature is already enabled in your phone, but if for some reasons it’s not enabled, you can enable it from here in Settings > Applications > Applications Settings > Camera.  To launch the camera app anywhere on the screen, simply double tap on the home button and the camera app will open.  This will also work when your phone screen is off.

Galaxy S6 Edge Quick Launch Camera


Samsung has implemented 6 different methods for unlocking your phone.  There is a new method of unlocking which is ‘Direction Lock’.  This method depends on inputting at least 4 swipes and maximum of 8 swipes.  The swipe directions can be up, down, left or right.  For example, I will unlock my phone with 4 swipes (two swipe ups and two swipes to right).

Steps:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > More settings > Direction lock.

Galaxy S6 Edge Direction Lock 1

2. You’ll then be prompted with the below screen, input your swipes.  It should at least be 4 swipes and maximum of 8 swipes.  In my case, I will swipe down twice and swipe to right twice.  The final screen gives you content visibility choice.Galaxy S6 Edge Direction Lock 2


Both Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have a 2K or 1440P display which is 2560×1440.  S6 and S6 Edge screens are the best on the market.  For S6 Edge, the edge really makes it unique for watching videos and showing contents.   That’s why Samsung has provided 4 different Screen Modes for optimizing color range, saturation and sharpness of the display.

1. Adaptive Display.

2. AMOLED cinema.

3. AMOLED Photo.

4. Basic.

Galaxy S6 Edge Different Screen Modes


Galaxy S6 Edge has two edges, you can choose any of them as your primary edge to show the information on.  Simply go to Settings > Edge Screen > Edge screen position.

Galaxy S6 Edge Edge Screen position


This features shows a dimmed clock on your phone’s edge. It can be useful for night to see the time without turning  on the whole screen. The maximum time for the night clock is 12 hours.

Galaxy S6 Edge Night Clock


You can customize the type of notifications to show up on the Edge Screen such as missed call, messages, and e-mail.

Galaxy S6 Edge Notification

This is another great feature that you can enable on this phone.  You can set the device to light up the edge screen when receiving calls and notifications.  Enable it in Settings > Edge Screen > Edge Lighting.

Galaxy S6 Edge Edge Lighting

Another great feature that works with Edge lighting with is Edge People.  You can select and add 5 of your favorite contacts and give them their unique colors so that when they call you or message you while the phone is on facing down, you know immediately who’s calling or messaging.

Galaxy S6 Edge People Edge

Galaxy S6 Edge People Edge 2

Galaxy S6 Edge People Edge 3

Galaxy S6 Edge People Edge 4


Suppose you’re in a meeting and one of your friends in your People Edge contacts is calling you but you can’t answer him because you don’t have time, Samsung has got you covered.  Simply by putting your finger on the heart rate sensor and holding it for 2 seconds, you can send a quick reply with the pre-defined message of your own.  This may be great to use when you are in an important meeting or perhaps in the middle of doing something important.

Galaxy S6 Edge Quick Reply


You can also show information on the Edge screen by going to Edge Screen > Information Stream.  At the time of writing this article, only few feeds were available but there should be more in the future.

Galaxy S6 Edge Information Stream


Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge camera is one of the best cameras of 2015, surpassing Galaxy Note 4, iPhone 6/6 Plus in the latest DXOMARK research (which you can read here), and we’re not surprised considering that Samsung is one of the best manufacturers in providing great camera sensors to its phones.  Below are the list of features and modes that you can do with S6 and S6 Edge camera.

1. Smart Auto Focus: With this feature enabled, you can keep the focus on the selected object even when it’s moving.  Enable in the settings of  the Camera app.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Smart Auto Focus

2. Capture Picture and Record Video Using Voice Commands:

Say ”Smile, Cheese, Capture or Shoot” for shooting pictures.

Say ”Record Video” for recording videos.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge capture with voice command

3. Record 4K Videos:

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge shoot 4k video

4. Take Selfies Using The Heart Rate Sensor:

Simply put your finger on the heart rate sensor to capture selfies.

5. Take Selfies By Raising Your Palm To The Camera:

This will work on the front facing camera.

6.Rear Camera Modes:

Both rear and front camera contain some pre-installed modes and you can install more modes easily from Samsung app store.

Screenshot_2015-04-21-16-55-35

1.  Rear-cam Selfie:

Enabling this mode will automatically capture pictures using rear camera.

2. Selective Focus:

With this mode you can focus on an object while blurring the other object. After taking the photo, you can make the focus either on foreground or background.

3. Panorama:

This mode will take panoramic photos.

4. Virtual Shot

This mode will take 360 degree pictures.

5. Dual Camera

With this mode enabled, you can record or captures pictures using both front and rear camera.

6. Slow Motion

For recording slow motion videos.

7. Fast Motion

For recording fast motions videos.

8. Beauty Face

-This mode enhances users’s face by adding removing wrinkles.

9. Sports Shot

This mode is useful for taking fast moving objects in sports.

10. Surround Shot

-This mode lets you create spherical panorama of your surroundings.

11. Food Shot

This mode is kind of like a macro mode for taking pictures within a close range.

12. Animated GIF

This mode will take animated pictures (GIF).

13. Sound & Shot

This mode enables you to record a brief sound of yourself before taking picture.

7. Front Camera Modes:

1. Selfie:

For taking selfies.

2. Wide Selfie:

For taking wide selfies, you can take one picture and then move the camera to right and left for completing the shot to get a super-wide selfie.

3. Virtual Shot:

Virtual shot will allow you to take 360 degree photo, which you will later be able to see in 360 degrees horizontally.

4. Interval Shot:

Interval shot lets you do some time-lapse shoots.

5. Beauty Face:

Same as the rear camera, gets rid of wrinkles.

Screenshot_2015-04-21-16-57-10

8. Use Pro Mode:

This mode is for those who want to add custom settings to the camera like ISO, focus and exposure.

Screenshot_2015-04-21-16-59-17

9. Use HDR In Front Camera:

The front camera also has HDR mode, which is really useful for taking great shots on photos that have drastic exposure changes.


Both Galaxy S6/S6 Edge have IR-Blaster which enables you to control several electronic devices including TV, Air Conditioner, Projector, etc…

Simply search for Smart Remote app to control your home electronic devices.

[Guide] How To Use Galaxy S6/S6 Edge As a TV Remote Control!

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge TV Remote Control 4


By default there is a Flipboard Briefing on the phone’s home screen which some people detest.  If you’re one of them, here’s how to disable that feature.

1. Long press on a blank area in the home screen or tap and hold on recent apps button on your phone.

2. The home screen will minimize a little bit, move the screen to far left to the briefing screen.   There you see a check sign at the top of the screen, simply uncheck it to disable the briefing screen.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Remove Flipboard Briefing


Changing the grid size allows you to put more shortcuts on the home screen.  By default you can only put 16 shortcuts but you can increase that to 20 and 25.  To do that, all you need is to do the following:

1. Long press anywhere on home screen.

2. Tap on screen grid and choose your favorite one.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Change Screen Grid Size


If you’re not happy with the lack of external SD card availability, then Samsung has offered another way of expanding your storage by giving you 100 free GB of Microsoft’s OneDrive for 2 years.   Samsung collaboration has lead to pre-installation of several Microsoft apps on Galaxy S6/S6 Edge such as Skype and One Drive.  Simply open OneDrive app and either sign in or sign up to claim your 100 GB free storage.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge 100 Free GB OneDrive


Samsung introduced a new app in both Galaxy S6/S6 Edge, this app lets you manage several important things in your phone.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Smart Manager

1. Battery

This informs you about the estimated time remaining and the apps that are taking the most battery as well as giving you the ability to enable different power saving modes right from the app.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Smart Manager 3

2. Storage

This section shows information about your phone’s storage and what takes up the most space on your phone.

3.RAM

This section informs you about the apps that are using the most RAM memory and the ability to turn them off.

4. Security

This part is responsible for protecting your phone from malicious apps and other security threats.  You can also enable KNOX active protection for extra security.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Smart Manager  2


Samsung has implemented 4 different ways of saving your battery from basic to to advanced.

1. Gray Scale Mode

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge GrayScale Mode

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge GrayScale Mode 2

2. Power Saving Mode

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Power Saving Mode

 3. Ultra Power Saving Mode

As the name implies, this mode squeezes every juice out of your phone.  It provides a simplified gray scale screen with only few apps to use like Phone, Messages, Calculator, etc…  but this will save you a ton of battery life.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Ultra Power Saving Mode

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Ultra Power Saving Mode 2

4. Emergency Mode:

This mode is pretty similar to the ultra power saving mode.  It provides a simple grayscale screen and restricts the use of all apps except for some important apps like Phone, Internet, Twitter, Facebook, and Maps.  It will also let you use built-in torch, emergency alarm and share your location.  Enable it by pressing and holding power button then choosing the ‘Emergency Mode’ from the power menu list.


One of the coolest features that Samsung introduced this year with S6 and S6 Edge is the Themes engine.  Changing theme changes almost everything on the phone including but not limited to:

1. Touch sounds, Keyboard tick sound and dial sound.

2. App icons.

3. Keyboard color.

4. Notification panel color.

5. Settings color.

– You can change the theme from Settings > Themes.

– There are two pre-available themes (Pink & Space) that does not require Samsung account for downloading.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Themes

Some themes give you new touch, dial and keyboard tick sounds like the below theme.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Themes 2

After downloading, APPLY the new theme and you will see the results:

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Themes 3 Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Themes 4 Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Themes 5

You can also download more themes from Themes Store and also don’t forget to create Theme Store shortcut on the home screen for easy access.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Themes 6 Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Themes 7


Samsung has implemented 4 useful gestures including the following:

1. Direct Call

Call the contact whose call log, message, or contact details are currently on the screen by bringing the device close to your ear.

Samsung Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Direct Call

2. Smart Alert

Your device will vibrate when you pick it up to notify you about missed calls and messages.

Samsung Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Smart Alert

3. Mute

To mute incoming calls and alarms, place your hand on the screen or turn the device over.

Samsung Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Mute

4. Palm swipe to capture

This feature is already covered at the top of the page.


Let’s be honest.   Almost every Android phone these days contain some bloatware and useless apps that we never use.  Luckily in Galaxy S6/S6 Edge, you can uninstall or disable unwanted apps to save some space and give your phone more speed/storage.  Be careful which app you disable as some of them will disable some important features of the phone.   Keep in mind that you can’t uninstall all the apps as some of them are vital to running the phone.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Disable and uninstall unwanted apps


One of the greatest features that Samsung invented was Smart Stay, which was first introduced with Galaxy S2.  When turned on, this feature uses the front camera to check the user’s eyes and won’t let the display turn off so as long as you’re looking at it, another really cool feature.

Enable it in Settings > Display > Smart Stay.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Smart Stay


Samsung has introduced S Finder feature with the Galaxy Note 3.  This feature helps you find almost anything in your phone from settings item, S Note, Picture name, apps, etc…

Use S Finder while pulling down the notification panel and write down your keyword that you want to search for.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge S Finder


Enabling this feature will let you answer phone calls by pressing the home button and end it by pressing on power button. I personally use this feature to avoid looking at the screen to touch the ‘End Call’ button as the screen blinks while making phone calls.

Enable it in Settings > Accessibility > Answering and ending calls.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Answering And Ending Calls


You can multitask in two different ways.

1. By putting your finger on the top left or right corner of the screen and swipe it down to center to minimize the app, you will get a floating window.  You can also minimize the app to just a floating icon as shown in the below screenshots.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Multitasking method 1

2. By holding-down on the recent apps button of your phone (that’s the left button), you will be able to split windows.


If for some reason, the standard screen is a little difficult for you, then you can enable Easy Screen Mode.  This shows bigger icons and is useful for those who are not that familiar with smartphones like your grandmother.

Enable it in Settings > Personalization > Easy Mode.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Enable Eeasy Mode


The default screen unlock effect is Water Droplet.   If you need to change it, go to Settings > Lock screen and security > Unlock effect.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Change Screen Unlock Effect


Simply swipe down from the top screen to show the notification panel, then swipe left until you see the ‘Torch’ toggle.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Enable Torch


– Another nice feature of Galaxy S6 Edge is ‘S Health’ app, this is a fitness app that helps you do different kind of sports, it has the ability for measuring the following and doing much more:

1. Heart rate.

2. SPO2

3. Stress

4 Blood Glucose

5. Blood Pressure

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge S Health 2 Galaxy S6 S6 Edge S Health


If you have kids who like to play with your phone so you can keep them busy, worry no more.  Samsung has put a really nice app just for your children.  It’s called “Kids Mode” this mode contains, Games, Music, Game store and Camera.  You can set time limits for the amount of hours that you want your kids to play.  And of course, you have the ability to lock it with 4 digit pin to prevent your kids from going out of the Kids Mode.


This is a really nice feature of Android Lollipop that Samsung uses in this phone.  Enabling this feature will replace your phone screen security methods to just a Swipe so long as you’re at home, work, and trusted locations or with a trusted device.  Enable it in  Settings > Lock screen and security > Secure lock settings > Smart Lock.

[Guide] How To Set Up Smart Lock Feature On Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S6 & S6 Edge


This is another nice feature which enables you to pin a specific screen of a specific app.  This will be useful when handing your phone to someone else when they ask you to make a phone call, ensuring that they will only make a phone call without doing other things on your phone like accessing your e-mail app. You can also set a password to protect the pinned windows for more security.  Enable it here in Settings > Lock screen and security > Other security settings.

Galaxy S6 S6 Edge Screen Pinning


Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge support wireless charging.   This is a really awesome feature and it supports all different kinds of wireless charging pads. So be sure to buy one, any Qi-compatible wireless charger will work with S6 or S6 Edge.

That’s it guys, I hope you enjoyed this article, and as always be sure to share it with you friends!

Special Thanks: Kargar Talabani.

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Rawand Haidar

Rawand is Petroleum Engineer.He is Super high on Android. Rawand has been blogging since 2011, written more than 150 articles including tutorials, news, reviews about Android. He is interested in all things Android. Follow Me on Twitter