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Samsung Good Lock modules updated to bring slim recent apps in TaskChanger, Quick tools/action in One Hand Operation+, and more
Samsung's official suite of mods, Good Lock, is updated with new Recents menu, better gestures for one-handed use, navigation bar improvements and more.
As the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, Samsung caters to millions of users worldwide. But only a handful of them may be aware that Samsung also allows for a highly customizable experience through a suite of officially developed mods, called Good Lock. The practical significance of this set of mods extends beyond lockscreen customizations, which seems to be the case from the name. It is meant to allow power users to take greater control over their Samsung flagships such as Galaxy S9/S9+, Galaxy Note 9, or one of the Galaxy S10's. Samsung just released an update to the Good Lock app, bringing a host of new customization options such as a "Slim" recents list, "advanced features" for floating notifications in multi-window view and some "quick tools" and "actions" for single-handed usage.
Galaxy A6s's Samsung Experience 9.5 ROM gets ported to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
XDA Recognized Contributor AL_IRAQI has released a port of the Samsung Experience ROM from the Galaxy A6s for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has been a hit for the Chinese smartphone OEM even though it has a different name depending on where you buy the phone. The codename for the phone is WHYRED (which helps to clear things up a bit) and it has helped the company make major strides in the markets they are currently focusing on. However, not everyone is a fan of MIUI, but thankfully Xiaomi has a thriving developer community to help bring various custom ROMs to the device.
[Update: Not present] Adoptable storage may come to Samsung devices with Android Pie
Adoptable storage may be coming to Samsung devices with Android Pie, if a screenshot in our Galaxy Note 9 forums tells us anything.
When Android Marshmallow was launched back in 2015, it introduced a feature that dramatically improved the user experience for many, myself included: adoptable storage. When you first introduce a new microSD card on an Android Marshmallow (or higher) device with adoptable storage enabled, the system will ask if you want to use it as portable storage or format it as adoptable storage. If you choose the latter, Android will format and encrypt the card so that it can be used only on that device. The adopted storage will then serve as an extension of the phone's internal storage, allowing you to install apps and storage app data inside that SD card. It sounds like a simple enough feature, but one company that has refused to support it on most of their Android phones is Samsung.
One UI, Samsung's new Android Pie software, improves One-Handed use and adds a system-wide Dark Theme
Samsung's Android Pie software is officially here, and it's called One UI. It's coming to the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9, and it has a lot of changes.
At this year's Samsung Developer Conference, we finally caught a glimpse at the long-awaited smartphone with a foldable display. The device features a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED "cover" display which, when unfolded, reveals a 7.6-inch Super AMOLED "Infinity Flex" main display. In conjunction with Google, Samsung introduced the concept of "foldables" to the Android ecosystem. But the Infinity Flex display wasn't the main focus of the developer conference. Samsung also took to the stage to unveil "One UI", their Android Pie-based software and successor to their "Samsung Experience" design language and user experience.
Samsung Galaxy S9+ gets dockless DeX support in Android Pie beta
The Samsung Galaxy S9+ is getting support for the dockless DeX mode in Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
Samsung DeX is Samsung's desktop experience based on Android that appears when you connect your Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, or Galaxy Note 9 to a monitor. It allows for multiple windows and apps to be open at once with a special UI designed for a larger desktop screen. Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie is almost here for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 and comes with a whole slew of new features. Dockless DeX from the Galaxy Note 9 is one of those new features being brought to the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+. This means that all you need is a simple HDMI to USB Type-C cable to use Samsung DeX.
Custom themes already possible on Samsung Experience 10 ahead of Android Pie beta
Developers have already gotten custom themes working on the leaked Samsung Experience 10 builds ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S9's Android Pie beta.
In Android Pie, Google blocked custom substratum themes from being installed without root. Users were outraged but Google claimed that it was for security reasons that they blocked the install. Apps like Substratum still have ways to install themes on Android Pie, but it requires root. On Samsung Experience 10, though, the Substratum team was able to get their theme engine working without root by using the Samsung theme engine. Users running the leaked Samsung Experience 10 beta on their Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9+, or Samsung Galaxy Note 9 can now use Substratum to theme their phone.
Samsung's Good Lock Offers the Coolest Smartphone Features & Customization Nobody Talks About
Samsung Good Lock genuinely changes a great deal of how the phone's UI looks and feels. This is something that other manufacturers don't allow.
Samsung’s Galaxy S and Galaxy Note continue to be the de facto Android experience for millions of people around the globe, remaining the best selling phones among casual crowds and a preferred option among enthusiasts as well. While the devices have been a bit predictable for a while, there’s no arguing that they’re incredibly competent products and certainly two of the most important Android flagships around.
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) announced with Quad Rear Cameras
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy A9 (2018), the first Samsung phone (and first mainstream Android phone) with a quad rear camera setup.
It looks like Samsung is preparing a gradual, yet radical switch in their design philosophy, possibly the biggest one since the Samsung Galaxy S6 was announced. And this has been evidenced on both the software and hardware front. The Galaxy A8 Star, announced some months ago, features a design that notably differs from Samsung's usual design language. The dual camera setup was cornered to the left instead of centered, looking more similar to something like an iPhone Xs.
Samsung Galaxy S9 gets the Galaxy Note 9's Scene Optimizer in Android Pie
Samsung has brought the scene optimizer mode from the Galaxy Note 9 to the Galaxy S9+. Flaw Detection has also been returned.
Samsung Experience 10 with Android Pie is coming along. We have covered the alpha builds for both the Galaxy S9/Galaxy S9+ and Galaxy Note 9. As Samsung releases more updates to Samsung Experience 10, their skinned version of Android Pie, the more features they are adding. In the latest update for the Galaxy S9+, Samsung has brought the scene optimizer mode from the Galaxy Note 9 to the Galaxy S9+. Thanks to The Geek 19 from the SamCentral Discord for sending us this screenshot.
How to install an early Android Pie build with Samsung Experience 10 on the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Here's an early beta of Samsung Experience 10 (based on Android Pie) for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and how to install it on the Snapdragon Galaxy Note 9.
An early, pre-release build of Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie is now available for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy Note 9. We have already shown off all the new features we could find in our quick look and our earlier video for the Galaxy S9. If you want to install this early Android Pie release on your own Galaxy Note 9, we now have the instructions and the files that you’ll need to install early Samsung Experience 10 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, provided you have the model with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. We only have the build for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy Note 9 model, unfortunately, so if you have an Exynos Galaxy Note 9, you'll have to wait to get your hands on Android Pie.
[Hands-on] This is what Samsung Experience 10 (Android Pie) looks like on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Here's what Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie looks like on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. We previously showed this off on the Samsung Galaxy S9.
A few weeks ago, we brought you the first screenshots and video of Samsung Experience 10 based on Android 9 Pie for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Now, we have the Android Pie beta build for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy Note 9 thanks to our friends at Firmware.Science. The Samsung Experience 10 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is almost exactly the same as the update for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Even the Night Theme partly works just like on the latest builds for the Galaxy S9 series. Let's run down all the changes that the Android Pie update will bring to the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. As a bonus, we'll post a separate article on how to install Samsung Experience 10 for the Galaxy Note 9, so keep an eye out on the XDA Portal for those instructions.
Check out Night Theme in Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie for the Samsung Galaxy S9
The latest leaked build of Samsung Experience 10 (Android Pie) for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9 now has a working Night Theme. Check it out!
A few weeks ago, we published an article detailing an early beta build of Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9+. The upcoming software release has a lot of design changes with black backgrounds, white cards, and rounded corners throughout the user interface. The abundance of white cards on black backgrounds, in particular, has been a bit polarizing. We mentioned repeatedly that we were showcasing an early beta of unreleased software, and today we have obtained an updated build of Android Pie for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9 that shows that Samsung is still making tweaks to the design. The most important change in the latest beta is the (mostly) functional Night Theme.
Theme brings Samsung Experience 10 design to the Samsung Galaxy S9/S8
You can now get a taste of Samsung's new Samsung Experience 10 theme on your Samsung Galaxy S8 or Samsung Galaxy S9 without updating to Android Pie!
We know that Samsung Experience 10 based on Android 9 Pie is in the works. We recently got our hands on a very early build for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, and we're hoping to get an official beta program before the end of the year as well. Samsung's version of Android Pie looks very, very different from what we're used to on Samsung Experience 9.X based on Android Oreo. There are rounded corners everywhere and lots of white cards among other UI changes in the upcoming Samsung Experience 10. If you dig the look, you don't necessarily have to wait until the Android Pie rollout to get it. In fact, you can get it right now with a theme if you have a Samsung Galaxy S9 or Samsung Galaxy S8 on Android 8.0 Oreo.
SamFix is a simple tool to fix annoyances on Samsung Galaxy phones
Samsung Experience still has a lot of little annoyances in the software that could be fixed. SamFix is a tool that lets you fix some of those annoyances.
Samsung Experience has long been known for its slow UI and annoyances. Over the past couple of years, Samsung has made the experience a lot better. With Samsung Experience 9.0, and the Samsung Experience 10.0 alpha, it has become almost perfect. There are still a lot of little annoyances in the software that could be fixed. SamFix is a tool that lets you fix some of those annoyances.
Early Android Pie beta now available for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9
An early Android Pie beta has leaked for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9 after leaking for the Samsung Galaxy S9+. Here's how to install it manually.
Yesterday, we published the first hands-on of Samsung Experience 10 for the Samsung Galaxy S9+. After publishing details on how to install the early Android Pie beta on the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9+, we now have this same build but for the smaller Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9. If you're interested in seeing what's new in the update, check out our previous article. If you want to install the early Android Pie beta on your Samsung Galaxy S9 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, then check out our tutorial below. Right now, we only have the build for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ but not for either of the Exynos models or the Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 will get the Samsung Galaxy Note 9's Flaw Detection feature in the Android Pie update
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has a feature in the camera app called Flaw Detection. The Samsung Galaxy S9 will get this feature in its Android Pie update.
Yesterday, we got our hands on the latest version of Samsung Experience, Samsung Experience 10, running on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9+. We had a lot to unpack in the latest update, and so far we have seen a completely redesigned user interface, an AMOLED dark mode, and some new gestures. We also found evidence of the Samsung Galaxy S10's development and an updated Samsung Internet APK. While playing around with the new camera app, we discovered that Samsung has added one of the new camera features from the Galaxy Note 9 to the Galaxy S9. The Samsung Galaxy S9, at least on the Android Pie release, now has Flaw Detection.
How to install an Early Android Pie Build with Samsung Experience 10 on the Samsung Galaxy S9+
Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie has leaked for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9+. We've managed to grab it and will show you how to install it.
Earlier today, we posted the first hands-on with Samsung Experience 10.0 based on Android 9 Pie for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9+. We showed off all the new features that we could find in our quick look. Many people might be wondering how they can install this update for themselves, and we now have instructions and the files that you'll need to install Android Pie on your Samsung Galaxy S9+ with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Right now, we only have the build for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9+ but not the Snapdragon Galaxy S9 or either of the Exynos models. We expect there to be a regular Samsung Galaxy S9 build up in the next few days. No word on when an Android Pie build for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be available, however.
Download: Samsung Internet 9.0 brings major redesign to the web browser
Samsung Internet 9.0 will launch with Samsung Experience 10.0 based on Android Pie. We managed to pull the APK so you can download and install it now!
It might not be the juggernaut that is Google Chrome, but Samsung Internet has gained a dedicated following thanks to the extra features that it offers on top of Google's browser. Just recently we reported on the new Samsung Internet 8.2 beta that brought features like parallel downloading for faster file downloads and Do Not Track mode. In the first Samsung Experience 10.0 build based on Android Pie for the Samsung Galaxy S9+ that we found, we were able to get an even newer version of Samsung Internet. Samsung Internet 9.0 brings a major redesign to the browser with the new rounded corner UI found in Samsung Experience 10.
[Update: Video] Exclusive: This is Android Pie with Samsung Experience 10 on the Samsung Galaxy S9+
Samsung is now testing Android Pie with Samsung Experience 10.0 on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Samsung Galaxy S9+. We go hands-on to show you what's new.
Samsung has been notoriously slow to update their long portfolio of smartphones. It usually takes close to 6 months or longer for them to update any of their flagship devices to the latest version of Android. Thanks to our friends at Firmware.Science, we were able to get an early hands-on of the upcoming Samsung Experience 10 update based on Android 9 Pie for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9+. This is a very early development build of Android Pie, so there are some bugs, incomplete UI elements, and broken features.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 update adds Super Slow-Motion and AR Emojis
An update is rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 which brings the September security patches but also brings Super Slow-Motion and AR Emojis.
Samsung launched two flagship smartphone series this year: the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Two of the new camera features touted during the Galaxy S9's announcement were "Super Slow Motion" and "AR Emojis." The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was also announced with these features. Now, the September security update is rolling out for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in some regions, and it also brings the Super Slow-Motion and AR Emoji features.