()

Search
TVs
(/)

Cameras

Computing

Mobiles

MORE

Saved

(/m/search)(#)

(/tvs-entertainment) (/cameras) (/laptops-computing) (/mobile-gps) (/m/menu)

50 Samsung Galaxy S3 tips and tricks

May 7, 2013
Like

87

Save (#)

The Samsung Galaxy S3 (/samsung-galaxy-s3_Mobile-Phone_review) is one of

the most feature-packed gadgets of the year. It can do so much that its
impossible to get your head around everything it's capable of in a few days.
Weve spent an age with the phone, and are here to share what we've found.
If you want to get to know your Samsung Galaxy S3 a bit better, check out our
round-up of the 50 juiciest tips and tricks for the Android giant. Think we've
missed something? Drop us a line in the comments.
Galaxy S3 tips and tricks video
See our favourite tips from the full 50 Galaxy S3 tips and tricks in our video.
Update: 2013 Extras
Samsung has conrmed that the Galaxy S3 will get most of the new software
features introduced in 2013's Galaxy S4. These include things like Smart Scroll,
the new camera interface and the S Translator, which translates text between
languages.
When will the update arrive? At the time of writing, we're not sure. With Galaxy
S4 (/samsung-galaxy-s4_Mobile-Phone_review) xes likely on top of Samsung's
priority list, it could take a few months.
Have the next-generation model already? Be sure to read our top Samsung
Galaxy S4 tips and tricks (/opinions/samsung-galaxy-s4-tips-and-tricks).
Bonus 1: App download problems

A common issue with Android is that sometimes apps will refuse to download
from the app store. Its frustrating. Very frustrating.
If you encounter this issue, there are a few things to try. The rst is to ensure
you have enough internal memory. Try deleting an app or game you dont
play/use regularly any more.
If that doesnt help, you need to try clearing the cache of the Play Store app.
Youll nd this option in the Play Stores entry in the Apps Manager menu of
Settings. If this fails too, youll need to remove your current Google account
from the device in the Accounts section of Settings, restart the phone and
re-add it.
Bonus 2: Quick-access settings via notications
The main function of the square function switches within the notications bar
is to let you turn battery-sapping features on and o quickly. However, they
also function as quick shortcuts to the full Settings sub-menus they are linked
to.
Just hold down on, for example, the Bluetooth switch to be taken to the
Bluetooth section within Settings. If youre a hardcore user, this little tip may
save you some time.
Bonus 3: How to sync with iTunes
iTunes is not designed to sync with a Samsung Galaxy S3, but with the help of
some third-party software you can make the two hook up.

The app you need is called Easy Phone Sync, available from Google Play. What
this does is talk to a desktop counterpart app, called you guessed it Easy
Phone Sync, available from the companys website (/m/interstitial?url=http
%3A%2F%2Feasyphonesync.com%2Fen%2F&
hash=caf78173ab7290cc346b23f87000ef12&back=%2Fopinions%2F50samsung-galaxy-s3-tipsand-tricks%3Fsa%3DX%26ei%3DBhkOUsWGM8rIrQf2nYCwCw%26ved%3D0CAcQqw
This lets you transfer your iTunes library over to the phone without much
fang, including photos and podcasts as well as music.
Also, be sure read our comparison of the iPhone 5 and Samung Galaxy S3
(/opinions/iphone-5-vs-samsung-galaxy-s3) or watch our favourite ve picks in
the video below.
Interface
1. Smart stay
Heres a neat little gimmicky Samsung Galaxy S3 feature that could come in
very handy if you like to read books or web articles on your phone. Smart stay
uses the user-facing camera to scan for your eyes looking at the screen. If it
nds them, itll keep the screen backlight active, rather than let it sleep. You can
activate the feature from within the Display submenu of the full Settings menu.
2. Font changer
If you dont like the standard, fairly serious look of the Samsung Galaxy S3, you
can change the font used in the menu systems for a more light-hearted style.
There are three other fonts available from the o, and you can download more

from Google Play. The font changer option is in the Display submenu.
3. Check out OAP mode
Android can be confusing for people who arent massive tech fans. Were not
quite sure why such people would have bought as fancy a phone as the
Samsung Galaxy S3, but were not here to judge. For this eventuality, Samsung
has provided an easy UI mode, which simplies the look of home screens,
using large, blocky preset widgets. You can try out this mode in the Home
Screen Mode submenu within Settings.
4. Motion controller
The Samsung Galaxy S3 takes the kitchen sink approach to features, shoving
in everything it can manage. Motion controller options are evidence of quite
how far this extends. You can ick between home screens by icking the phone
left and right, and that's just the beginning. There are bundles of options here,
from zooming in and out of web pages by tilting the phone up and down to
being able to take a screengrab by wiping the side of your hand across the
screen. Check out the full list in the Motion submenu in Settings.
5. Dont forget folders
To make eective use of your home screens, you need to think about using
folders, which store app shortcuts. To make one, just hold a nger down on an
app shortcut and drag it onto another app shortcut.
6. Quick search bar access
The quickest way to perform a quick web search on the Samsung Galaxy S3
when on a home screen is by using a dedicated gestural shortcut. Hold down
the Menu soft key for around two seconds and youll be taken directly to a
Google search bar.
7. Customise your lock screens
The custom lock screen of the Samsung Galaxy S3 features a row of icons that
can be used to take you directly to any app. By default, the lock screen houses
the phone caller, SMS hub, S Voice app and the camera. Theres a dedicated
Lock Screen submenu in Settings that lets you dene your own shortcuts.
8. Face unlock it aint magic
Heres a pro tip if you want to keep your phone secure, Face Unlock isnt the
way to do it. Face Unlock recognises the geometry of your face to unlock the
Samsung Galaxy S3 without any ngers needed. Its more of a fun feature
rather than a hardcore security measure, and someone that looks a bit like you
may well be able to unlock your phone. Heck, even a picture of you will do it.
9. You can gesture type, like Swype
The Samsung Galaxy S3 features its own Samsung virtual keyboard. One of the
neat extras it oers is gesture typing, which lets you drag a path over the
letters in words rather than tapping them one-by-one. Many people nd it
much faster than standard typing, and with a good corrections algorithm its
arguably more accurate too. Swipe-y typing is enabled in the keyboard menu,
under the heading continuous input.
10. You can have up to seven home screens

Samsung gives you control over how many home screens there are in your
Galaxy S3. To add or delete home screens, head to a home screen and use the
pinch gesture to zoom out and see the whole roster of screens. From there
youll be able to add additional ones, or drag existing ones into the virtual
dustbin.
Calling
11. Contacts book touchscreen gestures
From within the Contacts book, you can call and text people directly using
touchscreen gestures. A right-to-left swipe across a contact entry will message
them, and a left-to-right swipe will call them. Its a lot quicker than tapping on
their entry and then tapping again on their phone number.
12. Install Facebook and Twitter for quickie contact-gathering
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is a fantastic social networking tool, but you can make
your social apps work for you too. Install the Facebook and Twitter apps and
you can use your friends and followers lists to pull contacts into your phones
Contacts book.
13. Avoid people with block mode
If youre just a little too good at making friends and inuencing people, you may
want to check out the block mode. This lets you control the sorts of
notications, calls and alerts you get at certain times of the day. The most
obvious use is to stop people from ringing you while youre asleep. The
Samsung Galaxy S3 also lets you keep up a list of approved contacts that can
get through at all times. Youll nd the blocking option in the Settings menu.
Battery life
14. Make use of notication bar settings options
The quickest way to increase battery life is to manage the connections that the
Samsung Galaxy S3 uses. 3G is one of the biggest drains on a smartphones
battery, cutting stamina from several days to a day and a half. The pull-down
notications bar lets you turn o connections within a screen tap or two.
Connections we recommend managing include Bluetooth, 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS.
15. Investigate power saving mode
When your battery level gets a bit low, the Samsung Galaxy S3 comes with its
own emergency power saving mode that cuts down the power-draining
features used by the phone. These include haptic feedback, screen brightness,
CPU speed and the background screen colour in the internet browser.
16. Boost battery with a dark background
The Samsung Galaxy S3 has an AMOLED-type screen. As it does not use a
universal backlight, this display uses more power when more of the screen is
bright white. Use a dark or black background and you should nd that the
battery lasts that little bit longer.
17. You can change brightness from the drop-down notication bar
Along with connectivity settings, the notications bar also has a brightness
slider. Its the quickest way to change brightness. Theres also an Auto tickbox,
which lets the Samsung Galaxy S3 use the ambient light sensor on the front of
the phone to judge how bright the screen needs to be, altering the backlight
automatically depending on the surroundings.

Music
18. You can record radio using the FM tuner
FM radio isnt really cool anymore, well admit, but it uses a whole lot less
battery than streaming internet radio over 3G and it doesnt demand youre
connected to the internet either. The FM radio uses your earphone cable as an
antenna, and the Samsung Galaxy S3 even lets you record radio to the internal
memory. You can then easily pull recorded les o the phone to archive on a
computer, if you like.
19. Check out the custom EQ setting in the music player
Dont like the sound that your earphones produce? The Samsung Galaxy S3 lets
you tweak audio output with a custom equaliser. There are loads of presets
included, or you can choose your own settings, with a 7-band EQ, 3D eect,
Bass boost, reverb, and Clarity treble optimiser. Youll nd the shortcut to the
EQ on the playback button bar of the music player.
20. Use Music Square for auto playlists
Gimmick or genius? Music Square tip-toes along the divide. It analyses your
music and decides whether its relaxed or exciting, joyful or passionate. You can
then pick exactly what mood youre after using the Music Square interface
which looks a bit like a Korg Kaosspad. It works remarkably well, and is a boon
if you like playlists but cant be bothered to make them.
21. You can edit videos in the video player
The integrated video player of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is excellent for several
reasons, primarily because it can play loads of dierent video types. It does
more besides, too. You can trim videos from within the app, which is handy for
those who love making their own little videos using the phones camera.
22. Check out AllShare
AllShare is Samsungs take on DLNA. Sound like tech jargon? DLNA is a wireless
standard that lets you stream video and music over a Wi-Fi network. AllShare
uses DLNA and packages the tech into an easy-to-use package, especially if
youre piping content between Samsung brand devices. Plenty of Samsung
gadgets support AllShare include tablets, Blu-ray players and TVs.
Accessories
23. HDMI adapter
The Samsung Galaxy S3 does not have a dedicated video output, but there is a
way to output video from the phone without using Wi-FI the Samsung MHL
adapter. This uses the microUSB port on the rear of the phone to send up to
HD video and surround sound to TVs and other devices. The 20-odd adapter
plugs in to the socket and ends in an HDMI socket, letting you jam in a standard
HDMI cable.

24. Consider a battery booster

There are plenty of batteries available Samsung Galaxy S3 - standard-size ones,
extra large ones and dodgy knock-o ones that might set your house aame.
Some will double your battery life, such as the top-quality Mophie juice pack
thats made specically for the Galaxy S3. The phone slots into the battery pack,
increasing the body size without ruining ergonomics.
The Mophie Galaxy S3 battery pack
25. Forget the 64GB edition
Our buyers tip is to forget the 64GB edition of the Samsung Galaxy S3. Its not
widely available in the UK the 16GB and 32GB editions are far more common
and its not really worth the extra cash. The Galaxy S3 has a microSD memory
card slot, and expanding the memory using one of these cards is much cheaper
than spending the extra on a phone with greater internal memory.26. Get a
capacitive stylus nearly a Note
The main thing that has got so many people buying the recent Samsung Galaxy
Note 2 (/samsung-galaxy-note-2_Mobile-Phone_review) is its neat stylus. It uses
clever Wacom tech that enables full pressure sensitivity. Theres no easy way to
get this sensitivity on the Galaxy S3, but you can get a similar pen input feel
with a capacitive stylus. These pens have tips that the touchscreen of phones
like the Galaxy S3 can sense.
Browsing
27. Search the web with your voice
The Samsung Galaxy S3 (/samsung-galaxy-s3_Mobile-Phone_review) has a
dedicated Voice Search app that lets you search the web by speaking into your
phones microphone. It uses Googles voice recognition tech. Alternatively, you
can use S Voice, which is Samsungs own take on the voice recognition feature.
28. Save sites for oine reading
The integrated web browser of the Samsung Galaxy S3 lets you save websites
on the internal memory of the phone for reading while youre out of range of
Wi-Fi and 3G. To save a page, tap the menu soft key while on a site and tap the
Save for oine reading option. Right by this, youll see the Request desktop site
checkbox, which is another useful nugget.
Connectivity
29. How to use NFC
The Samsung Galaxy S3 features NFC, or Near Field Communication. There are
several uses for this short-range connectivity type, and the most interesting is
mobile payments. These let you use your phone as a contactless payments
tool. Support is limited at the moment, but if youre on Orange, you can use the

QuickTap system, which will let you buy small items from food outlets like
Subway, EAT and others. For more on NFC, check out our full guide.
30. How to use S Beam
S Beam is Samsungs own utilisation of NFC. It lets you transmit les between
compatible phones. At the moment, thats limited to the Samsung Galaxy S3
and the Galaxy Note 2 hardly a vast array. However, it is one way to open up
NFC to those who arent keen on using their mobile as a debit card of sorts. You
can turn S Beam on from within the More Settings submenu in the main
settings area. Dont miss it if you have Galaxy S3-owning friends.

31. Kies is optional

Kies is Samsungs desktop software, which can be used to sync content to
Samsung phones, and can be used to update rmware. In the past it has been
mandatory to use it for some uses in some phones, but its largely options with
the Samsung Galaxy S3. You can easily drag n drop les onto the phone, and
rmware updates can be made directly from the phone. Why use it when you
dont need to? That said, Kies does support Wi-Fi synchronisation, which is neat.
32. Use data usage monitor if youre on a data limit
Most Samsung Galaxy S3 owners will probably have to live with a data limit,
whether its 1GB, 500MB or 10GB. Unless your mobile data usage is completely
unlimited, its best to keep an eye on your consumptions to avoid unnecessary
bill stings at the end of the month. Right near the top of the Settings menu is a
Data usage section that will do just that. It lets you see how much data youve
used, and within which apps. If you need to cut down, switch o mobile data
and stick to Wi-Fi.
33. Dont forget Wi-Fi Direct
Wi-Fi Direct is great. Once we were restricted to Bluetooth for wireless le
transfers. It was slow, unreliable and, well, a bit rubbish. Wi-Fi Direct is here to
change all that. It lets you ing les from one Wi-Fi Direct compatible device to
another, without needing a Wi-Fi internet spot to act as the middle man. Its
one of the best ways to get a le from A to B, and can be used throughout the
phone look for it in the Share options of any given app.
Downloads
34. Essential Android apps
Android apps you need to download or check out right now include Evernote,
Facebook, Twitter, Spotify (if you have an account), Netix (again, if you have an
account), BBC iPlayer, Instagram, Flipboard, Movies, IMDb, SoundHound,
WhatsApp Messenger, TuneIn Radio. Also, do take a look at the Google apps
pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy S3. Theyre all fab.

35. Essential Android games

Android games you need to download in 3 2 1 now include World of Goo,
Fieldrunners, Angry Birds Space (/angry-birds-space_Mobile-App_review), Bad
Piggies (/bad-piggies_Mobile-App_review), Innity Blade, Dead Trigger,
Shadowgun, Temple Run and the original Angry Birds. That should keep you
busy for a little while.
Bad Piggies is a TrustedReviews favourite
36. Solving app problems
Android is a lot more stable than it used to be, but youre going to have to
expect the odd crash/computer implosion. If you nd that a particular app is
giving you a lot of trouble, its a good idea to try wiping its cached data. To do
this, go to the Applications manager in the Settings menu. Then pick the errant
app from the list that appears and tap the Clear data and Clear cache buttons.
If that fails, you can try reinstalling the app. Youll see an Uninstall button on
this screen thatll wipe its current install.
37. App side-loading
Google Play is the place to be if youre out for Android apps and games for your
Samsung Galaxy S3, but Android does not limit you to the ocial app store.
You can side-load apps from just about anywhere, you just need to remove the
security barrier blocking apps from unknown sources. This is in the Security
submenu of Settings. Once done, you can download APK Android installation
les directly from within the browser, or transfer them to the internal memory
manually from a computer. Then locate them using the My Files app, tap the
app you want and follow the on-screen prompts. Be careful though and only
download from trusted sources as apps downloaded from unocial sites have
a much higher chance of containing all sorts of viral nasties.
38. Adding app shortcuts to the homescreen
One of the key uses for a Samsung Galaxy S3 home screen is to give you quick
access to your favourite apps. To add one to a home screen, go to the main
apps menu, hold a nger down on an app icon and a home screen preview will
pop up, letting you place the shortcut
39. Backup to SD = a good idea
If you value your data, its a good idea to backup your data every now and then.
There are two main ways to do this. The rst is to use Kies, Samsungs desktop
software, which lets you keep an image of your phones goodies on your
computer. There are also plenty of apps that will backup your precious data to
an SD card. Just search for backup on Google Play for a selection.
Video
40. Video overlays
A great gimmick of the Samsung Galaxy S3s video player is that it lets you
properly multi-task. On the bottom right of the transport bar is a little button
with an arrow on it. Tap this and any playing video will appear as an overlay on
your home screen. Itll hang around until you tap the cross icon (which appears
when the video is tapped), letting you watch videos while browsing the web,
reading emails and so on. You can also resize the video with the pinch gesture.
41. Galaxy S3 codec support is great

Samsung has been a bit of a mobile video star for years. Its top-end phones
always tend to oer better video support than just about any other makers
models. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is no dierent. It can handle most le formats,
including in our testing the popular MKV type. Most people shouldnt need
to transcode many of their videos to get them playing on the phone.
Camera
42. Check out HDR mode
HDR mode is a useful mode for getting good photographic results in conditions
of problematic lighting. It involved merging the information of multiple
exposures, letting the Samsung Galaxy S3s camera reap the most detail
information from dark and light areas in a scene. The phone saves both an HDR
version and a non-HDR version, so theres no downside other than that the
processing time needed between each shot will slow down your photo
snapping.
43. Combat closed eyes photos with Best Face
If youre trying to take a snap of a dicult subject, Best Face is a great way to
avoid papping them with their eyes closed, or while pulling a face. It takes ve
shots of the same scene in rapid succession, then lets you pick the one with the
best result. As the Samsung Galaxy S3 camera is so fast, the whole ve
exposures only take a bit over a second.
A photo taken with the Samsung Galaxy S3
44. Panorama
The classic add-on feature of any phone camera that wants to impress is
Panorama. It lets you take a wide shot of your surroundings, capturing the shot
as you slowly turn the phone around. Its not quite as good as the iPhone 5s
panorama, but its not bad.
45. Fill in the Photosphere gap with an app
One of the features that the Samsung Galaxy S3 currently misses out on is
Photosphere. Its because the phone uses Android 4.1 Jelly Bean rather than
version 4.2, which brought the world the new photo feature. It lets you take a
full 360-degree panorama shot of the world around you. Dont fret, though,
because there are apps that do just that form Google Play. Apps to try include
360 Panorama and Photo360. The Galaxy S3 may get the ocial Photo Sphere
feature once the update to Android 4.2 arrives.
46. Share photos directly with Share Shot
Share Shot uses Wi-Fi Direct to let you ing shots over directly to other people
nearby. It requires that the recipient device has Wi-Fi Direct engaged too,
though.
Advanced
47. Root it if you dare
Theres a massive Android modding community, and if you want to get involved
youll need to root your Samsung Galaxy S3. This strips o a layer of protection,
giving you direct access to the phones virtual organs and bones. It will also let
you install custom ROMs customised installs of the Android operating system.
Doing this, you could strip away TouchWiz if you like. You can brick your phone
in this process, though, so proceed with caution.

48. Remote wipe your phone with Remote Control

A great security feature of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is remote wiping of data.
Youll need to sign up for a Samsung account, after which you can remotely
manage your phone from samsungdive.com. You can wipe data, lock the
phone so it cant be used and even locate the device using the Find my Phone
feature. If theres even a small chance youre phones going to be nicked (lets
face it, there is), we recommend signing up for this. It doesnt cost you anything
either.
49. For frequent iers dual clock lock screen
Heres a clever bit of software jiggery-pokery. The lock screen clock can change
automatically when youre roaming to show two times, one for the country
youre in and another for the time back home. Youll nd this in the Lock screen
menu of the Settings menu, called Dual clock.
And nally
50. Jelly Bean easter egg
Youve never seen an Android easter egg? You havent lived. To experience the
wonder of the Jelly Bean easter egg on your Samsung Galaxy S3, go to the
About device section in Settings, repeatedly clock on the Android version entry
and youll see the beaming face of a cartoon Jelly Bean. Hold a nger down on
the little guy and the screen will ll with whizzing beans. Who needs an iPhone
5 (/apple-iphone-5_Mobile-Phone_review), eh?
By
Share:

TVs

Cameras

Computing

Mobiles

MORE

(/tvs-entertainment) (/cameras) (/laptops-computing) (/mobile-gps) (/m/menu)

Other sites you may like

What Digital Camera (http://www.whatdigitalcamera.co.uk)

Back to top (#top)

Mobile site | Desktop site (/m/disable?url=
%2F%3Fsa%3DX%26ei%3DBhkOUsWGM8rIrQf2nYCwCw%26ved%3D0CAcQqwQ)
Text size: A (#)

A (#)

Terms & Conditions (/m/terms)

Privacy policy (http://www.ipcmedia.com/privacy.php)
Cookie consent (http://info.evidon.com/pub_info/1126?v=1&nt=1&nw=false)
IPC Media 2013