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How To: Quickly Disable Fingerprints & Smart Lock in Android Pie for Extra Security
Following in iOS 11's footsteps, Android 9.0 Pie will include a security feature that lets you immediately disable the fingerprint scanner as well as extended Smart Lock features. After initiating the feature, you will be required to insert your PIN, pattern, or password before any other unlock methods will work again.
How To: Boot Your Galaxy S9 or S9+ into Recovery Mode or Download Mode
From veteran modders to casual tinkerers, booting into either recovery mode or download mode is something every Galaxy S9 owner should know about. These two pre-boot menus serve a very important purpose — recovery mode is the go-to solution for soft bricks, while download mode allows you to flash firmware files using utilities like Odin and Smart Switch, which can truly be a lifesaver.
How To: Speed Up Transitions & Animations on Your Galaxy S9
Samsung just launched their Galaxy S9 flagship, with preorders shipping in the US already. The Galaxy S9 is an amazing smartphone, with a number of advanced features. Despite this, over time your S9 or S9+ may slow down a bit more than you would like. Thankfully, there is a longstanding trick in the Android community that can speed things up a bit.
How To: Disable App Icon Badges & Unread Counts on Your Galaxy S9
As informative as they can be, the new app icon badges and unread counts on the Galaxy S9's home screen are a little redundant since Android already has a notification center. If you'd rather not have these little dots overlaid on your home screen icons, there's an easy way to disable and hide them.
How To: Change the Lock Screen Shortcuts on Your Galaxy S9
One of Android 8.0's best features is also one of its most subtle — customizable lock screen shortcuts give you more control over the two functions you care about most. Your Galaxy S9 has the Phone and Camera apps in those spots by default, but you can quickly and easily change them if you have other ideas in mind.
How To: Make the Volume Buttons on Your Galaxy S9 Control Media Volume by Default
Most phones adjust the ringtone and notification volume by default when you press the physical volume buttons. If media is playing, then the volume rocker will adjust media volume — but only after the first few seconds played at the previous volume level. This has been a point of frustration for many years, but thankfully, the Galaxy S9 lets you change the default volume control.
How To: You Should Know How to Turn Off Built-in Apps on Your Galaxy S9
The Galaxy S9 is a great phone powered by the Android ecosystem. This includes Google's family of apps — many of which overlap with Samsung's in functionality. This can lead to redundant apps that siphon resources from your phone, but fortunately, there's a way to dull some of the noise and disable built-in apps.
How To: The Safest Way to Disable All Bloatware on Your Galaxy S9 or S9+
Carrier-branded Galaxy S9 models come with a ton of bloatware that you usually can't get rid of without rooting. With a little digital elbow grease, however, there is a way to disable bloatware on your S9 or S9+, and it's a lot safer that attempting to root and modify you precious device.
How To: Downgrade from Android 9.0 Pie Back to Oreo on Your Pixel
If you installed Android 9.0 Pie, you might have enjoyed trying out some of the new features in the latest version of Google's OS. However, change isn't always a good thing, so you might be wishing you could downgrade back to Oreo right about now. Good news — you can.
How To: Improve Bluetooth Audio on Your Galaxy S9 with Custom Codecs
Many Samsung fans were excited when the Galaxy S9 kept the 3.5 mm headphone jack. While this is a rare delight in 2018, you also have the option for high quality audio playback over Bluetooth. When used with compatible headphones, the S9's new Bluetooth audio codecs can greatly improve audio quality.
How To: Get Android 9.0 Pie's New Ringtones & Notifications on Any Phone
Android 9.0 Pie has officially rolled out, but for the time being, it's only available to Google's own Pixel phones and a select few others. Thankfully, you can get a taste of the Android Pie experience on any phone right now.
Samsung Internet 101: How to Set Your Current Website as Your Homepage
Your homepage should be the site you most likely need to check whenever you start a new session with Samsung Internet. However, times change — perhaps the site you're currently browsing is just what you need to see multiple times a day. In that case, you'll want to know a quick and easy way to set it as your default homepage.
How To: Remap the Bixby Button on Your Galaxy S9 — No Root Needed
Since its introduction, the Bixby button has been a big point of contention among Galaxy fans. Many view the dedicated button as a wasted opportunity, which they argue could be put to better use if Samsung would let them use it for other commands. Thanks to an awesome app, you'll be able to remap the Bixby button on your Galaxy S9 to perform almost any function.
Samsung Internet 101: How to Open a New Tab Without Lifting a Finger
On most web browsers, opening a tab requires two or three taps. Not with Samsung Internet. While the app offers a few different ways of getting it done, there's a trick that lets you open a tab with virtually no effort at all. It's one of the reasons Samsung Internet is one of the best browsers on Android.
How To: Force Restart Your Galaxy S9 or S9+ When It's Acting Up
As advanced as the Galaxy S9 is, it can still be susceptible to the occasional hiccup. Several factors can cause your smartphone to behave erratically or become unresponsive, such as buggy apps or updates that didn't properly install. Luckily, most of these issues can be easily resolved with a press of a button — or two, to be exact.
How To: Unlock Developer Options on Your Pixel in Android 9.0 Pie
If you ever want to go beyond the basics on your Android phone, unlocking the hidden "Developer options" menu is the first thing you should try out. With it unlocked, you can change the way parts of stock Android looks, enable ADB connectivity with your computer, add visual reactions to taps, and more.
How To: Get Oreo's Battery Menu Back on Android Pie
One odd change found in the Android Pie update is that the "Battery" menu no longer lets you see apps that are draining your battery, nor gives access to usage details. However, one quick menu tweak will bring the Battery menu back in line with Android Oreo's, only there's a hidden setting you have to unlock first.
How To: Unlock Android 9.0 Pie's New 'Feature Flags' Menu to Modify System Settings
There's a new secret settings menu hiding in Android 9.0 Pie that offers Chrome-style "flags" to the overall operating system. Since it's currently the first Developer Preview and Public Beta versions, it's possible that this menu could disappear entirely when the stable version finally gets released, but it could also persist in its current hidden state where you have to unlock it.
How To: Get the Screenshot Editing Feature from Android Pie on Any Phone
The new Android 9.0 Pie update is bringing a feature that stock Android has been lacking — screenshot editing. OEM skins like Samsung's TouchWiz have had this for years, and Apple added it to iOS just recently. But now that it's in stock Android, it'll be included with every phone going forward — trouble is, most people will have to wait for the update. Thankfully, you can get this feature right now on any phone.
How To: You Can Get One of the Galaxy S9's Best Apps on Any Phone
While TouchWiz as an Android skin isn't a favorite among many, Samsung Internet is a fantastic web browser that S9 owners should be happy to have preinstalled out of the box. But you don't need to buy Samsung's latest flagship to try their browser — Samsung Internet is available to all compatible Android phones.
How To: Activate Developer Options on Your Galaxy S9
You don't need to have a fully modded and rooted Galaxy S9 to appreciate what developer options brings to the table. Besides the obvious USB debugging, which lets you use ADB, this hidden menu lets you tweak your phone's animations or change its DPI to better suit your needs — and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
How To: Boot Your Galaxy S9 or S9+ into Safe Mode
No smartphone is immune to software issues, even one as advanced as the Galaxy S9 and S9+. Bugs can be caused by a multitude of issues, such as third-party apps that just refuse to play well with your device's OS. Thankfully, there's a simple way for you to check if your S9's bugs are due to uncooperative apps.
How To: Pin Apps to the Multitasking View on Your Galaxy S9
The Galaxy S9 is truly a sight to behold. With a class-leading display, the best camera ever put into a smartphone, and Samsung's cutting edge design, it might just be the best piece of hardware on the market. Having said that, some of the most useful additions are actually in the software.
How To: Set Your Galaxy S9 to the Highest Possible Resolution Out of the Box
Samsung's Galaxy S9 has the best smartphone display among any in its class, beating out the likes of the Google Pixel 2 XL and iPhone X. However, Samsung doesn't unlock the true power of its screen out of the box. To do that, you'll need to rummage through a few settings on your way to maxing out the resolution of your Galaxy S9 or S9+.
How To: Install Android 9.0 Pie on Your Pixel Using a Mac
While installing the new Android 9.0 Developer Preview is fairly easy if you're using a Windows machine, it's a little trickier if you want to use macOS instead. To help you get the latest Android OS on your Google Pixel phone, we'll break down the whole process so using your Mac can be as simple as Windows.
How To: Get the New Pixel Launcher from Android 9.0 Pie on Any Phone — No Root Needed
Google just released Android 9.0 Pie, but the Android community is already working its magic. Developer Quinny899 quickly ported the updated Pixel Launcher from the new build, so you can try it out on other phones right now.
How To: This Is How Android 9.0 Pie Will Handle Notches
Most Android phones don't even have an Oreo beta yet, but that's not stopping Google from releasing the preview to their next big update. Android Pie is here for developers to test, and with it, one of the more controversial additions in the Android world today — the notch.
How To: Android 9.0 Pie Makes It Way Easier to Take Screenshots — Here's How
To take a screenshot on most phones, you'd use the power + volume down button combo. For a brief moment, you could even use Google Now on Tap to take screenshots without those hardware buttons, but Google Assistant eventually removed the functionality. Now, easier screenshots are back with Android 9.0 Pie.
How To: Android Pie Finally Lets You Edit Screenshots — Here's How It Works
Samsung has had a rich screenshot editor in TouchWiz for years, and Apple even added a similar feature to iOS 11. Until now, stock Android has lagged behind in this area, but that's finally fixed in Android 9.0 Pie.
How To: The Best Micro SD Cards for Your Galaxy S9
In many ways, the Galaxy S9 is a holdout from the golden days of Android. It's one of the last major flagships to sport a headphone jack, it has an impressive array of internal sensors, and perhaps more importantly, it's got a micro SD card slot.
How To: Use Intelligent Scan to Unlock Your Galaxy S9 Faster
The Galaxy S9 is full of minor improvements and revisions that come together to make it a worthy upgrade over the Galaxy S8. One such improvement is facial recognition, which Samsung has fortified with machine learning and the inclusion of another sensor. The result of these efforts is called Intelligent Scan.
How To: This Samsung Galaxy Dialer Code Lets You Test Each Sensor on Your Phone
With the S9 and S9+ upon us, you maybe wondering if it's time to retire your aging Galaxy and either sell it or do a trade-in to get Samsung's latest flagship. Before you do, however, it's important to make sure that all its components — most notably the sensors — are working fully in order to avoid potential headaches.
How To: Get the Galaxy S9's Landscape Home Screen on Any Android Phone
Samsung's Galaxy S9 was recently announced with features like AR Emoji and Dual Aperture, but great functionality lives underneath them — such as the ability to have your home screen auto-rotate to landscape mode. It's a nice feature, but with a little work, you can already do this on any Android phone.
How To: Get the Galaxy S9's New Ringtones & Notification Sounds on Any Android Phone
The Galaxy S9 was announced February 25, and it's jam-packed with features like AR Emojis and and a Dual Aperture camera. You really love the cut of its jib, but maybe you don't have the means to get your hands on one. Well now, you can get the Galaxy S9's notification sounds and ringtones, to help you feel like you own one.
How To: Make an AR Emoji with the Galaxy S9
Apple's Animoji on the iPhone X might allow you to use your own facial movements to control your favorite emoji, but Samsung is looking to make you the focus of the interactive icon with the introduction of AR Emoji. Instead of a dragon or an alien, Samsung wants your unique look to define your avatar.
How To: Use Your Galaxy S9 & Bixby to Translate Languages in Real Time
The idea of translating in real-time has become quite popular recently, with Google's Pixel Buds integrating the feature. However, their implementation is audio-only. Until recently, you needed to download a frequently-unreliable third party app to translate text using your camera — but that all changes with the Galaxy S9 and Bixby Vision.
How To: LastPass's AutoFill API Is Finally Out of Beta - Here's How Oreo Users Can Turn It On
One of the more exciting features in Android Oreo is the Autofill API. With this tool, third-party password managers can autofill login information into other apps. LastPass added this feature to their beta app a while back, but now, Autofill is finally available in the official stable version of LastPass.
How To: Get That Stock Android Feel on Samsung, LG & Other Phones — Without Rooting
Recently, many manufacturers have started offering phones with a clean, stock Android UI. Motorola, Essential, Nokia, and OnePlus are probably the biggest names that have listened to user feedback and shifted more towards AOSP. But if your phone still has a bloated OEM skin, there are a few things you can do about it.
How To: The 4 Best Firefox Mobile Extensions for Privacy & Security
One unique feature of Firefox Mobile is extensions. Extensions allow users to add in features that didn't originally come with the browser. These add-ons provide an array of features, including improvement to privacy and security.
How To: 5 Settings to Change in Firefox Mobile to Improve Privacy & Security
Unlike many browsers, Firefox gives a lot of control to the user. By default, Firefox does a great job of balancing security and performance. However, within the app's settings, you can modify options to shift this balance in one direction or another. For those looking to shift it toward security, here are few suggestions.