Sales haven’t exactly set the world on fire, but it’s understandable if you want your device to stand out from the pack.The following guide has 15 methods that you can use to customize your device. If you’re looking for a guide that focusses on the S6 Edge specifically, we came prepared.
1. Switching the Screen Mode
The S6 offers a number of options when it comes to deciding on the screen mode. If you want more color from the screen or a sharper image when you’re watching a film, you can toggle between the different options to see which is right for you. You can access this menu in your Settings, by tapping Display and then Screen Mode. It’s worth trying out all of the options to see which one looks better to you.
2. Smart Lock
This is a function that will keep your phone unlocked when you’re in a trusted location, like home or at work or even in your car connected to Bluetooth. If you’re going to be using your device a lot, it could save you the hassle of constantly typing in your passcode or scanning a fingerprint.From your Settings, navigate to Lock screen and security.
Tap Secure lock settings and tap Smart Lock.
It’s worth noting that the phone will lock as soon as it exits the radius of the ‘trusted location’.
3. Changing the Galaxy S6 Theme
One of the easiest ways to customize your Galaxy S6 is by changing the entire theme of the device. Themes offer different fonts, wallpapers and icons that give your device a sense of identity. You can have a look at the themes on offer by navigating to Themes in the Settings Menu.
4. Smart Stay Mode
Smart Stay mode is a great feature that detects your face with the camera. It adjusts the screen brightness to keep it high while you are looking at the screen, and it will lower the brightness when it stops seeing you. Of course, this should help to conserve battery power. You can enable this feature by:
Going into your Settings.Tap Display.Make sure that the Smart Stay box is checked.
You will know when Smart Stay is on thanks to the (again creepy) Eyeball icon that will appear on the top bar.
5. Motions and Gestures
Samsung is known for putting screen motions and gestures on their devices, and the S6 has a few on offer. They can often be useful and range from ringing a contact if you lift the phone to your ear or muting the phone by flipping the device face-down. These options can be found by tapping on Device in your Settings. Tap on Motionsand gestures to open a list that will allow you to set the options to your liking.Here’s an example of a Gesture, that allows you to wake the phone by hovering your hand over the device. (It’s probably the closest most of us will ever get to having The Force.)
6. Turn on the Download Booster
The Download Booster is an additional option that can greatly upgrade your download speeds, by combining both your Wi-Fi connection and your mobile internet. This can help if you’re struggling to download a large file, but it will use up your mobile data so it’s worth setting a cap if your data plan isn’t unlimited. You can find the booster by going to Settings, then finding and tapping More Connection Settings. Tap Download Booster and you will be able to toggle it on and off. A small icon will appear at the top of the screen when the Download Booster is on. However, this mode isn’t available on all S6’s, despite being pre-loaded by Samsung with the device. The reason for this is that some carriers (such as AT&T and Sprint) have made tweaks to the software available on the handset, often adding their own layer of apps and Bloatware.
7. Developer Options
Developer Options are found on most Android phones. They are used for a variety of reasons, from USB debugging to setting a limit to your background processes. If you’re interested in delving deeper into your device, the Developer Options are often the best place to start. You can do this by going to About Device in your Settings, and tapping your Build Number repeatedly until you receive a confirmation message on screen informing you “You are now a developer!”
8. Editing the Quick Settings toggles in the Notification bar
You can change what appears in the swipe down Notification Bar, giving you greater control over your device. If you don’t want to see the Bluetooth icon ever again, you can make it disappear from the quick menu for good. To edit these settings, swipe down to reveal your Quick Settings, and tap the Edit button found at the top right of the screen. From here, you can drag and drop to find the perfect combination.
9. Enabling Swipe Input for the Keyboard
Swipe Input on the S6gives you the ability to swipe your words instead of spelling them out on the keyboard. It’s known to be a quick method of typing after a little practice. The Swype keyboard is available on the Samsung S6, but it will first need to be activated.
These settings can be found by going to Language and Input from the settings menu.Tap Samsung Keyboard and tap keyboard swipe.Make sure Continuous Input is checked.
If you’re constantly texting on your S6, it could be worth trying out the swipe method.
10. Boosting Battery Life
One of the most common complaints about the S6 is the battery life, which is arguably worse than its predecessor is. If you’re a power user who often finds himself nowhere near a charger like me, any boost to the battery is greatly appreciated, despite the relative hit in performance. A digital assistant sounds all well and good, but disabling Google Now could help to stretch out your battery life. You can disable it from within the app itself. Tap the menu button, and choose Settings. There’s a toggle at the top which can be used to turn it on and off. Of course, the choice and balance between battery life and additional options is up to you to work out.
11. Changing Font without a Theme
If you don’t want a completely new theme, you can still choose a different font type depending on your preference.There are a number to choose from, and it does change the look of your device more than you might expect. To change the font, go to Settings and tap Display. Tap Font to bring up the choices.
12. Private Mode
If you want to keep your personal life personal, look no further. Private mode provides an additional layer of security to certain applications, by allowing you to keep your files and apps locked behind a secondary password or fingerprint. You can use it to keep photos and social media apps under your control, which can be helpful if you lose your device or you want to keep people from snooping. To activate private mode, go to your Settings and tap Privacy and safety. Tap Private mode to switch it on. You can then manually assign private items directly from their applications.
13. Turn off the Notification LED and Custom Notifications
You can switch off the Notification LED indicator if you find it distracting.
From your Settings, tap Sounds & notifications.You will be able to toggle the LED on and off from the LED indicator tab
You can use the Custom Notification settings to manage the push notificationsyou see on your device.You can find these options by tappingSounds & notifications in your Settings, and tapping App Notifications. From here you can block all of those annoying messages while prioritizing the ones that matter.
14. Disabling Bloatware
Samsung phones are notorious for coming preloaded with Bloatware, so it’s great that you can disable any offending applications. While you will probably want to keep S Health and a few others, it’s a handy way to keep unwanted, hard to delete apps from updating and popping up on your S6.
Go to the App Drawer screen.Tap Edit in the top right-hand corner.Select the app.Tap Disable.
15. Customizing the Lock Screen
Let’s face it. Most Lock screens look the same, aside from the background image. If you’re a fan of the older pattern passcode, or you want to switch to fingerprint only, the S6 has you covered. If you want to change the type of lock you have, you can do so by:
Going to your Settings and tapping Personal.Tap Lock screen and security.Tap Screen lock type to bring up a range of options.
You can add weather information to the lock screen by:
Navigating back to Lock screen and security, and tapping Show Information.Tap Weather.You don’t have to use your device’s location services when prompted, you can manually assign your area afterwards if you prefer.
Conclusion
Without rooting the device, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is one of the best phones for customization available on the market. Thanks in part to the hype surrounding the S6 Edge Plus, it’s seeing a revival despite some of its problems, so it could still work out for Samsung in the long run. If you’re having any issues with your S6, you can check our guide for troubleshooting tips. Let us know what you think of the S6 in the comments below, or you can also send us a message, (or a follow) on both Facebook and Twitter. If we managed to help out or you have any problems with your S6, let us know in the comments below. Featured Image Credit, Screen Mode, Smart Stay, Download Booster, Developer Option, Font, Private Mode
