Android phones available in 2021 but, with it offering so much, it can be easy to miss some of its best features. For anyone that's spent a lot of time with Samsung devices over the years, that probably doesn't come as much of a surprise. As great as Samsung is when it comes to its displays, cameras, and so on, the company has long-struggled with overstuffing its software experience.
This is an area in which Samsung has improved dramatically in recent years, especially with the company's shift to its One UI Android overlay back in 2018. One UI stood out as a shifting point in which Samsung strived to simplify its experience by removing unneeded cruft, making menus and settings easier to navigate, and reworking numerous aspects of its UX to be easier to use with one hand. While some of that simplification has been lost in the months and years since, the latest One UI 3.1 software is a pretty fantastic offering.
One UI 3.1 made its first appearance on the Samsung Galaxy S21 earlier this year and, while it's not a dramatic jump forward compared to previous One UI iterations, it can still feel a bit daunting to anyone that hasn't used a Samsung phone in a few years or is rocking the S21 as their first Galaxy ever. Certain features are readily apparent and easy to find, whereas others are more hidden. Below are five of the best Galaxy S21 features that aren't talked about that much, but are also 100 percent worth using.
Smart Home Controls In Quick Settings
First on the list, let's talk about smart home controls in Quick Settings. These smart home controls were first introduced in Android 11 and on phones from Google and OnePlus they're accessed by holding down the power button. Holding down the power button on the Galaxy S21 doesn't show any such controls, but they are still there.
Swipe down from the top of the S21's screen to view its Quick Settings, and from there, tap the 'Devices' button. This is where those smart home controls live in One UI, and while it's not quite as convenient as Google or OnePlus's implementation, they're still incredibly nice to have for quickly managing lights, thermostats, or smart switches.
From that Devices page, there are a couple of key settings to play with. Tap the three dots towards the right and then tap 'Manage apps' to change which smart home app is used for these controls (such as SmartThings or Google Home). There's also a 'Settings' option that pops up after tapping the three dots, with this page allowing the smart home controls to be used even when the S21 is locked.
Change Lock Screen Shortcuts
Outside of more recent features added to One UI, there are plenty of older ones that are easy to forget about if someone doesn't already know they exists — a perfect example being the ability to change the Galaxy S21's lock screen shortcuts. By default, the Galaxy S21 lock screen has shortcuts for opening the camera or phone apps. These are fine, but they don't have to stay that way if the doesn't want them to.
Open the Settings app, tap 'Lock screen,' and then tap 'Shortcuts.' There are then two options for 'Left Shortcut' and 'Right Shortcut' and by tapping on either one these can be changed to open any app that's installed on the S21. If someone wants the left shortcut to open 1 while the right one opens Google Pay, that can be done. The shortcuts can also trigger a couple of quick actions, which include enabling the flashlight or turning on Do Not Disturb.
Bixby Routines
While Bixby has gotten a lot of flak over the years (and rightfully so), that's not to say everything Samsung's done with the Bixby brand has been a total waste. In fact, the Bixby Routines feature on the Galaxy S21 is actually pretty great. Similar to Siri Shortcuts, Bixby Routines can be used for automating certain functions of the S21 so that it works smarter and not harder.
To access Bixby Routines, open the Settings app, scroll down and tap on 'Advanced features,' and then tap 'Bixby Routines.' The main Discover page shows recommended Bixby Routines to set up, tapping 'Add routine' allows s to make their own custom recipe, and 'My routines' shows any Bixby Routines that have already been created.
The possibilities are virtually endless with what can be done here, and right of the gate, Samsung has a few helpful suggestions to get people started. For example, the 'Save battery at night' routine will automatically enable Power Saving Mode if it's late at night and the Galaxy S21 isn't charging. There's also the 'Good morning' routine that enables the always-on display, changes the lock screen shortcuts to calculator and photos, and plays the Wake Up Happy Spotify playlist.
Customize Side Key To Open Any App
The Galaxy S21's power button (which Samsung refers to as the Side Key) can be used for more than turning the S21 on and off. Quickly double-pressing the button opens the camera app so s never miss the perfect shot, but for someone that doesn't use their camera that often, this double press action can be re-mapped to just about anything else.
To change what the Side Key does, s need to make another trip in the Settings app. Open the Galaxy S21's Settings, scroll down, tap 'Advanced features,' and then tap 'Side key.' Tap 'Open app' under the double press section at the top of the screen, and from here, any installed app on the S21 can be assigned to the double press shortcut. That same page also allows s to change the press and hold action of the button to one of two things — showing the power off menu or initiating a Bixby voice command.
Send SOS Messages
Believe it or not, there's even more Side Key functionality buried in another settings menu. The world can be a scary and dangerous place and, should someone find themselves in a situation where they need help, the button can be used to send off an SOS message during a time of need.
Once again, open the Settings app and scroll down to 'Advanced features.' At the bottom of the Advanced features page is an option called 'Send SOS messages' — tap on it. Tap the toggle at the top of the page to turn the feature on, which then shows a pop-up of how everything works. When SOS mode is enabled, the Galaxy S21 will automatically turn on Wi-Fi and Location, share its exact location with emergency s for 24 hours, and send a message to those same emergency s to let them know that help is needed.
This SOS mode can be engaged after pressing the Side Key three or four times (this can be changed whenever), and along with the features outlined above, additional functions can be enabled as well — such as having the Galaxy S21 call someone after sending the emergency message or automatically capture pictures from the front and rear cameras and have them sent with that message. It's a feature that no one wants to ever have to use, but it's also extremely important to have it set up and configured just to be safe.
Source: Samsung