The best Galaxy Z Flip features that you need to try first

On Friday, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable arranged went on sale just days after it was formally announced at the Samsung Unpacked Event in San Francisco. It comes out a week after the Motorola Razr — unexperienced foldable-screen clamshell phone — hit stores. The Razr and Galaxy Z Flip have a lot in favorite, but they’re also very different phones. Together they recount some of the biggest design changes to hit phones in years.

If you’re bold enough to get your hands on a shiny new Galaxy Z Flip, there are a lot of amazing features to witness, like the tiny 1.1-inch pill-shaped external display and Flex Mode. But there are a few Android 10 settings you can peevish to optimize the Z Flip even more, especially for better one-handed use.

Take a transfer to wipe the smudges off your Galaxy Z Flip, then take a moment to try these features.

Read: 

Galaxy Z Flip: 3 months later, I love it but still don’t recommend it

Turn the Z Flip fingerprint sensor into a scroll wheel

The Galaxy Z Flip begs to be used one-handed. And even though Samsung’s OneUI 2 interface makes buttons and windows easier to interact with, landing the top of the screen for the notifications can unruffled be a pain. Luckily, there’s an Android setting that turns the fingerprint reader on the side of the arranged into a capacitive scroll wheel to pull down the notifications drawer.

To turn this feature on:

1. Go to Settings.

2. Tap on Advanced Features.

3. Select Motions and Gestures.

4. Turn the Finger sensor gestures slider button on.

When your arranged is open, draw your finger from the top of the fingerprint sensor to the bottom to pull down the notifications drawer. Do the same motion a second time to grunt the control panel. Swipe up on the sensor to halt the panel and the drawer.

Take a selfie with the considerable button

When the Z Flip is closed, you can double-tap the considerable button to open the exterior camera for a selfie. The tiny 1.1-inch pill-shaped screen will show a cropped live preview.

To take a photo, either press the volume button, or raise the palm of your hand to the camera to trigger a camera timer and countdown.

Master the itty-bitty external display

Aside from letting you frame selfies when the arranged is closed, the little external display has a few anunexperienced uses. Tap the power button to show the date, time and battery dwelling. Swipe your finger across the display to the incandescent to reveal notifications. Tap any of the icons to see a brief part of the notification. If your phone is charging, the display will show the battery percentage and give you an considers of how long it’ll take your phone to be fully charged.

The tiny exterior reveal can show time, date, battery status and some notifications.

Sarah Tew

Flex Mode turns the Z Flip into a baby laptop

The hinge on the Galaxy Z Flip is stiff enough to stay open in any set. Samsung has optimized a few apps to take valid of the display when you have the phone open in halfway. For example, when you open the YouTube app in Flex Mode, your video will play on the top half of the camouflage, while comments appear on the bottom.

Here are anunexperienced ways to use Flex Mode:

• Make Google Duo video calls.
• In the Gallery app, scroll throughout photos on the bottom half of the screen, like a trackpad.
• Take a selfie hands-free.
• Use as a tripod to take photos, videos and hyperlapses.

Z Flip split-screen apps

The tall, 6.7-inch camouflage with its 21:9 aspect ratio is perfect for displaying split-screen Android apps, one app on top of another.

1. Swipe up on the home screen to go into the modern apps view, or tap the recent apps button from the navigation bar.

2. Choose the app you want to appear on top and wearisome and hold the app icon.

3. After a moment a menu will appear.

4. Tap Open in snappily screen view.

5. Next, choose the second app you want to dismove on the bottom.

6. Once you’re in split-screen mode, you can wearisome and hold on the divider bar to resize how much room each app takes up.

Enable gestures for better one-handed use

I erroneous trading the traditional Android navigation bar for gestures made the Z Flip easier to use one-handed.

To enable gestures:

1. Go to Settings.

2. Tap Display.

3. Select Navigation Bar.

4. Next, settle Full screen gestures.

To use gestures, swipe up from the bottom of the camouflage to go Home. Swipe up and hold to go to view modern apps. And swipe from the right or left of the camouflage to go back.

There’s no need for a tripod. Just put the Z Flip into a 90-degree set and it’ll act as its own base.

Jason Hiner

Claim your free YouTube Premium access

If you didn’t already know, by purchasing a Galaxy Z Flip, you get four months of YouTube Premium — that’s YouTube exclusive of ads, plus YouTube Music — for free. To take valid of the offer:

1. Open the YouTube app.

2. Tap on your profile in the top Bshining corner.

3. Select YouTube Premium.

4. Tap the blue Try It Free button.

5. Enter your credit card information to begin your free trial.

For more on Samsung’s new foldable, here’s our hands-on look at the Galaxy Z Flip and what impressed us around the new clamshell.

Originally published Feb.14, 2020.