Samsung experience

NewsSamsung, Samsung Galaxy S

Samsung Experience Home starts fresh with a new face and name: One UI Home. It comes with a simple screen layout, neatly arranged icons, as well as Home and Apps screens that perfectly fit Galaxy devices. Meet the better-looking One UI Home that blends familiarity with newness.

[New features available from Android Pie]
• Use Full screen gestures on the Home screen.
- You can hide the Navigation buttons at the bottom of the Home screen, and quickly switch between apps using gestures. Now, enjoy an even bigger Home screen.

• Lock the Home screen layout after rearranging app icons.
- This can prevent pages from being added and app icons from being repositioned or removed by accident. To lock the Home screen layout, go to Home screen settings, then turn on Lock Home screen layout.

• Touch and hold an app icon or widget.
- You can quickly access the App info or Widget settings screen without going through multiple menus.

※ The features described above require an update to Android 9.0 Pie or a later version.
※ Available features may differ depending on the device or OS version.

If you have any questions or experience any issues while using One UI Home, contact us through the Samsung Members app.

※ App permissions
The following permissions are required for the app service. For optional permissions, the default functionality of the service is turned on, but not allowed.

[Required permissions]
• None

[Optional permissions]
• Storage : Used to restore the home screen layout data
• Contacts : Used to restore the contact widget information

If your system software version is lower than Android 6.0, please update the software to configure App permissions.
Previously allowed permissions can be reset on Apps menu in device settings after software update.

Group Sharing app is installed on Samsung Galaxy devices as a basic app. It is an application that allows you to share a variety of content with your family and friends on Samsung’s basic apps such as Gallery, Samsung Note, Calendar, and Reminder by using the share groups of Samsung accounts.
You can also share profile photos with your friends on the Contacts app.

Group Sharing app provides a variety of features to share content, and is constantly improving its usability through continuous updates.

[Main features of Group Sharing]
• Create and manage share groups from the Samsung account’s Group Sharing menu
• Shared albums on the Gallery app
• Shared calendars on the Calendar app
• Shared notes on the Samsung Note app
• Shared reminders on the Reminder app
• Share profile photos on the Contacts App
• Share Auto Hospots with family

* If the Group Sharing app is not updated or deactivated, some features of Samsung apps may not operate properly.

** Information on access permissions
Access permission as follows is required to offer the service.
In the case of optional access permissions, basic features of the service can be used even if they are not granted.

[Required access permission]
• SMS: Used for sending an authentication text message at the sign-up stage and automatic entry of the authentication number
• Telephone: Used for checking the device that the user is logged into
• Address book: Used for updating profiles of friends in saved Contacts or selecting a recipient list
• Calendar: Read the Calendar schedule and details
• Storage: Used for transferring or saving photos, videos, or files to a device

[Optional Access Permissions]
• Camera: Used for taking photos for the share group cover photo


If your device's OS version is lower than Android 6.0, you cannot choose whether to allow access permissions or not. Please check if your OS can be updated, then update to Android 6.0 or above.
After updating the OS, previously allowed access permissions can be reset through the device’s Settings > Apps menu.

----
Developer contact information:
02-2255-0114

Software overlay by Samsung Electronics

Samsung Experience (stylized as SɅMSUNG Experience) was a software overlay for the Android "launcher" by Samsung for its Galaxy devices running Android Nougat and Android Oreo. It was introduced in late 2016 on a beta build based on Android Nougat for the Galaxy S7, succeeding TouchWiz.^[1] It has been succeeded by One UI based on Android Pie and later versions.

History[edit]

Main article: TouchWiz

TouchWiz was the former name Samsung used for its UI and icons. It was originally released on June 4, 2010, for the Galaxy S smartphone. Reviewers had criticized Samsung for including too many features and bloat, especially in the Galaxy S4, which included what many users called a Samsung "feature creep".^[2] In the following years, though, Samsung had incrementally removed the bloatware and extra features, until TouchWiz was no longer recognized as TouchWiz, leading them to rename it.^[3]

Features[edit]

Home screen[edit]

Samsung Experience makes several changes to Android's default homescreen. The apps icon is on the bottom right of the screen instead of the bottom middle, the Google Now search bar is just below the middle of the screen instead of at the top, and there is a weather widget (provided by The Weather Channel or AccuWeather in select countries or devices) at the top right corner of the screen. In addition, a user can edit the apps grid layout.^[4]

Edge UX[edit]

The "Edge" (curved glass at the edge of the screen) was originally introduced in the Galaxy Note Edge, and popularized with the Galaxy S6 Edge.

Edges[edit]

The tasks edge gives users a shortcut to commonly utilized tasks, such as making a phone call to a certain contact, setting a timer, and creating an event in S Planner. It is an assortment of icons (e.g. contact pictures [with phone, messaging, or mail icons], an app icon with a plus symbol on its bottom right corner, or a photo [from your library] masked in the shape of a circle [with the gallery icon on the bottom right corner]) on the right of the screen.^[5] The people edge allows the user to add 5 different contacts to display on the screen, for quick access to functions such as calling, texting, and emailing. It displays the contact's name and photo.^[5] The apps edge displays ten of a user's most frequently used apps, with five in two columns. A user can also add a complete folder to the screen.^[5]

A Galaxy S7 phone in the process of switching from the Yahoo! finance panel to the Apps edge panel.

Edge panels[edit]

Yahoo! sports, finance, and news are panels that are included with the phone.^[5] A user can download extra panels for ease of use, such as an RSS reader, Twitter trends, and news from CNN.^[6]

Quick tools[edit]

With quick tools, the Edge transforms into a ruler, compass, or flashlight.^[5]

Edge feeds[edit]

When a user swipes the edge of the screen and the screen is off, the edge display turns on and displays missed calls, the current time, weather, and news.^[7]

Grace UX[edit]

First released with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 for Android Marshmallow, the Grace UX was named after the device's codename, and eventually made its way to older devices, including the Galaxy Note 5 through an update (Korea and eventually to other countries), and the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge through the official Android Nougat update. The Grace UX features a cleaner, flatter look to iconography and extensive use of white space. TouchWiz Grace UX devices also benefit from the Secure Folder functionality, which enables users to keep certain data, and even apps, behind a secure password.

In addition, for most countries, all the languages that were absent from previous versions (Android Marshmallow or earlier) will be available in this release, starting with the Galaxy Tab S3.

Always-on display[edit]

Main article: Always on Display

The always-on display on the Galaxy S7 Edge, displaying the time and the calendar.

Most of Samsung's mobile devices have AMOLED displays and the screen is left mostly black when the always-on display is active; only illuminated pixels require power since they are LEDs. The screen will display the current time, the calendar, or a selected image. There are different styles for each option (the clock has 7 styles, the calendar has 2 styles, and the image has 3 styles).^[8]Later on, additional functionality was added to turn on the always-on display feature either in a scheduled manner, or keep it always on. The always-on display also adjusts its brightness as per the ambient light brightness automatically.

The Always-on Display is available on Galaxy A series (2017 & 2018), Galaxy S7/S7 edge, Galaxy S8/S8+, Galaxy S9/S9+, Galaxy J7 (2017)/J7 Pro/J7+ (or C7 2017), Galaxy C5/C7/C9 Pro and Galaxy Note 7/FE/8/9 devices only.

File Manager[edit]

Samsung includes a file manager with its Galaxy phones, unlike stock Android.^[9]

Game Launcher[edit]

Any game that a user downloads is combined into a single folder. In that folder, one can optimize frame rate and resolution.^[10] It includes Game Tools, a button that appears when a user is playing a game. When tapped, it can mute notifications, turn off the capacitive keys, minimize the game, screenshot, and record gameplay.^[10]

Bixby[edit]

Bixby is an assistant that launched with the Samsung Galaxy S8. It replaces S Voice on Samsung phones and has three parts, including Bixby Voice, Bixby Vision and Bixby Home. Bixby Voice can be triggered by saying "Hey Bixby" or pressing and holding the button located below the volume rocker, dubbed the Bixby Button. Bixby Vision is built into the camera app and can "see" what one can see as it is essentially an augmented reality camera that can identify objects in real time, search for them on various services, and offer the user to purchase them if available. Bixby is also able to translate text, read QR codes and recognize landmarks.^[11]Bixby Home can be found by swiping to the right on the home screen. It is a vertically scrolling list of information that Bixby can interact with, for example, weather, fitness activity, and buttons for controlling their smart home gadgets.^[11]

Keyword[edit]

Bixby can do tasks related to a single keyword. For example, a simple "Good Night" can request the device to turn to silent mode and turn on the Night Mode display.

S Pen[edit]

(exclusive to the Galaxy Note and Tab series)

• Air Command: A collection of shortcuts that appear when the S Pen is taken out.
• Smart Select: Create custom GIFs (also available on Galaxy S8/+ and S9/+ after 7.0 Nougat update)
• Samsung Notes: The user can take notes, draw, annotate, with a wide selection of brushes, pens, and colors (available as app on Galaxy Apps, except of S Pen writing, but still possible with finger or keyboard type)
• Live Message: The user can draw custom emojis, make animated GIFs, or write messages on photos (also available on Galaxy S8/S8+, S9/S9+ and Note FE after 7.0 Nougat update)
• Screen Off Memo: Capture notes when the screen is off.
• Glance: Have two apps open simultaneously and switch back and forth with ease.
• Magnify: Take a closer look whenever you need to.
• Translate: Translate words or sentences, and convert currencies and measurement units.
• Remote Control: Connected with Bluetooth, can trigger camera, navigate web browser, play/pause/fast forward in music apps. (exclusive to the Note 9)

Version history[edit]

Devices running Samsung Experience[edit]

Note that this list is not exhaustive.

Smartphones[edit]

Tablets[edit]

References[edit]