11 Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 + tricks you should know

Contents hide

1 1. Enable video call effects

2 2. Get the smoothest display

3 3. Customize the call backgrounds

4 4. Customize the side button

5 5. Personalize the Always on display screen

6 6. Attiva Lockscreen Widgets

7 7. Subtitles in real time

8 8. Activate one-handed mode

9 9. Bring mobile notifications to the home screen

10 10. Set a reminder for notifications

11 11. Enable bixby routines

12 Make your smartphone smarter

12.1 Related posts:

The Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus arrive with a lot of interesting features, be it the updated OneUI or the gorgeous display. But at the end of the day, all features are made for the masses and not tailored to you. And this is where we come into play to help you get the best out of the new Samsung Galaxy S21.

We have selected all the settings you can use to change your phone. So without further ado, let’s see some of the best Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 + tips and tricks.

1. Enable video call effects

I am sure you must receive many video calls on your new Galaxy S21. If you want to spice up your calls, the Galaxy S21 has an ingenious ace up its sleeve. The Galaxy S21 series comes with some really cool effects to make your selfie videos much more beautiful during calls.

To use them, go to Settings> Advanced Features> Video Call Effects and select the effect you prefer.

For example, if you want to blur the background, add a custom image, or add a pop of color to your video calls, you can do it effortlessly.

2. Get the smoothest display

When we talk about the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, one mention is incomplete without talking about the 120Hz display. Yes, the 120Hz refresh rate is available and you can activate it with the push of a button. And believe me, it’s great.

To enable it, go to Display Settings and set Motion Smoothing to Adaptive.
When done, scroll down to set the screen resolution to WQHD +. And this is all.

The best part is that you can use the QHD resolution Galaxy S21 Ultra with an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz, unlike the previous Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Note 20 series.

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3. Customize the call backgrounds

Another ingenious trick of the Samsung Galaxy S21 is that you can also change the background of the call. So, if you want to add an animated video, now it is possible.

The good part is that enabling it is easy. Just open the dialer, tap the 3-dot menu button and then select Settings.

Then, select Call Wallpaper> Wallpaper. Now, all you have to do is select a video from the available video series. Or you can add a custom video from your gallery by tapping the + icon.

4. Customize the side button

Aside from the aforementioned customizations, the Galaxy S21 also packs a nifty shortcut that you can use with the side button. While you can turn off your phone, it also lets you open your favorite app when you double tap it.

To remap the button, go to Settings> Advanced Features> Side Key. In the Double press section, select Open app.

Here you can choose any app of your choice.

5. Personalize the Always on display screen

Another ingenious trick of your Galaxy S21 is that it allows you to choose and customize the Always On Display wallpaper.

Thanks to the brand new OneUI 3, you can choose from many AOD (Always On Display) wallpapers. Now you can set GIFs, customize colors, and more.

For that, go to Settings> Lock Screen> Always On Display and set it to Always On.
Once done, tap on the clock style to choose the clock style and colors. Also, you can tap on the image icon and then choose from various GIFs.

6. Attiva Lockscreen Widgets

Wouldn’t it be great to check basic things like text or email subject right from your phone’s lock screen? If so, say hello to Lockscreen Widgets.

To enable widgets, go to Settings> Lock screen> Widgets. Select a widget of your choice. After that, enable the switch next to Always show on display.

Next time, the phone switches to AOD mode, double tap the clock, then scroll down to access the widgets section. This will only load the widgets in AMOLED mode, thus preserving battery life and at the same time allowing you to take a look at your program, songs playing or the number of times you have unlocked your phone.

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7. Subtitles in real time

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is smart. It is smart enough to automatically create captions whenever it detects any speech on the playing videos. Yes, I’m not kidding. The best part is that it works perfectly on Instagram, YouTube, Netflix or even the videos in your phone’s gallery.

To enable it, tap the volume button, then tap this expand icon (down arrow) and select Live Subtitles. Simple.

Keep in mind that subtitles will not be as fast as the embedded subtitles of video and movie files.

8. Activate one-handed mode

The Galaxy S21, especially the Ultra variant, is a huge phone. And sometimes it gets a little difficult to handle the phone with one hand, especially when traveling by public transport.

At times like this, it makes sense to switch to one-handed mode. Thankfully, enabling it is easy and only requires a one-time setup.

To enable it, go to Advanced Features in Settings and turn on the switch next to One-handed mode. You can now set the trigger for this, depending on the style of navigation bar you are using.
Once done, enter one-handed mode by swiping down the center of the bottom edge or double-tapping the Home button. And this is all.

The best part is that you can also move the window or resize it, to your liking.

9. Bring mobile notifications to the home screen

When it comes to notifications, it’s safe to say that the Samsung UI was way ahead of its peers. And with Galaxy S21 and S21 +, you can swipe down on notifications to open a floating window. Great, right?

However, you will need to enable this great feature first. To do this, select Advanced settings> Mobile notifications and set it to smart pop-up view.

From now on, you can easily interact with your notifications in a floating window.

10. Set a reminder for notifications

Speaking of notifications, you must already know that the Galaxy S21 reminds you of older notifications that you may have deleted. Now you can go a step further by setting notification reminders for the ones you might forget. It could be a text message or a simple missed call.

To set it up, go to Notification Settings in Advanced Settings and select Notification Reminders and turn on the switch.

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Now, set the reminder frequency for apps.

11. Enable bixby routines

Okay, Bixby couldn’t reach the same stature as its counterparts like Google Assistant or iOS’s Siri, however, it still has potential. And well, if you bought a phone that costs more than $ 800, why not use it, right?

For starters, you can create Bixby routines as per your needs. These routines can be dubbed as IFTTT recipes for your Samsung phones more simply. Then add custom routines and assign specific triggers for the same.

To create a Bixby routine on your Samsung Galaxy S21 phone, go to Settings> Advanced Features and select Bixby Routine.

Here, choose one of the existing presets (in the Recommended section) and fill in the blank fields as per your requirement. You can also create one from scratch by tapping the Plus icon in the top right corner of My Routines.

Make your smartphone smarter

These were some of the cool tips and tricks with which you can get the most out of your Samsung Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 +.

In addition to the above, One UI 3.0 packs a lot of features to tweak your phone settings to make the most of it. For example, you can add or remove the Edge panels or choose the right Dolby Atmos mode when watching movies.