Key Takeaways
- Motions and gestures enhance the user experience on Galaxy phones with features like Lift to Wake, Double Tap to Turn On/Off Screen, and Palm Swipe to Capture.
- Customize swipe controls, display size, and menu button layouts for a more personalized Samsung Galaxy experience.
- Samsung Galaxy Swipe Gestures replaces navigation icons with swipe controls for a smoother, uncluttered interface.
Using motions and gestures to control your Galaxy phone is faster and more fluid than clunky buttons because your fingers are already running along the touchscreen for other apps. You can customize the way you take screenshots, navigate your phone, and more by easily swiping your screen with the Motion & Gestures feature.
If you’re optimizing your user experience with Motions & Gestures, you might as well tweak other settings to improve your Galaxy’s comfort and usability. In this guide, I outline how to use swipe controls to access common phone functions and adjust the display size and menu button layouts so everything’s how you want it in your Galaxy device.
Related
Can Samsung DeX replace your Windows desktop?
I tested Samsung’s desktop platform on various devices to learn more about its performance and limitations.
How to setup Motions and Gestures with your Galaxy device
Samsung / Pocket-lint
1. Go to Settings and open Advanced Features
2. Tap on Motion and Gestures.
3. A window will open, and you can use the handy sliders to activate the functions you’d like to use.
How do Motions and Gestures work with Galaxy phones?
1. Lift to Wake
Lift to Wake activates the display automatically when you lift your phone, so you can check the time, date, and other information at a glance without pressing any buttons.
2. Double Tap to Turn On and Off Screen
This feature is similar to Lift to Wake and allows you to quickly check for notifications and view other information by tapping the screen twice. It’s faster than using the side buttons, and you can also double-tap to turn the screen off when you’re done.
3. Alert when phone is picked up
When you activate this feature, your Galaxy phone will vibrate if you’ve missed a call or message. It’s handy when you’re on the go and don’t want to waste time looking at the screen to find out if you have any notifications.
4. Mute with gestures
There’s no need to scramble for sliders and buttons when you can mute calls and alarms by simply placing your hand over the screen or turning your phone over.
5. Palm Swipe to Capture
Taking screenshots usually involves pressing the power + volume down buttons simultaneously or finding the function on the quick access menu. Palm Swipe to Capture makes things easier by allowing you to take screenshots by sliding your hand across the display. It can be tricky the first couple of times, but you’ll never go back to the other, more complicated ways once you get the hang of it.
![fold-5-deal-1](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/fold-5-deal-1.jpeg)
Related
Best early Prime Day 2024 phone deals: Save $400 on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5
Just ahead of Prime Day, several notable high-end smartphones are on sale.
Other Motion and gesture features to improve your Galaxy experience.
Not all of Samsung’s gesture controls are in one place, and it’s worth checking out these functions and settings to make your phone more user-friendly.
How to setup One-handed mode on Samsung Galaxy
The latest Galaxy phones are the biggest yet, and One-handed mode makes them easier to use by shrinking the display area to a more manageable size.
Samsung / Pocket-lint
1. Open Settings and go to Advanced features
2. Tap on One-handed mode and use the slider to turn the function on and off.
3. Tick the desired checkbox to reduce the display size by swiping down in the center of the screen’s bottom edge or tapping the Home button. Swiping is fast once you’ve learned how to do it, but most people will probably prefer the precision of tapping the button. You can also move the shrunken display left or right to fit your hand with the convenient arrows on each side.
How to use Samsung Galaxy Swipe to call and text
The swipe-to-call and text functions allow you to swipe on a contact instead of going into their details to dial their number or write a message. Activating these features reduces the steps you must follow when communicating with your family and friends and saves time in the long run.
Samsung / Pocket-lint
1. Open the Samsung Phone app and tap the three-dot icon on the display’s top-right corner.
2. Tap on Other Call settings when the Call settings window opens
3. Move the slider left or right to activate the Swipe to call or text function. Once activated, you can swipe left on a contact to send a message and swipe right to make a call.
Samsung / Pocket-lint
![A person holding an Android with UWB activation settings pulled up.](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/wm/2024/06/uwb-on-android.jpg)
Related
How to enable ultra-wideband on your Android phone — and why you should
Wireless tech like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have proved their usefulness, but you can also use UWB to unlock your car, track your house keys, and more.
How to use Samsung Galaxy Swipe Gestures
Samsung Galaxy Swipe Gestures replaces the three navigation icons at the bottom of the display with swipe controls, resulting in a smoother, uncluttered experience.
Samsung / Pocket-lint
1. Open Settings and tap on Display.
2. Scroll down and open Navigation bar in the Display menu.
3. You can then tick Buttons or Swipe gestures to manage your navigation bar controls. Buttons is the default setting, which displays the three icons at the bottom of the screen for navigation. Swipe Gestures makes them disappear and adds swipe controls instead.
4. When choosing Swipe Gestures, you’ll need to activate Gesture Hint and Show button to hide keyboard with sliders. Gesture Hint makes it easier to learn how to use your new navigation system by showing you where to swipe, while Show button to hide keyboard adds a down arrow button to hide the keyboard in portrait mode.
How to program Samsung Galaxy side-buttons
It’s worth programming your phone’s side buttons to open the apps you want while customizing your Galaxy user experience.
Samsung / Pocket-lint
1. Open Settings, navigate to Advanced features, and open Side Button.
2. Use the slider to activate the Double press mode and choose whether you want to quick launch the camera, access Samsung wallet, or open another app.
3. You can also tick the box you prefer under Press and hold to activate Bixby or the Power off menu.
FAQ
Q: Is it worth using motions and gestures on Samsung Galaxy phones?
Motion and gesture controls are worth using on your Samsung Galaxy phone because they save time and make navigation easier and faster.
Q: Do I need third-party apps to activate Samsung Galaxy motion and gesture controls?
Samsung Galaxy phones have baked-in motion and gesture controls so there’s no need to download separate apps.
Q: What functions can I access with Samsung Galaxy motion and gesture controls?
You can mute your phone, take screenshots, and more with Samsung Galaxy motion and gesture controls.