Samsung Galaxy devices are some of the best Android phones you can buy, and that’s because they’re packed with features. Most Galaxy phones are full of exclusive features fans love, but there are dozens more that don’t get talked about enough and deserve far more attention.
We all know about Samsung’s recent Galaxy AI features, camera controls, DeX, Edge Panels, scrolling screenshots, Secure Folder, and Samsung Wallet. Those are all great, but if you look deep enough, you’ll find several others that are absolutely game-changing. Get more from your phone and try these four today.
Separate app sounds
Different audio outputs for specific apps
There’s a good chance you’ve briefly heard about Samsung’s separate app sound controls, but for whatever reason, they don’t get talked about nearly enough. Did you know you can choose which apps play sound through the built-in speaker, a Bluetooth device, your car stereo, and more?
By default, all audio comes out of the same output. However, deep in settings, you can choose which devices or apps send audio to specific devices using the Separate App Sounds feature. For example, I’m always jamming out in the car, and I hate that Google Maps navigation will override my audio. Instead of muting audible directions, just set Google Maps to always play audio through your phone. That way, you can keep listening to tunes without missing an important turn-by-turn direction from your phone.
Go to Settings > Sounds and Vibrations, then look for Separate App Sounds to get started. I also use this to play YouTube Music on a specific Bluetooth speaker in my garage, while notifications and everything else still come through my phone.
Easily free up storage space when you need it
You probably didn’t know that pre-edit backups existed
Credit: Bertel King / How-To Geek
If you’re anything like me, you probably lightly edit, touch-up, or resize every photo or video you take. Even if that’s shortening a video or removing a person from the background of an image using Galaxy AI.
But did you know that every single time you edit a photo or video in any way, it saves the backup alongside the original? That means 100 edited photos are actually taking up 200 photos’ worth of space. Your phone saves every single backup.
It’s called a “pre-edit backup,” and your Galaxy saves it just in case you want to “revert to the original” if you don’t like the results. While on a quest to free up storage space on my phone, I found this feature, which had 19GB of files sitting there, ready to delete. Once I did, I instantly had 19GB of additional space on my phone. Yes please!
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Freeing up space is easier than you think.
To find and remove these backups, head to the settings menu, scroll down to Device Care, tap Storage, then scroll past all the storage sections until you see the (pre-edit) versions section. Additionally, search for it in Settings > Device Care > Storage > Show More > Other Files.
Samsung Routines are the real superpower
Automate all sorts of things
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Modes and Routines is one of Samsung’s best and smartest features. More importantly, so many people don’t take advantage of it. Even if you’ve heard of this feature but thought it sounded too technical, I implore you to give it a try.
Routines make it easy to set specific apps, times, locations, or actions, and the app will follow predefined rules for that app, time of day, location, or situation — all automatically. It’s similar to IFTTT, known as “If This Then That,” but Samsung’s implementation, in my opinion, is far better.
I use modes and routines to automatically disable silent mode when specific people call — like my wife. Once I hang up, it instantly goes back to silent mode. It also automatically launches YouTube Music when I walk into the gym, and this same hidden feature will exit and close the Waze app once I disconnect from my car and Android Auto, instead of running in the background until I remember to close it.
I even have a routine that turns off all the lights, checks and locks my doors, and disables my smart plugs when I leave the house. And again, I don’t do anything because it all happens automatically.
Go to Settings > Modes and Routines > Routines, and give it a try. You can find inspiration for useful routines on Reddit.
You’ll love the One Hand Operation + feature
Like one-handed mode, but better
Credit: Justin Duino / How-To Geek
Samsung’s most popular phones are huge, like the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and sometimes that massive 6.9-inch screen can be hard to manage. Surely you’ve all seen or tested out the one-handed mode on a phone, only to quickly realize it’s terrible and default back to regular layouts.
But what if I told you Samsung has a secret app that’s not built into the phone that turns your huge screen into endless gestures to complete all sorts of tasks? It’s not a setting, but an app called One Hand Operation +, and it makes using a big phone easier than ever. The setup is a bit weird, and it’ll take some getting used to, but once you do, you’ll never go back.
Start by downloading the app, then you’ll put “gesture handles” on each side of the screen. Think of them like invisible edge panels that are completely customizable. For example, you can put a gesture handle on the right side only, and it’ll understand straight or angled swipes, different angles, and more; each swipe can perform a specific action or open an app. Essentially, it turns one or two gestures into 4-5 powerful controls.
And these are only the beginning
These are just a few of the many fantastic features, apps, and controls hidden on your Samsung Galaxy phone. The company has a bunch of Galaxy features that are better than Google’s flashier versions. Good Lock and stackable widgets are awesome, not to mention all the fun features that aren’t even enabled out of the box. Explore a bit, then enjoy your phone to the fullest.
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Try that with your iPhone or Pixel.