You Can Use Samsung Modes to Customize Your Galaxy Phone
We all use our phones differently at different times, and you don’t necessarily want your device to work the same way around the clock—while you sleep, while you work, while you travel .
If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet, there is a built-in feature that confirms this called Modes. The idea is that you set up multiple modes for different scenarios: one for the office, another for the gym, and so on.
Modes can help you use your Galaxy phone smarter and more efficiently: Setting up these modes doesn’t take much time, but you can rely on them every day.
Getting started with modes
You can find modes on your Galaxy device by going to Settings and then tapping Modes & Apps . Routines are an extension of modes and are groups of actions (such as muting the sound or changing the display brightness) that you can perform together when certain triggers are activated.
Under the Modes tab, you’ll see that Samsung has already created six modes for you, which are a handy way to understand what they’re all about. For example, tap Sleep mode to see what it does: it turns on Do Not Disturb mode and activates the display’s grayscale mode so you’re less distracted by your phone while you’re getting ready for bed. Simply click “Enable” at the top to activate sleep mode.
Some other preset modes require some setup before they are ready to use. Select Relax and then Start , and you’ll be asked how you want to set this mode when you’re relaxing, including whether you want the mode to turn on automatically at a certain time or when you reach a specific location.
All your modes can be configured to turn on automatically or manually as you wish. For some modes this may make sense: for example, work mode turns on automatically when you come into the office, and you don’t have to remember it every time, for example. If you don’t want automatic activation, simply click Skip .
You’ll still be asked questions as you set up the mode, adding details as needed – so if you want to turn the volume down, you’ll probably be asked how low you want it to be turned down. Once you complete all the steps, the mode is ready to use and will be used along with the others on the list.
You can also access modes from the quick settings panel (swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to see it). If you want to organize your list of modes and find that there are some you don’t use, open a mode from the list, tap the three up dots in the top right corner, then select Remove .
Creating your own modes
In addition to the six modes that Samsung starts you off with, which you can customize as needed, you can also create new ones from scratch by clicking “Add Mode” at the end of the list. You’ll need to give the new mode a name, color, and icon to differentiate it from other modes on your phone.
The new mode is added to your list, there is nothing set for it, so you can choose different options. At the top are the settings we already mentioned for automatically turning the mode on and off – modes can remain in effect until you turn them off or until a certain time has elapsed.
Below, the other mode options are divided into three groups: first comes the group of settings related to distractions (that is, Do Not Disturb mode and any restrictions on the use of apps you want to apply), then comes all the other settings (from turning on dark mode to adjust volume), and finally you have lock screen and home screen options – the modes can actually trigger wallpaper changes if you want them to.
We won’t go through every option, but one example is the Play Music option under the More Actions heading. Select this and you’ll be able to choose a music app to control playback – it’ll just pick up where it left off, so it can be useful as part of a routine you want to activate in the morning when you get up.
At the end of the Other Actions list there is an Add Action option. This gives you access to a variety of additional actions, from turning off Bluetooth to changing the enabled performance profile. You can even force your phone to beep whenever a certain mode is turned on (under Effects ).
You’ll soon get a feel for how the modes work and all their capabilities. Whether you only use one or two favorites or have a few set to turn on and off throughout the day, they can be really helpful in keeping your Galaxy phone or tablet running the way you want it to.