We're big fans of Samsung phones. Samsung Galaxy devices make up a huge chunk of the U.S. Android market, and for a good reason. Samsung makes some of the best phones you can buy, and its hardware is second to none in the Android space. Still, Galaxy phones come with some unique software quirks. However, it's easy to mitigate a lot of them. If you're frustrated with the way your Samsung phone's software works, read on for our top tips on how to make it more manageable.

Order the app drawer alphabetically

A hand holding a smartphone.

Samsung's app drawer can be organized how you want it to be. New apps appear at the end, and you can freely reorder apps how you like. That's fine, but it's also what your homescreen is for. If you want your app drawer to make sense without manually curating it, open it, tap the three dots in the upper-right corner, and select Sort > Alphabetical order. That's better.

Expand the homescreen and app drawer icon grid

Samsung's big phones are big. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 6.8-inch AMOLED panel. By default, the One UI homescreen doesn't make the best use of all that real estate, and you may want to fit more app icons on your screen. To do that, long-press an empty part of your homescreen, then tap Settings. You'll see options to change how many icons fit on your homescreen.

Switch the default browser to Chrome

A close-up of app icons on a phone.

Samsung Internet is a fine browser, but if you use Chrome anywhere else, your history, bookmarks, and payment methods are in one convenient spot, waiting to be used. To set Chrome as the default browser on your Samsung phone, long press the app's icon, tap the i in the corner, then go to Browser app under Defaults. Tap Chrome to make it your default.

Switch the keyboard to Gboard

A smartphone with the software keyboard open.

Samsung's software keyboard used to be the easy choice on phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 4, offering a split layout on the interior screen that made typing with the phone unfolded easier. Gboard has since gained similar functionality, and you might find it to be a more enjoyable typing experience, even on traditional, non-folding devices. To switch to Gboard, download the app from the Play Store, open it, and follow the prompts. If you don't like it, you can always uninstall it.

Disable the Bixby key and change to the power menu

Samsung app screen showing Bixby and Bixby routines apps

The power button on newer Samsung phones doesn't open the power menu. Instead, it calls up Bixby. If you'd rather have it open the power menu, it's an easy fix. Swipe down on your homescreen to open your notification panel, then swipe down again to expand it. Tap the power icon in the upper-right corner, and tap Side key settings at the bottom of the screen. You can turn the side key into a power button from here. We also have a complete guide on completely disabling Bixby that goes into more detail.

Always display the brightness slider in quick settings, disable media, and device controls

Swipe down on your homescreen to open your notifications, then down again to expand the quick panel. In the upper-right corner, tap the three-dot menu, then select Quick panel layout. This allows you to toggle the brightness slider to appear when the notification shade is open, as opposed to only when the full quick settings appear. From here, you can also turn off the media and device controls interface, which you probably never use anyway.

Enable Detailed notifications

Left: The default notification style. Right: A detailed notification.

By default, One UI's notification pop-ups are teeny-tiny banners. You have to tap a little down-facing arrow to expand them if you want to, for example, use a quick reply in Messages. This makes interacting with notifications more of a hassle than it is on Android devices from other manufacturers. Go to Settings > Notifications and tap Detailed at the top to get bigger, fuller-featured notifications. Much better.

Show notification details on your lock screen

Left: How notifications show on your lock screen by default. Right: Expanded and actually useful.

In the same vein, Samsung hides notification content on your lock screen. You must turn your screen on and tap the notification icons to expand them. This may be preferable for privacy reasons, but it's an adjustment coming from other smartphones. If you want your lock screen notifications expanded by default, go to Settings > Lock screen > Notifications and tap Details.

Increase the display timeout

A smartphone on a desk showing a settings screen.

This isn't a tip specific to Samsung, but Android in general. If the default 30-second screen timeout is too abrupt, extend it in your phone's settings (search "screen timeout"). Samsung provides options that go up to 10 minutes.

Decrease the screen zoom or font size to show more content

Low information density might be friendlier to the uninitiated. Still, if you know your way around smartphones, you might find the large text and touch targets on Samsung devices limiting. To shrink UI elements, go to the Display section of your phone's settings, then select either Font size and style or Screen zoom. Play around with the two to find what works best for you.

Disable edge panels

Samsung's edge panels let you hide app and function shortcuts in a little drawer to the side of your screen. It's a great tool for power users. However, if you open edge panels by mistake or are annoyed at the little transparent handle that indicates where to swipe, you can disable them. Search "edge panels" in your phone's settings and turn them off.

Enable gesture navigation

A smartphone sitting on a vinyl record.

Samsung still pushes the three-button navigation, even on its newest, fanciest phones. However, gesture navigation is the industry standard and takes up less of your phone's display. To switch to gestures, search "navigation bar" in your device settings, then tap Swipe gestures.

Disable putting unused apps to sleep

Over time, installing dozens and dozens of apps can impact your phone's performance and battery life as they do stuff in the background, even if you're not using them. As such, Samsung's deep sleep feature makes sense for less savvy users. It restricts background activity for apps you haven't used in a while, preventing some of the side effects of a crufty app drawer. But it also means you can miss important notifications. If you're good about getting rid of unused apps, switch this guardrail off. Go to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery, then tap Background usage limits. Switch the toggle off.

Customize your colors

How to access your theme options.

Samsung introduced dynamic theming to its phones in One UI 4.1, and the feature has become more robust. If your UI looks a little off with the palette you initially chose, but you like your wallpaper, you can choose another dynamic palette or turn off theming without picking a new backdrop. Long press an empty spot on your homescreen, tap Wallpaper and style in the lower left corner, and tap Color palette. Then, choose a new theme based on your wallpaper or one of several static themes.

More Samsung tinkering

Are you looking to tweak your Galaxy phone even further? Check out our tips for improving your homescreen on One UI 5.1 or our extensive guide on making the most of the Samsung Gallery app.