You’ve just got yourself a brand-new Samsung Galaxy S22 – congratulations! You may already think that it’s one of the best Android phones you can buy, but you’ve unlikely even scratched the surface of its capabilities.

Not only does the Samsung Galaxy S22 offer an incredible display and heavy-handed performance, but it also offers an incredible software ecosystem and lots of customization options.

Discover how to make the most of your shiny new phone by learning about these nifty S22 tips and tricks.

1. Add Smart Widgets

One of the new features of the Galaxy S22 models is the addition of Smart Widgets. These widgets are stackable and fully customizable, allowing you to have your favorite apps in a single space on your phone.

To add a Smart Widget:

  1. Long-tap on your home screen and select Widgets.
  2. Select Smart Widgets from the screen and choose one of the options.

2. Create some Bixby Routines

Routines aren’t new for the Galaxy S22 devices. But if you haven’t given them a try before, now’s the time.

To find Bixby Routines:

  1. Open the SmartThings app.
  2. Tap the Automations icon at the bottom of the screen.

Samsung’s routines can be activated automatically to make your life easier. For example, your model may look for a location or time of day and follow a set of actions.

The Going Out routine is a great one to start with. If you’re no longer at your home location, you can set your SmartThings devices to switch off or turn down low.

3. Personalize your Galaxy S22's accent color

Customize your S22 by changing the home screen color to your liking. For example, Blue or Turquoise are two options.

You can also apply this color palette to some of the device’s icons. To do this:

  1. Long-tap on the home screen and choose Wallpaper and Style.
  2. Then, tap on the Color palette and select the color of your choice.
  3. Toggle the switch for Apply palette to app icons once you’re finished.

4. Re-arrange the Quick Settings panel

As it sounds, the Quick Settings icons give you quick access to commonly used features. If you tend to spend a significant amount of time swiping on the Quick Settings panel, it’s good idea to customize it to your preference.

To do this:

  1. Open the Quick Settings menu and select the Plus icon.
  2. Long-press on the icon you want to transfer to the first row and drag it over.
  3. Continue this for the icons you want to move.

5. Choose your Edge Panels

The Edge Panels aren’t a new feature for the S22 – it’s been around since the Galaxy S6 Edge. But the latest version of the Edge Panels is much improved from those earlier days.

The feature no longer bleeds into a waterfall display, so you don’t need to worry about distortion. Despite this, many users tend to neglect the Edge panel.

We suggest giving the Edge panel a try. By using the feature, you can navigate to some of your most popular apps without even opening the app draw.

Other Edge panel functions include a customizable list of contacts that functions a bit like a speed dial. Or try Smart select, allowing you to capture screenshots or create GIFs.

6. Keep track of your device with Offline Finding

After you’ve just splashed out on your new Samsung Galaxy S22, the last thing you want to do is lose it. Samsung had a SmartThings app for a while, which could help you find lost phones while they were connected.

But, if your phone had been disconnected from the network, you were out of luck.

Now there’s a new way to find your lost phone. It works similarly to a Bluetooth tracker.

Samsung’s Offline finding feature uses other nearby Samsung phones to detect your phone as a Samsung Galaxy SmartTag would. And if you’re concerned about privacy risks, Samsung also provides an Encrypt offline location feature.

This feature hides your phone’s location when sent to another device so that only you can unlock it again.

7. Screen spam and scam callers

Built into the S22 is a spam and scam call and SMS screening tool – and it works very well.

The tool has a vast database of recognized spam and scam phone numbers updated daily. If any of these numbers call you, your phone will either block it automatically or inform you that it’s a suspected spam call while it's ringing.

While a spam number may slip through now and then, most are screened.

To switch on the setting:

  1. Head to Settings, scroll down, and select Apps.
  2. Tap on choose Default Apps.
  3. Scroll down and tap into called ID & Spam.
  4. Select Phone.

8. Keep the screen on

It can be annoying when the screen switches off when you’re reading eBooks or lengthy texts.

Enable the Keep Screen On… feature to ensure you don’t have to deal with this anymore. This feature ensures that your screen remains on when you look at it.

The front camera can detect your face, keeping the screen on when you’re looking at it. But beware: your battery may take a hit in the long run.

Find the feature under Advanced settings --> Motions and gestures.

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9. Match your theme to your wallpaper

Inside the S22, you’ll find a feature called Material You. This feature extracts the colors from your phone’s wallpaper and applies them across the device to the likes of app icon backgrounds, sliders, and button backgrounds, so your color scheme matches up.

You can also play around with these hues inside your wallpaper settings.

10. Customize your Searches

If you’ve already tried searching for an app on your S22, you might have noticed that Finder gives you matching documents and photos.

If you’re not comfortable with your phone showing everything when you browse, you can customize the Finder settings.

  1. Head to the app drawer.
  2. Tap on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner to open Settings.

11. Invest in a case

It may seem obvious, but it’s always best to invest in protection for any new device before you get stuck into customizing your software.

There are plenty of Galaxy S22 cases available for you to protect your new phone. If you preordered your phone, you might have already received some Samsung store credit. If so, why not use your credit to grab a case designed by Samsung itself? We also have roundups of the best Galaxy S22+ cases and Galaxy S22 Ultra cases.

But if you don’t want to shell out on one of Samsung’s pricey cases, don’t worry. There are plenty of third-party options sold online and in stores.

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Now that you've become an expert in all things Galaxy S22, take a few minutes to learn how to edit your photos in Samsung Gallery.