5 Hidden Samsung Phone Features You Need to Know

Samsung Galaxy smartphones running One UI include several integrated tools for audio management, automation, and security that often go unnoticed by users. According to Android Authority, features such as Separate App Sound, Modes and Routines, and the Secure Folder allow for deeper customization of the Android experience than standard system settings suggest.

These features are available across most modern Galaxy devices, though specific availability depends on the One UI version and hardware specifications. Android Authority identifies these tools as “hidden” not because they are obscured by software locks, but because they reside in deeper settings menus rather than the primary home screen.

How does Separate App Sound work?

Separate App Sound allows users to route audio from a specific application to a separate device. According to Android Authority, this means a user can stream music to a Bluetooth speaker while keeping navigation instructions or notification alerts on the phone’s internal speaker.

Standard Android audio routing typically sends all system sounds to the last connected output device. Samsung’s implementation overrides this by creating a dedicated audio path for a chosen app. This prevents a notification chime from interrupting a song playing for a group of people.

Users find this setting under Sounds and vibration in the system menu. Once activated, the user selects the app and the desired audio device to establish the split.

What are Samsung Modes and Routines?

Modes and Routines is an automation framework that triggers system changes based on specific conditions. Android Authority reports that this tool can automate tasks such as turning on “Do Not Disturb” when the device detects the user is at a specific GPS coordinate, like a workplace.

The system operates on an “If This, Then That” logic. For example, if the phone connects to a specific Wi-Fi network, the routine can automatically launch a work-related app and set the screen brightness to a preset level.

This differs from standard Android “Bedtime mode” by allowing multiple triggers. Samsung’s documentation indicates that routines can be triggered by time, location, device events, or manual input via a widget.

How do users access the Secure Folder?

The Secure Folder provides an encrypted space for apps and files, separated from the rest of the phone’s storage. According to Android Authority, this feature allows users to keep sensitive documents or private messaging apps hidden from the main app drawer.

The folder is backed by Samsung Knox, a security architecture integrated into the hardware. Knox uses a TrustZone to isolate the Secure Folder’s data from the main operating system, which protects the contents even if the primary OS is compromised.

Users can set a unique password or biometric lock for the folder. The system also allows the folder to be disguised as a different app on the home screen to avoid detection.

What are Edge Panels?

Edge Panels are slide-out menus that provide quick access to apps, contacts, and system tools. Android Authority notes that these panels reduce the need to swipe through multiple home screen pages to find frequently used tools.

The panels are accessible via a handle on the right or left edge of the screen. Users can customize these panels to include a calculator, a compass, or a set of “app pairs” that launch two applications simultaneously in split-screen mode.

While other Android skins use similar side-bar shortcuts, One UI’s panels integrate directly with the device’s multitasking engine to speed up app switching.

How does Multi-Window multitasking function?

Samsung’s Multi-Window feature allows users to run multiple apps at once using split-screen or pop-up views. According to Android Authority, users can drag an app from the Recents menu into the center of the screen to create a floating window.

This functionality is particularly relevant for Galaxy Z Fold and Tab users, though it is available on standard S-series phones. The pop-up view allows an app to be resized and moved across the screen, similar to a window on a desktop computer.

Users can save these layouts as “App Pairs” in the Edge Panel. This allows the device to launch two specific apps in a predefined split-screen ratio with a single tap.