Your Samsung Galaxy S5 may have been keeping a secret from you. It’s nothing bad; it just may not have been totally upfront with you about all of its capabilities. These tips can help you gain quicker, easier access to features you already know about, or they can take you to places you have never seen before.
The Hidden Service Menu is a great tool for diagnosing issues, including touchscreen and display functionality. And there are actually lots of codes that can help you troubleshoot, access information quickly, and perform tasks on the S5. Additionally, you may not realize exactly how many settings can be customized.
Then there are more obvious features that have turned out to be not-so-obvious for everyone to use—like the Finger Scanner. Given the vulnerability to the hacking of said scanner; everyone should know about and enable Privacy Mode–but not everyone does–putting personal data at risk. But we can show you how to do all of these things and more.
1. The Commonly-Talked About, But Less Obvious to Enable—Finger Scanner
Love it or hate it, odds are fingerprint authentication isn’t going away anytime soon. Apple, of course, and PayPal will accept a fingerprint as ID in lieu of a password. Hackers have already made headway in exploiting this feature, so beware. That being said, hackers have always been good at finding ways to crack traditional passwords too.
To experience unlocking with the swipe of a fingertip, go to Settings and select Finger Scanner. You will then need to choose the Fingerprint Manager, which will prompt you for your fingerprint. You can add or remove the fingerprints of your choice, and you will also want to submit an alternate password.
2. Private Mode
Even though the Finger Scanner is intended to protect your personal information, that can easily backfire if you are the victim of hacking. One way to prevent this is to enable Private Mode. Private Mode will hide any file you don’t want to share with the world. The files will only appear when you authenticate yourself; others who gain access to your phone won’t see anything.
You can set up Private Mode by selecting its icon located in Quick Settings. Then you can choose your unlock method: Pin, Password, or Fingerprint. You can enable or disable Private Mode using the slider.
Now that you have Private Mode enabled, you can add files by long-pressing the file to be hidden and selecting the “Move to Private” option.
3. Hidden Service Menu
When you are troubleshooting you want every diagnostic tool available. And quite frankly, having secret access to another level of your phone is alluring. Use your new-found powers for the good of your Samsung Galaxy S5 by checking sensors, testing the touch screen, display, speakers, and more. This is one of the greatest hidden settings for Galaxy S5.
To gain access to the menu, act as though you are calling *#0*# . Once you are in you can check for dead pixels with the RGB test or see how sensitive your screen is to touch through TSP Hovering.
Ensure your LEDs are working as they should be with the LED tile, or gauge the functionality of a multitude of sensors with the aptly named Sensor sub-menu. OK, so it’s not the secret entrance to Narnia, but it’s still quite useful.
4. Secret Codes
Developers are a sneaky bunch that like shortcuts and back doors. Just as you could access the Hidden Service Menu with a code, you can also find information, check the status of hardware, and perform commands. The Samsung S5 isn’t the only phone on which these codes will work—they work on many Android devices.
Must Read: 60 Android Secret Codes, Hidden Menu, and Dialer Codes
Dial the following codes for easy access secret settings Samsung S5, and be sure to leave out any spaces:
*#1234# reveals the S5’s software version or current firmware
*#*#4636#*#* for Diagnostic Mode
*#0228# to check on battery status
*2767*355# for a full Factory Hard Reset (will wipe all your info!)
*#06# displays IMEI number
*#12580*369# to see hardware and software info
*#*#7594#*#* turns off your S5
5. Customize the Font
Is your phone’s font boring you? Change it by going to Settings and choosing the Display option. Tap Font, then Font Style. You can also download more options if you are willing to shell out a little money.
Must Read: 17 Ways to Customize Your Samsung S5: Give Your Phone Personality
If you want to change-up your stock messaging app, there are plenty of alternate options to choose from in Google Play. Did you know that you don’t have to download anything to change the Bubble Style or Background of your texts? From the same Settings>Display location, tap on Bubble Style and/or Background Style.
6. Link Duplicate Contacts
How many names represent you? Can you be known by both Tom Smith and Tom A. Smith? Both by Maggie and by Margaret? Charles and Chuck? The S5 can’t differentiate. It will treat these names as two different people.
You can remove all duplicate contacts though. To do so, tap on one of the contacts you wish to merge and select the chain icon to the right. Now tap “Join Another Contact” and select the contact you want to link.
7. Easy Mode
Sometimes simplistic is best. Far too quickly, your S5’s screen can become untidy, cluttered. You don’t need or use half of the stuff that’s on there, but you can’t find it in your heart to go through and totally delete everything either. If only you could start with a clean slate.
You can with Easy Mode. Easy Mode is also a great option to break in someone with less smartphone experience, so they won’t be so overwhelmed. To turn on Easy Mode, visit Settings and then Personalization. Toggle on Easy Mode and select the apps you want to appear on the home screen.
Done.
8. The S Health App
A lot of us could use a little more fitness in our lives, and the S Health app provides an easy way to do just that. Are you using it to its full potential (or at all anymore)? Some of the options are somewhat buried.
You can use it to count steps and calories, track your activity and heart rates, monitor your sleep patterns and stress levels, and track your food intake with a food diary and database. This app can serve as a nutritionist, personal trainer, and coach.
To get the most out of S Health, you will want to go through full setup and create your own profile. Once you’re all set up, explore. Tap Exercise to set goals and help the S5 help you meet them. Ultimately, though, you are going to have to be the one to get up off the couch. And that can be the hardest part. But you can blame it on these features being “hidden” instead, if you like.
9. Download Booster
Could your download speed use a little pick-me-up? The Download Booster app is already included in the S5 and it harnesses both Wi-Fi and LTE to get your data faster. To enable it, go to Settings, in your Networks tab, toggle the Download Booster to “On.”
Don’t see it? If you are using AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, that’s because these providers have hidden it.
It can still be accessed by downloading a third-party launcher, such as Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher. Long-press the Home screen and choose Shortcuts. Locate Activities, tap on Settings, and select Download Booster. Now you can toggle it on and off. Download Booster no longer has to be a Galaxy S5 hidden feature.
Nova Launcher
Apex Launcher
10. Optimize Sound with Adapt Sound
Did you know that your S5 has a sound calibration test to ensure you get the greatest performance possible from your headphones? This feature can also be applied to sound during phone calls. The app will create various beeping noises in each ear and ask you if you can hear them. The app will analyze your preferences, as well as the characteristics of your device.
To get started, go to the Samsung Music app menu (three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner), then Settings. Now tap on Adapt Sound and plug in your headphones. Press Start and the app will guide you through the process.
Conclusion
Did you learn anything new, visit any new places, or expand your knowledge of certain apps? Maybe you cleaned up your phone a little bit by getting rid of some duplicate contacts, or pared things down in a major way by going into Easy Mode. Hopefully, now you know how to enhance your S5’s sound, downloads, and even your own health.
Even though it’s definitely not the newest device out there, there can be more than meets the eye to the Samsung Galaxy S5. For instance, have you been using the S Finder tool located in Quick Settings to find things on your phone? If not, you may not be searching in the most efficient way. For those that love to learn, the Samsung S5 can still provide new surprises.
Which setting, app, or menu worked the best for you? Did you experience any issues during or after? Send us your thoughts on all of these topics. For a lot more tips and tricks, read the article below.
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