Samsung Settings to Change: 38 Best One UI 9 Settings

Short answer: The Samsung settings to change first on One UI 9 are Battery protection (Adaptive, or Maximum if you keep phones for years), sleeping apps, Find My Mobile, every Theft protection switch, Auto Blocker, Security Brief in Now Brief, Swipe gestures, a side button that opens the power menu, and lock screen notifications with their content hidden. Then spend five minutes on One UI 9’s new controls: the resizable Quick Panel, Call Brief, Now Nudge and the home screen search bar. Most of these settings take under a minute each, and you don’t need any extra apps.

Updated for One UI 9 (Android 17) · Last checked October 11, 2026 · By Stephen Jacob

Which phones does this apply to? These settings work on any Galaxy phone running One UI 9. That includes the Galaxy S26, S26+, S26 Ultra and S26 FE; the Galaxy S25 series, including the S25 FE and S25 Edge; the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Z Fold8 and Z Flip8, which ship with One UI 9; and the Z Fold7 and Z Flip7. They also apply to the Galaxy S24 series, Z Fold6, Z Flip6 and Galaxy A57 as their updates arrive (as of October 11 those have started in South Korea first). Most of the list also works on One UI 8.5. Settings that are new in One UI 9, or that only exist on some models, are labelled. To check whether your phone has the update yet, see our One UI 9 release date and supported devices tracker.

Samsung’s defaults are chosen to suit everyone, so some of the best protections stay off and some of the most useful controls are hidden in sub-menus. Each entry below gives the menu path, what the setting does, and the value to choose, with the reason. For features rather than settings, such as hidden menus, gestures and the tools buried in Samsung’s apps, see our list of Samsung hidden features worth turning on.

Before you start

Can’t find a setting? Tap the search icon at the top of Settings and type its name. Samsung’s own support page recommends this, because menu names vary by model, carrier and software version (Samsung).

Setting up a new phone? Move your data first. Smart Switch can bring some settings across, so you’ll have less to redo. Our data transfer guide covers the S26 Ultra, and its Smart Switch steps work on other Galaxy phones too.

About the menu paths: they come from Samsung’s support pages and its One UI 8.5 user guide for the Galaxy S26 series, checked against One UI 9 coverage. Where a path comes only from a third-party One UI 9 walkthrough, it’s flagged.

Changed too much? Settings → General management → Reset → Reset all settings puts system settings back to default without deleting apps or files.

Samsung settings to change: the quick checklist

Setting	Menu path	Set to	Applies to
1. Automatic updates	Settings → Software update	Auto download over Wi-Fi on	All
2. Motion smoothness	Settings → Display → Motion smoothness	Adaptive	120Hz phones
3. Screen resolution	Settings → Display → Screen resolution	Highest (or FHD+ for battery)	QHD+ phones only
4. Eye comfort shield and Extra dim	Settings → Display; Settings → Accessibility → Vision enhancements	Adaptive; Extra dim tile in Quick Panel	All
5. Dark mode schedule	Settings → Display → Dark mode settings	Sunset to sunrise	All
6. Screen timeout and touch	Settings → Display	30 seconds; Accidental touch protection on	All
7. Battery protection	Settings → Battery → Battery protection	Adaptive, or Maximum 80–85%	All
8. Sleeping apps	Settings → Battery → Background usage limits	Put unused apps to sleep on	All
9. Performance profile	Settings → Device care → Performance profile	Light	Models that offer it
10. Fast charging	Settings → Battery → Charging settings	On	All
11. App notifications	Settings → Notifications → App notifications	Off for promo apps	All
12. Lock screen notifications	Settings → Notifications	Hide content while locked on	All
13. Notification highlights	Settings → Notifications → Notification highlights	On if you get lots of alerts	Galaxy AI phones
14. Do not disturb for sleep	Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb	Sleeping schedule	All
15. Find My Mobile	Settings → Security and privacy → Lost device protection	On, with Send last location	All
16. Theft protection	Lost device protection → Theft protection	All switches on	All (One UI 7+)
17. Auto Blocker	Settings → Security and privacy → Auto blocker	On	All
18. Security Brief	Now Brief → Settings → Content to include	Security and privacy on	New in One UI 9
19. Quick lockdown and the unlock limit	Volume down + Side button	Know it; back up	New in One UI 9
20. Location and permissions	Settings → Security and privacy	Review monthly	All
21. Customization Service	Security and privacy → More privacy settings	Off unless you want it	All
22. Galaxy AI data controls	Settings → Galaxy AI; More privacy settings	Choose deliberately	Galaxy AI phones
23. Call Brief	Phone → ⋮ → Settings → Call assist	On	New in One UI 9
24. Now Nudge	Settings → Galaxy AI → Now nudge	On, or off if it distracts	Expanded in One UI 9
25. Call screening	Phone → ⋮ → Settings → Call screening	On, auto-screen unknown callers	One UI 8.5+
26. Gestures	Settings → Display → Navigation bar	Swipe gestures	All
27. Side button	Settings → Advanced features → Side button	Long press → Power off menu	All
28. Quick Panel	Swipe down → pencil icon	Resize sliders, split buttons	New in One UI 9
29. Home screen search bar	Home screen settings → Show search on Home screen	Google, Finder or both	New in One UI 9
30. System vibration	Settings → Sounds and vibration	Charging vibration off; lower intensity	All
31. Adapt sound and Dolby Atmos	Sounds and vibration → Sound quality and effects	Personal profile; Atmos on	With headphones
32. Camera basics	Camera → Quick controls → Settings	Grid on, QR on, location tags off	All
33. Wi-Fi calling	Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Calling	On	Carrier-dependent
34. Switch to mobile data	Wi-Fi → ⋮ → Intelligent Wi-Fi	On, or off on small data plans	All
35. Quick Share visibility	Settings → Connected devices → Quick Share	Contacts	All
36. Screen lock and Extend unlock	Settings → Lock screen and AOD	PIN plus fingerprint	All
37. Always On Display and Roaming clock	Settings → Lock screen and AOD	Tap to show	All
38. Emergency SOS and Medical info	Settings → Safety and emergency	Set up	All

Which software setting should you change first?

1. Turn on automatic updates

Menu path: Settings → Software update → Auto download over Wi-Fi. For apps: Galaxy Store → Menu → Settings → Auto update apps → Using Wi-Fi only (path from Sammy Fans; Samsung’s support page documents the Galaxy Store Updates screen but not this switch).

What it does: downloads One UI updates and security patches over Wi-Fi without you checking, and keeps Samsung’s own apps current.

Recommended: on. Some fixes for One UI 9’s early bugs, such as the Always On Display fix, arrived as app updates through the Galaxy Store, not as firmware. Samsung also says up-to-date software helps prevent rapid battery drain (Samsung). For what the update itself changes, read our One UI 9 guide to what’s new.

Which display settings should you change?

2. Keep Motion smoothness on Adaptive

Only on phones with a 120Hz screen.

Menu path: Settings → Display → Motion smoothness → Adaptive.

What it does: lets the screen run up to 120Hz while you scroll and drop lower on still content. On LTPO flagships such as the S26 Ultra, it can go as low as 1Hz. Standard locks the screen at 60Hz.

Recommended: Adaptive. Switching to Standard is a popular battery tip, but because Adaptive already lowers the refresh rate when nothing moves, the saving is small. On the S26 Ultra, a measured test showed about half an hour, which our S26 Ultra settings guide covers. Keep Standard for days when you really can’t charge.

3. Raise the screen resolution (QHD+ phones only)

Only on phones with a QHD+ panel, such as the Galaxy S26 Ultra. If Settings → Display has no Screen resolution item, your phone always runs at its native resolution.

Menu path: Settings → Display → Screen resolution.

What it does: chooses how many pixels the screen renders. Phones that offer the choice don’t always ship at full resolution. The S26 Ultra, for example, ships at FHD+ (2340 × 1080) instead of its panel’s QHD+, according to SamMobile.

Recommended: the highest option if you care about sharp text and photos, or FHD+ if battery life matters more. Samsung warns that some open apps may close when you switch.

4. Turn on Eye comfort shield and add Extra dim

Menu path: Settings → Display → Eye comfort shield. Then Settings → Accessibility → Vision enhancements → Extra dim (Samsung user guide).

What it does: Eye comfort shield warms the screen’s colours, adaptively or on a schedule. Extra dim lowers brightness below the slider’s minimum.

Recommended: Eye comfort shield on Adaptive, and the Extra dim tile added to the Quick Panel for dark rooms. Some people find OLED screens tiring at low brightness. A common workaround is to keep the brightness slider higher and use Extra dim to darken the screen instead. Our S26 Ultra screen problems guide explains why that helps on the S26 Ultra.

5. Schedule Dark mode

Menu path: Settings → Display → Dark mode settings → Turn on as scheduled → Sunset to sunrise.

What it does: switches One UI and supporting apps to dark backgrounds automatically.

Recommended: Sunset to sunrise. You get a light screen outdoors in daylight and a dark one at night, without toggling. In One UI 9, Dark mode can also have its own button in the Quick Panel (Samsung), so overriding the schedule is one tap.

6. Shorten Screen timeout and turn on touch protection

Menu path: Settings → Display → Screen timeout; Settings → Display → Accidental touch protection; Settings → Display → Touch sensitivity.

What it does: Screen timeout sets how long the screen stays on after your last touch. Accidental touch protection blocks touches while the phone is in a pocket or bag. Touch sensitivity boosts the touchscreen for use with a screen protector.

Recommended: leave Screen timeout at Samsung’s 30-second default, or choose 15 seconds, which Samsung says saves the most battery (Samsung). Avoid multi-minute timeouts. Turn Accidental touch protection on: Samsung says it cuts battery drain and pocket dials. Turn Touch sensitivity on only if you use a screen protector.

Which battery and protection settings should you change?

7. Turn on Battery protection

Menu path: Settings → Battery → Battery protection (Samsung). On some models it sits under More battery settings.

What it does: changes how the phone charges, to slow battery ageing. Samsung offers three modes:

Basic: stops at 100% and resumes charging at 95%.
Adaptive: learns your routine, stops at 80% overnight, then switches to Basic before you wake.
Maximum: stops at a level you set. Samsung says the lower the level, the longer the battery lasts. Sammy Fans and Android Police report the choices as 80%, 85%, 90% or 95%.

Recommended: Adaptive if you charge overnight and need 100% in the morning. Maximum at 80–85% if you plan to keep the phone for several years and rarely run it flat. That’s the setting behind the common “samsung settings to stop charging at 80” search. Our guide to improving battery life on any Galaxy covers the charging habits that go with it.

8. Put unused apps to sleep

Menu path: Settings → Battery → Background usage limits (Samsung).

What it does: Put unused apps to sleep restricts apps you haven’t opened in a while. Deep sleeping apps never run in the background until you open them. Never auto sleeping apps are exempt.

Recommended: turn on Put unused apps to sleep. Then add rarely used apps (airline, shopping, food delivery, old games) to Deep sleeping apps, and add messaging, banking, email and smartwatch apps to Never auto sleeping apps so their notifications don’t arrive late. If your phone still drains fast after updating, our battery draining fast guide walks through finding the cause. It’s written for the S26 Ultra, but the steps are the same in One UI 9 on other Galaxy phones.

9. Switch the Performance profile to Light

On models that offer it. If Device care has no Performance profile item, your phone doesn’t have the option.

Menu path: Settings → Device care → Performance profile → Light.

What it does: Standard balances speed, battery life and cooling. Light puts battery life ahead of processing speed. Samsung says Light doesn’t affect games, which Game Booster controls (Samsung).

Recommended: Light, unless you edit video or multitask heavily. Most people won’t notice the difference in everyday apps, and the phone runs a little cooler.

10. Check that Fast charging is on

Menu path: Settings → Battery → Charging settings → Fast charging (and Fast wireless charging where supported).

What it does: lets the phone draw full power from a compatible charger. With it off, every charger charges slowly.

Recommended: on for most people. Turn it off only if you deliberately want slow, cool overnight charging. Battery protection does more for battery health anyway. The top speed depends on your model and charger. On the S26 Ultra, for example, 60W needs a USB PD charger with PPS at 20V/3A and a 3A cable.

Which notification settings should you change?

11. Switch off notifications you never act on

Menu path: Settings → Notifications → App notifications. For the pop-up look: Settings → Notifications → Notification pop-up style → Brief or Detailed.

What it does: App notifications turns each app’s alerts on or off. Brief pop-ups are smaller and can add an edge lighting effect. Detailed is Samsung’s standard larger pop-up.

Recommended: switch off shopping, game and promotional apps. Then choose Brief if you want pop-ups to cover less of the screen, or Detailed if you often reply straight from the pop-up. Fewer alerts also means fewer screen wake-ups.

12. Hide notification content on the lock screen

Menu path: Settings → Notifications → Hide content while locked. For the layout: Settings → Notifications → Lock screen → Notification style (dots, icons or cards).

What it does: shows that a message has arrived without showing its text until you unlock.

Recommended: Hide content while locked on, with Notification style set to icons. Anyone who picks up your phone or glances at it on a table sees only app icons, not one-time codes or private messages.

13. Try Notification highlights

Galaxy AI feature. It’s in the S26 series user guide; availability on older models varies.

Menu path: Settings → Notifications → Notification highlights (Samsung user guide). Some builds list it under Settings → Galaxy AI.

What it does: uses Galaxy AI to move the notifications you care about most to the top, and to summarise long ones.

Recommended: on if you get dozens of alerts a day, off if you prefer a plain time-ordered list. It needs a few days to learn your habits.

14. Schedule Do not disturb for sleep

Menu path: Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb → Schedule → Sleeping.

What it does: silences calls and notifications on a schedule, with exceptions for people, apps and alarms you choose.

Recommended: set the Sleeping schedule to your real bedtime, and add favourite contacts and repeat callers as exceptions so emergencies still get through. Alarms keep working.

Which privacy and security settings should you change?

15. Turn on Find My Mobile

Menu path: Settings → Security and privacy → Lost device protection → Find My Mobile → Allow this phone to be found and Send last location (Samsung user guide).

What it does: lets you locate, ring, lock or erase the phone at smartthingsfind.samsung.com. Send last location uploads its position when the battery is about to run out.

Recommended: both switches on. It needs a Samsung account and Google location services, and it only helps if you set it up before the phone goes missing.

16. Turn on every Theft protection switch

Available since One UI 7. Not new in One UI 9, but easy to miss.

Menu path: Settings → Security and privacy → Lost device protection → Theft protection (Samsung UK).

What it does:

Theft detection lock uses machine learning to spot a snatch-and-run and locks the screen.
Offline device lock locks the screen if the phone is kept offline.
Remote lock lets you lock it at android.com/lock with your phone number.
Identity check requires your fingerprint or face to change sensitive security settings when you’re away from Safe Places you set. It also adds a one-hour security delay before some sensitive changes, such as adding new biometrics.

Recommended: all four on, with home and work added as Safe Places. Identity check needs a Samsung account and biometrics. Samsung doesn’t say which switches are on out of the box (Notebookcheck). Google adds its own theft settings under Settings → Google → All services → Theft protection.

17. Check that Auto Blocker is on

Menu path: Settings → Security and privacy → Auto blocker (Samsung).

What it does: blocks apps from unauthorised sources, commands sent over USB, suspicious images in messaging apps and unofficial software updates. Maximum restrictions goes further. It blocks 2G networks and automatic reconnection to unsecured Wi-Fi, and strips location data from shared photos.

Recommended: on. Whether it’s already on depends on your phone’s launch software, not its current version. Samsung turns it on by default only on phones released with One UI 6.1.1 or later, and an update keeps whatever value you had before. Older phones such as the S23 and S24 may still have it off, even on One UI 9. Leave Maximum restrictions off unless you’re a likely target: Samsung warns it can stop some accessories, work apps and connections from working.

18. Turn on Security Brief

New in One UI 9. Confirmed on the Galaxy S26 series. Samsung hasn’t published a Security Brief device list.

Menu path: open Now Brief → Settings → Content to include → Device management → Security and privacy (SammyGuru’s One UI 9 walkthrough; Engadget describes the same toggle).

What it does: puts warnings into Now Brief about malware, apps from unknown sources and unnecessary permissions. It works alongside Privacy Alerts, which use on-device AI to flag apps that access permissions in the background without a clear need (Samsung Newsroom). Samsung lists Privacy Alerts for the S26, S26 Ultra, S25, S25 FE, S24, S24 FE, S23 and S23 FE, the Z Fold5 to Fold8 and Z Flip5 to Flip8 generations, and Tab S9 to Tab S12 models.

Recommended: on. It needs Now Brief and a Samsung account, so if you’ve switched Now Brief off you won’t see these alerts. If you install apps from outside the Play Store, expect the odd warning about apps you trust.

19. Learn Quick lockdown and the new unlock limit

New in One UI 9.

Menu path: no setting to switch on. Press and hold Volume down + Side button, or tap the Power button in the Quick Panel (Samsung’s One UI 9 changelog, via Android Police).

What it does: Quick lockdown locks the phone so the next unlock needs your PIN, pattern or password, not your face or fingerprint. One UI 9 also brings a stricter unlock limit. After 5 wrong attempts you wait 1 minute, the waits grow to 24 hours by the 12th attempt, and the 13th wrong attempt locks the phone permanently until a factory reset (Samsung UK).

Who it applies to: phones that launched with One UI 9, such as the Z Fold8 Ultra, Z Fold8 and Z Flip8. On phones updated to One UI 9, Samsung says your previous settings stay, but the stricter policy takes effect if you factory reset after the update. Samsung also says entering the same wrong code twice in a row counts as one failure.

Recommended: use Quick lockdown whenever someone could force your finger onto the sensor or hold the phone up to your face. Make sure you know your PIN and your Samsung and Google account passwords. After a reset you need those accounts to clear Factory Reset Protection, and Samsung can’t recover a forgotten PIN. Keep a current backup under Settings → Accounts and backup.

20. Review which apps use your location and permissions

The location indicator is an Android 17 feature, new to Galaxy phones with One UI 9.

Menu path: Settings → Security and privacy → Permissions used in last 24 hours (Samsung user guide); Settings → Location → app permissions.

What it does: lists which apps used the camera, microphone, location and other permissions in the last 24 hours or seven days. In One UI 9, a blue indicator also appears at the top of the screen when an app accesses your location. Tap it in the Quick Panel to see which app it is.

Recommended: check once a month. Change any app that doesn’t need your location all the time to Allow only while using the app, and remove permissions from apps you no longer use.

21. Turn off Customization Service

Menu path: Settings → Security and privacy → More privacy settings → Customization Service (path from Sammy Fans; confirm on your phone).

What it does: lets Samsung use your Samsung account and app activity to personalise content and suggestions in supported Samsung apps.

Recommended: off, unless you value Samsung’s personalised suggestions. It’s a privacy choice: turning it off doesn’t stop Galaxy AI features, which have their own controls (next section).

Which Galaxy AI settings should you change?

22. Choose how Galaxy AI uses your data

Galaxy AI phones. AI Assistant Activity is new in One UI 9, confirmed by Samsung on the Fold8 and Flip8 and reported on the S26 Ultra.

Menu path: Settings → Galaxy AI → Process data only on device (Samsung user guide). Settings → Security and privacy → More privacy settings → Personal data intelligence. Settings → Security and privacy → AI assistant activity (both from SammyGuru).

What it does: Process data only on device keeps advanced Galaxy AI processing on the phone, and Samsung says some features stop working (our Galaxy AI guide lists what keeps working and what doesn’t). Personal data intelligence lets Galaxy AI read data from the apps you allow. AI Assistant Activity logs which apps Gemini or another assistant accessed and what it did, over the last 24 hours or seven days.

Recommended: pick a side rather than accepting the setup defaults. If you want Now Brief, Call Brief and Now Nudge to be useful, allow Personal data intelligence for Phone, Calendar and Messages and leave on-device-only off. If privacy matters more, turn on Process data only on device and accept fewer features. Either way, open AI Assistant Activity now and then if you let assistants act in your apps. Samsung says basic Galaxy AI features are free.

23. Turn on Call Brief

New in One UI 9. Stable on the S26 series, Z Fold8 series and Z Flip8. It was in the S25, Z Fold7, Z Flip7 and S24 betas, so it should come with their stable builds (SammyGuru).

Menu path: Phone app → ⋮ → Settings → Call assist → Call brief. Phone must be allowed in Personal data intelligence first (setting 22).

What it does: shows a small card on the call screen with context, such as the local time for an international number or a calendar event linked to the caller. Samsung’s changelog calls it “See useful information during calls.”

Recommended: on. It only appears when it has something to show, and it doesn’t summarise or record the call. The time-zone card is handy if you often call family or colleagues abroad.

24. Set up Now Nudge, or turn it off

Expanded in One UI 9.

Menu path: Settings → Galaxy AI → Now nudge (SammyGuru).

What it does: suggests the next step based on what’s on screen. In One UI 9 it works beyond the Samsung Keyboard: suggestions appear in conversation notifications and in a floating button, and it can save a place or add a reservation without you leaving the chat. Samsung lists 16 languages, including Arabic and Hindi, and it needs a Samsung account (Samsung).

Recommended: on for a week. Keep it if the suggestions help; turn it off if the floating button gets in the way. Reviewers so far find its suggestions useful but infrequent. While you’re in Galaxy AI settings, check that My FanCam is on if you film group videos.

25. Turn on Call screening

Needs One UI 8.5 or later. Language and region availability varies.

Menu path: Phone app → ⋮ → Settings → Call screening → turn on Auto screen calls (Samsung).

What it does: Galaxy AI answers the call, asks who’s calling and why, and shows the reply as live text so you can accept or reject.

Recommended: on, with automatic screening for unknown callers. It’s the most direct answer to “how do I block spam calls on Samsung”. Two side effects, per Samsung: you may see missed calls you never heard ring, because the caller hung up on the assistant, and transcripts can show on the lock screen. Google’s separate Scam Detection works only in certain countries.

Which navigation and gesture settings should you change?

26. Switch to Swipe gestures and turn on wake gestures

Menu path: Settings → Display → Navigation bar → Swipe gestures → More options → Gesture sensitivity. Settings → Advanced features → Motions and gestures → Lift to wake, Double tap to turn on screen, Double tap to turn off screen (Samsung user guide).

What it does: Swipe gestures replace the three navigation buttons with swipes, freeing space at the bottom of the screen. The wake gestures turn the screen on or off without the side button.

Recommended: Swipe gestures, if your phone still shows buttons. They’re the same swipes most Android phones use, and apps get more room. Raise Gesture sensitivity if back swipes sometimes fail with a thick case. Turn on Lift to wake and Double tap to turn on screen. Leave Circle to Search on in the same Navigation bar menu: press and hold the gesture handle to use it (our Circle to Search guide covers every gesture).

27. Make the side button open the power menu

Menu path: Settings → Advanced features → Side button → Long press → Power off menu (Samsung user guide).

What it does: by default, holding the side button opens your digital assistant. Double press opens the camera by default.

Recommended: set Long press to Power off menu, so holding the button restarts or turns off the phone like on most phones. Leave Double press on Camera. You can still call your assistant with its wake word or gesture.

28. Rebuild the Quick Panel

New in One UI 9 (resizing). Confirmed on the S26 series. The S25 and S24 had it in their One UI 9 betas.

Menu path: swipe down from the top right → tap the pencil icon → drag the edge of a slider or the media player.

What it does: One UI 9 lets you resize the brightness and volume sliders and the media player, and gives sound mode and Dark mode their own buttons instead of attaching them to the sliders (Samsung). One UI 8.5 already added slider orientation, Add a control, and the option to merge or split the notification and quick settings panels.

Recommended: shrink the brightness slider so two tiles fit beside it, give sound mode its own button, and put your five most-used toggles in the first row. If you preferred the old single panel, tap the pencil icon → Panel settings → Together.

29. Pick a home screen search bar

New in One UI 9. Confirmed on the Z Fold8 series and Z Flip8, and reported on the S26 series. Not yet confirmed on older phones.

Menu path: touch and hold an empty part of the home screen → Settings → Show search on Home screen (SammyGuru).

What it does: puts a Google Search bar, Samsung’s Finder (which searches apps, files and settings on the phone), both or neither above the dock.

Recommended: Finder if you mostly search your phone, Google if you mostly search the web, or both if you have room. Neither is a downgrade; it’s about which one you’ll use.

Which sound and vibration settings should you change?

30. Tune system vibration

Menu path: Settings → Sounds and vibration → System vibration and Vibration intensity (Samsung user guide).

What it does: System vibration controls haptic feedback for touch interactions, the dialing keypad, the Samsung Keyboard, charging, navigation gestures and the camera. Vibration intensity sets separate strengths for calls, notifications and touch.

Recommended: turn off Charging vibration (the charging sound is under System sound). Lower the touch intensity one or two steps if typing feels buzzy. Keep navigation gesture feedback on, because it confirms a back swipe registered.

31. Set up Adapt sound and Dolby Atmos

Dolby Atmos may only be available with headphones connected, according to Samsung.

Menu path: Settings → Sounds and vibration → Sound quality and effects → Dolby Atmos, Equalizer, Adapt sound (Samsung user guide).

What it does: Adapt sound tunes the sound for each ear, either from a preset profile or from a short listening test (Add personalized sound profile). Dolby Atmos adds spatial processing for content mixed in Atmos. Equalizer applies genre presets or a manual curve.

Recommended: run Add personalized sound profile in Adapt sound with your usual earbuds in. Turn Dolby Atmos on for films and leave the equalizer on Normal until you know what you want to change.

Which camera settings should you change on any Galaxy?

32. Fix the camera’s basic settings

Menu path: Camera → Quick controls (four dots) → Settings on recent models; older models show a gear icon (Samsung).

What it does and what to choose:

Composition guide (called Grid lines on some models): on. It shows grid lines, and a level on some models, for straighter horizons.
Scan QR codes: on, so you can point the camera at a menu or payment code without opening another app.
Swipe Shutter button to: Take burst shot, the more useful of the two options (the other makes a GIF).
Location tags: off if you post photos publicly. On is fine if you want photos sorted by place, but location data then travels with every file you share.
Watermark: check it’s off unless you want the model name stamped on photos.
Advanced picture options / High efficiency pictures: HEIF saves space, but some older PCs and websites can’t open it. Stay on JPEG if you share files widely.

Device-specific camera settings: One UI 9 adds a vertical layout for Dual recording on the S26 series and Z Flip8 (Camera Assistant → Additional modes → Dual rec), and SammyGuru reports Horizontal Lock in Super Steady video coming to the S25. For the S26 Ultra’s 24MP, 200MP and Pro settings, see the best Galaxy S26 Ultra camera settings.

Which connectivity settings should you change?

33. Turn on Wi-Fi calling

Depends on your carrier and plan.

Menu path: Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Calling (Samsung). On some phones it’s in the Phone app → ⋮ → Settings.

What it does: routes calls over Wi-Fi when mobile signal is weak.

Recommended: on, if your carrier supports it. It fixes dropped calls in basements, offices and thick-walled buildings. You may be asked for an emergency address the first time.

34. Decide on Switch to mobile data

Menu path: Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi → ⋮ → Intelligent Wi-Fi → Switch to mobile data (Samsung).

What it does: moves you to mobile data when Wi-Fi becomes unstable, then back again when it improves.

Recommended: on if you have a generous data plan, because it stops apps hanging on weak café or hotel Wi-Fi. Off on a small data plan or when roaming. Don’t hunt for Wi-Fi power saving in the same menu: Samsung says it isn’t available on One UI 7 or later.

Menu path: Settings → Connected devices → Quick Share → Who can share with you (Samsung).

What it does: controls who can send you files. The choices are No one, Your devices, Contacts and Everyone (10 minutes only). Your own devices on the same Samsung account can always share with each other.

Recommended: Contacts, so strangers nearby can’t send you files. Switch to Everyone (10 minutes only) when you need a one-off transfer, including from an iPhone with AirDrop on supported models. It switches back by itself.

Which lock screen settings should you change?

36. Use a PIN and review Extend unlock

Menu path: Settings → Lock screen and AOD → Screen lock and biometrics → screen lock type, fingerprints, and Extend unlock (Samsung user guide).

What it does: sets your screen lock and biometrics. Extend unlock keeps the phone unlocked in trusted places or near trusted devices.

Recommended: a PIN of six digits or more plus a fingerprint. A pattern is easy to copy at a glance or from smudges on the screen; a longer PIN is not. With One UI 9’s unlock limit (setting 19), pick one you won’t forget. In Extend unlock, remove trusted places you no longer visit, and don’t add your car’s Bluetooth if other people use the car.

37. Set Always On Display to Tap to show, and add a Roaming clock

Menu path: Settings → Lock screen and AOD → Always On Display → When to show. Settings → Lock screen and AOD → Roaming clock (Samsung user guide).

What it does: Always On Display shows the time and notification icons while the screen is off. Its options include Tap to show, Always, As scheduled and For new notifications. Roaming clock shows your home time zone next to the local one while you’re roaming.

Recommended: Tap to show, so the screen stays dark until you touch it, or As scheduled to turn it off overnight. Turn on Roaming clock if you travel. One UI 9’s redesigned default lock screen clock adapts to your wallpaper. If you use a Good Lock ClockFace style and the clock sits too high, switch back to the default clock until Samsung’s fix arrives (our S26 Ultra problems guide tracks it).

38. Set up Emergency SOS and Medical info

Menu path: Settings → Safety and emergency → Medical info, Emergency contacts, Emergency SOS (Samsung user guide).

What it does: Emergency SOS calls emergency services and can share your location with your emergency contacts when you press the side button five times. Samsung says emergency responders can see your Medical info even when the phone is locked.

Recommended: add your medical info and at least one emergency contact, and turn on Emergency SOS with Send SOS to emergency contacts. Turn on Require swipe to call if your phone often presses its side button in a bag.

Which settings only exist on certain Galaxy phones?

Some of the best settings belong to one model, so they live on that model’s page instead of here:

Galaxy S26 Ultra: Privacy Display, S Pen removal and left-behind settings (the S26 Ultra’s S Pen has no Bluetooth or Air actions), and 24MP/200MP camera options. See 25 Galaxy S26 Ultra settings to change first and our S26 Ultra tips and tricks.
Galaxy Z Flip8: One UI 9 lets you edit FlexWindow apps, widgets and the Quick Panel without opening the phone.
Galaxy Z Fold8 series: two-way and three-way split views, and cover screen wallpapers that position themselves around the clock.
Phones with QHD+ screens: the Screen resolution choice (setting 3).

Which Samsung settings can you leave alone?

Popular tweaks that aren’t worth it for most people:

Power saving all the time: Samsung says it limits background activity and can delay notifications. Keep it for low-battery days.
Standard (60Hz) refresh rate: a small saving for a choppier phone (setting 2).
Turning off 5G: it only helps where 5G signal is weak. Test it if your battery usage shows mobile networks near the top.
Wi-Fi power saving: older guides still recommend it, but Samsung says it isn’t available on One UI 7 or later.
Maxing out RAM Plus: it’s virtual memory on storage, not real RAM. Leave it at the default, or turn it off if storage is tight.
Developer options animation scales: some guides suggest 0.5x to make the phone feel faster. It works, but Developer options isn’t a Samsung-supported menu and it’s easy to change something you didn’t mean to.
Task killer or “booster” apps: One UI already manages background apps (setting 8), so third-party cleaners add little.
Auto Blocker’s Maximum restrictions: strong, but it can break accessories and work apps (setting 17).

Samsung settings FAQ

What settings should I change on a new Samsung phone?

Start with Battery protection, sleeping apps, Find My Mobile, Theft protection, Auto Blocker, Swipe gestures, the side button and lock screen notifications. Then turn on the One UI 9 additions: Security Brief, Call Brief and the Quick Panel layout. Do your data transfer first, because Smart Switch brings some settings over.

Which Samsung settings should I turn off?

Turn off notifications from promotional apps, Charging vibration, camera Location tags if you share photos publicly, and Customization Service if you don’t want personalised content. Turn off Now Nudge if its floating button distracts you. Don’t turn off Adaptive motion smoothness, Auto Blocker or Find My Mobile.

Which Samsung settings save the most battery?

Battery protection protects the battery’s long-term health. For daily runtime, put unused apps to sleep, use the Light performance profile, keep Screen timeout at 30 seconds or less, set Always On Display to Tap to show, and turn off notifications you don’t need. Our guide to improving battery life on any Galaxy goes further.

How do I make my Samsung phone stop charging at 80%?

Go to Settings → Battery → Battery protection and choose Maximum, then set the limit to 80%. Adaptive also holds the battery at 80% overnight, then finishes charging before you usually unplug.

How do I block spam calls on a Samsung phone?

Turn on Call screening (Phone → ⋮ → Settings → Call screening) with automatic screening for unknown callers. It needs One UI 8.5 or later. You can also block individual numbers from the Phone app’s recent calls.

Do these settings work on One UI 8.5?

Most of them do. Security Brief, Privacy Alerts, Call Brief, the location indicator, Quick lockdown, the resizable Quick Panel and the home screen search bar choice need One UI 9. Call screening needs One UI 8.5 or later. See One UI 9 vs One UI 8.5 for the full difference.

Is there a hidden settings menu on Samsung phones?

Developer options is the main hidden menu: tap Build number seven times in Settings → About phone → Software information. It’s meant for app developers, and none of the settings in this guide need it. Two hidden menus are more useful day to day, Connectivity Labs in the Wi-Fi settings and Labs in Advanced features. Our guide to Samsung hidden features shows how to unlock both. Be wary of “secret code” lists online. Some codes run factory tests or resets.

How do I reset Samsung settings to default?

Settings → General management → Reset → Reset all settings. It returns system settings to their defaults without deleting your apps, photos or files. Factory data reset in the same menu erases everything, and on One UI 9 it also turns on the stricter unlock limit for phones that were updated (setting 19).

The bottom line

Fifteen minutes in Settings makes any Galaxy phone on One UI 9 safer and easier to live with. Do the protective settings first: Battery protection, Find My Mobile, Theft protection, Auto Blocker and Security Brief. Then fix the daily annoyances: gestures, the side button, notifications and the Quick Panel. Finally, try One UI 9’s new Galaxy AI controls and keep only what helps. If you own an S26 Ultra, carry on with the S26 Ultra settings list for its model-only options. For everything else in the update, from the rollout timeline to known bugs, read our complete One UI 9 guide. To see how these settings fit into the wider Galaxy world, read the Samsung ecosystem explained and our guide to every Galaxy device family.