Best tips and tricks for the Samsung Galaxy A5 2016

Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy A5 in Brazil. The smartphone arrived in the country for a very high value, but the price dropped a lot, which made it one of the most popular smartphones in Korea. Below you will find some tips and tricks for the Galaxy A5 2016, hidden features and options that can be very useful.

If you are used to TouchWiz and / or have a Galaxy S7, you may already know some of these tricks. It would be difficult for Samsung to create many functions specific to the A5 as it would be a very unprofitable investment. The logic is very evident in flagships, where the goal is precisely to stand out through special features.

SOS Messaging

In the smartphone settings, there is the function that allows (as the name implies) to inform your contacts that you are in danger. The simple concept: you pre-select which people should receive the alert and once enabled, just press the power button 3 times quickly to send it. Remember to enable the option (which is off by default) and choose which contacts should receive the alert.

The system, by default, sends two pieces of information:

  • That you need help
  • Your location (GPS enabled automatically if disabled)
  • In risky situations, you can quickly tell your loved ones that you are in trouble.

You find this function in Privacy & Security> Sending SOS Messages. You can also set the message to send a picture or audio. Hope you never have to use the SOS function, but interesting to have, just to ensure

sos message tips
SOS Messaging / AndroidPIT

The Wizard menu (within Accessibility) is particularly interesting. Once enabled, you will see a small blue circle with four white squares, pressing it, you get some quick commands (screenshot, lock, etc.) and can use it as a computer mouse.

menu assistant accessibility tips
The Wizard Menu (within Accessibility) / AndroidPIT

Ultra power saving customizable mode

All devices offer some power saving mode. Ultra hardcore mode: It does not allow you to connect via WiFi, Bluetooth or GPS. The screen is black and white to save even more power by taking advantage of Super AMOLED technology.

The options available in this mode are greatly reduced. Your home screen disappears, as does most application access. Only a few are kept: Phone, Messages, Browser, Calculator, Voice Recorder, Clock and Reminders.

An alternative absence of the notification LED

The Notification LED So Convenient With most Android devices, just take care of the brightness of the LED so that we know a message, call or notification. Already with the A5 2016, you can forget about this function: the smartphone does not come with the dear LED. So do we have to turn on the screen to see if we have any pending notifications?

No notification LED, but a vibrating system is an acceptable alternative.

You can use a special vibration system: If there are missed messages or calls, your smartphone will vibrate when you pick it up. This is useful if you have your hands free. The system can be activated in Movements and Gestures> Smart Alert. Important: In the same menu you can activate other gesture-based actions: muting the sound covering the screen or taking a screenshot with a flick of the hand.

advanced features galaxy tips
Smart Alert: An alternative absence of LED notifications / AndroidPIT

Using split screen

As its name suggests, this mode splits the screen into two windows, each with an app. This is useful for those who want to do two things at once, such as watching a video and taking notes. Of course, the bigger the screen, the better this function gets. In my case, I rarely use the function on smartphones, but on tablets it's great.

Access two windows simultaneously.

To enable it, simply press and hold the multitasking button and choose the apps you want. Warning: Not all applications support this function. However, Android N proposes a window resizing system that will take this function to all compatible smartphones.

two screen galaxy tips
Using the split screen / AndroidPIT

What other tricks do you know for the Samsung Galaxy A5?

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