Here's how to turn it on:Open the Settings app on your Galaxy phone.
Calling it a feature almost feels unfair, because it's more like a toolbox of features Samsung chose not to include out of the box.
There are modules for tweaking your camera, navigation gestures, multitasking, lock screen, home screen, and so much more.
After enabling it through Good Lock, an entirely new Camera settings page appeared with extra controls that weren't available before.
With Good Lock, you can tweak the lock screen, home screen, navigation bar, keyboard, notifications, and more to match your style and workflow.
I've been using my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for over two years now, and I still find myself stumbling across features I never knew existed. After finally trying a few, I wish I'd done it much sooner. Some of Samsung's most useful features aren't enabled by default, so it's surprisingly easy to miss out on what your phone can really do.
The feature that made my giant phone feel friendly
No more thumb gymnastics
Digvijay Kumar / MakeUseOf
My Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a giant phone, and while I love its massive display, using it with one hand isn't always easy. That's exactly why One-handed mode has become one of my favorite features. It's turned off by default, which honestly makes sense. If you're using one of Samsung's smaller Galaxy phones, you may never need it. And even on a larger device, not everyone wants the screen to shrink every time they're using it.
Once enabled, the display shrinks to a size that's much easier to reach with one thumb. Whether I'm trying to tap something at the top of the screen, pull down the notification shade, or quickly navigate around the interface, I no longer have to awkwardly shuffle the phone around in my hand. It feels like the S24 Ultra suddenly becomes much easier to manage without giving up its big-screen experience.
If you've never tried it before, I'd genuinely recommend giving it a shot for a day or two. You might be surprised by how quickly it becomes second nature. Here's how to turn it on:
Open the Settings app on your Galaxy phone. Scroll down and tap Advanced features. Turn on the toggle next to One-handed mode. Choose your preferred activation method: Gesture or Button. I personally use Gesture because it feels much quicker.
Once it's enabled, just swipe down from the bottom edge of the screen (if you're using gestures), and the display will shrink, making everything much easier to reach with one hand.
My notification safety net
A rewind button for forgotten alerts
Pankil Shah / MakeUseOf
Whenever I'm working, I try to keep my phone out of sight. The downside, though, is that I sometimes miss genuinely important alerts because I don't look at my phone often enough.
That's exactly why I turned on Notification History, and I honestly wish I'd discovered it sooner. Instead of worrying that I've accidentally swiped away an important message or missed a call while I was focused on work, I can simply open Notification History and see everything in one place. It keeps a record of notifications from the past 24 hours. It's also turned off by default, so unless you go looking for it, you'll probably never know it's there. Here's how to enable it:
Open the Settings app on your Galaxy phone. Tap Notifications. Select Advanced settings. Tap Notification history. Turn on the toggle.
That's all there is to it. The next time you accidentally clear your notifications, you can head straight to Notification History and catch up on everything you missed, all in one place.
Samsung's best app is the one you probably don't have
It's like finding an extra Settings app
Brady Snyder / MakeUseOf
If there's one thing every Samsung Galaxy owner should install, it's Good Lock. Calling it a feature almost feels unfair, because it's more like a toolbox of features Samsung chose not to include out of the box. Yes, it doesn't come preinstalled, which still puzzles me considering how much it adds to the Galaxy experience. The first time I opened it, I expected a couple of customization options. Instead, I found myself going down a rabbit hole. There are modules for tweaking your camera, navigation gestures, multitasking, lock screen, home screen, and so much more.
Personally, I've spent the most time with modules like Camera Assistant, NavStar, Routines+, and Nice Catch, but that's just how I use my phone. You might end up loving completely different ones, and that's exactly what makes Good Lock so much fun.
A recent example is Camera Assistant. After enabling it through Good Lock, an entirely new Camera settings page appeared with extra controls that weren't available before. One of those options lets me unlock a 24MP photo mode, giving me the choice between 12MP, 24MP, and 50MP whenever I take a picture on my other Samsung — the Galaxy S26.
So, if you've never tried Good Lock before, I'd highly recommend downloading it from the Galaxy Store. Even if you only end up using a couple of its modules, there's a good chance you'll discover features you didn't even know your Galaxy phone could have.
Good Lock OS Android Developer Good Lock Labs Price model Free Good Lock is a powerful customization suite for Samsung Galaxy devices, offering a collection of modules and plugins that let you personalize almost every aspect of your phone. With Good Lock, you can tweak the lock screen, home screen, navigation bar, keyboard, notifications, and more to match your style and workflow.
Your Galaxy has been holding out on you
These are the Samsung features I find myself recommending whenever someone asks me how to get more out of their Galaxy phone. The funny thing is, some of the best ones aren't even enabled — or, in Good Lock's case, aren't installed — when you first set up your device. That makes them incredibly easy to miss, even if you've been using your phone for years, just like I have.
So if you haven't explored them yet, spend a few minutes trying them out. You might not end up using every single one, but chances are you'll find at least one that becomes part of your everyday routine. That's exactly what happened to me, and I don't think I'll be turning any of them off again.
