Phones are getting longer by the day. Just compare the size of the old iPhone 5S. With Galaxy S10 Plus New. The difference is huge. While the larger screen enhances the movie-watching experience by several folds, it also has a major problem: one-handed use.
Phones like Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus It's so long that operating it with one hand is next to impossible. And even if you manage to somehow manage it, you run the risk of losing control and dropping it.
Fortunately, there are some solutions that come in place to keep you working. Samsung's One UI design accommodates one-handed operation, but that's not all. With the right one-handed mode tricks, you can easily tame the large screen from Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus.
Let's take a look.
1. Enable one-handed mode
One of the first things I did was activate the traditional one-handed mode. You can either triple-tap the home screen or swipe diagonally from the corners. This will shrink the screen, making it easier to work with.
But before you do that, you'll need to enable it manually. To do so, search for "One-Handed" in Finder, click the Settings card, and toggle the switch.
Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Motions & Gestures, choose between Gesture or Button, and get started.
The traditional one-handed mode is especially useful when typing or using your phone in crowded scenarios.
2. Check out the one-hand operation + app
One Hand Operation+ is a Samsung app designed to further customize navigation gestures. This is useful for those who have difficulty reaching the bottom half of the phone.
It combines two customizable screens on each side of the phone, and you can perform basic actions like going back, launching the previous app, and opening the recitations list by swiping these handles.
As mentioned above, almost everything about these handles can be customized, right down to the transparency levels and handle height. Currently, each handle supports three gestures: upward, horizontal, and diagonal.
To set gestures, open a handle and add an action. You can also add and customize Long Swipe gestures.
Naturally, getting used to these new gestures will take its fair share of time. But once you master them, navigating the device's long screen will be a breeze. Galaxy S10 As a toy for children.
At the same time, you want to set the handles slightly lower (or higher) so that you don't confuse them with "edge handles."
- Tip: You can have the One Hand Operation+ handle on one edge and the Edge screen on the other, depending on your convenience.
3. Get SAMSUNG BROWSER BETA
The last time I tried to type a URL on Chrome for Android while lying down, the phone fell on my face — all thanks to the position of the address bar.
Chrome for Android is testing a tab switcher at the bottom, so you can give some other browsers a chance for now. Samsung Internet Beta One of the best browsers for functionality, this browser packs in important features like the switcher, home page, and menu at the bottom of the user interface.
A slightly similar browser, in terms of one-handed use, is the OperaTouch. Opera designed this app primarily for one-handed use.
But at the end of the day, both apps have the address bar at the top of the page.
If you find this inconvenient, you can check out the OH Browser. Along with other features, it places the address bar at the bottom. This makes it extremely convenient to type addresses or website names.
- Did you know: Finder can be on your home screen? Find out how in the post below.
4. Check the home screen for the notification panel.
Are you having trouble accessing the notification panel? Wouldn't it be better if a downward swipe on the home screen brought up all notifications? Well, it seems there's a way to enable the aforementioned settings.
To do this, long-press on the home screen and tap Home screen settings. Then, toggle the Quick-open notification panel switch.
- Tip: Enable glide typing on the keyboard to spell out words faster and more accurately. Most keyboards support it, including Gboard, SwiftKey, and the built-in Samsung keyboard.
5. Switch the Google search bar to the bottom.
Another small change you can make is to switch the position of the Google search bar. The bar is usually placed in the center of the screen on Samsung phones by default.
All you have to do is long-press on it and drag it down. That way, you can simply tap and start typing whenever you need to search for something. Add a friendly browser to ease your worries about dropping your phone or stretching your finger.
6. Reduce the edges
Another handy hack for using a hand is to arrange the Edge screen handles to suit your convenience. They're usually positioned on the right edge of the screen by default. Thankfully, all of these are easily customizable.
To do this, pull down the Edge screen, tap the Settings icon in the bottom left of the screen, tap the three-dot icon at the top, and select Edge panel handle.
Here, you can change the position, transparency, side, and size of the handle.
At the same time, you can also rearrange the panels to your liking. To do this, go back to the page, click the three-dot icon again, and select Reorder.
- Tip: Be a power user by adding your favorite apps to the App Edge panel.
7. Get a good lock app
The Samsung Good Lock app works flawlessly with the Galaxy S10. Once downloaded, you can customize the lock screen and make it usable with one hand, too—thanks to features like Mini Mode and a pop-up notification window.
The features are pretty good. While the first one shrinks the general menu upon selection, the other one lets you view notifications in a resizable window.
To enable these features, first install the Good Lock app and then install individual modules like Task Changer and QuickStar.
To activate Mini mode, open the Task Switcher and toggle the switch. While there, you can also explore the theme types. Meanwhile, go to QuickStar and activate the pop-up notification button.
This will display a button in the notification bubble. Tapping it will open the notifications in a resizable window.
- Note: Only selected apps support this feature. For example, WhatsApp That, but Instagram Does not support it.
The user is the power of the GALAXY S10.
Last but not least, get a grippy phone case, so that the next time you're juggling multiple tasks with one hand, there's something to help you better control your phone.
