Samsung How-Tos
How To: Get Better Quick Settings on a Samsung Galaxy S3 with This Fully Customizable Control Center
Apple may have unabashedly lifted their upcoming "Control Center" from Android devices, but visually speaking, it's an awesome take on Quick Settings that would look pretty good on a Samsung Galaxy S3.
How To: The Easiest Way to Completely Customize Your Samsung Galaxy S3 with Wallpapers, Ringtones, Games, & More
Android gets a lot of love for its immeasurable amount of customization, and for the most part, you don't even have to do any heinous hacking to swag out your Samsung Galaxy S3 or other Android device.
How To: Control the Auto-Rotate Settings for Apps Individually on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Controlling the screen rotation on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is one of the easiest things you can do. Just slide down the Notification tray and you have instant access to the Screen Rotation toggle in the Quick Settings menu. If you want your screen orientation to automatically rotate when you move from vertical to horizontal positions, just make sure it's turned on. To lock the current orientation, turn it off.
How To: Get Moto X-Style 'Active Display' Notifications on a Samsung Galaxy S3
The new Moto X may not have a lot going for it when it comes to hardware, but there are some pretty cool software features that makes it a tempting device. One of these cool features is its Active Display notifications that appear on the lock screen.
How To: Monitor System Resources Right from the Notification Tray on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Anyone who uses a computer on a regular basis probably knows how to access the task manager to check system resources and usage stats. However, on a Samsung Galaxy S3 or other Android device, it may not be so obvious. There's no equivalent to Control-Alt-Delete, but it's still fairly easy to monitor running processes and battery usage.
How To: Be a Multitasking Ninja with Floating Apps & Notifications on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
From a very early age we have an intrinsic obsession with things that float. Why do you think we love balloons and bubbles so much? So, it's no surprise that our smartphones are being invaded by floating features.
How To: The Flashlight That Finally Lets You Adjust LED Brightness on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
I know what you're thinking. Why spend time talking about another flashlight application when there are literally thousands of them scattered throughout Google Play? As it turns out, there is a void in the realm of flashlight Android apps. Flashing lights, strobe lights, cop lights, warning lights—they're all available, but the one feature that's missing is adjustable brightness.
How To: Replicate the Moto X's "Active Listening" Hands-Free Assistant on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
On the new Moto X smartphone, the only thing you have to do to activate the virtual assistant is say "Okay, Google Now." That's it. You don't have to press a button or tap on the display at all. It's always ready for your voice commands via its "Active Listening" feature, making it a truly hands-free experience.
How To: Add No-Bulk Wireless Charging to Your Samsung Galaxy S4 for Under 30 Bucks
Why do we still need to plug in our phones to charge them? Wireless charging exists, and has for quite some time, but most manufacturers don't include it in their devices. When it comes to the Samsung Galaxy S4, you can buy a QI-compatible wireless charging kit, but between the charging pad and the battery cover, you're looking at around $90 or more.
How To: Get the Camera App from the New Moto X on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
The new Moto X is still a couple of weeks from being released here in the United States, but that doesn't mean we can't play around with a few of its cool features.
How To: Flick Open the Camera App Moto X-Style on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
We have all had buyer's remorse. It's an inevitable fact of life that we get things only to want another. For those of us with a Samsung Galaxy S3, some of those new Moto X features are probably looking pretty tempting.
How To: Play Any Nintendo DS Game on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
If you actually had to look up what "DS" stands for in Nintendo DS, that probably means you weren't a huge fan of the portable game system. To be honest, I never was. It's fairly bulky and has two tiny displays.
How To: Save Battery Power on a Samsung Galaxy S4 with Moto X Style "Active Display" Notifications
According to a new study, the majority of smartphone users check their devices 150 times a day. While that number may seem incredibly high at first glance, the influx of notifications and amount of social media apps available reduce the initial shock and make the number seem not so preposterous after all. Yeah, even on a date.
How To: Get All the Stock Wallpapers from the Moto X on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
I never really get tired of staring at the beautiful Halle Berry wallpaper on my Samsung Galaxy S3, but occasionally she needs a break. There are literally thousands of different wallpapers to choose from, but since the new Moto X just came out, its stock wallpapers are ripe for the picking. Step 1: Download the Moto X Default Wallapers
How To: Play & Control Music from Anywhere Using This Floating Widget on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
I'm constantly browsing the web, taking pictures, and playing games on my Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but there's one thing that I'm always doing—playing music. No matter what I'm doing on my smartphone, I'm always playing my music in the background at the same time.
How To: Play Classic Nintendo (NES) Games on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Video games are one of the few items that have successfully advanced and adapted over decades, while still holding its "old school" value.
How To: Who Needs a Galaxy S4? This Mod Lets You Control Your Samsung Galaxy S3 with Air Gestures (No Root Required)
I've already showed you how to magically unlock your Samsung Galaxy S3 with the simple wave of a hand, but why stop there? Sure, you could go out and purchase a Samsung Galaxy S4 so you have Air Gestures that let you control the lock screen, SMS, sound, wireless, and more.
How To: Update Your Samsung Galaxy S3 to the Newest Available Android OS
Using a phone that hasn't been updated is like playing NBA 2K10 in 2013. Everything works fine, but you're missing all those new features and current rosters.
How To: Open ANY App Instantly & More Securely from the Lock Screen on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Nine times out of ten, when you pick up your Samsung Galaxy Note 2, you already know what app you're going to be using. If you only have Swipe to unlock enabled, finding that app is as easy as swiping and locating the app on your Home screen or in the app drawer.
How To: Hack a Self-Timer into Instagram & Vine for No-Touch Video Recording on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2
With the introduction of Vine and the subsequent Instagram update, abbreviated video sharing has come to the masses, to be experimented with in an unprecedented way.
How To: Float & Control YouTube Videos Over Any App or Home Screen on a Samsung Galaxy S3
For me, YouTube on my Samsung Galaxy S3 is more of a music player, not a video player. I have tons of YouTube playlists for music, but since I'm mostly only interested in listening, it'd be nice if YouTube would continue to play in the background while I use other apps.
How To: The Fastest Way to Choose Which App Launches Links & Files: Remove the "Just Once" Prompt on Your Galaxy Note 2
There's two things I'm always looking for in my Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Efficiency and quickness. So, like any other softModder, I tend to download a bunch of apps and tweaks that help speed up my device's overall performance. In doing so, I often come across the "Complete action using" popup, which is oddly enough, one of the most inefficient features ever. You'll see this popup whenever you click on something that can be opened with more than one option. If you click on a link in Google sear...
How To: Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy S3 with Magic
David Blaine has made millions off his magic tricks and mind-bending illusions, so why shouldn't we get in on the action, too? Well, your Samsung Galaxy S3 can do all kinds of things, but magic isn't one of them...yet.
How To: De-Bloating Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2: How to Delete Preloaded Android Apps for Good
The Google Play Store exists so you can download as many apps as your heart desires (and as your memory can hold). Sure, you may only use them once, but it's your choice—and isn't that what life is really about? With that said, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 already comes with a ton of preloaded apps from Google, Samsung, and your device carrier, like Yellow Pages and Google Earth—both of which I never use. So why is it that Android won't let me remove or uninstall them?!
How To: Unlock the "All Your Game Are Belong to Us" Achievement on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
In old-school Konami fashion, there's an Easter egg lurking inside your Samsung Galaxy S3, and I'm not talking about gingerbread men, robots, or jelly beans. In fact, it's actually an achievement, like those you would unlock in Black Ops on your Xbox 360, and it's pretty easy to find.
How To: Carrier Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy S4 So You Can Use Another SIM Card
Unlocking your Samsung Galaxy S4 so you can use a different SIM card isn't the easiest thing in the world. In the states, unlocking cell phones was actually illegal, despite the White House's disapproval, though, a recent bill has making its way to the House floor and has made it legal again.
How To: Record High-Quality Audio of Phone Calls on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (No Root Required)
While the legality of secretly recording phone calls varies in each country, sometimes it's useful to have audio documentation of conversations you have on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2.
How To: 40,000+ Ways to Customize the Android Home Screen on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (No Root Required)
Customizing isn't all rooting and ROMs—there are plenty of ways to customize your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or other Android device without gaining superuser access. One of the easiest ways is to install an Android launcher, sometimes called a home launcher, that matches your style.
How To: Root & Gain Superuser Access on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 Using a Mac (The Easy Way)
To really customize your Samsung Galaxy S3, you'll need to be rooted, because most of the coolest mods and hacks require root access. If you haven't rooted yet, you're just barely touching the surface of what your GS3 can do for you.
How To: Zoom In & Out Using Only One Finger Instead of Two on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Due to its enormously awesome size, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 usually takes two hands to maneuver through photos and texts, write emails, and get directions on the map.
How To: Make Your Samsung Galaxy S3 Dynamically Adapt to Whatever Mood You're In
There's no shortage of cool customizations for my Samsung Galaxy S3, except when it comes to the launcher. Sure, there a ton of Android launchers out there, like Nova Launcher or Apex Launcher, that allow you to customize app placement, app grouping, infinite scrolling, etc. There's even Facebook Home for those who are Facebook addicts.
How To: Customize Quick Settings Toggles with Colors, Photos, & New Icons on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2
I've been on a customizing kick over the past few weeks, showing you sweet mods for your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 like interactive live wallpapers, app and settings backgrounds, status bar tweaks, and more. But, I'm not done yet. There's still plenty to softMod on your Note 2, and today I'm going to show you how to customize your Quick Settings toggles.
How To: Play Pokémon FireRed & Other Game Boy Advance Games on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
The first film I saw without any parental supervision was Pokémon: The First Movie. At the time, there wasn't a 5th grader around who didn't know who Pikachu was or what Pokémon was all about. The franchise was one of the most popular video games of all time, right after Mario.
How To: This Super Simple Mod Improves & Speeds Up Web Surfing on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Usain Bolt ran 100 meters in 9.58 seconds, an insane record-breaking time that might not ever get beat. As fast as that is, wouldn't it feel like a travesty if your Samsung Galaxy S3 took that long to open up Wikipedia?
How To: Customize the Crap Out of Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2's Status Bar
It may not seem like it, but the Status bar at the top of your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is one of the most important and heavily utilized features. From checking the time, to finding out your battery percentage, to viewing Wi-Fi and cellular connections, the Status bar is critical for keeping tabs on your device.
How To: The Easier & Better Way to Control, Track, & Locate Your Lost or Stolen Samsung Galaxy S3 Remotely
I love surprises. Surprise parties, surprise visits, surprise Patrick... But there are times when a surprise is the last thing you want, like reaching into your pocket to find that your Samsung Galaxy S3 is not where it should be.
How To: This Easy Mod Lets You Use Air Gestures in Any App on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (No Root Required)
While it may not always be practical, controlling your smartphone with air gestures can be pretty awesome. I would bet that if someone in public saw you using gestures to maneuver through your device, they'd be pretty impressed—and also kind of creepy for watching you.
How To: Type More Accurately & Efficiently on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 with WordWave's Intelligent Keyboard
The absence of a physical keyboard is both a gift and a curse. When it was announced in 2007 that the first iPhone would have a touchscreen only, people literally lost their shit. Now, almost 7 years later, you'd be hard-pressed to find a smartphone that still has a physical keyboard.
How To: Use Any Photo or Video as a Self-Destructing Snapchat on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
I've already covered how you can automatically save Snapchat photos and videos to your Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and how to take screenshots of Snapchats sent to you without the sender knowing, but there's one other thing about Snapchat that could use some softModding.
How To: Feed Apps Fake Info to Keep Private Data Safe on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
While we're usually responsible for leaking our own private information through mediums like Facebook, there are other times when we mistakenly and unwillingly allow certain applications to scour through our personal data. Some apps may have enabled permissions for internet access, thus allowing it to share said data with its external servers.