Your shiny new Galaxy S25 Ultra is working at half capacity right now. Samsung tucked the best features deep in menus most people never explore. This creates a real problem—you paid for cutting-edge technology but use basic functions only.
It’s like owning a supercomputer but only using it for email and most owners miss the very capabilities that justify the premium price. In this guide, we reveal hidden settings that convert your impressive device into something truly exceptional.
38. Enable Audio Playback During Video Recording
Capturing video while your favorite song plays should be simple, but most phones force an impossible choice between sound and footage. Head to camera settings, find “advanced video options,” and flip that “audio playback” toggle.
Party videos now include the actual music playing, capturing everything at professional-grade 48kHz quality and eliminating the need to add music in post-production editing.
37. Capture Motion Photos Before and After Shutter
Action shots have a magical way of becoming blurry disasters or capturing the exact moment everyone blinked. Samsung’s solution? Camera settings → motion photo options → enable “capture before and after.”
When photographing fast-moving subjects like children or athletes, the buffer virtually guarantees capturing the perfect shot every time because the phone automatically saves multiple frames around your shutter press.
36. Switch to UHD (4K) Video Recording
The S25 Ultra captures video with four times the detail of standard HD, yet most users never activate this powerful capability. Open camera app, tap video settings, and select UHD.
While 8K exists, UHD strikes the perfect balance between stunning clarity and manageable file sizes that won’t immediately fill your storage. The best TVs can properly stream your phone’s UHD content while supporting smooth playback.
35. Utilize the Smooth Zoom Feature
In line with Samsung’s focus on camera innovation, the S25 Ultra includes refined zoom functionality. When recording video, tap and hold the record button to reveal a zoom slider on the right side.
Filming a concert or sports event? Zoom from wide-angle to close-up with cinema-smooth transitions worthy of professional video equipment. The smooth zoom feature utilizes the phone’s advanced image stabilization algorithms during zoom.
34. Capture Astro Photos in Expert RAW Mode
If you’ve ever tried capturing the night sky with a regular phone camera, you know the disappointing black rectangle that results. Expert RAW app reportedly has an “Astrophoto” mode that, when paired with a tripod and 4-10 minute exposures, captures stars with impressive detail.
Think of it as turning your phone into a pocket-sized observatory. Just be prepared for the inevitable “is that really from your phone?” comments when you share the results.
33. Enable Find My Mobile for Device Security
Losing a $1,200 phone ranks somewhere between “minor disaster” and “complete meltdown” on the stress scale. To avoid potential disaster, go to Security and Privacy settings and enable “Find My Mobile.”
Lost phones become significantly less stressful when you can track, lock, or erase your device remotely through Samsung’s website. The feature works even when your phone is offline in many scenarios.
32. Activate Theft Protection for Enhanced Security
Your phone contains more personal data than your home filing cabinet, wallet, and photo albums combined. Samsung continues enhancing their security arsenal with each new model.
Dig through Security and Privacy settings for theft detection capabilities that use the phone’s sensors to detect suspicious movement patterns and lock automatically.
31. Remotely Lock Your Phone with Android.com Lock
Even Samsung’s security system occasionally needs a backup plan. When all else fails, visit android.com, sign in with your Google account, and use “Secure Device” to remotely lock your phone.
Three clicks from any browser, and your digital life goes into lockdown faster than a celebrity Twitter account after a hack. Such cross-platform security ensures protection even when Samsung’s services are unavailable.
30. Enable Sports Scores on Lock Screen
Samsung devices often include informational widgets for the lock screen. Some users report finding sports score functionality within Lock Screen settings under options like “Now Playing,” allowing you to follow favorite teams’ scores without unlocking the device. Look for these options in your lock screen customization settings.
Follow your teams’ scores without unlocking your device—perfect for subtle game-checking during meetings or social events. The feature provides real-time updates through various sports data partners.
29. Install a VPN for Enhanced Security
Public Wi-Fi networks are basically digital fishing ponds where hackers cast their lines hoping to catch your passwords. A good VPN like Surfshark encrypts your data with protection serious enough for international spies (or at least people with banking apps).
Coffee shop Wi-Fi becomes as secure as your home network when your data travels through encrypted VPN tunnels. Most VPNs support multiple devices under one subscription.
28. Enable Face Recognition for Fast Unlocking
Face recognition that makes you wait is like a sports car stuck in first gear—frustratingly pointless. Go to Security and Privacy settings, enable face recognition, then disable “Stay on lock screen.”
Phone access speeds increase dramatically, with recognition and unlocking happening in under one second when you skip the extra confirmation screen. It’s like teaching your phone to recognize you at the speed of thought (or at least faster than your impatient tapping).
27. Keep Favorite Apps Open in Memory
Watching apps reload when you switch back to them wastes around 45 seconds per hour for heavy users. View recent apps, tap the app icon, and select the lock icon to keep up to three apps permanently ready.
Locking apps in memory eliminates frustrating reload delays entirely, which is handy when constantly switching between apps. The phone prioritizes locked apps when managing RAM resources.
26. Speed Up Animations Using Developer Options
Animation speed can make your phone feel 50% faster without any hardware upgrades. Enable Developer Options by tapping “Build number” seven times (like a bizarre tech rain dance), then reduce animation scales to 0.5x.
Apps open and close with newfound urgency, making your already fast phone feel significantly more responsive to inputs. Most users report a noticeable performance improvement in daily use.
25. Enable Swipe Down for Notification Panel
Reaching the top of a 6.8-inch screen one-handed requires either enormous hands or clever software solutions. Look for “Swipe down for notification panel” in Home Screen settings to access notifications with a convenient downward swipe from anywhere on screen.
Your thumb gets extended reach without straining to reach the top of the screen. One-handed operation becomes significantly more comfortable with this feature active.
24. Quickly Switch Between Recent Apps with Gestures
Switch between recent apps lightning-fast by swiping across the bottom navigation bar. Using button navigation? Double-tap the recents button for the same effect.
App switching speeds increase by up to 50% when using these gesture shortcuts instead of traditional navigation. These techniques are particularly useful for productivity-focused users.
23. Increase Flashlight Brightness
Adjust your flashlight brightness by long-pressing the flashlight toggle in Quick Settings. Move the slider to increase illumination for better visibility in dark environments.
Crank it up to transform your phone into a legitimate light source that provides significantly more illumination than the default setting. This enhanced brightness is particularly useful for emergency situations and nighttime visibility.
22. Customize Notifications with Edge Lighting
Edge lighting turns mundane alerts into personalized light shows that are both functional and stylish. Change notification style to “Brief” and enable Edge Lighting effects for a visual upgrade that borders on digital art.
Customize colors, patterns, and durations to distinguish contacts and apps at a glance and identify important notifications without looking at the content details.
21. Use Color by Keyword for Notifications
Ever missed an important message because it blended in with twenty other notifications? Within Edge Lighting settings, look for options to assign colors to different contacts or keywords.
When your boss or significant other messages, their distinctive color cuts through the notification noise to prioritize important contacts.
20. Pop-Out Notifications for Quick Access
Caught in multiple conversations simultaneously? When a message arrives, tap the pop-out icon to create a persistent chat bubble that stays accessible.
Ongoing conversations stay accessible while you browse the web, check email, or use other apps, increasing your multitasking efficiency. The bubbles can be moved around the screen as needed.
19. Customize Notification Categories for Each App
Unlike default alerts, the S25 Ultra offers granular control over what notifications you receive. Go to advanced notification settings and enable “Manage notification categories.”
Filter notification types from each app and silence unwanted alerts easily by category. Customizing like this helps streamline your alerts for maximum focus throughout the day.
18. Increase Screen Resolution to QHD+
The S25 Ultra boasts a display with over 3 million pixels, yet ships with many of them deactivated by default. Open Display settings, tap “Screen resolution,” and crank it to QHD+.
Every pixel of your premium display gets utilized, creating visuals so crisp you might wonder how you ever tolerated lower resolutions. The higher resolution particularly enhances text clarity and photo details.
17. Hide Camera Cutout for Specific Apps
Caught in an awkward situation where the camera hole blocks crucial parts of your video or game? Check Display settings for camera cutout management that adds a black bar around the camera for specific apps.
It’s similar to giving problematic apps a gentle nudge to play nice with your phone’s design. Perfect for those apps that haven’t quite figured out how to handle modern phone aesthetics.
16. Open Apps in Pop-up or Split Screen from Edge Panels
The Galaxy S25 Ultra lets you open apps in split-screen or pop-up views directly from the edge panel.
You can quickly switch between applications, maintaining full functionality across different screen layouts. This feature allows for seamless productivity, helping you work more efficiently on your device.
15. Use Edge Panel Tools
Access frequently used tools with a simple swipe from the edge of your screen. Edge Panels include shortcuts to apps, contacts, weather info, and even utility tools like a ruler or compass.
Swipe a second time for more panels filled with useful tools. The Edge Panel system can be fully customized to include exactly the tools and shortcuts you use most frequently.
14. Customize the Side Key Double Press Action
Reprogram the side button’s double-press function to launch your most-used app or feature. Go to Settings, then Advanced Features, then Side Key to select your preferred shortcut.
Your physical button becomes a direct express lane to whatever you use most. Quick access to your favorite apps or functions happens with just a double-press.
13. Explore the Gemini Voice Assistant Capabilities
The S25 Ultra integrates Google’s advanced Gemini AI assistant. Try voice commands for generating images, answering complex questions, or handling practical tasks.
The natural conversation capabilities make interacting with your phone feel less like commanding a computer and more like talking to an extremely knowledgeable assistant. The responses are notably more contextual than previous AI iterations.
12. Customize Gemini’s Voice
Google’s Gemini AI brings new assistant capabilities to Samsung devices. Explore the Gemini app settings to see what personalization options are available, which might include voice customization features to make your interactions feel more natural and tailored to your preferences.
Make the AI assistant’s voice match your preferences, creating a more natural interaction experience. Multiple voice options are available with different tones and speaking styles.
11. Customize Lock Screen Widgets and Shortcuts
The lock screen you interact with dozens of times daily deserves more functionality than just showing the time. Add widgets for weather updates, fitness goals, and camera shortcuts through Lock Screen settings.
Your lock screen converts from gatekeeper to personal assistant, delivering key information before you even unlock. The customizable widgets create an information hub tailored specifically to your daily needs.
10. Customize Lock Screen Clock
The S25 Ultra provides comprehensive lock screen clock customization.
You can modify clock designs and select from various fonts to turn the lock screen from a simple time display into a reflection of your personal style.
9. Using Dynamic Lock Screen
Wallpaper fatigue affects millions of smartphone users worldwide, but there’s a simple cure. Enable Dynamic Lock Screen to get fresh wallpapers delivered to your device like clockwork.
Select your preferred theme and your lock screen becomes an ever-changing gallery. For the chronically bored, it’s a small but satisfying change that keeps your best smartphone feeling new longer.
8. Using Personal Images for Lock Screen
Samsung continues to support personal image integration on lock screens. Users can easily select photos from their gallery to create a meaningful background.
Each time you check your phone, you’ll see memories that matter most to you.
7. Customize Always On Display Settings
The Always On Display is like that friend who’s helpful but sometimes needs boundaries. Fine-tune it to show just what you need when you need it. Enable “Auto” mode or set custom schedules to balance information and battery life.
Control media without fully waking your phone—perfect for subtly skipping that embarrassing song that somehow appeared in your playlist. The controls remain accessible while the screen stays mostly off to conserve battery.
6. Add Now Brief Widget
Get a comprehensive overview of your day with the Now Brief widget. Add it to your home screen to see calendar events, weather, and other timely information in one glance.
Calendar events, weather, and timely updates appear in one glance-able location. The widget automatically updates throughout the day to reflect your changing schedule and conditions.
5. Enable Swipe for Split Screen and Pop-up View
Enable “Swipe for split screen” in Advanced Features to quickly open two apps side-by-side. With a simple gesture, your screen divides to handle two apps simultaneously, like a digital juggler with impressive coordination.
Many Samsung users find this feature boosts their productivity, making it possible to reference information while writing or watch videos while messaging. Each app maintains full functionality even in split-screen mode, with adjustable dividers to control how much space each app receives.
4. Utilize Motion and Gesture Settings
Enable convenient hands-free interactions through Motion and Gestures settings. Set up double-tap to wake the screen or receive alerts when you pick up your phone with missed notifications.
Hands full with groceries? Double-tap to wake or use other gestures to control your phone without needing to press buttons. These touchless controls enhance convenience in numerous everyday situations.
3. Enable Keep Screen on While Viewing
Samsung’s intelligent display technology transforms how you interact with your device. The Keep Screen on While Viewing feature uses front camera detection to maintain screen visibility when you’re actively looking at the screen.
Navigate to Settings, select Advanced features, and tap Motions and gestures. Toggle the switch for Keep screen on while viewing to activate this smart technology that prevents unnecessary screen dimming during active use.
2. Enable Dark Mode
If you’re tired of your phone screen lighting up the room like a spotlight at midnight, Dark Mode offers sweet relief. Enable Dark Mode in display settings for a more civilized experience.
Night owls benefit from reduced eye strain and potentially better sleep, all thanks to minimized blue light emission from darker interface elements. The battery life also improves slightly with dark backgrounds on AMOLED screens.
1. Enable Eye Comfort Shield
Protect your vision during extended use by enabling Eye Comfort Shield. This feature reduces blue light emissions by adding a slight yellow tint to the display, helping to prevent eye fatigue and potential sleep disruption.
Your eyes will thank you during late-night scrolling sessions, and you might even notice improved sleep afterward. Research has shown that reduced blue light exposure in the evening can help maintain natural sleep cycles.
