Question Z Fold 5 arrived, so many apps!

kickenwing13 · Aug 8, 2023

I've been on a Google device for most of the last 5 years.
I I'm blown away by the device, love it. So far, but there are Microsoft apps, Samsung apps come with Google apps, which obviously I have really been relying on with my love of everything from the Nexus and all the way app to the pixel stuff.

What Samsung in Microsoft apps are you people using? Google managers? My passwords, is it worth going through Samsung pass? Samsung browser? I hate having multiples of a lot of things And definitely want to clean it up. Are there any Samsung apps that you definitely wouldn't give a chance? Are there some that you definitely would switch to dictate

blackhawk · Aug 8, 2023

A whole different animal. Samsung's are the most customizable stock Android. Use the native launcher; nothing else is as fast, stable, versitile and battery friendly. It can be heavily modified with the Good Lock family of apps.

Samsung browser is good for vids, I use Brave otherwise. Chrome never.
Samsung Messenger. Samsung My Files and Gallery.
I use Gmail but Playstore, Google backup Transport, Quick Search, Voice Assistant are disabled. Bixby is so dead. OTA updates is always disabled. Samsung pass, never.

Go to the Galaxy store. Pick a theme (the native high contrast works well), pick a free icon pack then choose your own wallpaper if wish.
From the Galaxy store download the Good Lock Family of apps especially Quickstar, Clockface and One Handed Operation plus. Use Clipboard Edge for copy/paste if still supported.

It's going to take a spell. After almost 4 years I'm still exploring my N10+ running on Pie. Lots of features I don't use, some I forgot about

i use many of the Samsung apps like Calendar rather the Google apps. For bluetooth you now have the proprietary Samsung SSC codec that works with Samsung bt buds, some cool features there.

I would use NextDNS or equivalent to block app ads as well... for starters.

kickenwing13 · Aug 8, 2023

blackhawk said:
A whole different animal. Samsung's are the most customizable stock Android. Use the native launcher; nothing else is as fast, stable, versitile and battery friendly. It can be heavily modified with the Good Lock family of apps.

Samsung browser is good for vids, I use Brave otherwise. Chrome never.
Samsung Messenger. Samsung My Files and Gallery.
I use Gmail but Playstore, Google backup Transport, Quick Search, Voice Assistant are disabled. Bixby is so dead. OTA updates is always disabled. Samsung pass, never.

Go to the Galaxy store. Pick a theme (the native high contrast works well), pick a free icon pack then choose your own wallpaper if wish.
From the Galaxy store download the Good Lock Family of apps especially Quickstar, Clockface and One Handed Operation plus. Use Clipboard Edge for copy/paste if still supported.

It's going to take a spell. After almost 4 years I'm still exploring my N10+ running on Pie. Lots of features I don't use, some I forgot about i use many of the Samsung apps like Calendar rather the Google apps. For bluetooth you now have the proprietary Samsung SSC codec that works with Samsung bt buds, some cool features there.

I would use NextDNS or equivalent to block app ads as well... for starters.

Dang man. Thank you

Android-Desire · Aug 8, 2023

I get mine today too cant wait for a bigger screen

zapote21 · Aug 8, 2023

I dont use the samsung apps. All google. Chrome, messenger, etc

kickenwing13 · Aug 8, 2023

zapote21 said:
I dont use the samsung apps. All google. Chrome, messenger, etc

Still up in the air. No harm trying them. I guess. I used to be the guy that got the note 2 or note 3 and then did everything I could to make it look like a nexus phone

blackhawk · Aug 8, 2023

kickenwing13 said:
Still up in the air. No harm trying them. I guess. I used to be the guy that got the note 2 or note 3 and then did everything I could to make it look like a nexus phone

Samsung has its own ecosystem. I disable many Google apps because they eat battery. Google play Services consistently will use 1%@hr or more. Google is a known data miner supreme.
I also disable Google firebase. Gmaps is a menace as it always loads fast at startup. May start disabling it again. I use NextDNS to block Google's constant connecting (and god knows what else) for Gmail unless I want to check it.

Eventually you'll want to use Package Disabler or adb/ladb edits to take out the trash and apps you don't use. All Samsung's should be optimized to yield best battery life, cool running and performance. Otherwise they can be hot running battery hogs... it doesn't have to be this way.

Get some fast .5tb OTG flashsticks to do frequent "dirty" backups. Main backups should always be to at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC. With no expandable storage this is your best option.

Do Not use SmartSwitch as it can fail you miserably; copy/paste then verify size/if readible all critical data. Never encrypt backup drives as you are the one most likely to be lock out! Disabling Google backup Transport will significantly increase battery life. With 5G the hit may not be as great as compared to 4G only, but it's still going to hurt.

kickenwing13 · Aug 8, 2023

blackhawk said:
Samsung has its own ecosystem. I disable many Google apps because they eat battery. Google play Services consistently will use 1%@hr or more. Google is a known data miner supreme.
I also disable Google firebase. Gmaps is a menace as it always loads fast at startup. May start disabling it again. I use NextDNS to block Google's constant connecting (and god knows what else) for Gmail unless I want to check it.

Eventually you'll want to use Package Disabler or adb/ladb edits to take out the trash and apps you don't use. All Samsung's should be optimized to yield best battery life, cool running and performance. Otherwise they can be hot running battery hogs... it doesn't have to be this way.

Get some fast .5tb OTG flashsticks to do frequent "dirty" backups. Main backups should always be to at least 2 hdds that are physically and electronically isolated from each other and the PC. With no expandable storage this is your best option.

Do Not use SmartSwitch as it can fail you miserably; copy/paste then verify size/if readible all critical data. Never encrypt backup drives as you are the one most likely to be lock out! Disabling Google backup Transport will significantly increase battery life. With 5G the hit may not be as great as compared to 4G only, but it's still going to hurt.

I feel like you just unplugged me from The Matrix. None of that stuff requires root or any of that stuff, right? That's just stuff you do.

blackhawk · Aug 8, 2023

kickenwing13 said:
I feel like you just unplugged me from The Matrix. None of that stuff requires root or any of that stuff, right? That's just stuff you do.

All stock.
This is what my N10+ looks like. It's all tricked out. One UI using a free Galaxy icon pack. One Handed Operation plus can be used for side gesture navigation among other things.
Samsung's are very customizable, no rooting required.

Screenshot_20230808-150351_One UI Home.jpg

Screenshot_20230808-150357_One UI Home.jpg

That's Digi Clock and Energy Ring you see, 3rd party apps. Notice no status bar? All hidden using a combination of settings and QuickStar.
It also has virtual buttons* which I prefer modified with NavStar so they're no so white bright.

* native to Pie but my other N10+ that runs on Android 10 has the annoying Google swipe gestures. NavStar fixes that on Android 10.

kickenwing13 · Aug 9, 2023

blackhawk said:
All stock.
This is what my N10+ looks like. It's all tricked out. One UI using a free Galaxy icon pack. One Handed Operation plus can be used for side gesture navigation among other things.
Samsung's are very customizable, no rooting required.
View attachment 5972861 View attachment 5972863

That's Digi Clock and Energy Ring you see, 3rd party apps. Notice no status bar? All hidden using a combination of settings and QuickStar.
It also has virtual buttons* which I prefer modified with NavStar so they're no so white bright.

* native to Pie but my other N10+ that runs on Android 10 has the annoying Google swipe gestures. NavStar fixes that on Android 10.

I remember some Android pie gestures back in the day. Maybe on my nexus 6P or maybe a note 3 or something that had PIE gestures built into some ROMS. Brings me back a little.

blackhawk · Aug 9, 2023

kickenwing13 said:
I remember some Android pie gestures back in the day. Maybe on my nexus 6P or maybe a note 3 or something that had PIE gestures built into some ROMS. Brings me back a little.

Not Samsung for N10+; it was originally released with virtual keys. The Android 10 upgrade undid that. Thankfully there's NavStar.
I use a combination of the side gestures I set up with One Handed Operation plus and the virtual buttons.

kickenwing13 · Aug 9, 2023

zapote21 said:
I dont use the samsung apps. All google. Chrome, messenger, etc

That's my first instinct. How do you deal with not having Google assistant? I tried Bixby for about a day and it was pretty terrible I figured out how to use Google Voice services for my text-to-speech and that got way better. The Samsung one was hilariously bad. But I can't figure out how to get Google Assistant really entertained. The only thing I can do is get it to recognize my OK Google command. And it definitely seems like they have gboard blocked

zapote21 · Aug 9, 2023

kickenwing13 said:
That's my first instinct. How do you deal with not having Google assistant? I tried Bixby for about a day and it was pretty terrible I figured out how to use Google Voice services for my text-to-speech and that got way better. The Samsung one was hilariously bad. But I can't figure out how to get Google Assistant really entertained. The only thing I can do is get it to recognize my OK Google command. And it definitely seems like they have gboard blocked

I have used gboard. Dont like samsung keyboard. And i use google assistant. Never used bixby once since they came out with it lol

blackhawk · Aug 9, 2023

kickenwing13 said:
That's my first instinct. How do you deal with not having Google assistant? I tried Bixby for about a day and it was pretty terrible I figured out how to use Google Voice services for my text-to-speech and that got way better. The Samsung one was hilariously bad. But I can't figure out how to get Google Assistant really entertained. The only thing I can do is get it to recognize my OK Google command. And it definitely seems like they have gboard blocked

I never use Google assistant or Bixby, just peck away...
I doubt gboard blocked. You should be able to use it unless it's not been updated for that device/OS.

Actually the Samsung keyboard is my favorite. It can be moded as well in a number of ways. I've been using it across 3 different models for almost a decade. Still looks almost exactly like it did on Kitkat on my S4+.
I use the dark version setting.

kickenwing13 · Aug 9, 2023

blackhawk said:
I never use Google assistant or Bixby, just peck away...
I doubt gboard blocked. You should be able to use it unless it's not been updated for that device/OS.

Actually the Samsung keyboard is my favorite. It can be moded as well in a number of ways. I've been using it across 3 different models for almost a decade. Still looks almost exactly like it did on Kitkat on my S4+.
I use the dark version setting.

I can definitely handle the keyboard and the split keyboard seems pretty nice. But that voice to text was so embarrassing. You are right about the keyboard though. I always switch to g board and always have but when I come back to a Samsung device, it always seems to lay out really nicely and types very smoothly.

blackhawk · Aug 9, 2023

kickenwing13 said:
I can definitely handle the keyboard and the split keyboard seems pretty nice. But that voice to text was so embarrassing. You are right about the keyboard though. I always switch to g board and always have but when I come back to a Samsung device, it always seems to lay out really nicely and types very smoothly.

The only thing that annoys me is very rarely it will contrast flip to mostly white rather than black.
Takes a bit to find it in its settings.
I'd miss it a lot if I migrated away from Samsung.

BenGentle · Aug 9, 2023

kickenwing13 said:
I can definitely handle the keyboard and the split keyboard seems pretty nice. But that voice to text was so embarrassing. You are right about the keyboard though. I always switch to g board and always have but when I come back to a Samsung device, it always seems to lay out really nicely and types very smoothly.

Big SwiftKey fan here. It's always been good but Microsoft acquired it somewhat recently and it's really only improving. I've never used gboard.

zombie02 · Aug 9, 2023

I prefer Bitwarden over any other password manager.
Opensource, you can host it yourself, you can use it on any device.

kickenwing13 · Aug 10, 2023

I'm trying to give Bixby a chance to be my assistant, but it refuses to acknowledge that my hometown exists so anytime I mention any text message or ask about restaurants in that area it just refuses to understand I'm talking about that place. Also it refuses to use Google messages to send text messages so when I tell it to send a text message saying blah blah blah, it always tells me I need to make Samsung the default

blackhawk · Aug 10, 2023

kickenwing13 said:
I'm trying to give Bixby a chance to be my assistant, but it refuses to acknowledge that my hometown exists so anytime I mention any text message or ask about restaurants in that area it just refuses to understand I'm talking about that place. Also it refuses to use Google messages to send text messages so when I tell it to send a text message saying blah blah blah, it always tells me I need to make Samsung the default

You read it's eula?

Try clearing the system cache.
Try clearing the caches for all Bixby apps, then data if that fails.
Try some Google searches; most issues are long standing and are on multiple Samsung devices and firmware versions. Need not be that exact model/firmware to apply.

While Bixby is capable it's a menace, eats battery/resources and annoys the hell out of me. I prefer my Samsung's to be stupid. It's 99F ambient right now so even if it only decreases the SOT by 1 or 2% an hour it's still driving up the battery temperature. That's enough to make the difference between continuous usage or needing cooling breaks on my device.

Question Z Fold 5 arrived, so many apps!

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