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Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and 10 Plus – User Guide and Set-up Tips

  • The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series is packed full of the latest technology, Setting up the handset correctly will ensure you get the best out of the device. Check out our top tips for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 series.
Galaxy Note 10 Series
Samsung Galaxy Note 10
    User Guide and Set-up Tips
  • Switching Off
  • Turn Off Bixby
  • Turn on Gesture Control
  • Latest Samsung Galaxy S10 Deals
  • Show App Drawer
  • Open Notifications with Swipe Gesture
  • Convert Handwritten Notes to Text
  • Show Battery Charge in Percentage
  • View More than Three App Notifications
  • Change Colours on the Display
  • Set Display to Full Resolution
  • Set-up Always on Display
  • Switch on the Side Light
  • Switch off the Side Panels
  • Using Dark Mode
  • Increasing the Number of Apps on the Home Screen
  • Improve Speaker Sound
  • Decrease Animations to Improve Performance
  • Improve the Fingerprint Sensor in the Display
  • Increasing Symbols on Quick Settings
  • Using Screen Recorder

Switching Off


Samsung has combined the power button and Bixby button in the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus. So, if you want to switch off your smartphone, long press on the power button, Bixby always starts in the factory state. Fortunately, this can be switched off.

Turn Off Bixby


Bixby is not only hiding behind the power button on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus, but also on the start screen. If you swipe to the left, "Bixby Home" is loaded. You can easily switch it off by using a Long press on the home screen, Swipe right then Switch off the slider.

Turn on Gesture Control


Samsung has activated the on-screen buttons from Android, and this works for the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus. This reduces the image in many situations. If you prefer to use gestures to control your smartphone, you can also activate gesture control buy going to settings > display > Navigation bar > Gestures in full screen.

Latest Samsung Galaxy S10 Deals





Show App Drawer


Samsung hides the button on the Galaxy Note 10 and Galaxy Note 10 Plus so that the overview of all apps can be opened directly. Instead you must swipe up from the bottom of the home screen to get to the app overview. You can show the app drawer again by doing the following. Long press on the home screen, tap Home page settings then activate app button.

Open Notifications with Swipe Gesture


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus have large displays. To be able to pull the notification bar down, you always must reach around or use your second hand. You can activate an option that opens the notification bar with a simple swipe from top to bottom on the start screen. It also works with just one hand. To do this Long press on the home screen, tap home page settings then activate Swipe down for notification field.

Convert Handwritten Notes to Text


One of the most ingenious features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus is the ability to convert handwritten text into text. In the Samsung Notes app, you can simply write and then convert it with the push of a button. 

This function is activated with the blue T symbol at the bottom of the Notes app. Once you've written something, you have the option to convert the text.

Show Battery Charge in Percentage


When setting up the handset, the remaining battery life of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus is only displayed with a small battery symbol. The display in percent next to the battery symbol must be activated. Go to settings > notifications > status bar > Activate show battery in %.

View More than Three App Notifications


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus only show three app notifications in the notification bar. You should change this so that you don't miss an important notification. Go to settings > notifications > status bar > activate all notifications.

Change Colours on the Display


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus have AMOLED displays. If you like to make the colours more powerful, you can change in the settings. Go to settings > display > screen mode > lively.

There you can also set the white balance - depending on whether you like the display a little cooler or warmer. Experts can go into more detail in the "Advanced Settings" menu item.

Set Display to Full Resolution


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus is equipped with a WQHD display, only a resolution of FHD + is preset by software. One test showed that the use of the full resolution had no noticeable effect on the battery life. So, you should activate the full resolution of the screen. To do this go to settings > display > screen resolution.

Set-up Always on Display


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus do not have a notification LED. As an alternative, Samsung offers users the always-on display. In the idle state, information is displayed on the screen. However, the information is not always visible and disappears after 10 seconds. If you want to see everything, you can always switch on the always-on display. To do this go to settings > lock screen > always on display > always show.

If you do not want to be disturbed at night, you can also set a period under "Show as planned", at which times the always-on display should be active.

Switch on the Side Light


With the side light feature you can be informed about notifications on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus. You can determine yourself which apps can use this form of notification. To do this go to settings > display > side screen > sidelight.

Switch off the Side Panels


The side panel of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus is switched on in the factory state. If you swipe from the right edge of the screen on the start screen, the side panel will appear. You can use it to achieve some functions and get information. If you want to switch off this function your need to go to settings > display > side screen > side panels and choose off.

Using Dark Mode


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are equipped with an OLED display. With an OLED panel, the individual pixels do not require any energy if the background is black. That's why Samsung introduced night mode. If you activate this, many areas of the operating system go dark. This saves energy and extends the battery life. To turn on night mode go to settings > display > night mode then turn on and off as required.

Increasing the Number of Apps on the Home Screen


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus have large screens. There would be space for many apps and widgets. In fact, the app icons are almost huge. But you can set that more is displayed on the start screen. 

Long press on the hold home screen, tap homepage settings then home screen grid.
The default is 4x5. If you really want to accommodate a lot, you should choose 5x6. More is not possible. This also makes the app icons a little smaller.

Improve Speaker Sound


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are equipped with stereo speakers. The sound is quite good for a smartphone, but it can still be improved. To do this, you must activate "Dolby Atmos" in the settings. This makes the sound that is output through the speakers appear louder and more voluminous. Go to settings > tones & vibration > advanced sound settings > sound quality and effects > Dolby Atmos.

Decrease Animations to Improve Performance


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are equipped with a powerful processor, lots of RAM and fast memory. Nevertheless, you can increase the perceived performance by reducing the animations. If you want to optimise your handsets performance go to settings > advanced features > reduce animations.

Improve the Fingerprint Sensor in the Display


The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus are equipped with a fingerprint sensor in the display. Although this works well, it is not as fast as other smartphones. There is a trick on how to improve the in-display fingerprint sensor. You just must save the same finger twice. Unlocking via the display already works more reliably.

Increasing Symbols on Quick Settings


The screens of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus offer a lot of space. This can also be used for more quick settings. A grid of 4x3 is preset. Optionally, you can choose 5x3 and reach even more functions directly. You can find the option by pulling down the quick settings, select the three dots and then select button grid.

Using Screen Recorder


Samsung has integrated a function in the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus, with which you can record the screen of the smartphone. This is very practical if you want to demonstrate a function or a procedure on your smartphone. But the function has even more. 

This is how you can record real "Let" Play "videos - including the player who is filmed with the front camera. In the settings you can specify the resolution, how big you want to be seen and whether the sound should be recorded. You can find the options under by going to settings > advanced features > screenshots and screen recorders.

A recording is started using the quick settings. To do this, pull down the notification bar and tap on screen recorder. Recording begins after a three-second countdown. You can find the result in the gallery.