Skip to content
TechBone
Samsung

Guides for Samsung Galaxy M42 5G

494 guides

Notifications & Focus2

Change Timer Volume

The timer alarm on Samsung phones ignores the physical volume buttons and the usual sound settings, because it runs through its own separate slider. Users often turn up media or ringtone volume expecting the timer to get louder, but the timer stays at whatever level was last set inside the Clock app itself.

Open
Photo, Video & Media2

Delete an Album in the Gallery App

Deleting an album in the Gallery app on your Samsung phone removes the album and every photo or video inside it from the device, not just the album name. If Trash is not turned on, that content is gone for good with no recovery option. System albums like Camera cannot be removed this way.

Open
Network & Connectivity2

Select Network Manually

Near a border or while traveling abroad, your Samsung phone often locks onto whichever foreign network has the strongest signal, not the cheapest one. That automatic choice can mean higher roaming charges than a neighboring operator would offer for the same coverage. Switching to manual selection lets you pick the exact network yourself instead of leaving it to the phone.

Open
Other2

Add or Remove Bookmarks in Samsung Internet

Typing the same web address every day gets tedious fast, and the Samsung Internet history list is not built for quick access to your favorite pages. Bookmarks solve that, but many users cannot find where to add a page or how to delete one that is no longer needed. Folders and sorting options add another layer of confusion once the bookmark list grows.

Open
Calls & Messages2

Turn On/Off Accidental Touch Protection

If your Samsung phone wakes up in your pocket or bag and taps random apps or dials contacts, the screen is registering touches it should ignore. This usually happens when the display turns on in a dark or enclosed space and the accidental touch protection feature is off or misconfigured. The result can be missed calls, sent messages, or apps opened without your knowledge.

Open
Calls & Messages2

Turn Call Waiting On or Off

If a knocking tone interrupts your calls out of nowhere, or you never notice a second caller trying to reach you, Call waiting is probably set the way you don't want. This Samsung feature decides whether an incoming call during an active conversation gets signaled to you or blocked outright. Getting the setting wrong means either missed calls or unwanted interruptions mid-conversation.

Open
Notifications & Focus2

Dialing Keypad Tone: Turn On or Off

Every digit you tap on the phone keypad triggers a short tone, and on some Samsung phones that sound plays even with the ringer muted. This comes from a separate system tone setting, not from the ringtone volume or a call app option.

Open
Security & Privacy2

Show or Hide the Lockdown Button in the Power Menu

Face Detection, Smart Lock and even the fingerprint sensor are convenient, but none of them is the strongest lock on your phone. Samsung adds a Lockdown entry to the power menu that forces a PIN, pattern or password before anyone gets in, overriding those biometric shortcuts. If that button is missing, or you want it gone for good, the toggle sits in a spot most people never check.

Open
Notifications & Focus2

Turn an Alarm On or Off

New alarms on a Samsung phone switch on automatically the moment you save them, which is why a forgotten wake-up call can fire off the next morning without warning. Turning an alarm off does not delete it - the entry stays saved and ready to switch back on later. The toggle can be flipped from inside the Clock app or directly from an alarm widget placed on your home screen.

Open
Notifications & Focus2

Turn Lock Screen Notifications On or Off

If notification icons keep showing up on your Samsung lock screen even though you want more privacy, or they suddenly stopped appearing at all, the Notifications setting under Lock screen controls that behavior. This single switch decides whether senders, message previews, or just small icons appear before you unlock the phone. Getting it wrong can mean missing calls or messages, or exposing content you would rather keep hidden.

Open
Security & Privacy2

Manage App Permissions via Permission Manager

When you install a new app on your Samsung phone, it starts with no access to your camera, microphone, storage or location. Only once you open the app or trigger a specific feature for the first time does a permission prompt appear on screen. If you tapped Deny by accident or want to review which apps can read your contacts, gallery or location, you need Permission manager to check and change each permission individually.

Open
Notifications & Focus2

Allow Calls in Do Not Disturb

When Do Not Disturb is active on your Samsung phone, every incoming call gets silenced by default, even from people saved in your contacts. This happens because the Calls, messages and conversations settings inside Do Not Disturb treat phone calls like any other notification unless you tell it otherwise. You can choose whether all calls, only contacts, only favorites, or none get through.

Open
Notifications & Focus2

Allow or Mute Alarm and Notification Sounds During Calls

If alarms and notification sounds keep interrupting your calls, or you cannot hear them at all until you hang up, the Notify during calls option is behind it. This setting decides whether the phone plays alert sounds while a call is active or holds them back until you finish talking. Getting the behavior you actually want means knowing where this toggle lives and what it affects.

Open
Calls & Messages2

Show or Hide Caller ID on Outgoing Calls

Your number pops up on the other person's screen even though you never turned that on, or it stays hidden when you need it visible for work calls. This behavior comes from a network-level default that Samsung phones inherit unless you change it in the phone app. The setting sits separate from Do Not Disturb or blocking and gets missed easily.

Open
Language & Input2

Keyboard Touch and Hold Delay

If long-pressing a key on your Samsung keyboard keeps popping up accent marks or symbols by accident while you type normally, the touch and hold delay is set too short for your typing speed. The opposite problem also happens: if you have to hold a key noticeably long before the alternate character menu shows up, the delay feels too slow for quick access to accents and special signs. Samsung lets you shorten or lengthen this response time instead of living with either annoyance.

Open
Notifications & Focus2

Show or Hide Secure Folder Notification Content

When an app inside Secure Folder sends a notification, Samsung hides the actual content by default, both on the lock screen and in the notification panel. You only see that something arrived, not what it says, which gets confusing when you rely on message previews. This behavior comes from a separate privacy setting inside Secure Folder, independent of your normal notification content settings.

Open
Notifications & Focus2

Turn Notifications On or Off for Individual Apps

If one app keeps buzzing your phone with alerts you no longer want, you don't have to mute your whole device to fix it. Samsung lets you manage notification permissions per app, so you can silence a chatty game or a busy WhatsApp group chat while alerts from your other apps keep working. Some apps even split their notifications into categories, letting you block group messages while direct messages still come through.

Open
Apps & Installation2

Allow or Restrict Background Activity of Apps

If your Samsung phone loses battery fast even when you barely touch certain apps, background activity is often the reason. Some apps keep syncing, refreshing content or checking location while you are not using them, which quietly drains the battery between charges. You can turn this off for individual apps without disabling their notifications completely.

Open
Security & Privacy2

Lock or Unlock Home Screen Layout

If apps and widgets keep shifting position on your Samsung home screen, or a new app suddenly lands in the wrong spot, the layout is probably unlocked. This lets the system rearrange icons automatically and lets accidental long-presses move things around. Locking the layout stops both issues at once.

Open
Calls & Messages2

Add an Email Account (POP3/IMAP)

If your T-Online, Web.de or GMX address isn't showing up next to Gmail on your Samsung phone, it hasn't been linked through the right protocol yet. Samsung phones rely on the Gmail app as a collective inbox, but external providers only connect through POP3 or IMAP. Picking the wrong option here is why mail sometimes never arrives.

Open
Photo, Video & Media2

Delete Photos or Videos in Gallery

Storage warnings, an ex's photos, or a blurry shot that never should have been kept - there are plenty of reasons to clear out your Gallery. Deleting one file at a time works, but scrolling through dozens of photos or videos individually gets tedious fast. Samsung Gallery also routes deleted items into a Trash folder first, which confuses a lot of people expecting an instant, permanent delete.

Open
Security & Privacy2

Set Up Fingerprint Unlock

If your Samsung phone only wakes up with a pattern, PIN, or password, the fingerprint sensor sits unused even though it can unlock the device just as reliably. This usually happens because Fingerprints was never switched on in the lock screen settings, even after a fingerprint got registered. Without that toggle enabled, every unlock still needs the full pattern or code, no matter how many fingerprints are stored.

Open
Calls & Messages2

Change Calendar View

The Samsung Calendar app opens in month view by default, even if you prefer to track events by day or week. Switching to a different layout is done through a menu option that is easy to overlook the first time you look for it.

Open
Calls & Messages2

Export Contacts as vCard

Switching to a new phone or backing up your contact list only works if you can get every saved entry out of the Contacts app in one file. Without exporting first, you are left copying numbers one by one. Samsung phones can bundle everything into a single vCard file that other devices, apps and services can read.

Open