Well, most of the time, they’re not really secrets, to be honest. Some of us are just too lazy to grab the User’s Guide and read every little detail about the expensive device that we just bought. I don’t blame you. It is, although, still important to maximize every feature that you can get from your device so that you can get the most out of every penny you spent. Talk about getting a Samsung Gear S3 just for its clock display, right? Now that’s a waste of money. Because I don’t want you to waste your hard-earned greens for a gadget that you don’t know how to maximize, I’m going to help you out. I listed 18 of the most useful features, tips, and tricks that you can get out of a Samsung Gear S3. Note: The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier and Classic only differ in their physical features, so all of the following features, tips, and tricks apply to both.
Samsung Gear S3 Hidden Features, Tips, and Tricks
Whether you already own one, or you’re still thinking about it, this guide will help you explore the ins and outs of the Samsung Gear S3 in no time. So let’s start!
1. Auto-open Apps
This feature is one of the most useful ones when you don’t like tapping on your watch too much. So what happens? Usually, when you want to open an app, you would have to scroll through the app drawer with the help of the little white dot like in the image above, and then tap on it. However, with the Auto-open Apps feature, you can just scroll and stop on the app that you like, then the white dot will blink one time, and the app will automatically open. To turn on this feature, just go to Settings > Device > Auto open apps and you’re all set.
2. Connect with Bluetooth Headphones
This one’s my personal favorite, and it could be yours, too, if you like working out! The just like the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro, the Gear S3 can also be paired with other Bluetooth devices. I know, the Gear S3 may not look like a fitness smartwatch, and it can be a bit heavier compared to the Gear Fit2 Pro. However, you can still use it for workout music if you want to leave your phone at home, or if you don’t want to buy another smartwatch just for working out. To pair with Bluetooth headphones, make sure that the Bluetooth on your headphones is on. On your Gear S3, go to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth, tap BT Headset and tap the name of your headphones. What’s that? You don’t have Bluetooth headphones yet? Don’t worry. I got your back.
3. Make the Touchscreen Work Even with Gloves
It’s common for touchscreen devices only to be sensitive enough for our bare fingers to prevent other textures or surfaces from tapping or swiping on the screen. But what if it’s in the middle of winter and you need to wear gloves for your skiing adventure? Well, the Gear S3 has the hidden feature just for that. Just press and hold the home button, which is the bottom button, and go to Touch Sensitivity. Once you tap that, you will see a notification that says something about “using your device while wearing gloves…” Tap on the check, and you will be able to use your gloves to swipe and tap.
4. Take a Screenshot
Just like on your smartphone, you can also take screenshots on your Samsung Gear S3. All you have to do is press and hold the home/power button, and swipe from the left to the right of the screen. Simple as that! Now, you might be wondering what you’re supposed to do with the screenshots saved on your Gear S3, so I’ll give you a bonus tip. Go to the Gallery and find the image that you want. Tap that, and you will see three tiny dots on the right-hand side of the image. Once you tap those dots, you will see two options on your screen; one is Delete, and the other is “Send to phone.” Tapping on Send to phone will automatically send the image to the phone connected to your smartwatch.
5. Wake-up Gesture
Since the Gear S3 is technically a watch, some may expect the screen to be constantly on like any other ordinary watch, right? This smartwatch can do more than that. The wake-up gesture is one of the battery saving features of the Gear S3 that will automatically awaken the screen of the watch when you turn your wrist to see what time it is. As soon as you drop your arm, the screen will sleep, and you will not have to worry about making accidental swipes or running out of power. To turn on the wake-up gesture, go to Settings > Device > Wake-up Gesture
6. Watch Always On
Remember what I said about how the Gear S3 can do more than just have its screen always on? Well, it can also do just that. Just go to Settings > Style > Watch Always On and you’ll have the screen on 24/7. Obviously, this feature is pretty much the opposite of the previous feature. So, don’t be too surprised if you have to charge your smartwatch twice as much as you may do with the Wake-up Gesture.
7. Watch Faces
Did you notice the image above? It’s the same watch, but with different screen designs called Watch Faces. This feature allows you to customize the look of your Gear S3 to whatever you like — or at least, what’s available in the app store. To customize your watch faces, just touch and hold the home screen, rotate the bezel or swipe to the watch face that you want. If you’re not satisfied, you can download more watch faces through your phone with the Samsung Gear app. From there, go to Samsung Galaxy Apps > Watch Faces and knock yourself out.
8. Battery Saving and Battery Usage
Just like any gadget owner in the world, if there’s anything we all want, it’s to extend our phone’s battery life. In this case, extending the life of your Samsung Gear S3. This isn’t some app that you download from the Play Store as you do on your phone. The battery usage of your Gear S3 can be accessed through the Samsung Gear App. Just go to the INFO tab on the app, and you will see ABOUT GEAR at the very top. Tap on Battery and you will see the current battery life, the battery usage, and the apps that are running on your Gear S3. From there, you can tap on an app and choose FORCE STOP to close the application.
9. Customize Notifications
The Samsung Gear S3 can display and notify you of the notifications that you have on your phone. This feature, however, can be both helpful and downright annoying at the same time. Every time I open my phone, there’s almost always at least one notification waiting to be opened. Now, if I get buzzed by my phone and a smartwatch at the same time, that’s like having two phones that tell you the exact same thing that you need. If you feel my pain, the only way around this is by customizing the Gear S3’s notifications. Through the Samsung Gear App, you can choose when notifications will appear on the watch, and also which apps can send notifications to the watch. All you have to do is go to the app and touch the SETTINGS tab. From there, go to Notifications > Manage Notifications and you will see all of the apps downloaded on your phone. The sliders give you the option to turn on or off the notifications of that particular app.
10. Turn off Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring
While Samsung smartwatches are pretty awesome devices that help us stay healthy by being our workout and healthy buddy, these fitness features can consume too much battery power. And the feature that consumes the most power is the Heart Rate Monitoring Feature. So, if you’re not too iffy about your heart rate every day, you can turn off this feature. Grab your Gear S3 and go to S Health > S Health Settings, and from there, you can turn off the automatic heart rate monitor.
11. Home Button Shortcut
If you’re wondering if there’s a way that you could access your most used app because you’re tired of having to turn the bezel just to get to it, then you’re going to love this feature. The home button of your Samsung Gear S3 has a shortcut feature when you double-press it. To set up an app for the shortcut, go to Settings > Device, and the very top one will be Double press Home Key. From there, you can choose which app that you want to have instant access to, and you’re good to go.
12. Find My Gear
This is one of the most useful tricks that I’m sure you’ll love about the Gear S3. Find My Gear is a feature available through the Samsung Gear App that lets you locate, lock, and reset your phone. Moreover, when you use this feature, you can also remotely control your smartwatch from anywhere, as long as it’s connected to the internet. To find your watch, go the Samsung Gear App, tap the Settings tab, and go to Find My Gear. From there, you will have the option called Control remotely. When you tap Start, your phone will try to connect with your watch, play its sound and vibrate even when it’s on silent, and its screen will be turned on. Happy hunting!
13. Find My Phone
If you can find your Samsung Gear S3 with your phone, then you can definitely find your phone with your smartwatch, too. All you have to do is go to Find My Phone on your smartwatch and tap Start to control your phone to ring and vibrate remotely. You can also choose the Locate option by tapping the three white dots on the right side of the interface. Once you tap that, you will see an option called Locate phone, and you will be able to turn on the GPS on your phone remotely, and the screen will show you the area where your phone is. When you tap the screen again, your watch will populate a map of the approximate location of your phone.
14. Send SOS Messages and Calls
While this is probably the best feature there is, this is only available for Samsung Gear S3 4G LTE. So if you have the non-4G version, you should skip this trick because I’m sure you’re going to have fun with the next one. Otherwise, if you own the 4G version, or if you’re now thinking about getting that version, you’re going to love this feature. However, I really hope that you’ll never have to use this one. Anyway, when you press the home button of the Samsung Gear S3 4G LTE three times, it will send an SOS message or call to the number that you have set on the app. That being said, to set a number for the SOS feature, go to the Samsung Gear App on your phone and tap the SETTINGS tab. On that list, go to Send SOS requests, and you will see Send SOS messages to and Make SOS calls to. I would recommend you to use the Count down before sending option to prevent accidental SOS notifications to whoever you chose as a contact, especially if it’s 911!
15. Play Games
I told you, you’re going to have fun with this one. If you can’t believe it, then you better do, because yes, you can play games on your Samsung Gear S3. Just go to the very end of your applications until you reach the Get more apps icon, which is a plus sign. Tap the screen, and you will be directed to a list of apps that you can choose from. You can also download games through your phone by using the Samsung Gear App. On the INFO tab, you will see VIEW MORE APPS at the very bottom. Tap that, and you can download the apps available.
Get the Most Out of Your Gear S3
Knowing what you can get from the devices that you buy is essential if you want to get your money’s worth. Gadgets wouldn’t feel so much of a luxury if you know everything about them, right? Now that you’re an expert on using the Samsung Gear S3, you can now get the most out of this smartwatch and enjoy all of its features. Did I miss other hidden features, tips, and tricks for the Gear S3? Let us know in the comments below!
