[Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra] Paras Lehana:
Device Settings Guide, Tips & Discussions

Part 1 - Connections

If you're new to this series or want to see the index, please read Post #2 first.

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Wi-Fi

Click on Gear icon besides any network:

View supported Network speed and security

Auto reconnect: If on, automatically connects to this network when Wi-Fi is ON. Switch it off for backup Wi-Fi i.e. you can keep it ON for 5 GHz network and OFF for 2.4 GHz so that it always connects to 5 GHz automatically.

Manage Router: Opens up the router admin page by going to your Gateway IP Address.

IP Settings: Choose from DHCP or Static. If you want to use custom DNS, you have to use Static IP. If you want to know the Network info like IP, Gateway or Subnet Mask, choose Static once and note the displayed info.

Proxy: Set manual or auto-config proxy here.

Click advanced to show:

View device's MAC address and allocated IPv6/IPv4. Learn about MAC and IPs here.

Metered Network: If you set a connection as metered, you or device can restrict background processes, big downloads and save data.

Randomized MAC: Devices are supposed to have a permanent MAC but this could be used to track you. From Android 10, you get an option to use randomized MAC each time your device connects to Wi-Fi. You can disable this if you use MAC Filtering on your router.

QR Scan (icon on top-right): Connect to Wi-Fi without entering password. Use a device that is already connected to the network and scan the QR code displayed by the former.

Menu > Wi-Fi Direct: Turn on Wi-Fi Direct on a nearby device as well to transfer files wirelessly and fastly. Works best with Samsung Devices and it does NOT require connection to a Wi-Fi network. You get speeds maxed out at the supported wireless speed of your devices! It is a better and more secure alternative than ShareIT or JioSwitch.

Menu > Advanced:

Sync with Samsung Cloud: Backup your Wi-Fi usernames and passwords and use the same on synced devices.

Switch to mobile data: If your Wi-Fi network quality drops, use mobile internet directly even if Wi-Fi is still connected (needs Mobile Data to be ON). You can add (Wi-Fi) Network Exceptions to prevent switching. Get notified to Allow individual apps to switch to mobile data i.e. if WhatsApp is blocked on your college Wi-Fi, you can allow WhatsApp to use Mobile data while keep using the Wi-Fi!

Turn on Wi-Fi Automatically: Your device will automatically enable Wi-Fi where you use it frequently. For example, you or your device can turn off your Wi-Fi when you go out and you won't need to enable it again when you get back home (you can configure the frequent networks after they appear here). Tasker used to handle this job for me (try IFTTT for simpler setup) but now the OEM solution is more optimized.

Wi-Fi power saving mode: For example, if you get WhatsApp messages every 30 minutes on average, the device learns about this traffic pattern and can toggle Wi-Fi accordingly to fetch notifications every 30 minutes. I keep this disabled as my usage pattern is dynamic like most of you. Better use App Sleep or Hibernation Apps like Greenify to save battery. Learn more about this mode here.

Wi-Fi control history: View apps that have toggled Wi-Fi recently. You can figure out if there's any culprit app that is toggling your Wi-Fi frequently when you have explicitly turned it off/on.

Hotspot 2.0: Automatically connects to APs that support Hotspot 2.0 or 802.11u. Network providers are themselves upgrading existing Wi-Fi in public areas like airports and encryption is a must for Hotspot 2.0 so you can trust and rely on it while you don't have to manually guess the right network. Learn more about Hotspot 2.0 here.

WPS push button; WPS PIN Entry: (Pie doesn't support WPS but Google says it's coming back, Read here) Connect the device to WiFi by pushing WPS button on the router or entering WPS PIN in case these are enabled on the router. Learn about WPS here.

Install network certificates: Normally not needed. Some organizations would need you to install certificates to access their domains. Same as what you do on a PC to install certificates.

Wi-Fi Calling

(Formerly VoLTE calling) Uses Wi-Fi to transmit voice instead of the mobile network but they still appear to be done via your SIM or number. This saves your mobile plan and also beneficial when you have low mobile network inside your home but good Wi-Fi! You'll see the SIMs in case the carrier supports VoLTE calling. #JioWaale

Bluetooth

When the Bluetooth is ON, you can STOP/SCAN for nearby devices manually. Keep BT on for playing with the following settings.

Menu > Advanced:

Sync with Samsung Cloud: Note that this only sync Samsung devices like Galaxy Home Speakers and Galaxy Buds.

Music Share: Enables your friends (or else) to connect with a speaker connected to your phone without requiring you to unpair and them to pair with the speaker. Useful in cases like you want your car to be always connected to your device. However, on a trip, your friend wants to play music from his phone while you drive. Get more explanation here.

Ringtone sync: Sync the ringtone you set on your phone to the connected speaker. I did not know they played different tones!

Bluetooth control history: Similar to 'WiFi control history' above.

Block pairing requests: Block spammers to request pairing.

Bluetooth scan history: Shows apps that scanned for BT devices. Review this once in a while as Apps can scan even when the BT is off!

[Discontinued] Dual Audio: Enables your device to connect to 2 different audio devices and play the same audio on both of them. Samsung explains this here.

[Discontinued] Media volume sync: In case the connected audio device supports this, you can change the player's volume by your device's volume rockers by enabling this i.e. you don't have to manually raise the volume to the fullest on both your device and the connected player to get the highest volume possible for your house party.

[Discontinued] Phone visibility: (Moved to Separate section after Bluetooth in Pie, please tell if it works for BT as well) Allow devices (with Samsung Connect) to find your device for connection. You can disable it unless you live in a Smart Home or transfer files from other devices more often. Learn more about this mode here.

NFC and contactless payments

It's turned ON by default on a new phone so do turn it OFF first. Samsung Pay will turn that ON if needed. Samsung Pay uses only NFC now starting from S21. MST is discontinued though no other brand could use this for payments. In case you don't know about MST (patented by LoopPay), must-read here. More information on the discontinuation in the FAQ.

[Discontinued] Android Beam: Allows you to share stuff when you tap your phone with some other-phone-with-already-enabled-NFC.

Contactless payments (Formerly Tap and pay): Select the default app for Payments and Others. Your default app will open up when you, for instance, tap your phone on an NFC-enabled POS (of course you need NFC to remain ON beforehand).

Pay with currently open app: By enabling, if currently opened app supports payment, it will used instead of the default app above. I have kept it enabled because I don't want Samsung Pay to open up when I know I am going to use GPay!

[Discontinued] Default NFC Method: By default and normally needed, 'Auto select'. In case you are the curious breed, learn about the different options here.

Flight Mode

Disables your operator's network. Since enabling this will also disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth altogether, you can turn back these two on without toggling flight mode.

Mobile networks

Data roaming: Enable it if your carrier doesn't charge you for roaming or you're rich enough.

Network mode: By default, 'auto connect'. You can play with the options in case you're facing network mode changing issues or want to save battery (put to 2G only). If your region does not have 5G yet, you can go back to 4G/LTE to save battery!

Access Point Names: I recommend you to request or configure your operator's settings for the first time even if it had been automatically fetched. Nerdy guide here.

Network operators: Suggest usage?

Data usage

Data saver: Formerly known as 'Restrict background data'. Your background apps will stop using network data i.e. you'll receive WhatsApp notifications only when you open the app again. You can also whitelist apps in 'Allowed to use data while Data saver on'. This feature can help a lot in saving battery or making you check the phone less when you're hanging out with your girl. Me no girl so no enable!

Mobile data usage; Billing cycle and data warning: Do check this in a while to review the apps that use most of your mobile data (maybe you don't need those apps that much on mobile data); Change your operator billing cycle, set data warning and enable data limit in case your operator doesn't give you free GBs. The app options you change here will be reflected in the Data saver section above.

Mobile data only apps: You can choose apps that you only want to use mobile data. Useful in case your organization's Wi-Fi blocks some apps like WhatsApp. This is related to 'Allow individual apps to switch' in the Wi-Fi section.

Wi-Fi data usage; Restrict networks: Like mobile data, you can also review your Wi-Fi usage! Do review it once in a while to identify data-hungry apps that can affect battery and CPU as well. The apps you disable here for background usage will be blocked while Mobile Data is on OR the Wi-Fi is metered. Please confirm?

SIM card manager

Select Icon, Name and Network mode (described above) for the corresponding 'SIM slot' (not the SIM). Select preferred slot for calls, messaging and data. Learn about Smart Dual SIM here.

Mobile Hotspot and Tethering

Mobile Hotspot > Advanced:

Wi-Fi sharing: In addition to mobile data, you can also share your Wi-Fi. This can be helpful in case you don't want to reveal your network or its credentials or don't know about them. Also, your device can become a repeater for devices that are too far away from the Wi-Fi (keep your phone on charging).

Security: Use 'WPA2/WPA3-Personal' (Learn about wireless encryption here).

Timeout: Keep timeout low so that hotspot turns itself OFF earlier in case there's no client or change to 'Never Timeout' if you are going to need it for some time.

Hidden network: Enable 'Hide my device' to stop exposing your SSID.

Power saving mode: Similar to PMS in Wi-Fi Advanced. Keep Protected Management Frames (PMF) on by default and change in case the client doesn't support.

[Discontinued] Menu > Allowed Devices: Enter MAC addresses of clients you want only to connect to your hotspot. Same as MAC filtering in routers.

Mobile Hotspot > Auto Hotspot: You might get this ON by default. Turn it off! This enables your or family devices to share your internet connection via Hotspot. You know when you need it!

Bluetooth tethering; USB tethering; Ethernet tethering: Learn about BT/USB tethering here.

More connection settings

Advanced Calling & Messaging: Some iMessage kinda thing? Anyone?

Nearby device scanning: Although it uses Bluetooth Low Energy, I have it disabled. If you enable it, you get notifications for nearby devices like TVs that support connections through your device (will annoy you at airports).

Printing: Do download Google Cloud Print and any other printing plugin required by your or your organization's printer.

[Discontinued] MirrorLink: Learn more here.

[Discontinued] Download Booster: Uses both WiFi and LTE at the same time to download apps over 30MB from Play Store and Galaxy Apps. In case you want that app as soon as possible.

VPN: Configure your VPNs here in case you have. I use Psiphon. You can also manually configure profiles as you do on PC.

Ethernet: Yes, you can use a wired connection on your device too. Discussions here.

Private DNS: Supports DNS over HTTP/TCP and I recommend reading about this here. I use 1dot1dot1dot1.cloudflare-dns.com.