Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Use Notifications Panel in Android 5.0.1 Lollipop

The notifications panel was the first thing that grabbed my attention when I had finished updating my Samsung Galaxy S5 to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop. It's now more interactive after getting some visual changes. The notifications panel can be used for multiple purposes, e.g: enable or disable some features, view more information of indicators appear on the status bar, open up unread notifications in appropriate apps, etc.

How to use notifications panel?
See the following steps as the example of using notifications panel:

1. Open the notifications panel:
   Swipe down the top of the screen (status bar) to open up the notifications panel.
2. View the current date and time:
   The current date and time is displayed at the top left corner of the notifications panel.
3. Launch the settings menu:
   You can quickly go to the settings menu by tapping at the top right corner of the notifications panel. I myself prefer to access the settings menu by using this method than other ones because it's easier and faster.
4. Access the quick setting panel:
   You can view all quick settings buttons in the quick setting panel by tapping at the top right corner of the notifications panel.
5. Use quick setting buttons:
   By default, there are 10 quick setting buttons that can be used to quickly enable or disable options. They are: Wi-Fi, Location, Sound, Screen rotation, Bluetooth, Mobile data, Ultra power saving, Multi window, Toolbox and Mobile hotspot. If needed, you can tap and hold the quick setting button to view more detailed settings.
6. Adjust the screen brightness:
   You can adjust the screen brightness manually by dragging the brightness adjustment bar in the notifications panel to the left or to the right, or you can enable auto brightness feature so that your phone will be able to adjust the screen brightness automatically using its sensor.
7. Launch S Finder:
   You can easily launch S Finder app by tapping the S Finder button in the notifications panel. Next, you can use this app to find contents on your phone or search more about a search term in the search engine with more easily and fast.
8. Launch Quick connect:
   You can easily launch Quick connect app by tapping the Quick connect button in the notifications panel. Next, you can use this app to search for nearby devices automatically to connect to them quickly and easily.
9. Use music playback control:
   When you play a music using the stock Music Player app, the music playback control will be displayed in the notifications panel so that you can easily control (e.g: play/pause/resume/rewind/forward) the music playback.
10. Launch recommended apps:
    When you connect a headset into your phone, some recommended apps will be displayed on the notifications panel so that you can access them with more quickly. By default they are: Music Player app, Phone app, Video Player app, Voice Recorder app and Youtube app.
11. Expand notifications:
    When you have a lot of unread notifications, you can swipe down or up the screen to expand notifications.
12. Open unread notifications:
    When you receive new notifications, e.g: missed calls, text messages, email messages, etc., indicator icons will appear on the status bar. By opening the notifications panel, you can view more information about the icons or notifications. If needed, tap the required notification to open it up in an appropriate app.
13. Clear notifications:
    Swipe away a notification to remove it from the notifications panel, or you can easily clear all notifications by tapping the Clear button.
14. Close notifications panel:
    Swipe up the bottom of the screen to close notifications panel.