Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Add a Google Account in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

When I got my new Samsung Galaxy S5 two days back, after did a quick exploration of the phone appearance and the Settings menu, added a new Google account was the next thing I did because I had to install some apps from the Play Store into my phone.


How to add a Google account?
You're allowed to add a new Google account or an existing one either through the Settings menu or any Google-related apps available in the phone.

Method #1: From any Google-related apps
If you have not added any Google account yet, then whenever you open any Google-related apps(e.g: Gmail app, Play Store app, Youtube app, etc) you'll be asked to add either the new Google account or the existing one. As the example, we'll try to add a new Google account through the Play Store app.

1. Open Play Store app.
2. Tap New button.
3. Enter your first name and last name in the provided fields and then tap the Right arrow icon.
4. Enter the required name for your new Gmail email address and then tap the Right arrow icon.
5. Enter the required password for your new Google account two times and then tap the Right arrow icon.
6. In the Google password recovery screen, tap Set up recovery options button to set it up right now and then follow the on-screen instruction or tap Not now button to skip this step.
7. In the Google services screen, you can choose to enable or disable backup and restore option and then tap the Right arrow icon.
8. Tap I accept button.
9. Enter the provided captcha to authenticate your account and then tap the Right arrow icon.
10. In the Upgrade to Google+ screen, tap Get started button to set it up right now or tap Not now button to skip this step.
11. In the Entertainment screen, tap Set up credit card button to set it up right now or tap Not now button to skip this step.
12. Done, now your new Google account has been added and you're ready to use Google Play Store and other Google-related apps or services.

Method #2: From the Settings menu

1. Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notifications panel.
2. Tap to enter the Settings menu.
3. In case you have not changed the view of the settings menu yet and left it displayed in grid view, scroll down to the USER AND BACKUP section and then tap Accounts .
4. Tap Add account.
5. Tap Google.
6. Here you'll be asked whether you want to create a new Google account (go to the step #7) or activate an existing one (go to the step #8).
7. Add a new Google account:
• Tap New button.
• Enter your first name and last name in the provided fields and then tap the Right arrow icon.
• Enter the required name for you new Gmail email address and then tap the Right arrow icon.
• Enter the password for your new Google account two times and then tap the Right arrow icon.
• Follow the on-screen instruction to complete your new Google account setup.
• Once the setup is completed, your new Google account will be listed in the Google account list.
8. Activate an existing Google account:
• Tap Existing button.
• Enter your Gmail email address and password in the provided fields and then tap the Right arrow icon.
• Follow the on-screen instruction to complete your existing Google account setup.
• Once the setup is completed, your existing Google account will be listed in the Google account list.

Once your Google account is added, now you can access and use all Google-related apps or services on your phone, for instance install apps from the Play Store or upload video on Youtube or else. You'll also get some new email messages in your Gmail apps contain with welcome message and some tips from Gmail team.

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Change the Settings Menu View in Android 4.4 Kitkat

Well, finally I decided to purchase a brand new Samsung Galaxy S5 yesterday. As soon as I got the phone, the Settings menu was the first place I headed, just wanted to fulfill my curiosity of what the new features and options available inside this phone.

While in the Settings menu, I noticed that the Settings menu was displayed in grid view. Since I have been already familiar with the tab view in my old Samsung Galaxy SIV with Android 4.4 Kitkat, it takes more time for me to explore and use the Settings menu in this phone. Luckily, grid view is not the only view in the Settings menu because it also has two additional views: list view and tab view. Fiuhh..it's so relieved when I know that I can change the Settings menu view to the same view of my old Galaxy SIV :D I do believe that it'll be able to help me learn further more about the Settings menu in this phone more easily.

How to change the view of the Settings menu?
If you don't like the grid view, you can switch the view of the settings menu to the list view or tab view by using the following steps:

1. Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notifications menu.
2. Tap to enter the Settings menu. It's displayed in grid view by default.
3. To change the view, tap to open more options and then select List view or Tab view. See the first picture in this post to know the differences among the views.

How to edit the quick settings in the Settings menu?
The quick settings is a new menu in the Settings menu. It's provided to help you accessing the most frequently used or favourite menus more easily and fast compared if you have to go to them in their original places. It's always available regardless the view you are currently using for the Settings menu. By default, this phone has been provided you with some favourite menus in the quick settings. But, if you don't like those default, you can change the menu in the quick settings by using the following steps:

1. While you're in the Settings menu, tap to open more options and then select Edit quick settings.
2. Since the maximum numbers of the quick settings are 12 menus, then if you want to change the menus you have to deselect the unused ones and then use the available slots to select other menus you want to display in the quick settings.
3. Tap Save button. All the selected menu will be displayed in the quick settings. See the first picture in this post to know the position of the quick settings in each view.

Aside from the view of the settings menu, there's a significant change that stole my attention. I do believe it will change the way I (and probably you) interact with this phone, now we have to tap the more option icon instead of tapping the Menu key (physical button located in the left side of the Home button in the old Samsung phones) to use more options because the Menu key is now replaced with the Recent apps key which will allow us to quickly open up all of active apps and the task manager. So, do you already have a Samsung Galaxy S5 as your device?

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Change the Default Email Account in Email App in Android 4.4 Kitkat

Manage multiple email accounts is the ability owned by Email app, it allows you to add more than one email accounts into Email app. It surely will also help you to save the time because now you can manage all of your email accounts in a single place compared if you have to access each email account in a different place. You can easily add additional email account through the Email app or the Settings menu. When you have added multiple email accounts, the first one will be set as the default automatically.


How to change the default email account in Email app?
In case you want to set another email account as the default, there are some methods that can be used by you to do so: when you add a new email account, from the Email app itself and from the Settings menu.

Method #1: While adding an email account
When you add a new email account to Email app through the Email app itself or the Settings menu, within the process, you'll be presented with an option to allow you set this email account as the default.

Method #2: From the Email app

1. Open Email app.
2. Tap the Menu key and then select Settings.
3. Tap Account settings. All your email accounts will be listed here. The default email account will be labelled with a blue checkmark icon .
4. To change the default account, tap the required email account.
5. Check the box next to Default account to set the selected email account as the default.
6. The default email account has been changed.

Method #3: From the Settings menu

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Accounts tab.
3. Tap Email.
4. Tap Settings. You'll see all your email accounts are listed here. The default email account will be labelled with a blue checkmark icon .
5. To change the default, tap the required email account.
6. Check the box next to Default account to set the selected email account as the default.
7. The default email account has been changed.

Once you set the default email account, Email app will use the email account by default when you compose a new email message or when you share a thing(contact, picture, etc) via email. So, given from the function, it'd better if you set the most frequently used email account as the default.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Remove Email Account from Email App in Android 4.4 Kitkat

Nowadays, a lot of peoples use email messages to communicate each other, either for personal or business purpose. That's why it becomes important for a smartphone available today has an ability to allow the users to manage/check/use their email accounts directly from their devices. To meet that need, Samsung Galaxy SIV provides a stock Email app to their users. One more good thing with this app is the ability to manage multiple email accounts.

See also: How to Add Multiple Email Accounts in Email App in the Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android 4.4 Kitkat

Even so, there are some reason that may led you want to remove your email account that you have added in Email app, for instance when you want to clean up Email app or when you want to save more data by removing a rarely-used email account or else. As same as when you add email account, you can also delete email account from Email app with ease.


How to delete an email account from Email app?
Generally, there are two methods available that you can use to delete email account, through the Email app itself or through the Settings menu.

Method #1: From the Email app

1. Open Email app.
2. Tap the Menu key and then select Settings.
3. Tap Account settings to view all of your email account that you have added before.
4. Tap the Trash can icon at the top right corner of the screen.
5. Select the desired email account you want to delete.
6. Tap Delete button.
7. Tap OK button to confirm.
8. The selected email account will be deleted.

Method #2: From the Settings menu

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Accounts tab.
3. Tap Email. Here you can see all of your email accounts are listed under Accounts section.
4. Tap the desired email account you want to delete.
5. Tap Remove account.
6. Tap Remove account button to confirm.
7. The selected email account will be deleted.

FYI, once you delete an email account, all messages, contacts and other data within the email account will be deleted from your phone.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Add Multiple Email Accounts in Email App in Android 4.4 Kitkat

As we all know that Email app in the Samsung Galaxy SIV has the ability to manage multiple email accounts. That's why, if you have more than one email accounts then you can add all of them into your phone so that you'll be easier to manage all of your email accounts in one place, such as send, receive, reply, forward or delete email messages in the required email account according to your need. FYI, it's not the same as when you add an account in Gmail app, in Email app you can't create a new email account, you're only allowed to add your existing email accounts that you have made before through email-provider websites.


How to add multiple email accounts in Email app?
You can add additional email accounts in Email app through the Email app itself or through the Settings menu.

Method 1: From the Email app
If it matters, I'm using Email app version 4.2 to write the following steps.

1. Open Email app.
2. Tap the Menu key and then select Settings.
3. Tap Add account.
4. Enter your Email address and Password in the provided fields. To avoid you type a wrong password, you can enable Show password option so that the entered password will be visible and help you to type it correctly.
5. If you want to set this new account as the default account, then check the box in the left side of Send email from this account by default to enable this option.
6. Tap Next button.
7. Here you will see some options to configure the email account settings:
• Period to sync email: select this option to define the email synchronization period (All, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month).
• Sync schedule: select this option to define the email synchronization schedule (Every 5 minutes, Every 10 minutes, Every 15 minutes, Every 30 minutes, Every hour, Every 2 hours, Every 4 hours, once a day).
• Peak schedule: select this option to define the email peak schedule (Every 15 minutes, Every 30 minutes, Every hour, Every 2 hours, Every 4 hours, Once a day).
• If necessary, check the box in the left side of Sync Email to enable sync.
• If necessary, check the box in the left side of Notify me when email arrives to enable notification when a new email message is received.
• If necessary, check the box in the left side of Automatically download attachments when connected to Wi-Fi to enable this option.
8. Tap Next button.
9. If necessary, you can change the account name (this name will be used as the email account name in Email app) and your name for this account (this name will be displayed in outgoing email messages) in the provided fields.
10. Tap Done button.
11. Your email account has been added.

Method #2: From the Settings menu

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Accounts tab.
3. Tap Add account.
4. Tap Email.
5. Enter your Email address and Password in the provided fields. To avoid you type a wrong password, you can enable Show password option so that the entered password will be visible and help you to type it correctly.
6. If you want to set this new account as the default account, then check the box in the left side of Send email from this account by default to enable this option.
7. Tap Next button.
8. Here you will see some options to configure the email account settings:
• Period to sync email: select this option to define the email synchronization period (All, 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month).
• Sync schedule: select this option to define the email synchronization schedule (Every 5 minutes, Every 10 minutes, Every 15 minutes, Every 30 minutes, Every hour, Every 2 hours, Every 4 hours, once a day).
• Peak schedule: select this option to define the email peak schedule (Every 15 minutes, Every 30 minutes, Every hour, Every 2 hours, Every 4 hours, Once a day).
• If necessary, check the box in the left side of Sync Email to enable sync.
• If necessary, check the box in the left side of Notify me when email arrives to enable notification when a new email message is received.
• If necessary, check the box in the left side of Automatically download attachments when connected to Wi-Fi to enable this option.
9. Tap Next button.
10. If necessary, you can change the account name (this name will be used as the email account name in Email app) and your name for this account (this name will be displayed in outgoing email messages) in the provided fields.
11. Tap Done button.
12. Your email account has been added.

By utilizing the ability of the Email app to manage all of your email accounts, now you can manage them with ease in one place compared if you have to access them in a different place/app.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Use It as a Flashlight in Android 4.4 Kitkat

I believe that most of you ever hear or know that some phones can act as a flashlight or torch light. In some conditions, this ability will be so helpful for instance when you want to search something in the dark or when you need a portable light for any purpose. Actually, Samsung Galaxy SIV has no default option to let you set the phone as the torch light, but you still can do so by using the assistive light widget. This widget will allow you to instantly turn on or off the camera flashlight with a single tap. It'll be easier than you have to open the Camera app and then turn on the flashlight from there.

How to add the assistive light widget to the Home screen?
Before using the phone as the torch light, you have to add the assistive light widget to the Home screen by using the following steps:

1. Long tap on any free space in Home screen.
2. On pop up menu select Apps and widgets.
3. Tap Widgets tab.
4. Swipe the screen to the right or to the left until you find Assistive Light 1x1 widget.
5. Tap and hold the widget to move it to the Home screen.
6. Release the widget to place it in the Home screen.

How to use the phone as a torch light?
If the assistive light widget has been added to the Home screen, then now you're ready to use the phone as a flashlight by using the following steps:

1. Turning on the flashlight
   Tap the assistive light widget icon in the Home screen to turn on the camera flashlight. When the flashlight is on, the assistive light icon in Home screen will turn green and the white light icon will be displayed on the status bar.
2. Turning off the flashlight
   Method #1: Through the Home screen
   
   • Tap the assistive light widget icon in Home screen to turn off the camera flashlight. The assistive light icon in Home screen will turn grey and the white light icon on the status bar will disappear as a sign that the flashlight is turned off.
   Method #2: Through the notification panel
• When the screen is unlocked or locked, swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notification panel
• Tap the assistive light notification to turn off the camera flashlight. The assistive light widget icon in Home screen will turn grey and the white light icon on the status bar will disappear as a sign that the flashlight is turned off.

FYI, since the widget can't be customized and can't be turned on or off automatically, therefore the flashlight will stay on even when the screen is off unless you turn it off manually through the Home screen or the notification panel.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Change Date and Time in Android 4.4 Kitkat

By default, the date and time in the Samsung Galaxy SIV is set automatically so that the phone will allow the network to set the date and time for you. However, in case if you want to adjust the date and time or change the date and time format, you can do so with ease through the settings menu.

How to set date and time?
Below are the steps to do so:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap More tab.
3. Tap Date and time.
4. Change the date and time:
To set the date and time automatically:
• Check the box next to Automatic date and time to enable this option.
• Now, the phone will use the network-provided date and time.
To set the date and time manually:
• Clear the checkbox next to Automatic date and time to disable this option.
• Tap Set date and then adjust the date by tapping the up arrow icon or the down arrow icon and then tap Set button.
• Tap Set time and then adjust the time by tapping the up arrow icon or the down arrow icon and then tap Set button.
5. Change the time zone:
To set the time zone automatically:
• Check the box next to Automatic time zone to enable this option.
• The phone will use the network-provided time zone.
To set the time zone manually:
• Clear the check box next to Automatic time zone to disable this option.
• Tap Select time zone and then select the required time zone from the list.
6. Change the time format:
   Depending on your current settings, tap Use 24-hour format to enable or disable this option. If this option is enabled then the phone will show the time in 24-hour format, while if this option is disabled then the phone will show the time in 12-hour format or AM/PM format.
7. Change the date format:
• Tap Select date format.
• Select the desired date format (dd/mm/yyyy, mm/dd/yyyy, yyyy/mm/dd).
8. Once done, the date and time on the phone will be displayed according to the date and time setting you have just set before.

FYI, wrong date and time can cause some problems in your phone, for instance you may encounter no-connection error while accessing the Play Store. So, by knowing this step, now you can easily set or correct the date and time automatically or manually as well as adjust the date time format according to your need.