Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Enable Auto Screen Off During Calls in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

During calls, you can set your phone to turn off the screen automatically to avoid your face/ear from accidentally touching something in the screen as well as to help you conserve more battery. You can do so by enabling the proximity sensor during calls so that the screen will be turned off if the sensor detects the presence of nearby objects or if there's an object near the screen such as the user's ear during calls. The proximity sensor is located between the earpiece and the front-facing camera at the top of the phone.


How to enable auto screen off during calls?
There are two different methods that can be used to access the option to set your phone to turn off the screen during calls: from the Phone app settings and from the general settings menu.


Method #1: From the Phone app settings
You can turn on the proximity sensor during calls from the Phone app settings by using the following steps:
  1. Open Phone app.
  2. Tap the Menu key and then select Call settings.
  3. Check the box next to Turn off screen during calls to enable it.
  4. The auto screen off during calls feature has been enabled.


Method #2: From the settings menu
You can turn on the proximity sensor during calls from the general settings menu by using the following steps:
  1. On home screen, tap the Menu key and then select Settings to go to the general settings menu.
  2. Tap My device tab.
  3. Tap Call.
  4. Check the box next to Turn off screen during calls to enable it.
  5. The auto screen off during calls feature has been enabled.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Hide Caller Identification in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

By default, Samsung Galaxy S4 uses the default network settings to display your caller ID in outgoing calls. However, in case you want the other parties whom you call can't see your phone number (and your name if they have added your phone number in their contacts lists) in their phones and make it shows up as a private number, then you have to set the option to control the caller ID in your phone to hide or block your caller ID for outgoing calls.


How to hide or block the caller ID for outgoing calls?
You can access the option to hide your phone number in outgoing calls by using two different methods: from the Phone app settings and from the general settings menu.


Method #1: From the Phone app settings
  1. Open Phone app.
  2. Tap the Menu key and then select Call settings.
  3. Tap Additional settings.
  4. Tap Caller ID and then select Hide number.
  5. Now, your caller ID will be hidden in outgoing calls and let you make private calls.


Method #2: From the settings menu
  1. On home screen, tap the Menu key and then select Settings to go to the general settings menu.
  2. Tap My device tab.
  3. Tap Call.
  4. Tap Additional settings.
  5. Tap Caller ID and then select Hide number.
  6. Now, your caller ID will be hidden in outgoing calls and let you make private calls.

As a note, the option to control the caller ID in some model numbers of Samsung Galaxy S4 may be disabled or unavailable. Thus, if you don't have this option in your phone, you may have to ask your mobile network provider about the alternative way to hide your caller ID. Some of them allow their users to do so by adding a specific code in front of the phone number they are going to call to.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Enable and Use Call Waiting in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Call waiting is a feature that can be found in Samsung Galaxy S4. When this feature is enabled, you'll be notified with a tone if you have another call when you're already engaged in an active call so that you can answer the second call after ending the first call or putting the first call on hold.


How to enable or disable the call waiting feature?
You can access the option to turn on or off this feature by using two different methods: from the Phone app settings and from the general settings menu.


Method #1: From the Phone app settings
  1. Open Phone app.
  2. Tap the Menu key and then select Call settings.
  3. Tap Additional settings.
  4. Depending on your current settings, tap Call waiting to enable or disable it. When the checkbox next to this option is checked means the call waiting feature is enabled.


Method #2: From the settings menu
  1. On home screen, tap the Menu key and then select Settings to go to the general settings menu.
  2. Tap My device tab.
  3. Tap Call.
  4. Tap Additional settings.
  5. Depending on your current settings, tap Call waiting to enable or disable it. When the checkbox next to this option is checked means the call waiting feature is enabled.


How to use the call waiting feature?
Assuming that you have enabled the call waiting feature, you can answer or reject the second call whilst you're in an active call. See the following steps as the example of using the call waiting feature:
  1. When there's an incoming call whilst you're in an active call, you'll hear a tone to inform you that you have a second call.
  2. If you want to reject the second call, tap and hold and then drag it to the left.
  3. If you want to answer the second call, tap and hold and then drag it to the right. Then, select from the following options:
    • Putting the first call on hold: select this option if you want to answer the second call and put the first call on hold.
    • Ending call with the first call: select this option if you want to answer the second call and end the first call.
  4. If you have answered the second call and put the first one on hold, you can swap between the calls by tapping . It'll put the second call on hold and activate the first call.
  5. If you want to end an active call, tap .

As a note, the call waiting option may be disabled or unavailable in some model numbers of Samsung Galaxy S4. Thus, if you don't have this option in your phone, then you can alternatively enable the call waiting feature by dialing a specific code that you can get from your mobile service provider.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Use Call Forwarding in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Call forwarding is a feature that will allow you to forward or divert incoming calls to other phone number in a specific condition, e.g: when you want to answer calls in other number, when your phone number is busy or unreachable, or when the incoming call is unanswered so that you won't miss any important call when you're in those conditions.


How to use the call forwarding feature?
You can do so by using the following steps:
  1. Open Phone app.
  2. Tap the Menu key and then select Call settings.
  3. Tap Additional settings.
  4. Tap Call forwarding.
  5. Tap Voice call.
  6. Here you can select the required call forwarding option from the following options:
    • Always forward: select this option to forward all incoming calls. When this call forwarding option is enabled, other call forwarding options will be disabled and this icon will be displayed on the status bar as a sign that all calls will be forwarded.
    • Forward when busy: select this option to forward incoming calls when your phone number is busy.
    • Forward when unanswered: select this option to forward incoming calls when unanswered.
    • Forward when unreachable: select this option to forward incoming calls when your phone is turned off or when your phone number is unreachable.
  7. Regardless the call forwarding option you have selected in the step #6, you'll be asked to enter an alternative number where the calls will be forwarded to or tap to pick up the required contact from the Contacts app and then tap Enable button. FYI, if you didn't choose always forward, you can enable other call forwarding options by repeating from the step #6.
  8. To disable call forwarding, tap the required call forwarding option (e.g: Forward when unanswered) you want to disable and then tap Disable button.

As a note, the call forwarding option in some model numbers of Samsung Galaxy S4 may be disabled or unavailable. Thus, if you don't have this option in your phone, you can alternatively enable call forwarding via text message or by dialing a specific code. You can get further information about the message format or the call forwarding code from your mobile service provider.

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Fix No Notification Sound When Receiving New Text Messages in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

By default, a notification sound or message tone will be played if you receive a new text message to help you easily know that you have a new one. However, there are 4 conditions that can cause the notification sound is not played when you receive a new text message: 1)the notifications in the stock messaging app settings is disabled or the message tone is set to silent, 2)the phone is on silent or vibration mode, 3)the volume of the general notifications is too low, 4)the notifications of the stock messaging app is blocked or disabled. So, based on the things that probably make you get no notification sound or message tone when receiving a new text message, you can try fixing this issue by doing the following steps:


Step #1: Make sure the notifications in the stock Messaging app settings is enabled and the message tone is not set to silent
You can do so by using the following steps:
  1. Open the stock Messaging app.
  2. Tap or long press the Recent apps key to open up the additional options and then tap Settings.
  3. Scroll the screen to the very bottom.
  4. Tap Notifications. If notifications is off, tap the ON/OFF switch to turn it on.
  5. Tap Notification sound and then select the required message tone you want to use. Here, you have to make sure that you don't choose Silent as the message tone.
  6. Tap OK button to save the changes.


Step #2: Make sure to place your phone to the sound mode
You have to place your phone in sound mode to make your phone plays the notification sound when you receive a new text message by using the following steps:
  1. On any screen, swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notification panel and then tap to go to the settings menu.
  2. With the settings menu is displayed in grid view, scroll down to the Sound and display section and then tap Sound .
  3. Tap Sound mode and then select Sound.


Step #3: Make sure the notifications volume is adjusted
If needed, you can increase the volume of the general notifications by using the following steps:
  1. On any screen, swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notification panel and then tap to go to the settings menu.
  2. With the settings menu is displayed in grid view, scroll down to the Sound and display section and then tap Sound .
  3. Tap Volume.
  4. Drag the volume adjustment bar below the Notifications option to the right to increase the volume.
  5. Tap OK button to save the changes.


Step #4: Make sure the notifications of the stock Messaging app is enabled
You have to set your phone to show or enable notifications for the stock messaging app by using the following steps:
  1. On any screen, swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notification panel and then tap to go to the settings menu.
  2. With the settings menu is displayed in grid view, scroll down to the Applications section and then tap Application manager .
  3. Swipe the screen from the right to the left to access the All screen. You'll see all installed apps in your phone are listed here.
  4. Scroll down to find Messages and then tap it.
  5. Make sure to check the box in the left side of the Show notifications option to enable it and let you receive notification sound when you receive a new text message.

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Disable an App Notifications in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

For some reason, you may don't want to be notified by certain app, for instance when you have to keep an app but don't want to be notified when there's an available update for the app, or when you have to keep an app but the app often sends you unwanted notifications, or when you have two apps that have the same function and need to block notifications of one of these apps to avoid double notifications, etc. Disabling notifications of an app will make the notification sound, the notification on the status bar and in the notification panel of the app are disabled. However, before disabling the notifications of an app, you have to know that it may cause you to miss any important alerts and updates of the app.


How to disable notifications of an app?
Since I have two messaging apps in my phone (the stock and a third-party messaging apps) thus as the example, we'll try disabling the notifications of the stock messaging app to avoid double notifications when receiving new text messages. We'll do so by using three different methods: from the general settings menu, from the apps menu and from the notification panel.


Method #1: From the general settings menu
This method lets you disable notifications of any installed apps in your phone, even when the app is not listed in the apps menu. As the example, use the following steps to disable notifications of the stock messaging app from the general settings menu:
  1. On any screen, swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notification panel and then tap to go to the settings menu.
  2. With the settings menu is displayed in grid view, scroll down to the Applications section and then tap Application manager .
  3. Swipe the screen from the right to the left to access the All screen. Here, all installed apps in your phone will be listed.
  4. Scroll down to find Messages, and then tap it.
  5. Clear the checkbox in the left side of the Show notifications to hide notifications of the stock messaging app and then tap OK button to confirm.
  6. The notifications of the stock messaging app has been disabled.


Method #2: From the apps menu
This method lets you easily disable notifications for an app that is listed in the apps menu. As the example, use the following steps to disable the notifications of the stock messaging app from the apps menu:
  1. On home screen, tap Apps .
  2. Find the Messages icon.
  3. Tap and hold the Messages icon and then drag it to the App info icon located at the top of the screen. It'll quickly bring you to the app info icon of the stock messaging app.
  4. Clear the checkbox in the left side of the Show notifications to hide notifications of the stock messaging app and then tap OK button to confirm.
  5. The notifications of the stock messaging app has been disabled.


Method #3: From the notification panel
This method lets you easily disable notifications of an app when it's sending you an unwanted notification. As the example, use the following steps to disable notifications of the stock messaging app from the notification panel:
  1. On any screen, swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notification panel.
  2. Tap and hold the incoming message notification and then tap App info. It'll quickly bring you to the app info of the app that has sent the notification, which is the stock messaging app.
  3. Clear the checkbox in the left side of the Show notifications to hide notifications of the stock messaging app and then tap OK button to confirm.
  4. The notifications of the stock messaging app has been disabled.

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Disable Flight Mode in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Some insiders have mailed me and said that they couldn't send text messages, make calls or use mobile data when they had the airplane icon on their status bars. Apparently, they have accidentally enabled the airplane or flight mode which turned off the connection to their mobile service provider so that they couldn't use the calling, messaging and data network features. If you're also experiencing this issue, you can fix it simply by turning off the flight mode feature.


How to disable the flight mode?
You can turn off the flight mode so that you can place your phone back to the normal mode by using four different methods: from the general settings menu, from the quick settings panel, from the device options and from the lock screen.


Method #1: From the general settings menu
You can turn off the flight mode from the general settings menu by using the following steps:
  1. On any screen, swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notification panel and then tap to go to the settings menu.
  2. With the settings menu is displayed in grid view, scroll down to the Network connections section and then tap Flight mode .
  3. Slide the ON/OFF switch to the left to disable the flight mode.
  4. The flight mode has been disabled and your phone will be back to the normal mode.


Method #2: From the quick settings panel
You can turn off the flight mode from the quick settings panel by using the following steps:
  1. On any screen, swipe down the top of the screen using two fingers to open up the quick settings panel.
  2. Tap Flight mode button and then tap OK button to confirm disabling the flight mode.
  3. The flight mode has been disabled and your phone will be back to the normal mode.


Method #3: From the device options
You can turn off the flight mode from the device options by using the following steps:
  1. While the screen is on, long press the Power key to display the device options.
  2. Tap Flight mode and then tap OK button to confirm disabling the flight mode.
  3. The flight mode has been disabled and your phone will be back to the normal mode.


Method #4: From the lock screen
By default, the flight mode status will be displayed on lock screen when it's enabled therefore you can easily disable this feature from here by using the following steps:
  1. While the screen is locked, tap Turn off button and then tap OK button to confirm disabling the flight mode.
  2. The flight mode has been disabled and your phone will be back to the normal mode.