Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Enable, Use and Customize Multi Window in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Multi window is a feature that will allow your phone to split the screen into two windows so that you can open two apps simultaneously. Given to the function, this feature surely will be able to improve your multitasking experience, for instance you can watch a video in the Youtube app while chatting with your friends in the Facebook app or you can easily copying a paragraph or text in an opened webpage in the Internet app and then pasting in the Email app without accessing clipboard, etc.


How to enable or disable multi window?
Generally, you can enable or disable this feature by using two methods available, through the quick settings panel or the settings menu. 

Method #1: From the quick settings panel

1. Swipe down the top of the screen using two fingers to open up the quick settings panel.
2. Depending on your current settings, tap Multi window button to enable or disable this option. When the button turns green means the multi window feature is enabled and you'll see the multi window tray icon is displayed in the left/right side of the screen.

Method #2: From the Settings menu

1. Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notifications panel.
2. Tap the Settings icon to enter the settings menu.
3. With the settings menu is displayed in grid view, scroll down to the Sound and display section and then tap Multi window .
4. Depending on your current settings, tap the ON/OFF switch to enable or disable this option. When the switch is on the right side or turns green means the multi window feature is enabled and you'll see the multi window tray icon is displayed in the left/right side of the screen.
5. While multi window is enabled, if necessary you can enable Open in multi window view to allow your phone automatically view content in multi window view when you open files from My Files app or when you open a video from the Video player app or when you open attachments from emails and messages in full screen view.

How to use multi window?
Once the multi window feature is enabled, then you're ready to use it to open up two apps at once and do some available actions as you can see in the following steps:

1. Tap to open up multi window tray.
2. Tap and hold an app from the multi window tray and then drag it to the one of the two windows to open the app. Repeat this step to open the second app. As a note, in the multi window tray, you may see that some apps are labelled with , it means that those app can be opened in separate window on the screen at the same time.
3. While the two apps are displayed in multi window view, you can do some actions, for instance creating a multi window combination (go to the step #4), adjusting the window size (go to the step #5), using multi window options (go to the step #6), hide or show multi window tray (go to the step #7) and change multi window tray position (go to the step #8)
4. Creating a multi window combination:
You can create shortcut of the two opening apps in multi window view so that you can quickly open those two apps. Here are the steps:
• Tap to open up multi window tray.
• Tap located at the bottom of the tray and then select Create .
• If necessary, you can enter a name for your new window group.
• Tap OK button
• The new group window shortcut will be added to the tray.
5. Adjusting the window size:
While you're opening two apps in the multi window view, you can adjust the window size by tapping and holding between the app windows up or down (if you hold your phone vertically) and to the left or to the right (if you hold your phone horizontally).
6. Using multi window options:
While you're opening two apps in the multi window view, tap between the app windows to open up the multi window options, such as:
• : tap this option to switch position between the two apps that you're currently opening.
• : tap this option to allow you drag and drop text or image from one window to another, for instance you can tap a paragraph in the selected window and then drag it to another window to copy-paste it.
• : Tap this option to close the selected window.
7. Hide or show multi window tray:
If your multi window feature is enabled but you can't find the multi window tray icon, then you can show it by long pressing the Back key.
8. Change the multi window tray position.
By default, the tray is located in the left side of the screen, in case you want to place it in the right side of the screen, then you can do so by using the following steps:
• Tap and hold and then drag it to another side of the screen.
• Release to place the tray in the new position.

How to customize multi window?
You can customize multi window to suit with your need by using the following steps:

1. Tap to open up the multi window tray.
2. Tap at the bottom of the tray and then select Edit .
3. Here you can do some actions, such as add available app to the try (go to the step #4), remove app from the tray (go to the step #5), reorder apps position in the try (go to the step #6) and remove window group from the tray (go to the step #7)
4. Add available app to the multi window tray:
Since not all apps are displayed in the tray, then you can add another available apps to the tray so that you can use them in the multi window view by using the following steps:
• Tap and hold an available app and then drag it to the multi window tray.
• Release to place it in the required position in the tray.
• The app has been added to the tray.
• Tap to save the changes.
5. Remove app from the multi window tray:
In case you want to remove an unused or unwanted app in the tray, then you can do so by using the following steps:
• Tap and hold the app in the tray you want to remove and then drag it outside the tray.
• Release to remove the app from the tray.
• The app has been removed from the tray.
• Tap to save the changes.
6. Reorder apps position in the multi window tray:
You can use this step to reorder the app in the tray based on their priorities, for instance you can place the most frequently used apps at the top position in the tray so that you can quickly accessing them. Here are the steps to reorder apps:
• Tap and hold an app in the tray and then drag it to another position in the tray to change the position.
• Release to place it in the new position.
• Tap to save the changes.
7. Remove window group from the multi window tray:
In case you want to remove a window group you have made before, then you can do so by using the following steps:
• Tap in the required window group you want to remove from the tray.
• The selected window group has been removed from the tray.
• Tap to save the changes.

Though multi window is not a new feature, but it always gets improvement in every Android version. For me, a good thing in the multi window feature in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat is an option that will allow me to create multi window combination so that I can launch two apps that I usually use simultaneously in multi window view in one go.

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Hide or Show Hidden Applications in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Though Samsung has decided to remove the "hide and show hidden apps" feature in Samsung Galaxy S4 when it updated to Android 4.4.2 Kitkat, apparently this feature still can be found in the Samsung Galaxy S5 that is running with the same Android version, Android 4.4.2 Kitkat. In case you have not known, this feature will allow you to hide apps from the apps menu without disabling the function so that you and other related apps can continue using this app.

How to hide apps?
As a note, this feature won't remove/hide apps that you have added to the Home screen, thus before you hide an app, make sure you have removed the shortcut of the app in the Home screen. Well, you can use the following steps to hide apps:

1. In Home screen, tap Apps to go to Apps menu.
2. Long tap the Recent apps key or tap to open up the additional options and then select Hide apps.
3. Select the desired apps you want to hide. The selected apps will be check-marked.
4. Tap Done button.
5. The selected apps has been hidden and won't be displayed in the apps menu.

How to show hidden apps?
For any reason, if you want to re-display the hidden apps in the apps menu, then you can do so by using the following steps:

1. In Home screen, tap Apps to go to Apps menu.
2. Long tap the Recent apps key or tap to open up the additional options and then select Show hidden apps (this option only available if you have hidden apps before). Now, all hidden apps will be displayed here.
3. Select the desired hidden apps you want to re-display in the apps menu. The selected apps will be check-marked.
4. Tap Done button.
5. The selected apps will be displayed again in the apps menu.

I personally don't feel a significant benefit from this feature and I prefer not to install an app which in turn I have to hide it. But, it may be different if this feature is protected with password so that others won't find and see our hidden apps with ease. So, how about you? Has this feature helped you?

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Disable and Enable the Stock Applications in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

As we all know that Samsung Galaxy S5 is equipped with some stock/default applications that are designed to meet your basic need, such as make a call, send a message, etc. You can use those apps directly without having install them first and of course most of them are ads-free so that you can use them conveniently. However, for some reason, if you don't want some of pre-installed apps are displayed in your apps menu then you can disable them because the default apps can't be uninstalled. Once you disable the app, you or other related-apps won't be able to use or access the app.


How to disable the stock apps?
Before disabling an app in the Samsung Galaxy S5, you have to know that the app may be linked and accessed by other apps. That's why disable an app can cause error for other related-apps. Given to that fact, when your phone encounters any error after an app is disabled, then you have to re-enable the app to fix this problem.

Method #1: From the additional menu in the Apps menu
This method is easier than other method to disable app and it also allows you to disable multiple apps with ease, but not all apps can be disabled by using this method even when the app is listed in the apps menu.

1. In Home screen, tap Apps to go to apps menu.
2. Long tap the Recent apps key or tap to open up the additional options and then select Uninstall/disable apps. All stock apps that can be disabled will have in their shortcuts.
3. Tap the required stock app you want to disable.
4. Tap Disable button.
5. The selected app has been disabled.
6. To disable more apps, repeat from the step #3.

Method #2: From the Disable icon in the Apps menu
This method allows you to disable apps quickly from the apps menu. But, the disable icon may not available for some apps therefore some apps can't be disabled by using this method.

1. In Home screen, tap Apps to go to apps menu.
2. Tap and hold the required app you want to disable and then drag it to the Disable icon located at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Disable button.
4. The selected app has been disabled.

Method #3: From the App info icon in the Apps menu
This method allows you to go to the app info for particular app with ease and fast, compared if you have to scroll the screen down and up in the application manager to find the app. Some app that can't be disabled using method #1 or #2 may be able to be disabled by using this method. But, still, there are some apps that can't be disabled by default.

1. In Home screen, tap Apps to go to apps menu.
2. Tap and hold the required app you want to disable and then drag it to the App info icon located at the top of the screen.
3. In the app info screen, tap Turn off button.
4. Tap OK button to confirm.
5. The selected app has been disabled.

Method #4: From the Settings menu
Since this method will show you all of installed apps in your phone, then make sure only use this method to disable user apps not system apps. Disabling system apps can make you phone doesn't work well.

1. Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notifications panel.
2. Tap the Settings icon to enter the Settings menu.
3. With the Settings menu is displayed in grid view, scroll down to the Applications section and then tap Application manager .
4. Swipe the screen from right to the left until you see the All tab. All installed apps in your phone will be displayed here.
5. Tap the required app you want to disable.
6. Tap Turn off button.
7. Tap OK button to confirm.
8. The selected app has been disabled.

How to re-enable disabled apps?
For any reason, if you want to re-enable disabled apps, you can do so either through the apps menu or the settings menu. As a note, both these methods will allow you to re-enable all disabled apps regardless the method you are using to disable that app.

Method #1: From the Apps menu

1. In Home screen, tap Apps to go to apps menu.
2. Long tap the Recent apps key or tap to open up the additional options and then select Show disabled apps(this option only available if you have disabled apps before).
3. Tap the required app you want to re-enable. The selected apps will be check-marked.
4. Tap Done button.
5. The selected apps will be re-enabled.

Method #2: From the Settings menu

1. Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notifications panel.
2. Tap the Settings icon to enter the Settings menu.
3. With the Settings menu is displayed in grid view, scroll down to the Applications section and then tap Application manager .
4. Swipe the screen from right to the left until you see the Turned off tab. All disabled apps will be listed here.
5. Tap the required app you want to re-enable.
6. Tap Turn on button.
7. The selected app will be re-enabled.

As a note, the shortcut of an app will be removed from Home screen and the apps menu when you disable the app. Then when you re-enable it, only the shortcut in the apps menu will be displayed again, thus if you want the shortcut of the app is displayed again in Home screen, then you have to add the app to the Home screen manually.