Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Update Applications in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

In some cases, an installed third-party app can make the phone experiences errors. A bug in the app may be the culprit of the problem. Always update app is a thing that can be done to minimize errors caused by installed third-party apps. In the newest version, the app usually get some improvements or new features to provide the user with a better performance and some fixes for any bug/issue that has been found in the previous version.

How to update apps automatically?
You can set your phone to update any installed app automatically when a new version is available by using the following steps:

1. Open Play Store app.
2. Tap located at the top left corner of the screen to open up the Play store menus.
3. Tap SETTINGS.
4. Tap Auto-update apps and then select from the following options:
• Do not auto-update apps: select this option to turn off auto update apps feature. If you choose this option, you can update an app manually when the new version is available.
• Auto-update apps at any time. Data charge may apply: select this option to set your phone to update apps automatically when you have an internet connection, either from Wi-Fi or mobile data. FYI, it'd better if you have unlimited data plan when you choose this option to avoid large data usage.
• Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only: select this option to set your phone to update apps automatically only when you're connected with a Wi-Fi network.

How to update apps manually?
If you have decided to turn off auto update apps in your phone, then you still be able to update them manually when the new version is available by using the following methods:

Method #1: From the notification panel
By default, you'll receive a notification when there's a new version of an app is available. When you receive the notification, then you can update the app manually by using the following steps:

1. Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notification panel.
2. Tap the update apps notification.
3. You'll be redirected to the My apps menu in the Play Store.
4. All apps with available updates will be listed under Updates section.
5. Updating a single app:
• Tap the required app.
• Tap UPDATE button.
• Tap ACCEPT button.
• The selected app will be updated.
6. Updating all apps:
• Tap UPDATE ALL button.
• All apps under Updates section will be updated.

Method #2: From the Play Store
In case you didn't receive notification of available update, you can manually update the required apps directly from the Play Store app by using the following steps:

1. Open Play Store.
2. Tap located at the top left corner of the screen to open up the play store menus.
3. Tap My apps.
4. Tap INSTALLED tab to view all installed apps in your phone.
5. All apps with available updates will be listed under Updates section.
6. Updating a single app:
• Tap the required app.
• Tap UPDATE button.
• Tap ACCEPT button.
• The selected app will be updated.
7. Updating all apps:
• Tap UPDATE ALL button.
• All apps under Updates section will be updated.

As a note, aside from always updating app, read the description and review before installing an app can help to prevent you install an app with bad reviews that might cause errors on your phone.

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Use Filter Effect in Camera app in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

By default, Camera app uses auto mode with no effect when you're using it to take photos. But, if you want to take a unique photo, you can apply a filter effect to your photo using built-up effects in the Camera app. The best part of it is that you will be provided with a live preview when you're selecting a filter effect so that you can see how your photo might look like when using certain effect, helps you decide which effect should be used before taking a photo. Applying the right effect will make your photo more unique and artistic.

How to use filter effect in Camera app?
You can enhance a photo that you will take by applying a filter effect. You can do so by using the following steps:

1. Open Camera app.
2. Tap to view more detailed camera settings.
3. Tap Effects .
4. You'll be provided with various default filter effects, such as:
• No effect. It's enabled by default.
• Vignette
• Vintage
• Faded colour
• Grayscale
• Sepia
• Tint
• Turquoise
• Cartoon
• Fisheye
• Moody
• Oil pastel
• Rugged

5. If the default filter effects are not enough for you, you can download more effects by tapping Download. You'll be brought to the Galaxy Apps which will display a huge selection of filter effects (either paid or free filter effects). You can select which filter effect you want to install to your phone. Once filter effects are installed, they will be added to the filter effects list.
6. Select the desired effect you want to apply to your photo.
7. Tap the viewfinder or press the Back key to hide the effects list.
8. Aim the device to the subject.
9. If necessary, you can adjust the zoom level by using the Volume key or gestures (pinching the screen or spreading two fingers apart together on the screen).
10. If necessary, you can change focus manually by tapping the screen where the camera should focus. The focus frame turns green when the focus has been locked.
11. Tap to take a photo.
12. Tap the thumbnail photo to view it in the Gallery app.

These built-in filter effects will help you easily apply the desired filter effect before taking a photo without you have to use any third-party apps. So, how about you? Which filter effect do you like best?

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Take a Panorama Photo in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

You may have heard or even tried taking photos using panorama mode because this mode is available in almost all of the Samsung Galaxy S series. Panorama mode itself is a feature that will let the device to take multiple photos in a horizontal direction (up to 360 degree in a full rotation) and then stitch them together to create a beautiful panoramic photo.

How to take a panorama photo?
Before using panorama mode to take a photo, there are some conditions that have to be filled in order to get the best result. They are:

• While taking photos, move the camera slowly in one direction and make sure to keep the camera's viewfinder within the guide frame so that the photos can be stitched well.
• Avoid taking panorama photos when the backgrounds hard to be recognized by device, such as: empty skies or plain-coloured walls.

When you're ready, you can take a panorama shot by using the following steps:

1. Open Camera app.
2. Tap and then tap Panorama.
3. Tap to start taking panorama photos.
4. Move the phone in one direction slowly and steady by following the guide frame to let your phone takes another shot well. While taking panorama photos, you have to make sure the blue frame remains in the guide frame to get the best result.
5. You can stop taking panorama photos anytime you want by tapping .
6. If you didn't stop taking panorama photos manually, the phone will automatically stop taking panorama photos when the blue frame reaches the end of the guide frame.
7. Tap the photo thumbnail to view the panorama photo in Gallery app. Panoramic photos will be labelled with to distinguish them with others.

Since this mode needs to stitch all photos into a single photo, then the hardest thing to get the best panorama photo is keeping the device position. Though this mode gives you a guide frame to control the camera's viewfinder position, if available it'd better if you use other additional tools (e.g: tripods, panoramic tripod head, etc) to help you keep the device position. Also, you have to note that wider view of a panorama photo can result in larger file therefore if you often take panoramic photos, you can set the SD card as the default storage so that free space in the internal storage will not run out quickly.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Use Remote Viewfinder Feature in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

You would probably use the dual camera feature when you wanted to take an all-inclusive group photo using Samsung Galaxy S4 but had to act as the photographer too. But, if one of your friends has a smartphone with the remote viewfinder feature then you can connect your phone with that device via NFC or Wi-Fi. Once both the devices are connected, your phone can act as the main device and then you can use another connected device to control the Camera app in your phone remotely so that you'll be able to take a real all-inclusive group photo.

How to use remote viewfinder feature in Camera app?
You can do so by using the following steps:

1. Open Camera app.
2. Tap to view more options.
3. Tap and then select Remote viewfinder.
4. To connect the devices via NFC go to the step #5 while to connect the devices via Wi-Fi go to the step #6.
5. Connect via NFC:
• Tap Easily connect via NFC button.
• Bring the devices back to back.
• When the "Touch to beam" screen is displayed, tap the screen to connect the devices.
• Both the devices are now connected and display the same image.
6. Connect via Wi-Fi Direct:
• Tap Wi-Fi Direct settings button.
• Tap the device you want to connect to.
• Once your request to connect is accepted, both the devices will be connected and display the same image.
7. Place your Samsung Galaxy S4 in an additional tool (e.g: tripods) and then aim the camera to the subject (group of people).
8. Now, you can join with the group and control the Camera app (adjust the settings, zoom in or out, trigger the shutter button) in the Samsung Galaxy S4 remotely using another connected device.

Since the step above will make your phone acts as the main device thus all pictures taken with both the devices will be saved in your Samsung Galaxy S4. As a note, before using this feature, you have to make sure that the device you want to connect to supports with the remote viewfinder feature by checking the feature availability in the Camera app settings.

Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Use Selective Focus Mode in Camera App in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Samsung Galaxy S5 provides the user with the superior camera functionality. It has 16MP rear camera and various advanced features that will allow the user to easily take or edit the photo(if needed) without having to use any third-party app. One of the advanced features available is the selective focus mode. This mode will make the subject in a specific area becomes stand out by blurring the background, make the subject be the most important in the picture.


How to use selective focus mode in Camera app?
Before capturing a photo using selective focus mode, there are some conditions that have to be filled in order to get the best result:

• Place the subject between 10-50cm from the device.
• Make sure the subject and the background have sufficient distance or at least 3 times the distance between the device and the subject. For instance: if you place the subject 15 cm from the device, then the distance between the subject and the background at least 45 cm.
• Avoid the background that can't be distinguished from the subject e.g: shadows or plain-coloured walls
• Make sure to take a photo in a well lit environment and there's no strong light behind the subject so that the device can easily distinguish between the subject and the background.

If all of the conditions above have been filled, now you're ready to take a picture with selective focus mode by using the following steps:

1. Open Camera app.
2. Tap to enable selective focus mode. The icon changes to when it's enabled.
3. Tap the screen where the camera should focus. When the subject is in focus, the focus frame turns green.
4. Tap to take a photo. Since the device needs to take multiple shots, it'd better if you hold the phone as steady as possible until the camera has finished taking pictures.
5. If necessary, you can edit the photo by tapping the photo thumbnail (it's located at the bottom right corner of the screen if you hold the phone horizontally).
6. Tap and then change the focus by selecting from the following options:
• Near focus : select this option to make the subject stands out and blur the background around the subject.
• Far focus : select this option to blur the subject and make the background stands out around the subject.
• Pan focus : select this option to make the subject and the background stand out.
7. If you're satisfied with the changes, tap to save the image.

Since this mode lets you to focus in a specific area and blur the rest, now you can easily create an image with the out-of-focus effect with your phone without having to use any photo editing app. So, have you tried this feature?

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Use Eraser Mode in Camera App in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Have you ever wished to be able to remove unwanted moving objects that were captured accidentally when you were taking a photo? In some cases, unwanted object in a photo can make the center of attention no longer on your subject. To save yourself from this problem, you can try taking a photo using eraser mode. This mode lets the device capturing some photos and then lets you to restore or remove detected moving objects on the photo.

How to use eraser mode in camera app?
You can do so by using the following steps:

1. Open Camera app.
2. Tap and then select Eraser.
3. Aim the device at the subject.
4. If necessary, you can adjust the zoom level by using the Volume key or using gestures (pinching the screen or spreading two fingers apart together on the screen).
5. If necessary, you can change the focus manually by tapping anywhere on the screen where the camera should focus. The focus point turns green when the focus has been locked.
6. Tap . The device captures 5 photos in quick succession and detects any moving objects. To get the best result, make sure you hold the phone as steady as possible until the camera has finished taking the pictures.
7. Once done, you'll be brought to a review screen and you'll be presented with an image where all detected moving objects have been removed by the device automatically.
8. If necessary, you can restore removed moving object you want to keep on your photo by using the following steps:
• Tap Show moving objects button to display what moving objects have been removed from your photo. all removed moving objects will be highlighted pink.
• Tap the pink area to restore removed moving object into the image.
9. If you're satisfied with the changes, tap Save button.

Eraser mode is best used when you take pictures in a situation where moving object may be captured by the camera accidentally, for instance when you take photos in a public area where there are many people passing by. By using this mode, now you can take photos without having to worry there will be unwanted moving objects accidentally captured on your photo.

Samsung Galaxy S4: How to Take Sound and Shot Photos in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Sound & shot is a feature available in the stock Camera app in Samsung Galaxy SIV. This feature lets you capturing a scene and record background audio associated with the photo for a few seconds simultaneously and then combine them to create more alive picture. This mode is best used if you want to attach background audio into the picture when you're taking the picture in a noisy situation (e.g: at the concert, birthday party, festival, etc) or if you want to give a note in your photo using your own voice instead of the photo note option in Gallery app.

How to take a sound and shot picture?
You can do so by using the following steps:

1. Open Camera app.
2. Tap and then select Sound & Shot.
3. Point the camera at the subject.
4. Take a pre-shot photo:
• Tap and then select Pre-shot.
• The device will start recording the background audio.
• If necessary, you can change the focus manually by tapping anywhere on the screen where the camera should focus. The focus frame turns green when the focus has been locked.
• You can keep taking pictures by tapping anytime you want and up to 9 secs of recorded sound will be saved with each picture.
5. Take a post-shot photo:
• Tap and then select Post-shot.
• If necessary, you can change the focus manually by tapping anywhere on the screen where the camera should focus. The focus frame turns green when the focus has been locked.
• Tap to take a sound and shot picture. The device records up to 9 secs of background audio after taking a photo, or you can stop the recording anytime you want by tapping .
6. Tap the picture icon to view the newly taken picture in the Gallery app. The sound and shot pictures are labelled with to distinguish them with other pictures.

By default, Gallery app will play the sound attached in the sound and shot photos automatically when you're viewing the photo. But, if the sound doesn't come up make sure you have enabled the Auto play sound option in the Gallery app settings.