How do I manage my apps?
Apps are an essential part of your Galaxy experience. There are functional apps for messaging and communication, business software and maps or lifestyle apps to fitness tracking, video streaming and games. Some apps come pre-installed on to your device and you can explore download install new apps from the Galaxy Store or the Google Play Store on your device. You can also uninstall or disable apps you really don't need or use.
To download apps from the Galaxy Store, you must first set up and a Samsung account and to download apps from the Play Store, you must first set up a Google account.
Please note: The steps described below relate to devices running Android Pie and above. The steps may vary depending on your device and version of Android that it is running. The available options may also differ according to the app that being moved.
Only install known and trusted apps
For security reasons, we recommend that you download apps from a secure and trusted app store like Galaxy Apps or the Play Store on your Samsung device. Your Samsung device does not allow automatic download of apps from unknown sources. If you download an app that is from an unknown source, you will be prompted to allow unknown apps to be installed in your settings. If you do download an app from a third party site, ensure that it is only from a reputable and secure source.
App minimum requirements and specifications
Different apps have different minimum requirements to run. Bigger and more complex apps will usually need a higher level of operating system in order to run effectively.
If you have an older device, you will not be able to install apps that need a later operating system or other minimum specifications to work. If you try to install an app that requires a higher operating system than your device, you may not be able to install it or the app may not work effectively if you can.Note that larger developers may offer a 'lite' version of the app for older or lower-storage devices.
Other apps may require that you have a SIM-card installed e.g. Whatsapp.
Follow the steps below to download an app from the Play Store:
Some devices also have an Apps button. If so, you can tap the Apps button to launch the Apps screen if you prefer.
Alternatively, you can add your Google Account to your device via the Settings menu. Find out how to set up or log in to a Google Account on your Galaxy device.
There are several ways you can navigate the Play Store to find an app to download:
- Type: At the bottom of the Play Store, select the type of content that you would like to download (Games, Apps, Movies, Books).
- Search: Type the name of the app that you would like to download into the search bar, then tap the app from the auto-suggest list.
- Category: Apps are divided into several categories including For you, Top charts, Categories, Editor's choice, Family and Early access.
Please note: To install, some apps will ask for you to review and grant access permissions. Tap "Accept" to grant permission.
Alternatively, you can launch an app from the Apps screen. Swipe up on the Home screen to access the Apps screen, then tap the app's icon to launch.
Please note: Some apps cannot be uninstalled. For most of these, you will see an option to 'Disable' instead of uninstall. Take care when disabling apps. Some may be needed for the running of basic functions on your device. For example, if you disable the Play Store, you will no longer be able to download or update apps from the Play Store.
There are several ways to move or reorder your apps. To access the Apps screen, swipe up or down on the Home screen or tap the Apps button.
- To rearrange apps: Tap and hold the app, then drag it to your preferred location.
- To move an app to the home screen: Tap and hold the app, then tap "Add to home".
- To move an app to the Secure folder: First, set up and create the secure folder, then find out how to move an app to the Secure Folder.
Please note: The Secure Folder is currently available on devices running on Android Nougat 7.0 and above.
Please note: Most apps are developed to be run from internal storage and not from SD cards. Some developers still allow apps to be moved to an SD card, but this can result in usability issues. TIP: if you are trying to save storage space, try setting your photos and videos to save to the SD card first (or to automatically back up via Wi-Fi) before attempting to move apps.
Please note: If the "Change" option is greyed out or not available, this app is not able to be moved.
Creating folders can help you organise your Apps screen so you can group similar apps together.
To create a new folder:
To add apps to an existing folder:
There are two ways to add more apps to your folder:
Keep your apps updated to benefit from improved app performance, bugs fixes or new features released in periodic updates. You can update apps manually or set your apps to update automatically.
To update an app manually:
- To update individual apps, tap "Update".
- To update all the apps, tap "Update all".
If the message "No updates available" is displayed, all apps are up to date.
To update apps automatically:
● Over any network
● Over Wi-Fi only
● Don't auto-update apps
Please note: Data charges may apply if you select "Over any network".
From time to time your apps may send notifications. You can choose which apps you would like to receive notifications from and block notifications from apps that you do not want to receive notifications from.
Please note: App notifications depend on the version of Android that your device is running.
There are two ways to launch two apps at the same time: using Split Screen view or Pop-Up View. You can access these views from the Edge Panel or the Recent apps button.
Via the Edge Panel:
Please note: Only apps that follow the Multi-Window format for Android Nougat and above can be used as part of an app pair for Galaxy Edge devices. You can also use the same app (e.g. Samsung Internet + Samsung Internet) to open to browser windows.
First make sure that the Edge screen is enabled:
Return to the home screen, then follow the steps below:
Via the Recent apps button:
This function is available on the Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and up.
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