Key changes with Android version 9.0

You will notice that the Home screen, phone app, calendar, messages, email, notification panel and more have all been redesigned for a better user experience. There’s a more user-friendly and simplified design for many of the icons and menus.

The default clock on the Always on Display (AOD) is now positioned horizontally and features coloured icons. It shows remaining battery time, time remaining until fully charged, and also battery information for any other connected devices like wearables. It can also be fully customised by using different layouts or by uploading images or GIFs.

Video player

The control buttons on the video player have moved. They are now at the bottom of the screen, making them easier to interact with.

Device care

The previous “Device maintenance” area within “Settings” has been replaced with “Device care”.

Tap “Battery” to find new “Power mode” options available to optimise battery power saving.

You can also free up storage space by using the new “Storage” area where you can analyse your usage and remove duplicate or redundant files.

Location settings

Location settings are no longer within “Connections” but can now be found under “Biometrics and security”.

Do not disturb

Finally, the “Do not disturb” setting has been moved from the “Sounds and Vibration” menu to “Notifications”.

Night mode

Discover the “Night mode”, which changes the display to dark colours at night to reduce eye fatigue. It works at sunrise/sunset or in certain conditions. It only works on Samsung apps, and can be set up by tapping on “Settings” then the “Display” submenu.

Lock the Home screen

You can now limit the movement, deletion and creation of new icons on the home screen. Tap “Settings”, “Display” then “Home screen” and swipe the switch to enable “Lock Home screen layout”.

Gallery albums

You will find new “Albums” in the Gallery, split into four folders for videos, favourites, locations and suggestions. The “Suggested” album recommends content creation or deletion based on what is stored on your device.

New contacts

If you have an unsaved number in your messages, you can now quickly and conveniently “Add to Contacts” or “Block number” from the messaging screen.