Samsung S Pen Tips: Getting the most out of your
S Pen

Unlock even more Galaxy magic with the epic S Pen. Compatible with flagship Galaxy devices the Samsung Galaxy S Pen helps you do things faster, better and create what you want. Whether it's jotting down notes in the back of a taxi or unleashing your inner artist, the Samsung S Pen puts more power at your fingertips. Here, we explore how you can get the most from your S Pen.

What is the Samsung S Pen?

The Galaxy S Pen is Samsung’s state-of-the-art stylus that provides a true pen to paper experience. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the S Pen or a long-time user, the Samsung S Pen seamlessly integrates with your Galaxy device allowing you to get more done with ease. Whether you use it for note taking, drawing or effortlessly navigating through your Galaxy phone, the 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity will guarantee you’ll experience accuracy in every movement. Plus, the epic Galaxy S Pen Pro boasts Bluetooth connectivity so you can even use it as a remote control for presentations, to start video recording, or to snap stunning pictures from afar.

Which Samsung smartphones are S Pen compatible?

The S Pen is now compatible with the flagship Galaxy Z Fold5 and the latest Galaxy S24 Ultra. Enjoy unlimited possibilities for working, creating and multi-tasking at your fingertips.

How do I use the S Pen on my Samsung Galaxy phone?

Using your S Pen is easy! Your S Pen will start working as soon as you remove it from your Galaxy phone. Simply press on the bottom of it (found next to your charging port) to release it from your phone. Your phone will vibrate to confirm you’ve removed the S Pen successfully and away you go! It’s as simple as that! You can also activate the S Pen by hovering it over the screen and quickly pressing the S Pen button twice. You can find out more about using your S Pen in our ‘What is the S Pen and how do I use it?’ guide.

1. Use your S Pen as a Bluetooth enabled remote control

The exceptional Galaxy S Pen Pro* is the first S Pen to boast Bluetooth connectivity, opening up even more possibilities in the palm of your hand. Whether you use it to seamlessly manoeuvre through PowerPoint slides, to play or pause your media and music content, or for snapping epic pictures from afar the Bluetooth connectivity gives you even more freedom and flexibility.

*Compatible with Samsung Galaxy smartphones, tablets and PCs that support S Pen.

2. Edit your videos

With the precision that the S Pen affords, you can quickly enhance video clips in a matter of minutes. Add a fun filter, touch up faces or add music - the more creative you get the better. The S Pen is especially useful if you want to include captions or handwritten comments on your videos or photos. What’s more, editing videos on your phone or tablet is quick and easy, after you’ve captured content with the camera, simply tap the pen icon to access the editing tools. The S Pen is now compatible with more devices than ever before but if you’re looking for the latest S Pen compatible device, look no further than the epic Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold5, or the latest range of Galaxy Tab S9 tablets.

You can also choose a tablet case with keyboard or compatible S Pen to make editing on your Samsung Tab even easier.

3. Screen Write and document signing

Your S Pen is an exceptional productivity tool helping you get more done on your Galaxy phone. Use it to annotate images, charts and documents (including PDFs) with ease. Simply open Screen Write and take a screenshot of your screen, from here you can write and annotate your comments easily. Samsung Notes also lets you import PDFs and annotate them without downloading additional apps.

4. Smart Select

Gone are the days of boring rectangular screenshot boxes. You can use your S Pen to draw a shape anywhere on your screen. Get creative - draw circles, triangles, wobbly lines or whatever takes your fancy! You’ll only capture the portion of the screen that you actually need. Go one step further and personalise your screenshot ready to send to friends or work colleagues. Simply open Air Command, take a screen capture with your S Pen and get drawing.

5. Live Messages

Drawing your own animated GIF or emoji is a fun and impressive way of getting your message across in your own way! Scribble a word or draw a picture on your Galaxy phone screen using your S Pen and then share the GIF across different messaging or social media apps.

6. Translate

Impress your friends with your translation skills. Hover your S Pen over the word or sentence you want to translate and it will do the hard work for you. Using your S Pen, select the translate option via Air command. You can even listen to the word by tapping the sound icon next to the translation.

7. Magnify

Looking to get up close and personal? The S Pen doubles as a magnifying glass, perfect for viewing photos or drawings in even greater detail. Hover your S Pen over your screen using the Magnify feature to magnify what you are viewing by up to 300%. Great for those hard to see details.

8. Get writing

Give your thumbs a rest and get back to some good old writing. Use your S Pen to write what you want to say rather than typing it and then instantly convert your handwriting to text. From here you can paste it straight into an email or convert it into a Word or Google document. Launch the Samsung Notes app using your S pen and when you’ve finished writing, tap the handwriting-to-text icon - job done!

9. AR Doodle

Have fun with your S Pen and AR Doodle. Doodle on different surfaces that are recognised by your Galaxy camera viewfinders. Get creative by drawing AR objects in virtual space with your S Pen. When your viewfinder moves, the doodles move with you.

10. Bring out your inner artist

The S Pen is also an exceptional artistic drawing tool and apps like PENUP allow you to explore your skills in even greater detail. You can use your S Pen to produce impressively detailed and colourful drawings. When you’re ready you can upload your creations to the PENUP art community to view, share and comment on.

Most common questions

Explore answers to frequent queries below.