If you’re splurging on a foldable phone like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, make sure you’re getting your money’s worth by exploring all the options and features the handset has to offer.
When you’ve got twice as many screens as normal, you get a lot more functionalities and flexibility: From quickly getting apps running side by side, to dragging and dropping texts and images between them.
1. Customize full screen apps
Unfortunately, not every Android app is developed to run on a screen as large as the main display of the Galaxy Z Fold 5. You might see black bars at the side of certain apps, as well as other odd behavior.
But you can fix this by going to Settings, then Display and Full screen apps. Pick an tool, and choose how you’d like it to show up. Full screen is the option to go for if you don’t want any black bars, though it may cause some distortion on certain apps.
2. Drag and drop between apps
With two apps open on screen, the Z Fold 5 is very adept at transferring content between them. Try tapping and holding an image in your web browser, for example, then dragging it across to an email you’re composing on the other side of the screen. The system will drop the picture right into the message—no copying, pasting, or saving required.
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Note that this feature doesn’t work in every single app, but it will run smoothly in a lot them: Google’s Gmail and Chrome, Samsung’s Gallery and Notes, and Microsoft’s PowerPoint and Outlook, are some of the apps that support dragging and dropping.
3. Bring up the Flex panel
Flex mode is when you make a 90-degree angle with the Z Fold 5, so you have one half laying flat on a surface while the other is propped up straight. This allows certain apps to display different content on each side. Try opening the Camera app to see what we mean— you’ll see the shutter window at the top and the camera controls underneath.
There’s also the Flex panel, which will work with any app that supports multi-window use (most now do). Open Settings and then go to Advanced features > Labs > Flex mode panel, and enable the feature.
Now, when you turn your phone to landscape mode, you’ll get a little Flex panel icon (a gray diamond shape) in the lower left hand corner. Tap the icon to make the panel pop up: you’ll get a little touchpad to use with the app that’s on the top half of the screen, as well as quick access to certain features and the screenshot tool.
Try using the Flex panel with a web browser to see how useful it can be: You’ll be able to select links and elements on screen just as you would on a desktop operating system.
4. Get more content on screen
Make your way to Settings and go to Display and Screen layout and zoom. This page lets you change the size of the fonts and other elements on screen, which means you can get more content on your Z Fold 5 display at the same time—whether you’re working with one or multiple apps on the screen.
5. Switch seamlessly to the cover screen
By default, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 treats the larger main screen and the smaller cover screen separately, so apps that you’re using on the big display won’t automatically switch over to the outer display when you close the phone.
But if you would like to transfer apps seamlessly, open up Display from Settings, then tap on Continue apps on cover screen. You’ll be able to have this happen with all apps, or only with specific ones.
6. Change how multi window works
One of the key advantages of a foldable device like the Z Fold 5 is how easily you can get multiple apps and windows up alongside each other. Most of the time the Z Fold 5 handles this perfectly well on its own, but you can make some tweaks by heading to Settings, and then going to Advanced features and Multi window.
For example, you can enable Swipe for split screen. This feature will let you swipe in with two fingers from the left-hand edge of the main display to go from full screen mode to split screen mode. When you do, the Z Fold 5 will prompt you to choose another app to go alongside the one you’re already looking at.
7. Customize the taskbar
The taskbar at the bottom of the screen is crucial for getting around your foldable phone and the apps on it, so make sure it’s set up the way you want it. From Settings, pick Display and Taskbar, and choose how many recent apps you want to see at the bottom of the screen. You can also completely hide the taskbar, if you prefer.
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From the Display screen you can also select Navigation bar and choose whether you want to navigate your phone using gestures or the traditional back, home and recent buttons. If you’re not sure about the differences between these two options, you’ll see explanations for them on screen. Just keep in mind that using gestures will free up more space on the taskbar for you.
Note that the apps on the left of the taskbar are the same as those in the dock on the home screen. You can drag apps in and out of the dock if you want to change this selection.
