Samsung has packed a crazy amount of features into the Galaxy S8 and S8+. This is nowhere near the insane level of software bloat we've seen on some Samsung devices. You can spend hours clicking through the menus, hoping to stumble upon all the cool things this phone can do. Or you can read this guide to learn all the secrets, everything about best advice And Galaxy settings S8 to get the most out of your new smartphone.
Watch the video review of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus:
Customize navigation buttons
Samsung has finally caught up with the times and moved to on-screen navigation buttons, meaning you can customize them to your liking. The default layout is similar to other Samsung phones, with a Back button on the right and an Overview button on the left. You can change it to standard Android layout back-home-overview by selecting Settings > Display > Navigation Bar. Here you can also change the background color of the navigation bar. Remember, the Home button is pressure sensitive. It works with firm pressure even when the display is off. At the bottom of the navigation bar menu, you can change the level of pressure required to trigger the button.
Set up or turn off Hello Bixby
Samsung's smart assistant Bixby isn't very smart yet, so you probably won't use it. At the same time when pressing physical button Bixby a screen appears called " Hello Bixby" You'll also find this screen to the left of the main Home screen panel. He looks a little like Google Now, but not as good. You can customize Hello Bixby to show information more useful to you—by default, it has things you don't want, like random Giphy animations and suggested themes in the Samsung store. Click the gear icon in the top right corner to edit cards and customize what they display. If you don't want to use Bixby on your home screen, you can enter edit mode by pressing and holding the spacebar, then turn off the switch above the Bixby panel.
Get rid of icon frames
The icons on the Samsung home screen, all of them are “squircles” and third party applications, which you install will be encased in white squircle frames. It's consistent, but not very attractive. To get rid of icon frames, go to Settings > Display > Icons. Change it to "Icons Only" and you're done.
Read also:
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Reorganize applications
The default sort in the Galaxy S8's apps folder is "custom," which is a fancy way of saying "you'll never find anything." You should immediately change it to alphabetical order by opening the folder, clicking the menu button, and selecting Sort. Unlike previous versions of Samsung's Home screen, the apps folder will remain in alphabetical order even when you install new apps.
Faster unlocking via iris scanner
Selecting display calibration mode
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ have several display calibration modes available in the settings. The default calibration is a responsive mode that includes custom color sliders to adjust colors to look the way you want. Some GS8 owners find the display too red, but you can change this using the sliders. There are also AMOLED Photo, AMOLED Cinema and Basic modes. Basic mode offers the most accurate colors of the sRGB specification, while Adaptive has advanced color scheme.
Changing the default volume level
When you press the volume key, the default action is to change the ringer volume. How often do you need to change it? Changing the media volume is more useful and you can set it to default. Just go to Settings > Sound & Vibration. There you will find "Default Volume Control". Tap it and select Media.
Set up Always-on display
Samsung's Always-on display feature allows you to see basic information about your phone without waking you up. This feature drains your battery a bit, so either turn it off or adjust it to make the battery drain more worthwhile. Always-on display appears in Settings > Lock screen & security > Always-on display. The display style can be changed to various watches, calendar, photo or minimal clock on the edge. On the other hand, Always-on display does not always have to be turned on. At the bottom of the settings screen is a toggle for "Always-on display". Disable it and you can set a schedule to turn it on and off.
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Editing the Edge panel
There is no flat version of the Galaxy S8, so it's time to make friends with the Edge Screen. It's a small tab on the right edge of the screen that shows you various shortcuts and tools when shooting. You can customize what you see on the edge screen by tapping the gear icon at the bottom or going to Settings > Display > Edge Screen. The Edge screen can be turned off if you don't want to use it, but set up Edge Panels first. There are almost a dozen panels by default, including a handy clipboard manager and weather. Don't forget to click the menu button in the top right corner to rearrange the panels and edit the Edge Screen. You can make the panel larger, smaller, more transparent, or even change its location.
Improved multitasking with Snap Window
The Galaxy S8 runs Nougat, so it uses the standard Android multi-window system. However, Samsung has added a small bonus in the form of Snap Window. You'll find the Snap button right next to the split-screen button on the app cards in the multitasking interface. Tapping lets you define a section of your app that will remain at the top of the screen while you use the bottom section for another app. This perfect solution to stream videos in Snap Window as it takes up less space and will continue playing even if it loses focus.
First reports of “hacking” of biometric security systems flagship smartphones Samsung(Galaxy S8 and S8+) actually on the day of their presentation, at the end of March 2017. Let me remind you that at that time the Spanish Spanish observer MarcianoTech conducted a live Periscope broadcast from a Samsung event and deceived the facial recognition system in live. He took a selfie on own phone and showed the resulting photo of the Galaxy S8. Oddly enough, this simple trick worked and the smartphone was unlocked.
However, Samsung flagships are equipped with several biometric systems: a fingerprint scanner, an iris recognition system and a facial recognition system. It would seem that fingerprint and iris scanners should be more reliable? Apparently not.
Chaos Computer Club (CCC) researchers report that they were able to fool an iris scanner using an ordinary photograph taken from a medium distance. Thus, well-known specialist Jan “Starbug” Krissler writes that it is enough to photograph the owner of the Galaxy S8 in such a way that his eyes are visible in the frame. Then you need to print the resulting photo and show it to the front camera of the device.
The only difficulty is that modern iris scanners (as well as facial recognition systems) can distinguish 2D images from a real human eye or face in 3D. But Starbug easily overcame this difficulty: he simply glued a contact lens over a photograph of the eye, and that was enough.
To achieve the best result, the specialist advises taking photos in night mode, as this will allow you to capture more details, especially if the victim’s eyes are dark. Chrissler also writes that it is better to print photos on Samsung laser printers (what an irony).
"Good digital camera with a 200mm lens it will be enough to capture an image suitable for fooling an iris recognition system from a distance of up to five meters,” summarizes Chrissler.
This attack may turn out to be much more dangerous than a banal deception of the facial recognition system, because if the latter cannot be used to confirm payments in Samsung Pay, then the iris of the eye can be used for this. Find high-quality photograph victims these days are clearly not difficult, and as a result, the attacker will be able not only to unlock the device and gain access to the user’s information, but also to steal funds from someone else’s Samsung Pay wallet.
Chaos Computer Club specialists warn users not to trust biometric systems protection beyond measure and recommend using good old PIN codes and graphic passwords.
The video below illustrates step by step all the stages of creating a fake “eye” and demonstrates the subsequent deception of the Samsung Galaxy S8.
Representatives of Samsung commented on the situation:
"The company is aware of this announcement. Samsung assures users that the iris recognition technology in the Galaxy S8 was developed and implemented after rigorous testing to ensure a high level of scanning accuracy and prevent unauthorized access attempts.
The method described in the material mentioned can only be implemented using complex technology and the coincidence of a number of circumstances. You need a high-resolution photograph of the retina taken with an IR camera, contact lenses and the smartphone itself. An internal investigation found that achieving results using this method was incredibly difficult.
However, even if there is a potential vulnerability, the company’s specialists will make every effort to ensure the security of users’ confidential and personal data as soon as possible.”
Not long ago a new Samsung flagship Galaxy Note 7. One of his key functions It became possible to unlock the device by scanning the iris of the eye.
What does the general scheme of iris scanning look like?
The iris of our eyes, like a fingerprint, has its own unique pattern. Therefore, it is a convenient means of authentication. Biometric civil passports, if you remember, record exactly this information, because unlike a fingerprint, it is not yet possible to fake an iris. Moreover, it does not change over time.
However, the scanner does not just take a photograph of your eye and then compare it with the original. In practice, the procedure begins with a directed infrared ray near spectrum. This light is much better for identification than daylight, because it is easier for the camera to capture the iris pattern illuminated by IR light. In addition, such a scanner can work in the dark. In this case, even people with poor vision can undergo the iris identification procedure, since the IR beam passes freely through transparent glasses and lenses. After the iris pattern is fixed, the algorithm translates the iris pattern into code, which is compared with the existing database.
Capturing an eye image - resulting image - identifying the iris and eyelid - selecting this area - removing the eyelid from the image - normalizing this area - transcoding - comparison with the database
What is special about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 scanner?
For the most part, the scanner of the new phablet from Samsung works according to the scheme described above, the curious detail is that on the front Galaxy panels Note 7 has a camera that deals exclusively with iris recognition. Why front camera can't perform this task? Because the camera must be sensitive to the IR spectrum. IN regular cameras IR light is filtered because it spoils regular photographs. In addition, the reading camera has a narrower viewing angle to better see the user's eye, especially at a distance.
How safe is it?
Some users have expressed concern that such a scanner in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 may be unsafe, in particular whether its frequent use will lead to permanent eye damage. Such questions are quite reasonable, because to scan, the smartphone sends a beam of light directly into your eye, and since this light is invisible to humans, the pupil does not try to protect itself from it, so the light hits the retina without encountering any obstacles.
In fact, we cannot be 100% sure that frequent use of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner will not have some effect on our eyes. If an optometrist is reading this article right now, we'd love to hear your expert opinion on this matter.
The company itself warns users that there is no need to hold the smartphone too close to your eyes during identification, if you follow this warning everything should be fine. However, since iris readings are not that common, mass testing and human-based results are not yet available. When they appear, it may be too late to warn anyone, or maybe vice versa - confirmation will come that the function is completely safe.
Is this the same as a retinal scanner?
If you are confused, let me clarify, scanning the iris and retina are similar processes, but differ in the basic principle. When scanning the retina, the algorithm does not read the retinal pattern, but the fundus image. But for everyday use, it is much easier to use an iris scanner, since to read the retina, the device must be brought close to the eye. In the case of a smartphone, this would look very stupid.
Why is this necessary?
Smartphones have had fingerprint readers for a long time; they are fast, reliable, secure and cheap enough to be installed even in Chinese smartphones less than $200. Why do we need iris scanners then? Mainly because they are several times more reliable and safe. The main argument is that we leave fingerprints on almost every surface we touch, which means it’s much easier to get a copy of the fingerprint. At the same time, wet and dirty fingers are often difficult for the device to recognize. It is extremely difficult to obtain a copy of the iris, and the inside of the eyes is never stained with dirt, so it is much easier for the owner to use authentication in any conditions. Although, in the movies they have long come up with a way to bypass this protection:
Does technology have a future?
I believe that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7's scanner will not make it a hit. Yes, this technology works and you can show it off to your friends, but for most, using a fingerprint scanner will be enough. However, it is possible that the new product will be appreciated primarily by the corporate segment, which needs to protect information on their smartphone better than others. For ordinary people, I think, it will be too lazy to bring the smartphone to a certain distance, while performing the necessary actions. But this does not mean that Samsung will not develop the technology or that it will suddenly not take off and even migrate to the iPhone. This serious toy has a chance.
Flagship samsung smartphone The Galaxy S8 received not only a fingerprint sensor, but also an iris scanner, which, according to company representatives, is a more reliable tool biometric identification owner. However, representatives of the German hacker community Chaos Computer Clubs (CCC) succeeded It is relatively easy to fool the scanner of a Samsung device.
As hackers found out, all you need to do is: digital photography eyes in night mode or by turning off the infrared filter on the camera. After some minor processing, which may include changing brightness and contrast, the photograph of the eye should be printed on laser printer(the authors of the study ironically note that they were able to achieve the best results using Samsung printers), and then place a regular contact lens on the pupil and show the photo to the smartphone scanner for unlocking.
“If you value the data on your smartphone or want to use it to make payments, then using a traditional PIN code is a more reliable approach than biometric authentication,” said CCC spokesman Dirk Engling, recalling that the Samsung Galaxy S8 iris scanner can be used to authorization in Samsung system Pay.
A short video demonstrating the effectiveness of the method of deceiving a smartphone scanner was published on YouTube.
Samsung later commented on the demonstrated method of bypassing the iris scanner. As stated in the company's message received by NEWSru.com, the described method can only be implemented using sophisticated technology and subject to the coincidence of a number of circumstances.
“You need a high-resolution photograph of the retina taken with an IR camera, contact lenses and the smartphone itself. During an internal investigation, it was found that it is incredibly difficult to achieve results using this method,” Samsung noted.
The company also said that the iris recognition technology in the Galaxy S8 was developed and implemented after rigorous testing to ensure a high level of scanning accuracy and prevent unauthorized access attempts, and promised to make every effort to ensure the safety of user data.
Let us recall that previously a group of computer security specialists from the University of Michigan had a simple way to hack the fingerprint scanner, which is equipped with many modern smartphones using a conventional inkjet printer.
Hackers have fooled the eye scanner in new Samsung phones. We managed to unlock the smartphone using a photograph. Will this damage the company's image?
Samsung has been plagued by setbacks lately: first phones started to catch fire, then washing machines exploded, and now scanners have become overly gullible. How much will the news hit the company?
“So far I don’t think that this can cause an outflow of users, throwing away pipes, and so on. But people, of course, will be wary of any possible transactions related to payment systems that involve spending money. Perhaps they will use other features, such as a PIN code. But in any case, companies are always in some kind of confrontation with hackers, with people who commit illegal actions. Some are fighting to create systems of protection, while others are fighting to create systems that unlock the protection. And in fact, this process is constant.”
In recent years the number in various ways smartphone unlocking is constantly growing. Except standard password, there is a fingerprint scanner, there is voice unlocking, face scanning, iris scanning. How safe are these technologies?
“If you delve into the principle of operation of such technologies, say, the retina or fingerprint, then it’s enough to remember how the phone offers us to do this. We place our finger on the phone several times, usually three times, and the phone averages this value and stores it in memory. It's the same with the retina of the eye. That is, this is not a 100 percent result, it is again an average result. Therefore, I am not surprised that hackers managed to hack such phones, since it is enough to pick up an average eye pattern or a fingerprint and hack it.”
According to the FBI, the agency manages to unblock almost half mobile devices suspects when the need arises. On the one hand, this means that more than half of the devices cannot even be unlocked by American intelligence agencies. On the other hand, no user of new technologies is 100% protected.
“Personal protection for unlocking your phone by any means is still, first of all, intended to protect your information from theft of your phone in the event of hooliganism. But if we are talking about serious intentions to obtain your information from a mobile gadget, I doubt that it will be obtained by unlocking your phone and directly taking this phone from you. It will be received, I’m sure, from the other side, from the Internet.”
The news about the vulnerability of the iris scanner is of particular relevance in Russia, where a few days ago it started working Android system Pay. Now the opportunity to pay for purchases using a phone is available to millions, if not tens of millions of Russians. Should we expect massive thefts of money from virtual cards? Well, if they can take a photo of you and steal your phone, they can also take a photo of the moment you enter your PIN code and steal it from you bank card. It's worth being careful, but there's no reason to panic.
Samsung commented on the situation:
“The company is aware of this message. Samsung assures users that the iris recognition technology in the Galaxy S8 was developed and implemented after rigorous testing to ensure a high level of scanning accuracy and prevent unauthorized access attempts. The method described in the material mentioned can only be implemented using complex technology and the coincidence of a number of circumstances. You need a high-resolution photograph of the retina taken with an IR camera, contact lenses and the smartphone itself. An internal investigation found that it was incredibly difficult to achieve results using this method.”
