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Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy Note 8 can now run Android 13, unofficially
An early build of LineageOS 20 based on Android 13 is now available for the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8, and the Galaxy Note 8. Read on!
Google officially announced the stable version of Android 13 last month and uploaded the source code to AOSP. Although Android's newest iteration is available to only a handful of devices so far, the aftermarket development community is already hard at work releasing custom ROMs for older smartphones. Over the last few weeks, a bunch of phones have received custom ROMs based on Android 13. The venerable Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S8, and the Galaxy Note 8 are the latest to join the Android 13 custom ROM party.
Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 can now run Android 11, unofficially
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 have received an unofficial port of Android 11, courtesy of the Project Sakura custom ROM. Read on!
Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S and Note lineup are usually offered in two different processor variants around the world. While devices in the US, Canada, China, etc. receive the Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, most other regions receive devices with an Exynos chip. The bootloader unlocking situation on the Snapdragon-powered models is somewhat complicated, thus the custom ROM development for the Galaxy devices is normally centered around the Exynos variants. This is exactly what happened with Samsung's 2017 flagships. If you own an Exynos Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, or Galaxy Note 8 and have been itching to try out a closer-to-stock version of Android 11, well, you now can.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 security updates dropped from monthly to quarterly release schedule
The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has been dropped from a montly security update schedule to a low-priority quarterly release schedule.
Earlier this year in May, Samsung dropped the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ to a quarterly security update schedule in order to accommodate newer devices in the monthly update schedule. Now, according to a recent SamMobile report, Samsung is doing the same for its other flagship from 2017 — the Galaxy Note 8.
Many Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8 users are reporting GPS tracking issues
Many owners of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 are reporting GPS tracking issues, unable to get a location fix Google Maps.
Many Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 owners are reportedly experiencing GPS tracking issues, and these complaints have been bubbling for the past several months.
Unofficial LineageOS 17.1 brings Android 10 to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8
Unofficial ports of LineageOS 17.1 are now availble for the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8, courtesy of XDA Recognized Member Stricted.
Samsung has been busy rolling out Android 10 updates to its flagship devices for the past few months now. The Galaxy 10 series was the first to receive the One UI 2.0 beta based on Android 10 in November last year while the Galaxy S9/ S9+ received their stable Android 10 update just yesterday. As for the Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8, however, Samsung doesn’t appear to have any update planned. In fact, none of these devices are on the list of Samsung’s One UI 2.0 update schedule. This should hardly come as a surprise though, given all three devices are well past their standard 2-year software support window and have already received two major Android version updates during their run. So unless Samsung has any surprise planned, we are unlikely to see an official Android 10 update for the Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8. But what if we tell you, you can still try out Android 10 on your device?
Sprint is fixing Samsung Galaxy phone screens for $49 regardless of carrier
The thing that everyone with a smartphone fears is the dreaded cracked screen. Sprint is offering a great deal on screen repairs for Samsung Galaxy phones.
The one thing that everyone with a smartphone fears is the dreaded cracked screen. If you've used smartphones for a while, there's a very good chance it has happened to you. While it is technically possible to repair a cracked screen on your own or have someone else do it, most people don't. One of the big reasons for that is cost, but Sprint is fixing that for several recent Samsung Galaxy models.
Some Samsung Galaxy flagships now support wireless Android Auto
According to a Google support page for Android Auto, a bunch of Samsung Galaxy phones can now take advantage of Wireless Android Auto. Read on!
Google announced Android Auto Wireless at CES last year. At the time, the functionality was restricted to Google Pixel and Nexus devices only. Although Google had promised to eventually extend the feature to all devices running Android Pie and above, it didn't make it past the Google devices for more than a year. We saw the first sign of Google enabling Android Auto Wireless for non-Pixel devices back in August. Now, we have an official confirmation about some new devices that can take advantage of Android Auto Wireless.
ASUS ZenFone 6, Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e, Moto G7, and more are now supported by TWRP
TWRP for the ASUS ZenFone 6, Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e, Motorola Moto G7, and more has been officially released. Check out the others here!
The ASUS ZenFone 6, Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e, Motorola Moto G7, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (Snapdragon), and BQ Aquarius M10 4G all have one thing in common - and that's official TWRP support! If you have one of those devices listed above with an unlocked bootloader, you can finally flash an official build of TWRP, which means both support and updates. Official versions also have all advertised features working, usually without a hitch. You can check out each of the links in the table below to download for your device.
Microsoft's screen mirroring feature now supports the OnePlus 6/6T, Samsung Galaxy S10, and Galaxy Note 8/9
With the latest Microsoft Windows 10 Insider build, you can use screen mirroring feature on OnePlus 6/6T, Samsung Galaxy S10, and Galaxy Note 8/9.
Ever since Microsoft's dreams to a smartphone ecosystem parallel to Android and iOS were crushed under the competition, it has been fervently devoting its creative energy in support of the other two operating systems. The catalog of Microsoft's apps for Android is much more diverse and includes the Microsoft Launcher, which brings all the data related to your Microsoft account to the forefront and lets you exchange files and links directly between the PC and the smartphone.
Custom themes are once again possible on One UI devices like the Samsung Galaxy S10
Custom themes are possible again using Custom OneUI Theme Installer. The methods include replacing a free theme from the theme store or root access.
When Samsung released the Galaxy S10, it came with a nasty surprise. Samsung finally merged the Android changes in Android Pie that blocked rootless custom themes. This change was present on the Galaxy S10 series at launch and was included in updates for older devices like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8. This blocked the most popular apps like substratum and Swift installer. For a while, there was absolutely no way to install themes which weren't on the Samsung theme store. Now, custom themes are possible using Custom OneUI Theme Installer. The methods for using this are replacing a free theme from the theme store or root access.
Linux on DeX now supports the Galaxy S9, Galaxy Tab S5e, and Galaxy Note 8, and hints at upcoming Galaxy Tab S5 support
Linux on DeX got updated to officially support the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Tab S5e, but it also adds Galaxy Note 8 support and hints at Galaxy Tab S5 support.
Samsung DeX turns flagship Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets into portable PCs. In its first iteration, released alongside the Galaxy S8, DeX required dedicated hardware in the form of the DeX Station. With the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Tab S4, DeX no longer required a special dock and instead worked with supported USB Type-C to HDMI dongles. (Dockless DeX later made its way over to the Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note 8, and Galaxy S8 with the One UI/Android Pie update.) Samsung has done a good job improving DeX on supported devices, but one of Samsung DeX's best features—Linux on DeX—was only officially supported on the Galaxy Note 9 and Galaxy Tab S4. Now, the latest Linux on DeX beta update officially adds support for the Galaxy S9/S9+, Galaxy S10/S10+/S10e/S10 5G, and Galaxy Tab S5e.
Samsung has now rolled out stable One UI with Android Pie to the Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8 on all major US carriers and unlocked models
One UI based on Android Pie for the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8 is rolling out on all major US carriers and unlocked models now.
One UI is the newest version of Samsung Experience, the company's own take on the Android mobile operating system. It has a huge amount of changes that focus on creating a great user experience for those using bezel-less devices. All of the non-interactable UI elements like headers and other text are relegated to the top of the display, while functional aspects are lower and easier to reach. This type of layout accommodates one-handed usage so that users don't feel that bigger displays are harder to use. An update to One UI also means an update to Android Pie. We saw the company roll out a beta for unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 devices in the US, but now it's rolling out for devices on the stable channel too on all major US carriers.
Unofficial LineageOS 16 is now available for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note 8
You can now download the unofficial build of the latest LineageOS 16 ROM for the Exynos variants of the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8
LineageOS can easily be titled the holy grail of Custom ROMs. As one of the most sought-after software experiences on a smartphone, LineageOS has many takers. Since the release the latest version i.e. LineageOS 16 based on Android 9 Pie, the custom ROM has been made available on a long list of devices - both old and new. And for those that haven't, there's the unofficial version of LineageOS 16 is available. A month ago, unofficial Lineage OS 15.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo was made available on the Exynos variants of Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and the Galaxy Note 8, and now this is being updated to the latest version.
"Complete One UI Project" is a Substratum overlay pack to fix annoyances in Samsung's Android Pie software
Complete One UI Project fixes many of Samsung One UI's smaller annoynaces, making it more consistently dark and better for one handed use. Read on!
Samsung's One UI brings together several refinements, as well as Android Pie, to the custom UX present on Samsung devices. As a successor to Touchwiz and Samsung Experience, One UI brought features like improved usage with one-hand, a system wide dark theme and more, most of which we largely appreciated in our review for the same. But despite best efforts, software experiences still have room to improve, especially considering the fact that experiences center around subjective opinion.
Samsung Good Lock gets updated to support Galaxy devices running One UI
Samsung said they would be updating Good Lock for One UI just in time for the launch of the Galaxy S10 family. Today, Samsung released that update.
Samsung’s Good Lock was first released in 2016 and it allowed users to tweak how TouchWiz looked on Android Marshmallow. With Android Oreo, Samsung brought Good Lock back with a whole lot more features. Last week, Samsung posted on their official forums that they would be updating Good Lock for One UI just in time for the launch of the Galaxy S10 family. Today, Samsung released that update.
Latest Tasker beta makes it easy to remap the Bixby button to anything
The developer of Tasker has made it even easier to remap the Bixby button to just about anything you could want in the latest beta.
The enthusiast community has had a love/hate relationship with the dedicated Bixby button on the recent Samsung devices. Some like it as Bixby can actually do things that Google Assistant cannot (since it's baked deeper into One UI) but there's been an issue for those who want to use the button for something else. Many chose to use apps including bxActions or Tasker to get the job done. But with the release of the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, and the Galaxy S10e they finally started to allow it. Sadly, it could not be remapped to the Google Assistant (or any other virtual assistant).
How to remap Bixby to Google Assistant on the Samsung Galaxy S10, Note 9, and other One UI devices
Samsung released an update with Bixby button remapping, but they decided to block Google Assistant. Luckily, we have an easy fix for that.
At Samsung Unpacked, Samsung announced their new Samsung Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Fold. After the press discovered a new option in Bixby, Samsung confirmed that the button would be natively remappable. With an update released to the Bixby app on older One UI devices today, this is finally possible. However, it wasn't all good news. Samsung is limiting the apps you can launch with the button. That means the Bixby button can't natively launch Google Assistant, but we have a solution.
Unofficial LineageOS 15.1 is now available for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8
An unofficial build of LineageOS 15.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo is now available for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8.
While most of the world can easily buy an Exynos version of Samsung devices, those of us in the United States and Canada have to find a reseller. Many people prefer the Exynos version of Samsung's flagship smartphones because of how easy they allow the bootloader to be unlocked. This is normally where enthusiasts install TWRP and begin modding their device. Whether this means installing a custom ROM, kernel, gaining root access or more, having a device with an unlocked bootloader just makes most of this stuff easier. Those who have been wanting to try LineageOS 15.1 on their Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, or Samsung Galaxy Note 8 can now do so with an unofficial build from XDA Members Stricted and ivan_meler.
[Update: Rolling out] Samsung Galaxy S9, Note 9, and other One UI devices will get Bixby remapping in an update
Samsung will soon allow remapping of the Bixby button on Galaxy S9/S9+, Note 9, Galaxy S8/S8+, Note 8 running on Android 9 Pie-based One UI.
Samsung smartphones radiate its ingenuity and expertise in the area of hardware. While the same is not 100% true for its software, Samsung has been taking feedback from the consumers and has improved its software experience significantly with the new Android 9 Pie-based One UI. The company also appears to have heard some feedback about its smart assistant Bixby and the unbidden Bixby button on its flagships, which is why the newly launched Galaxy S10 comes with the ease of remapping the button to launch any other app.
How to get Samsung Digital Wellbeing and Bixby Routines on any rooted One UI phone
The Samsung Galaxy S10 comes with One UI 1.1, adding Digital Wellbeing and Bixby routines. Here's how to get them on any rooted Samsung One UI device.
A few days back, Samsung announced the Galaxy S10 family. The Galaxy S10 will be one of the most important flagship smartphones of the year. Along with new hardware features like the ultrasonic under-display fingerprint scanner, the Galaxy S10 came with some new software features like Bixby Routines and Samsung's own version of Digital Wellbeing. Thanks to RydahTheMod from the SamCentral Discord server, we got the APKs that enable the new feature. However, you can't simply sideload these APKs on any Samsung device due to restrictions in One UI. Thanks to developer Skittles from the Lawnchair team for making a Magisk module that will let any rooted Samsung device running One UI—Exynos Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9/S9+, and Galaxy Note 9—try out some of the Galaxy S10's new software features right now.