Samsung buries plenty inside One UI, and much of it stays untouched. You finish the initial setup, handle the basics, and assume everything else is fine as it is. Then you stumble into a menu you’ve scrolled past dozens of times and realize your phone already had a fix for something that’s been quietly annoying you.

That happened to me recently. I wasn’t troubleshooting a problem or following a guide — I just went deep into Settings to find features that were off by default or tucked behind a toggle I’d never thought to check. A few of them have changed how I use my phone every day, and I wish I’d found them sooner.

Restore the unified quick settings panel

Bring back the old notification shade

When One UI 7 rolled out, Samsung changed how the notification shade works. It was split into two panels, so swiping down from the left shows notifications, and swiping from the right opens quick settings. If that feels familiar, it’s because that’s exactly how iPhones have done it for years, and many longtime Samsung users weren’t happy about it.

The frustrating part is that Samsung made this the default with almost no explanation. Most people assumed this was just how things worked now and moved on. But the old layout is still there. Swipe down to open the quick settings panel, tap the pencil icon, select Panel settings, and switch it to Together. That brings back the combined view where notifications and toggles live on the same screen, exactly how it used to be.

Switch to a vertical app drawer

Stop swiping through pages of apps

Another useful One UI change is the app drawer layout. For years, Samsung used horizontal pages, so you had to swipe sideways through app screens. That works if you carefully arrange everything yourself, but once you have dozens of apps installed, finding one can mean using search or flicking through page after page.

The vertical app drawer fixes that. Instead of pages, you get one continuous A-to-Z list. When you scroll, a set of dots appears on the right side, and dragging on them brings up an alphabet rail that lets you jump straight to any letter.

However, the catch is that Samsung tied the layout to your sorting method, so if your apps are set to Custom order, you’re still getting the old horizontal pages. To switch, swipe up to open the app drawer, tap the three-dot menu, select Sort, and choose Alphabetical order.

Control volume separately for each app

Give every app its own slider

Samsung gives you a single media volume slider for everything, so every app competes for the same level. A game with loud sound effects and a podcast playing in the background can leave you constantly reaching for the volume buttons whenever you switch apps.

There’s a fix, but it isn’t in the regular Settings app. Install Samsung’s free Good Lock app from the Galaxy Store, open the Life up tab, and download Sound Assistant.

Inside that, tap Individual app volumes, hit the plus button, and add the apps you want to control separately. From there, you can set a different volume level for each one — keeping a game at 20%, a podcast at full volume, and your ringtone untouched.

Unlock hidden notification categories

Mute what you want, keep the rest

When an app sends too many notifications, most people either mute the whole app or just live with it. Samsung actually offers a middle ground, but it’s turned off by default: you can pick exactly which types of notifications each app is allowed to send.

Suppose WhatsApp is buzzing you throughout the day. Instead of muting the whole app, this setting lets you see each notification type separately. So you keep message alerts on, silence group notifications, turn off call notifications, and leave everything else as it is. The same goes for any app on your phone.

To turn it on, go to Settings -> Notifications -> Advanced settings, and enable Manage notification categories for each app. Then return to Settings -> Notifications -> App notifications, tap any app, and select Notification categories. You’ll see each type listed with its own toggle. For a quicker shortcut, long-press an app icon, tap the info (i) button, then go to Notifications -> Notification categories.

Set a charge limit to save your battery

Let your battery breathe a little

This last setting isn’t about changing how your phone looks or feels to use. It’s about helping the battery age more gracefully. Keeping a lithium-ion battery at 100% for long periods can wear it down over time, especially if the phone is charging overnight. Samsung has a built-in setting that limits charging, but it’s off by default.

Go to Settings -> Battery -> Battery protection. Once you switch it on, you get two modes. Basic stops charging once the battery reaches 100% and waits until it drops to 95% before charging again. It also learns your sleep schedule and holds off on that final push to full until just before you wake up. Maximum lets you choose a charge limit at 80%, 85%, 90%, or 95%, and the phone won’t charge beyond it.

I’d use Maximum at 80% or 85% on days when I’m near a charger, then switch back to a higher limit when I know I’ll need the extra battery life. It’s a small trade-off, especially if you plan to keep your phone for several years.

Keep exploring your settings

If you’ve made it this far, spend a few minutes browsing the rest of your settings. Good Lock has plenty of modules beyond Sound Assistant, and the Accessibility menu is worth a look for tools that can make everyday use easier. Samsung doesn’t always highlight its most useful options, but they’re often worth finding.

OS

Android

Developer

Good Lock Labs

Price model

Free

Good Lock is a powerful customization suite for Samsung Galaxy devices, offering a collection of modules and plugins that let you personalize almost every aspect of your phone. With Good Lock, you can tweak the lock screen, home screen, navigation bar, keyboard, notifications, and more to match your style and workflow.