Issues
Your Samsung Galaxy may have lost access to Smart Lock feature
Samsung Galaxy devices equip Android’s Smart Lock feature, which gives you control over when and where you have to unlock your device. Recently, it was noticed that some Samsung phones have lost access to the Smart Lock feature, which acknowledged by a staff member too.
According to complaints, the Smart Lock interface still exists on Samsung Galaxy devices but the available options are no longer listed. This issue is frustrating consumers who are now required to unlock their phones with PIN, passwords, or biometrics/face unlock.
Android’s Smart Lock feature lets users keep their smartphone/tablet while it’s on them, add locations where their device stays unlocked, and add Bluetooth devices that will keep their device unlocked while they’re connected. It ends the need to manually unlock the device at trusted places or networks.
There’s no need to worry about security and privacy against spying eyes as it can only be enabled after the setup of a lock screen with a PIN/password. Usually, there are three tools in Galaxy devices, offered by Android’s Smart Lock feature including:
- On-body detection
- Trusted places
- Trusted devices
Since trio settings are no longer accessible, a Samsung support staff revealed that the feature is provided and maintained by Google and requires verification. The moderator accepted that this issue is not limited, and the company has forwarded reports to Google.
Hopefully, Google will bring back the invisible options of Smart Lock’s tools to affected Samsung devices as early as possible. Meanwhile, you can perform some steps that might fix the issue on your device: Settings > Apps > Google Play Services > Storage > Manage storage > Clear all data > Reboot.
Samsung Galaxy S21 series comes with a unique design, stunning processor, and powerful camera setup onboard. Besides, some issues have also arisen over time, leading to consumers’ disappointment. In a recent development, a Samsung Galaxy S21 user reported a camera jittering/shaking problem.
Samsung Galaxy S21 camera shaking/jittering
According to a Samsung customer having Galaxy S21 (powered by Snapdragon 888), the camera shaking/jittering from left to right when they record videos. The situation becomes worse when they switch the camera zoom between 2x and 3x.
It’s worth mentioning that the camera problem only exists in all shooting modes except for the 8k (sample). As shown in the video, the consumer reported the shaking problem in UHD @ 60fps, UHD @ 30fps, FHD @ Auto frame rates and FHD @ 60fps.
Here’s what Samsung responded
Samsung Community moderator admitted the camera shaking problem exists in the Galaxy S21 phone, seeing the video samples shared by the consumer. The in-charge office said that there are many things that can cause this to happen, as well as shared troubleshooting steps.
Turn off Tracking auto-focus
- Open the Camera app and tap the Settings icon. Tap the switch next to Tracking auto-focus to turn it off.
- If the camera still isn’t focusing, you should try resetting the camera to its default settings. Tap the Settings gear, and then swipe to and tap Reset settings.
More solutions
- Perform a software update can resolve issues and problems with apps, including your camera.
- Try using Safe Mode to figure out if recently installed apps are causing an issue with your camera’s focus.
How to enter Safe Mode
Press and hold the Power key and Side key. On phones without a dedicated Power key, you can swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick settings, and then tap the Power icon. Touch and hold the Power off icon, and then tap Safe mode when it appears.
Your phone will restart and “Safe mode” will be displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen. Check your camera’s focus and remove any recently installed apps if needed. In order to exit the Safe Mode, restart your Samsung Galaxy phone.
Samsung is continuously improving the camera capabilities of its latest flagship lineup. Now, tipster claimed that the next Samsung update will fix the HDR vignetting issue of the Galaxy S23 series.
According to @UniverseIce, Samsung developers are working on camera improvements for the Galaxy S23 smartphones, which also includes a fix for the HDR issue. As the May 2023 patch began to rollout, all eyes are on the next OTA, which could solve the vignetting problem.
After analyzing the error log shared by the user, in the reply, a Samsung executive explained that “the problem occurs due to a mix of negative EV input frames containing the same contour pattern, and applying LTM after HDR output will make the problem worse.”
Earlier, the same source shared an image so users can better understand what’s the HDR-related problem on the Galaxy S23 camera. When captured in certain scenarios, the photos taken by Galaxy S23/+/Ultra get affected by HDR problems, which can be seen at the edges of the subject.
In order to fix the issue, the South Korean tech giant is reportedly working on optimization of the exposure value (EV) frame and local tone-mapping (LTM). As the May patch is available in select markets, we may see the camera SW in South Korea and China.
April 2023 Update Changelog
New Feature/Function
- A function has been added to the gallery so that you can immediately delete photos that are being processed immediately after taking them with the camera.
Changes
- For faster photo taking, the AF concept has been changed so that when the user presses the shooting button, the user can take a photo even when the focus is not completely set. However, if you want to shoot after completing Focus as before, please change the settings in the latest Camera Assistant.
- Camera Assistant > Prioritize focus over speed (focus priority) On
Bug/Issue Fixes
- Fixed an issue where a green line was displayed on the left side intermittently when shooting in the rear photo mode.
- Fixed a malfunction when shooting after Night Off in low light after selecting Shooting Speed > High Resolution > Speed Priority in Camera Assistant.
- Camera Assistant > Shooting Speed > High Resolution > Speed Priority, then Camera > Night Off or Scene Optimizer Off
- Fixed an issue where face recognition could not be recognized intermittently after ending a 3rd party video call.
Improvements
- Improved sharpness/flicker and added notice when shooting Ultrawide in low light indoors after setting Camera Video Mode > Super Steady On.
- “To take a good Super Steady photo, I need more light.”
- Improved image stabilization when shooting with FHD60 after setting Auto FPS Off in rear video.
- Improved line-shaped banding noise in the sky in mid-low light when shooting high-pixel in low-mid light.
- Improved stability for camera movements introduced through other routes.
Optimization
- Optimized overall sharpness for high-pixel shooting and improved intermittent blurring through OIS stabilization.
Samsung shared Galaxy S23’s One UI 5.1 firmware with several Galaxy devices upgraded to the Android 13 OS. Unsurprisingly, the One UI 5.1 comes with a number of new features, however, the Samsung Keyboard app has become the culprit behind Galaxy battery draining.
According to Samsung community moderator in Thailand, the Samsung Keyboard app has increased the battery usage on Galaxy devices upgraded to One UI 5.1, which occurring abnormal battery draining problems. And notably, the company has already solved the problem and given way to fix yours too.
The mod. revealed that the Samsung Keyboard app’s latest version includes under-the-hood improvements in order to reduce battery usage. It’s worth mentioning that the newly added stickers and emojis functions have increased the battery consumption of the application.
The company has not removed suspected features causing battery drain but provided a fix. This would make things better so Galaxy users can have a long-lasting battery life as they were having before. Now, you just need to update your phone’s Samsung Keyboard app to version 5.6.10.31 or later via Galaxy Store.
You can also get the APK file to sideload on your phone but it’s not recommended. As the application is already causing battery problems, you should prevent any kind of additional/unofficial activity. FYI, the mod said that all Galaxy models running One UI 5.1 are affected by battery drain due to the Keyboard app.
If you have updated your Samsung phone’s native Keyboard app to the latest or above-mentioned version and the battery-draining problem remains persistent, you should try clearing the app’s cache and data. Also, we suggest you share feedback with Samsung using the Members app.