Few questions from a former iPhone User

[jessica_lynn9474]

Hello everyone - I recently just switched from using an iPhone 4s for a few years and I have to say that I'm loving everything about the Samsung Galaxy S4. First few days was a bit of an adjustment but now that I'm learning it a bit better it's fantastic!!

Just a few questions/concerns:

1. When I'm on a call I notice that the volume will sometimes lower on its own. Is that normal? If not, is there a way to stop this from happening?

2. A couple of the camera features such as panorama, sport, best face, eraser, animated and rich tone/HDR were not an option on the phone at first, however, when I reached out to Verizon they instructed me to hold down the shutter button for two seconds and the features automatically appeared. Later in the day I noticed they were gone again so I tried the same thing by holding the shutter button down for two seconds and they reappeared again. Does that sound normal?

3. Is there a way to stop applications that I'm not using from running in the background all at once?

4. Should I have anti-virus software on the phone such as AVG?

Again, just a newbie to Android from iPhone and I'm loving it so far!! Just wondering on the above. Any input is greatly appreciated!!

 

[GB333]

1. No, that is not normal. Any chance you are accidentally pressing the volume rocker switch on the side of the phone? Other than that, I can't think of any reason that would be happening.
2. When you turn on the camera, what do you see? Do you not have a "mode" button right next to the shutter button? that is what turns on/off those options that you are writing about. When I turn on the camera I see the shutter button in the center, bottom of the screen with the mode button on the left and the video camera toggle on the right. What do you see?
3. If you hold down the home button and then select "task manager", you can see what is running and shut it down. I use an app called "Advanced Task Killer" for this, as well.
4. I don't, but I'm not an Android expert so I'll let someone with more Android knowledge answer this one!

Hope that helps a little! the beauty of Andriod is that there are usually multiple ways to accomplish whatever you want to do - so I'm sure others will have some different answers for you, as well. =)

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

Hello everyone - I recently just switched from using an iPhone 4s for a few years and I have to say that I'm loving everything about the Samsung Galaxy S4. First few days was a bit of an adjustment but now that I'm learning it a bit better it's fantastic!!

Just a few questions/concerns:

1. When I'm on a call I notice that the volume will sometimes lower on its own. Is that normal? If not, is there a way to stop this from happening?
That doesn't sound normal...is there any chance you're accidentally hitting the VOL- button while on the call?

2. A couple of the camera features such as panorama, sport, best face, eraser, animated and rich tone/HDR were not an option on the phone at first, however, when I reached out to Verizon they instructed me to hold down the shutter button for two seconds and the features automatically appeared. Later in the day I noticed they were gone again so I tried the same thing by holding the shutter button down for two seconds and they reappeared again. Does that sound normal?
OK...this one sounds strange too...I just hit the "mode" button? Is this with the stock camera app?

3. Is there a way to stop applications that I'm not using from running in the background all at once?
To be honest, you really shouldn't have to. Android does a pretty good job of application management on it's own. Stopping apps can sometimes actually consume more power because it takes more to start them back up again. Still, if you must, hold down the HOME key for 2 seconds then click on "Task Manager". My advice? If you're phone is feeling "sluggish" or you think an app has gone rouge, just reboot it.

4. Should I have anti-virus software on the phone such as AVG?
If you only install apps from Google Play *and* you stick with well-known, trusted developers, then no, you probably don't really need it. It's completely up to you, and if it makes you feel safer go ahead and do it. Also, if you tend to be more "adventurous" when it comes to trying apps or side-load apps from outside sources, your risks of getting malware will always be greater -- ON ANY PLATFORM -- but always be aware anti-virus software is never guaranteed to catch everything, and there's no excuse for excising some common sense when downloading and installing apps.

Again, just a newbie to Android from iPhone and I'm loving it so far!! Just wondering on the above. Any input is greatly appreciated!!

 

[moblgrl]

Hi Jessica. In settings/phone there is a noise reduction toggle. Try turning that on/off to see if that helps with your first question.

via Tapatalk on my GS4

 

[jessica_lynn9474]

Hello and thanks for the responses.

Yes, I'm hitting the mode button next to the shutter button to access the camera apps. They were there yesterday again, however, this morning when I hit the mode button those specific ones (panorama, sport, best face, eraser, animated and rich tone/HDR) are not there. The other options are there. Those specific ones are the ones that keep disappearing. This is so bizarre to me. I know that I can get them back if I hold the shutter button down for two seconds but they keep disappearing.

I don't know where to start as far as getting this issue repaired? I know that it's not the worst thing that can happen but this concerns me that I may have a phone that may be defective and may need to be replaced because of possible upcoming issues. If this weird type of thing is happening already. Just concerned.

Any tips?

I turned off the noise reduction feature to see if that helps with the volume issue.

Thanks again!

P.S. This may sound like a silly question but what is the stock camera app?

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

Hello and thanks for the responses.

Yes, I'm hitting the mode button next to the shutter button to access the camera apps. They were there yesterday again, however, this morning when I hit the mode button those specific ones (panorama, sport, best face, eraser, animated and rich tone/HDR) are not there. The other options are there. Those specific ones are the ones that keep disappearing. This is so bizarre to me. I know that I can get them back if I hold the shutter button down for two seconds but they keep disappearing.

I don't know where to start as far as getting this issue repaired? I know that it's not the worst thing that can happen but this concerns me that I may have a phone that may be defective and may need to be replaced because of possible upcoming issues. If this weird type of thing is happening already. Just concerned.

Any tips?

I turned off the noise reduction feature to see if that helps with the volume issue.

Thanks again!

P.S. This may sound like a silly question but what is the stock camera app?

What's even stranger is that if I hold the shutter button down for 2 seconds, all that happens is my device takes a picture...

That's strange, but I doubt it's hardware related -- and the fact that Verizon CS rep knew how to tell you how to fix it, leads me to believe it's probably a known issue (and probably software related). Maybe some units shipped with a different camera app? Not sure, but I bet it get fixed with the next update if that's the case.

By "stock" camera app, I just mean the camera app that ships with the phone, and not a 3rd party camera app from the Play Store like Instagram or something like that...

 

[jessica_lynn9474]

I know it's so strange.

The Verizon rep had never heard of this before. She thought very strange also. I didn't look much further into it because the missing features appeared when I did what was instructed not knowing that they'd disappear again.

So what do you all recommend I do?

Also, this is a silly request but is there a way to change the generic contact image to an image that is not a cartoon'ish looking boy? I don't have personal photos to add for all of my contacts but I really just wish that the generic contact image looked different. I guess that may be a girl thing, lol.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I know it's so strange.

The Verizon rep had never heard of this before. She thought very strange also. I didn't look much further into it because the missing features appeared when I did what was instructed not knowing that they'd disappear again.

So what do you all recommend I do?

Also, this is a silly request but is there a way to change the generic contact image to an image that is not a cartoon'ish looking boy? I don't have personal photos to add for all of my contacts but I really just wish that the generic contact image looked different. I guess that may be a girl thing, lol.

If the camera thing really bugs you, you could probably ask for an exchange...I probably wouldn't, but only because I rarely use those features and you've discovered a work-around way to get them back if you need them...but that's up to you really.

Regarding the contact default image...I agree with you, it's a strange image (that's a Samsung thing, that's not the default Android contact image). I don't know of any way to change it, and even if you can, it's highly likely you'd need to be rooted to do it.

 

[jessica_lynn9474]

Ok, that is something that I will think about.

I've read about rooting a few times on this site. What is that exactly?

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

Ok, that is something that I will think about.

I've read about rooting a few times on this site. What is that exactly?

Bascially, it's similar to "jail-breaking" an iPhone...though definitely not *exactly* the same. What "rooting" does is give you access to the system files, and the ability to modify them. It's like using the "Administrator" account in Windows. On some Android phones, rooting is easy, on others, it can be very difficult. (The S4 is pretty easy, actually).

Once you have root you can:
- Remove system-installed apps (i.e. bloatware) that couldn't normally remove
- Backup/Restore apps and data from the system
- Change certain settings within the system that are otherwise locked
- Install apps that require root access
- And more!

So, for example, that default image for contacts is probably saved in a system directory somewhere, which a standard user doesn't have access to...but if you had "root" access, you could go in and change the default image to something else.

That's just a short list, and usually with rooting comes unlocking the bootloader and installing custom Recovery partitions, so that you can install ROMs (custom firmware). If most of this sound over your head, then don't worry...it's probably not for you.

 

[Averix]

Ok, that is something that I will think about.
I've read about rooting a few times on this site. What is that exactly?

No offense Jessica, but at this early stage of your Android experience, I think you should stay clear of rooting. It can kill your phone if you don't fully understand what you're doing.
Any chance you could do a screen shot of your phone when the mode button isn't there or isn't showing the options correctly? This seems really odd. Screen shots are done by dragging the side of your hand across the screen from one side to the other quickly. The function does need to be turned on under the gestures settings.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

No offense Jessica, but at this early stage of your Android experience, I think you should stay clear of rooting. It can kill your phone if you don't fully understand what you're doing.
Any chance you could do a screen shot of your phone when the mode button isn't there or isn't showing the options correctly? This seems really odd. Screen shots are done by dragging the side of your hand across the screen from one side to the other quickly. The function does need to be turned on under the gestures settings.

You can also take a screenshot by long-pressing the power and home buttons at the same time...

Oh, and I agree. Rooting isn't something to just "jump into"...if you're remotely interested though, there's plenty of material here and other sites to read up on it (which I always suggest doing before attempting to root).

 

[Averix]

You can also take a screenshot by long-pressing the power and home buttons at the same time...
Oh, and I agree. Rooting isn't something to just "jump into"...if you're remotely interested though, there's plenty of material here and other sites to read up on it (which I always suggest doing before attempting to root).

I didn't realize they had put the standard screen shot method back in. It was missing from the S3. That actually lets me turn off the gestures entirely!

 

[GB333]

Yes, I'm hitting the mode button next to the shutter button to access the camera apps. They were there yesterday again, however, this morning when I hit the mode button those specific ones (panorama, sport, best face, eraser, animated and rich tone/HDR) are not there. The other options are there. Those specific ones are the ones that keep disappearing. This is so bizarre to me. I know that I can get them back if I hold the shutter button down for two seconds but they keep disappearing.

Just random thoughts - but is your battery fully charged? Could your phone be disabling these features due to a low battery? (My old HTC phone disabled the flash when my battery was too low...)

What about other camera settings - are you using the forward facing camera vs the rear facing camera? (I haven't checked, but it could be some features won't work with the forward facing camera). Also, do you have anything else turned on that might disable the other options - like that picture in a picture thing, or the "burst shot" or something? Click the little sprocket on the right side, and then when that menu drops down click the sprocket again that is now at the top of the menu. Check in there and make sure all of those fancy things are turned off.

 

[GB333]

I googled it - another forum said "try clearing cache and data for the camera app" and the OP said it worked. Try that.

 

[GB333]

Also - apparently some of these go away if your phone is in "starter" mode. Go to settings, my device, home screen mode and put the device in standard mode and see if that does it.

 

[jessica_lynn9474]

Just random thoughts - but is your battery fully charged? Could your phone be disabling these features due to a low battery? (My old HTC phone disabled the flash when my battery was too low...)

What about other camera settings - are you using the forward facing camera vs the rear facing camera? (I haven't checked, but it could be some features won't work with the forward facing camera). Also, do you have anything else turned on that might disable the other options - like that picture in a picture thing, or the "burst shot" or something? Click the little sprocket on the right side, and then when that menu drops down click the sprocket again that is now at the top of the menu. Check in there and make sure all of those fancy things are turned off.

GB333 you hit the nail on the head with this one!! You are correct in that not all of the features work for the "selfies" shots. I'm so happy you helped me figure that out.

This forum really does rock! Thanks again!

 

[GB333]

Woo hoo!! Glad I could help.

 

[paintdrinkingpete]

I didn't realize they had put the standard screen shot method back in. It was missing from the S3. That actually lets me turn off the gestures entirely!

I actually wasn't missing...it just didn't work on a lot of them, including my old S3. My sister and brother-in-law are both able to take screenshots using that method with their S3's...go figure.