How do you use your Edge Panel?

[queenren]

You are talking about People Edge. I wasn't talking about that. Also, to use that feature, you have to turn the phone upside down or it won't work at all. I could never ever get used to turning my phone upside down to use the features.

You don't have to turn the phone upside down for that. You only turn the phone upside down for telephone calls if you want the edge to light up when someone rings your phone. If someone sends you a text, whenever your screen is on, you will see a bar of color on the edge of the phone at the location that corresponds to one of your 5 contacts on the People Edge panel.

When you slide that color bar to the left, you can see the text message (or part of it depending on how long it is) and an option to respond or call the contact.

 

[anon(5719825)]

You don't have to turn the phone upside down for that. You only turn the phone upside down for telephone calls if you want the edge to light up when someone rings your phone. If someone sends you a text, whenever your screen is on, you will see a bar of color on the edge of the phone at the location that corresponds to one of your 5 contacts on the People Edge panel.

When you slide that color bar to the left, you can see the text message (or part of it depending on how long it is) and an option to respond or call the contact.

That is not the same way that I am talking about on the Note Edge. Everything works different on the Note Edge than on the S7 Edge.

 

[the game 161]

Not if you have the phone laying on a nightstand next to your bed. Then you can see the edge clock without having to pick up your phone.

Fair point

Would likely do the same if I didn't have the wireless charging stand

 

[Ryza321]

My most frequent use of the Multi-Window Panel is the calculator app that I use (CALC, not the stock calculator). If I need to add or otherwise calculate numbers that are in an e-mail, on a Web page, or otherwise in an app, I can use the Multi-Window Panel to open the calculator app at 60% its normal size (you can change the size percentage in the Multi-Window Panel Settings) right over the app that has the numbers I need in it. No having to flip back-and-forth between apps to input all the numbers. The calculator can be moved around the screen wherever I want it as well as minimized into a floating icon (if you have ever used Facebook Messenger on an Android phone, you have seen the floating icons of your friends' profile photos - it works just like that) for if you want to view the entire screen of the app with the numbers in it. I can also maximize the calculator to full screen, if I want.

The other apps I have in the Multi-Window Panel are Fraction (calculator for fractions, same reason as the regular calculator); Phone (dial a number I see in another app or just without having to leave another app); Skype (same reason as Phone); MX Player (video player, so to view videos in a small floating window); Chrome (check something on a Web page without leaving another app); Maps (enter an address I see in another app or just want to check something without leaving another app); S Note (take notes over any app); WhatsApp (message someone without getting too interrupted, just like with Facebook Messenger); and Messages (text someone, same reason as WhatsApp).

Here are some screen shots of apps opened via the Multi-Window Panel:

View attachment 228069
I Google Image searched for a random price list to use for this example and then used the CALC app on top to see the difference between two of the packages on the list. The white circle at the top of the calculator app window is what you use to drag the window wherever you want it, and if you tap on the circle, you get a options to minimize it, maximize it, close it, and another option.


View attachment 228070
You can see the CALC app icon after I minimized the app. You can drag this floating icon anywhere.


View attachment 228072
Here, I am watching a video of my dog playing in the MX Player app via the Multi-Window Panel. The volume keys work to adjust the sound for the video from loudest to muted.


View attachment 228074
It ain't called MULTI-Window for nothin'! Here, I have the MX Player app minimized (blue icon with white triangle) while I have CALC, Fraction, and Phone placed around the screen. I would probably never actually use it like this, but it can be done.


View attachment 228075
Lastly, here are all those apps minimized to icons and placed on the edge of the screen in an overlapping lineup. You can place them anywhere, but the only annoying thing is your placement isn't saved if you open the app up to a window or maximized full screen, so if you minimize it to an icon again, you have to re-place it where you want it. The Facebook Messenger floating icons remember where they were placed, so I am sure it is something Samsung could implement, they just haven't. And if you have the setting activated, if you maximize one of your apps, just drag your finger down diagonally from the upper left corner to get the app back to a window (as you can do with any app that supports the multi-window feature, even if you didn't open it from the panel).

Great! Thank you for the detailed explanation, I discover a new kind of use of my phone! Just one thing tho: this is a feature of the phone, it has nothing to do with edge panel.

I am LOVING this notification of a text message on the edge how you can slide the colour out to reveal the message and answer it

@NexusGirlX

It DOES do the same thing on the S7 Edge. I got a red bar appearing on the edge cause my mom had texted me and sliding it to the left allowed me to see the whole message and gave me the option to either call or text back

It doesn't works on my phone. I have people edge active (the edge bars is settled to 100% transparency), but when I get an sms from a contact which is in the people edge panel, I don't see any colored bar to slide.

 

[anon(5719825)]

You don't have to turn the phone upside down for that. You only turn the phone upside down for telephone calls if you want the edge to light up when someone rings your phone. If someone sends you a text, whenever your screen is on, you will see a bar of color on the edge of the phone at the location that corresponds to one of your 5 contacts on the People Edge panel.

When you slide that color bar to the left, you can see the text message (or part of it depending on how long it is) and an option to respond or call the contact.

You are correct about this. I forgot that this was how text messages worked because I only tried the edge panel a week or two. When I got my second S7 Edge, I used Smart Switch to copy everything from the first phone to the second and for some reason, the edge settings didn't copy over so when I used the second Edge as my daily, none of the text messages worked the way you were saying they should. I then checked and I had no contacts set in the people edge on the second phone.

The edge panel features are still not comparable to how they worked on the Note Edge. I am still using the Note Edge as my daily phone and leaving the S7 Edge at home.

 

[Bag of Leaves]

Great! Thank you for the detailed explanation, I discover a new kind of use of my phone! Just one thing tho: this is a feature of the phone, it has nothing to do with edge panel.

Yes, the multiple windows is a feature of the phone that you don't need the panel for, but the Multi-Window Panel launches the apps not only from the Edge Panel (so you don't have to go to the Home Screen or Recent Apps to open them), but launches them directly into the 60% size (or whatever size you have set in Settings), so you don't have to do the diagonal finger drag to get the app into a window.

 

[YankInDaSouth]

@Bag of Leave - thanks for showing off the multi window edge panel! I haven't been using the edge panel (basically because I forget it's there LOL) but I just purchased this multi window panel as I can see it being rather useful ...

 

[Base_UK]

There is a panel for Google Keep.

So there is, don't know how I missed that, thanks!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ilhe1s]

I wish they would add the OnCircle feature (including the drawings) to the S6 Edge, as I know nobody with an S7 Edge and one person with an S6 Edge. It would be great if they could make OnCircle an app for every phone so you can send the stuff to anyone, too.

I completely agree with you. If there is more of us let us know and we can start something.

 

[thoots]

I played around with the Edge stuff for a few minutes when I first bought my S7E, then I turned it all off. Absolutely stuff I don't need in any way whatsoever, might as well cut down on some of the processes the phone has to keep active, and bingo -- I don't inadvertently mess with it every time I try to hold my phone.