What will I lose if I use a Samsung phone without a Samsung account?

[J Dubbs]

I just picked up my first modern Samsung smartphone and am excited to start using it

I did want to find out if I need a Samsung account, and what it does on the phone. I really just want one account (Google) on the phone to deal with like all my other Android phones. If I don't lose any crucial features on the phone I'd rather not set the Samsung account up.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you have

 

[mustang7757]

Congrats
This the fold³ ? So i can put in correct forum.
Use same Gmail as your Google account , it has better find my phone features where you can remotely unlock , better back up then Google , ohhhh dont forget smart Switch on pc to back up the device completely , do that periodically.

 

[J Dubbs]

Congrats
This the fold³ ? So i can put in correct forum.
Use same Gmail as your Google account , it has better find my phone features where you can remotely unlock , better back up then Google , ohhhh dont forget smart Switch on pc to back up the device completely , do that periodically.

Thanks for the response Mustang I have a Z Flip 3... I put it here because I figured it was more Samsung account related in general than to just one device. You can move it if you want, I'll probably get more responses in the Flip 3 forum from the looks of it lol. Because of your suggestions I'm going to go ahead and create a Samsung account.

I'll have more questions about how to set up my default email/messaging etc apps soon. I'm pretty much only familiar with using pure Android.. no choices needed, you get what you get From what I understand Samsung's are loaded with choices

 

[Laura Knotek]

Thanks for the response Mustang I have a Z Flip 3... I put it here because I figured it was more Samsung account related in general than to just one device. You can move it if you want, I'll probably get more responses in the Flip 3 forum from the looks of it lol. Because of your suggestions I'm going to go ahead and create a Samsung account.

I'll have more questions about how to set up my default email/messaging etc apps soon. I'm pretty much only familiar with using pure Android.. no choices needed, you get what you get From what I understand Samsung's are loaded with choices

I have a Samsung device, and for email I don't use anything that comes inbuilt. I've never used the Gmail app or the Samsung email app. I've been using Aqua Mail Pro on every Android device I've owned.

For messaging I like Textra, which I've also used on every Android device I've owned.

I do the same as Mustang suggested to you and use same Gmail account for Google and Samsung.

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks for the response Mustang I have a Z Flip 3... I put it here because I figured it was more Samsung account related in general than to just one device. You can move it if you want, I'll probably get more responses in the Flip 3 forum from the looks of it lol. Because of your suggestions I'm going to go ahead and create a Samsung account.

I'll have more questions about how to set up my default email/messaging etc apps soon. I'm pretty much only familiar with using pure Android.. no choices needed, you get what you get From what I understand Samsung's are loaded with choices

Yeah you definitely have options on Samsung lol
Ok i moved it to Flip ³ forum.
Email , the usual Gmail and Hotmail account through Samsung email app, as for messages Google app i use.

 

[J Dubbs]

Thanks so much both of you ... I'm going to be setting the phone up in the next couple days, it's going to be fun going back to a flip phone after all these years lol. The more things change, the more they stay the same

 

[Laura Knotek]

Thanks so much both of you ... I'm going to be setting the phone up in the next couple days, it's going to be fun going back to a flip phone after all these years lol. The more things change, the more they stay the same

You're welcome. Congratulations and enjoy your new phone!

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks so much both of you ... I'm going to be setting the phone up in the next couple days, it's going to be fun going back to a flip phone after all these years lol. The more things change, the more they stay the same

Hit us up with anymore questions , enjoy

 

[buzzy3970]

I just picked up my first modern Samsung smartphone and am excited to start using it

I did want to find out if I need a Samsung account, and what it does on the phone. I really just want one account (Google) on the phone to deal with like all my other Android phones. If I don't lose any crucial features on the phone I'd rather not set the Samsung account up.

Thanks in advance for any feedback you have

You do realize that setting up a Samsung account doesn't require any email other than your Gmail correct? Similar to having an Apple ID it comes with security benefits. By having a Samsung account on your phone it helps provide an extra layer of security like being able to track the phone, resetting the lock screen if you forget the code, also my favorite viewing your call log and text messages Incase your phone is lost or stolen. It also allows you to remotely back up the phone and erase it so that no one can access your personal info. Also once it erases the phone it will now be locked to your Samsung account which means no one will be able to use the phone making it a brick.

 

[sulla1965]

Without a Samsung account, no Samsung's personalized wallpapers, themes store, etc and no Samsung pay.

 

[J Dubbs]

Nope guys I wasn't aware of any of those things... thanks for enlightening me With all of your excellent feedback I'm realizing I need to go ahead and take the time to set the Samsung account up. I didn't realize Samsung had so many things running through their account... I kinda thought it was just a way to sell me more things Samsung lol.

 

[buzzy3970]

Nope guys I wasn't aware of any of those things... thanks for enlightening me With all of your excellent feedback I'm realizing I need to go ahead and take the time to set the Samsung account up. I didn't realize Samsung had so many things running through their account... I kinda thought it was just a way to sell me more things Samsung lol.

Ha ha honest assumption.

 

[spARTacus]

It's kind of confusing, in my opinion, the whole Samsung Account thing, on top of also all the default Google Account stuff on Android. I have an active Samsung Account, but don't really use it for much, other than maybe once and a while getting Samsung apps directly from the Galaxy Store vice Play Store. You almost just need to set it (active or not) and then just forget it. Or, specifically go in and dig deep to turn somethings on or off. On Android in general, I find the various Account stuff confusing, settings/account details burried all over the place (phone setting, Google app settings, Google Assistant settings, Google Account online via web-browser settings, etc...). I assume this (the confusion) is almost on purpose.

 

[buzzy3970]

Honestly it's pretty simple once you realize that using Google is just to download apps and that Samsung provides the experience since it's their phone. The good the is you can use the same login information you have for your Google account which essentially makes it easy to not have to remember more than one login. Think of it this way when you have an iPhone and use a Gmail for emailing purposes you still have to login to google and your Apple account separately even though they share the same login credentials. It's the same concept when using a Samsung account.

 

[spARTacus]

Honestly it's pretty simple once you realize that using Google is just to download apps and that Samsung provides the experience since it's their phone....

One's Google (and Samsung) Accounts in Android devices are used for way more (in my opinion) than just for downloading apps from Play Store or Galaxy Store, for the device experience, or for email, etc... Both Google and Samsung seemed to have tied so many "services" and potential "data harvesting" to any Google/gmail/Samsung account that the device becomes aware of, that it is mind boggling if one thinks about it too much (in my opinion). One can go crazy trying to figure out and control all the various burried permissions associated to the accounts (things like location history, Google Assistant history/trends, YouTube and web search history/trends, product preferences, information from email, etc...) all over the place within the device, and it is indeed sometimes easier to surrender to Google (if one dares).

 

[buzzy3970]

One's Google (and Samsung) Accounts in Android devices are used for way more (in my opinion) than just for downloading apps from Play Store or Galaxy Store, for the device experience, or for email, etc... Both Google and Samsung seemed to have tied so many "services" and potential "data harvesting" to any Google/gmail/Samsung account that the device becomes aware of, that it is mind boggling if one thinks about it too much (in my opinion). One can go crazy trying to figure out and control all the various burried permissions associated to the accounts (things like location history, Google Assistant history/trends, YouTube and web search history/trends, product preferences, information from email, etc...) all over the place within the device, and it is indeed sometimes easier to surrender to Google (if one dares).

That's the beauty of Android 12. You're pretty in control of those permissions and it's more transparent of the access that you're giving. Google even sends emails of location tracking and gives you the option to disable the features. Now for those that don't like reading what they're doing I see how it can become confusing or an annoyance to decipher, but the transparency does exist.

 

[spARTacus]

With Android11, it has that. However, that's only one place in the OS. I still don't find it integrated enough across all the different places where all the different permissions are controlled.

 

[J Dubbs]

With Android11, it has that. However, that's only one place in the OS. I still don't find it integrated enough across all the different places where all the different permissions are controlled.

Unfortunately these big tech companies purposely hide, and sometimes just flat out don't allow, ways for us to control our own data. When you're the product, like we are, we're not going to be allowed to stand in the way of big tech making it's big money off of us.