Samsung is one of the most reliable Android phone manufacturers, and for good reason. Galaxy phones offer a wide range of features designed to improve performance, improve battery life and streamline the user experience. And while most of them are actually helpful, others may not be suitable for some people. That’s why it’s important to understand the things you shouldn’t do on your Samsung phone.
From a software perspective, you should never disable features that enhance security such as auto-blocking and device protection, nor disable those that optimize performance and battery life. However, some performance optimization features can actually slow things down on phones with decent hardware specs, making it worth turning off in specific situations. Apart from this, you should avoid using unsupported chargers and accessories. While this doesn’t necessarily damage the phone, the experience more often than not takes a hit. You should also avoid using Samsung phones in areas with high magnetic fields or storing your device next to metal objects.
So, if you own a Samsung phone, make sure you don’t make any mistakes that could compromise security or negatively impact performance, hardware, or the overall Android experience.
Disable built-in security features
Samsung phones come with several built-in security features, each carefully designed to protect your device from malware infections and protect your data from unauthorized access. This includes Samsung-specific features like device protection, auto-block, secure folder and identity verification, as well as Android’s Google Play Protect. These are all vital features and you should never disable or uninstall them.
Many Samsung users follow this approach, but some, influenced by online guides or video tutorials, often disable these features in an effort to improve performance. Keep in mind that the security benefits of these features far outweigh any minor performance gains you might notice by turning them off, if any. And once the damage is done, re-enabling the feature won’t be of much help. Remember, if a feature doesn’t fit your workflow, consider adjusting its settings rather than disabling it completely. With cyber threats on the rise, you need as much protection for your Samsung phone as possible.
Use RAM Plus on phones with enough memory
If your Samsung phone has a lot of physical RAM (say 12 GB or more) and the RAM Plus feature is enabled, you should disable it to improve performance. The feature, similar to the page file in Windows, essentially uses part of your phone’s storage as virtual memory. So when the phone runs out of RAM, it automatically offloads inactive processes and applications to virtual memory and prioritizes active tasks. Theoretically, RAM Plus is a useful feature, which should offer a noticeable performance boost. But the benefits aren’t as great as many users think.
Several users have reported smoother performance after disabling RAM Plus on their Samsung phones. This is because the system’s internal storage is not as fast as the built-in RAM, and constantly swapping files between virtual and real memory can add lag and slow down the phone. So, if your Samsung phone is slower than it should be, consider turning off RAM Plus, especially if it already has enough physical RAM for everyday tasks like browsing the web, playing simple games, and streaming content. And when it’s time to upgrade, make sure you get a phone with enough memory.
Turn off battery optimizations
Your phone’s battery is usually one of the first components to show signs of degradation. In this case, the battery tends to drain more quickly, leaving you with only a few hours of uninterrupted use. Although this eventually happens to all lithium-ion batteries, you can slow down the process by using the built-in battery protection and performance optimization features. And it’s something you should never turn off if you plan to keep the same phone for several years.
Depending on your phone model, you’ll find settings like battery protection and adaptive battery. Samsung’s battery protection feature allows you to limit charging to a fixed level, depending on the configured mode. This can help increase the life of your battery over time. Under Battery Protection, you have three modes: Basic, Maximum, and Adaptive, each handling things a little differently. Adaptive Battery is a smart Android feature that analyzes your usage habits and keeps frequently used apps active while limiting the battery and resource consumption of apps you don’t use as much. This will extend the battery life of your phone.
You will also find other built-in options such as processing speed, which can be used to configure your phone’s performance. The idea here is to choose a mode that provides the required performance but does not cause overheating, as higher temperatures can cause the battery to wear out more quickly.
Using unsupported chargers and accessories
Samsung strongly recommends against using unsupported chargers and cables. And there’s good reason for that, despite the standardization of USB-C charging across different types of devices. Keep in mind that not all USB adapters and cables are compatible with your Samsung phone. Some differences are due to charging standards and power ratings, while others are due to connector types.
A standard charger or a charger with a lower power rating may not allow you to use the fast charging feature. So if your phone is charging slowly, this is the first thing to check. Likewise, a high-power charger designed for newer phones would ideally not be used with an older device that doesn’t support it. Apart from this, long-term use of an unsupported charger may cause problems with the battery.
That said, you don’t necessarily need to get everything from Samsung. There are popular sellers offering reliable products that work on all devices. However, you should avoid using uncertified or counterfeit products. These pose a major risk, especially when used long term.