These are my 5 favorite One UI tricks for Samsung foldables

I’ve used Samsung foldables for half a decade, spanning both Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold models. The hardware hasn’t always been on point — my Galaxy Z Flip 3 screen protector cracked along the crease in less than a year, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 I replaced it with became outdated quickly. Only recently has Samsung flexed its hardware muscle with the impressive Galaxy Z Fold 7, and to a lesser degree, the Galaxy Z Flip 7. All the while, One UI software and its optimization for the foldable form factor never let me down.

Samsung’s One UI software has long tried to go above and beyond the basic Android features, occasionally to its detriment. The extra utility truly helps you make the most of Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold phones, though. From app and operating system behaviors set by folding status to handy Flex Mode controls, there are a lot of One UI customization features built just for foldables.

One UI has a robust automation suite under the “Modes and Routines” page in the Settings app, and foldable users can create routines tied to whether their phone is opened or closed. Samsung foldables know whether their folding display is currently open, closed, or even partially folded. You can leverage this information to initiate custom routines based on the phone’s folding status. For instance, a routine could automatically enable auto-rotate when the phone is opened and rotation lock when the device is closed.

This is particularly helpful for using One UI with a foldable phone, as the cover screen and folding display are each used for different tasks. Let’s say you have a Galaxy Z Fold 7 and use it at your desk as a digital calendar or to-do list. You can create a custom routine that extends the screen timeout period to 10 minutes only when the foldable is opened, so the screen doesn’t go dark while you’re at your desk. When the phone is closed, the screen timeout period could remain shorter. Similarly, it’s possible to create routines that specify unique font styles, font sizes, and screen zoom profiles for when a foldable is opened or closed.

The possibilities are almost endless. To try it for yourself, open the Settings app on your foldable and find the “Modes and Routines” page. Switch to the “Routines” tab and press the “+” icon to create a new routine. Select “Folding status” as the trigger for the routine and pick any action as the “Then” statement for the routine. When you’re finished, the routines you’ve created will automatically take effect based on your foldable’s hinge status.

By far, my favorite One UI trick for foldable phones is Flex Mode. Other folding phone brands have come up with similar ways to control their phones, but none match Flex Mode’s utility in my experience. Flex Mode is simply a user interface that allows you to intuitively use your phone like a laptop when it is half-opened on a flat surface. I use it for watching videos, reading articles, and anything else that involves propping up a flip phone or a big-screen foldable on a table or desk. The top half of the foldable displays your content, while the bottom half is exclusively for software controls that adapt situationally.

Flex Mode is available when your foldable phone’s hinge is opened between 75 degrees and 115 degrees. It’s built into One UI, so you don’t need the individual app you’re using to support it. Depending on the open app, folding your smartphone at around 90 degrees will either automatically launch Flex Mode or display a Flex Mode button at the bottom-left corner of the screen.

Most foldable users will activate Flex Mode for the convenient on-screen controls for media playback. The user interface includes a timeline scrubber, playback controls, and skip forward or back buttons on the bottom half of the screen. The top half is exclusively reserved for your content. I only watch videos in Flex Mode on my foldables — it’s great having a built-in stand, and standard widescreen videos fit the top half of the screen almost perfectly.

That’s not all Flex Mode can do. It offers a virtual touchpad that can be used to control the top of the screen with a cursor. Additionally, Flex Mode offers helpful shortcuts for taking screenshots, adjusting the volume, changing the brightness, or viewing notifications. You can use apps in One UI’s Multi Window mode while in Flex Mode, effectively turning your foldable into a mini laptop.

It sounds surprising, but I’ll take a foldable over every other smartphone type for mobile photography. Foldable phones might not always sport the largest or newest camera sensors, but they have a built-in kickstand and dual displays. Those hardware features and One UI software combine to form an excellent camera experience. Simply fold your phone in half, and you have a stand to position the device’s camera sensors anywhere you’d like. This activates Flex Mode, shifting the viewfinder to the top of the screen and freeing up the bottom for controls.

There are too many useful One UI camera features for foldables to count, but two that shine are Capture View and Dual Preview. Capture View lets you monitor the results of your shots in real time. It’s available on Galaxy Z Fold phones and takes advantage of the extra screen space available when they are unfolded. The right side of your screen runs the same minimized camera app you’d use when the phone is folded. The left side shows all the photos you’ve captured in a given session, allowing you to swipe through them without leaving the viewfinder.

Google offers a similar feature, but it’s only available on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold — earlier Google foldables are puzzlingly incompatible. Samsung brought Capture View to every Galaxy Z Fold model running One UI 8 or later, which is great to see.

Dual Preview is available on both Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold models, and it’s very straightforward. This shooting mode displays a live viewfinder on both the main and cover screens. You’d want to use this mode when taking selfies with the primary camera system, or to give both a photographer and the subject a way to monitor the viewfinder. This simple feature lets me take 200MP selfies with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, providing detail and sharpness a traditional phone’s selfie camera could never match.

One UI offers robust app multitasking modes, including split-screen view and pop-up view. I love using the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s main display to run two apps side-by-side. Due to the phone’s almost-square aspect ratio when unfolded, it’s like having full-size apps on two traditional smartphones next to each other. Samsung makes this really easy on Galaxy Z Fold models, as they’re equipped with the One UI Taskbar to make app switching and multitasking simple.

Galaxy Z Flip models don’t have the Taskbar due to the smaller screen, unless you use Samsung DeX with an external display. Don’t fret, because One UI has a solution to that too. In the Settings app, navigate to “Advanced features” and tap “Multi window.” Flip the toggle beside “Swipe for split screen,” and you’ll be able to swipe up with two fingers from the bottom of the screen to start multitasking from anywhere.

One UI is all about customization, and the operating system crucially gives you the choice of what happens when you shut your foldable with an open app. You can force apps to always or never automatically open on the cover screen. The better option is splitting the middle with the “Swipe up to continue app” option. This gives you the choice to swipe up on the cover screen immediately after folding to continue using an app. Or, you can do nothing, and the foldable will lock in a few seconds as normal.

It’s certainly a first-world problem, but it can be frustrating to move from the folding display to the cover screen and re-unlock your device each time. This toggle helps avoid that hassle, and you can find it in the Settings app under “Display” and “Continue apps on cover screen.”

Software makes or breaks the foldable experience

Foldable phones have the potential to deliver new experiences and enhance productivity, but they need great software to realize that potential. Hardware is only the beginning, and it’s why foldable phones are a joy to use for hobbies like photography despite lacking the most impressive specs. Samsung’s One UI 8 offers just about everything I could want from foldable software, and it’s part of the reason the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is arguably the best folding phone on the market in North America.