Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 is one heck of a phone, even if this year’s refinements were minimal. The new hinge makes the Z Flip 5 feel smaller than ever, and then there’s the new Cover Screen that’s bigger and more useful than ever.
Getting a new phone like the Z Flip 5 is exciting, but it also comes with a steep learning curve, especially if this is your first time crossing over to the “Flip Side”. Instead of fumbling your way around the phone’s two screens, follow along as we walk you through some of the key tips and tricks to get the most out of your new Z Flip 5 and its amazing bigger Cover Screen.
Master the Cover Screen gestures
The Z Flip 5’s new front display is more interactive than ever. Using a series of taps and swipes, you can scroll through your widgets, interact with notifications and adjust settings. But to do all of that, you need to familiarise yourself with the basics:
- Double-tap the screen to wake the phone
- Swipe to the right to view your notifications
- Swipe to the left to view your widgets
- Swipe down to view your quick settings panel
- Pinch-to-zoom in to reveal all of your widgets for faster selection.
- Long-press on the screen to change your wallpaper or edit your widgets
Change the Cover Screen wallpaper
You can quickly customise the Cover Screen by picking from one of Samsung’s designs, or create one of your own. The quick and easy method to scroll through Samsung’s wallpapers is to wake and unlock the phone, then long-press on the Cover Screen. Scroll up or down through the various designs. If you find one you like, tap it to set it as your wallpaper.
You’re supposed to be able to customise the wallpapers by opening the phone when you’ve found one you like, but I’ve tried it on a handful of the existing wallpapers only to see an alert that they can’t be edited.
However, I found that the best method to customise the Cover Screen is to use the Cover Screens section of the Settings app. To do that, open the Settings app, then select Cover Screen from the list of options. From there, you can manage your existing options, pick new ones from a robust catalogue or even use your own image. When you pick a new option, you’ll be taken to a screen that lets you add information – such as a battery icon – or further customise it. Have some fun and get creative with it.
Customising the wallpaper is fun and all, but where the Cover Screen really becomes useful is when you start adding and using widgets. You can add more widgets directly from the Cover Screen by long-pressing on your wallpaper and swiping to the left. You’ll have much more control – and it’s an overall better experience – if you open the Z Flip 5 though. Once open, go to Settings> Cover screen> Widgets.
There you’ll find a list of available widgets you can turn on or off, as well as customise the order in which they appear as you scroll through them on your phone’s front screen.
How to access more apps on the Cover Screen
Like Motorola’s 40 Ultra/Razr+, you can use any app on the Z Flip 5’s Cover Screen. But unlike the Razr+ that runs apps on the front screen out of the box, Samsung requires you to enable the feature for a limited number of apps. You can do that by going into the Settings app and selecting Advanced features > Labs. Next, tap on Apps allowed on cover screen.
At the top of the screen, you will see a toggle to turn the feature on. Below is a list of apps you can access on the cover screen. Right now, the list of apps I have installed on my Z Flip 5 that are supported is pretty limited. For me, it includes apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Google Messages, Samsung Messages and Google Maps. I’m not sold on watching videos on the front display, but I can definitely see Messages and Maps being handy. If you find any apps on the list appealing, make sure to enable them on this screen. You can find the apps you enabled by swiping past all of your enabled widgets on the Cover Screen.
How to use any app on the Cover Screen
If you want to use any app on the Cover Screen, you’ll need to do a bit more work. The workaround here, which is something Samsung is explicitly requiring, is to add a Cover Screen widget with app icons of your choosing.
Here are the steps you’ll need to follow:
- Install the Good Lock app from the Galaxy Store.
- Open Good Lock, then select Life up from the bottom navigation bar.
- Scroll down until you find the Multistar module and install it.
- Once Multistar is installed, open it and then select I love Galaxy Foldable at the top of the screen.
- Select Launcher Widget.
- Finally, add shortcuts to any apps you want to use on the Cover Screen.
Any apps you add to the Launcher Widget will be available to run on the Cover Screen once you navigate to that widget. Keep in mind, however, that not all of them will look good or even be usable. Experiment with it and find what works for you.
Reply to messages from the Cover Screen
You don’t always have to open the Z Flip 5 to reply to a message. With the larger display, there’s enough room for what feels like a nearly full-sized keyboard. To reply to a message, swipe to the right on the screen to view your alerts; select one to view it. Tap the Reply button below the body of the message and begin typing away. Tap the send button when you’re done.
Use Flex Mode for all sorts of tasks
The Z Flip 5 supports Flex Mode, which allows you to partially bend the internal display, propping the rear cameras and Cover Screen up, acting as a makeshift tripod. Or if you turn the phone sideways while it’s bent, you can mimic the look and feel of using the phone as an old-school camcorder.
Flex Mode is also useful in some apps, such as YouTube to watch videos on the top half of the screen and access playback controls on the bottom. Or when recording a Reel in the Instagram app. If you want even more controls in Flex Mode, turn on the Flex Mode Panel by going to Settings> Advanced features> Labs and enable Flex Model Panel. You can pick and choose which apps you want it turned on for, and it’ll give you more settings and controls over the app along with your device.
Take a selfie without opening the phone
Double-press the side button/fingerprint sensor on the Z Flip 5 to open the Camera app and take a selfie using the Cover Screen to frame your shot. The best part? You’re using the rear cameras in this setup, so the final product is going to look better than if you took a selfie using the internal display’s front-facing camera.
You can also swipe in either direction in the camera app to switch between portrait, photo and video shooting modes.
Ditch Samsung’s keyboard for a better typing experience
Samsung’s own keyboard is good, but not great. And you deserve a keyboard that’s great. I recommend switching to Gboard for a better overall experience and improved autocorrect. I covered how to do this in detail in a separate feature, but if you want the shorter version – download Gboard, launch it and then follow the instructions. You’ll thank yourself later.
Multitask by using two apps at the same time
If you ever find yourself wishing you could use two apps at the same time on the Z Flip 5, I have good news – you can, and it’s really easy to do.
Start by opening one of the apps you’d like to use, then swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause about 1/3 of the way up to trigger the app overview screen. Tap on the app icon at the top of the app you’re currently using, then select Open in split screen view.
The app will shrink down to take up the top half of the screen, with the bottom section showing you a list of your installed apps. Find and select the second app you want to use. Drag the handle between the two apps to adjust their size, or single-tap it to see additional options.
Set up the fingerprint sensor, face unlock
To keep your device secure and all of your private info, well, private, take a few minutes to set up the fingerprint sensor and face unlock. Seriously, it’s worth the extra hassle.
Go to Settings> Security and privacy> Biometrics. Select Face recognition and follow the prompts to register your face. Next, select Fingerprints and follow the prompts to register your fingers. I recommend registering any fingers that are near the side button when you’re holding the phone so definitely a thumb and both index fingers.
Once set up, you can unlock the phone from the Cover Screen or internal display just by waking the phone and looking at it or touching the side button with a registered finger.
Samsung / Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Still want to learn more? We got you
The Z Flip 5 runs Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 5.1, which means it works just like the rest of Samsung’s current generation smartphones, such as the Galaxy S23. And we have a ton of tips and tricks for the S23 that you’ll surely find useful and applicable to the Z Flip 5.