Just got a Samsung phone after years and years on a moto/droid. What apps should I get to up the qol? (beehaw.org)

submitted 10 months ago by Suck_on_my_Presence@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org

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New motos are just too big for my baby hands so I got myself an s23 for a steal, but I'm finding that I miss some of the functionality that I used to have, and that some features are just annoying on this phone.

What kind of qol apps do you galaxy-havers use? Specifically are there any that let me use more than just double tap and long press on the power button for quick actions?

Note: I don't know if I can jailbreak it and keep my carrier. I use Google fi so it seems like breaking it would break everything? But I have no idea :3

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[-] sic_semper_tyrannis@feddit.ch 23 points 10 months ago

See if DivestOS or Lineage support your phone and get rid of the crap Samsung software and spying.

[-] d3Xt3r@beehaw.org 18 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

That's highly unlikely. Samsung phones aren't very custom-ROM friendly, especially if you're going for a recent device like OP did. Also, Samsung devices use a hardware eFuse which is blown up the moment you unlock the bootloader, which permanently voids the warranty, and permanently disables some Samsung features, which also reduces the resale value of the phone.

So, I wouldn't advise rooting/ROMming a Samsung. Best to get something like a Pixel instead.

[-] sic_semper_tyrannis@feddit.ch 6 points 10 months ago

Wow, I had no idea about this efuse things. That's absolutely terrible. Is it's only function to alert you of the bootloader being unlocked?

[-] irasponsible@beehaw.org 6 points 10 months ago

It's a genuinely good security feature, but wrecks custom roms as a side effect (which I'm sure samsung doesn't mind)

[-] d3Xt3r@beehaw.org 6 points 10 months ago

No, Samsung's KNOX security system checks the eFuse state for various functions, and if the eFuse is blown, it'll disable several Samsung features, such as Secure Folder, Private Browsing in the Samsung browser, Samsung Pay, Samsung Pass etc. You cannot restore these features even if you flash the stock firmware and relock the bootloader.

[-] ramjambamalam@lemmy.ca 2 points 10 months ago

Presumably, Google Pay, Firefox, etc. all continue to work, so do I really care if Samsung's web browser and mobile payment system is broken? (sincere question)

[-] null@slrpnk.net 1 points 10 months ago

The answer depends entirely on whether you use/prefer them to alternatives.

[-] sic_semper_tyrannis@feddit.ch 1 points 10 months ago

Oh, so it's just Samsung applications that stop functioning properly. I think most people installing an alternative OS are trying to get away from that stuff anyways. I can also see why somebody wouldn't want to do that though.

[-] d3Xt3r@beehaw.org 4 points 10 months ago

The issue is it also voids your warranty. So suppose your brand new, expensive Samsung phone develops a hardware fault, they could deny repair because your warranty is now technically void.

And it also affects the resale value. The person you're selling to in the future, might not want to use a custom ROM, and they might actually want to use those Samsung features.