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Samsung Galaxy • Easier to Use • 15–20 minutes

Make your Samsung easier to use — Samsung Galaxy

Read this firstWhen you tidy the Home screen, always choose Remove, never Uninstall. Uninstall deletes the app from the phone. If the menu only shows Uninstall, you are in the Apps screen rather than the Home screen, or the Home screen layout is locked. To unlock it, open Settings > Home screen and make sure Lock Home screen layout is turned off.
You do not have to change everything at once. Work through these steps in order and stop whenever the Galaxy feels comfortable. The menu names below match the newest Samsung software, which is why step 1 checks for an update first. The last step, Easy mode, is a last resort: save it for when the gentler changes above are not enough.

  1. Check for a software update

    Open Settings > Software update > Download and install. Follow the on-screen steps if one is available.

  2. Make the words bigger

    Why: Bigger, bolder words are easier to read everywhere on the phone.

    What to do: Open Settings > Display > Font size and style. Drag the Font size slider to the right, and turn on Bold font on the same screen.

    What to look for: The example words grow as you drag the slider.

  3. Make everything else bigger

    Why: Screen zoom enlarges app pictures, buttons, and menus, not just the words.

    What to do: Open Settings > Display > Screen zoom. This is a separate menu from Font size and style, not the same screen. Drag the slider toward Larger, then tap Apply.

    What to look for: App pictures, buttons, and menus across the phone look bigger after you tap Apply.

  4. Leave only the essential apps on the Home screen

    Why: A Home screen with only a few everyday apps is easier to look at, and there is less to tap by mistake.

    What to do: Touch and hold any app you do not need, then tap Remove. Repeat until only the essentials are left, such as Phone, Messages, Camera, and Photos.

    What to look for: The menu shows both Remove and Uninstall. Choose Remove. The app stays installed and can be found in the Apps screen by swiping up from the bottom of the Home screen.

  5. Last resort: turn on Easy mode

    Why: Try the gentler changes above first. If the Galaxy is still too complicated, Easy mode is the single biggest simplification on a Samsung phone. It makes app pictures and words larger, simplifies the Home screen, makes buttons easier to tap, and can add a page of favorite people to call.

    What to do: Open Settings > Display > Easy mode and turn it on.

    What to look for: The Home screen changes right away into the simpler layout. On some models, Easy mode is under Settings > Accessibility > Visibility enhancements instead.

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