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As the owner of a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, I’m well aware that Samsung’s One UI features the Google Gemini AI assistant. But beyond the nice screen, speedy performance, and regular Android app ecosystem, what can One UI offer? To find out, I asked Gemini itself, and the three features it revealed aren’t ones most users are likely to have come across.
1. Secret Network & Wi-Fi Diagnostic #
Samsung hides a full network engineering diagnostic menu inside the Wi-Fi settings.
*What it does: Displays real-time Wi-Fi channel congestion graphs, packet loss, connection stability scores, and tools to troubleshoot slow speeds.*How to unlock it: Go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > tap the three dots in the top-right > Intelligent Wi-Fi. Scroll to the bottom and tap “Intelligent Wi-Fi” 8 times continuously. A new menu called Connectivity Labs will appear.
Connectivity Labs is a rather extravagant name, but this hidden networking menu is useful. From here you can use your Samsung phone to inspect your home WiFi, helping you identify network weak spots, and consider recommendations that can help improve your phone connectivity. For example, it may advise you to set a single WiFi network name – rather than split 2.5 and 4GHz – for more reliable use of all wireless bands across your network.
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2. App-Specific Volume Controls (Sound Assistant) #
By default, adjusting your phone’s volume changes the audio level for everything playing. One UI allows independent, app-by-app volume sliders.
*What it does: Gives you a mini mixing board to lower the volume of a noisy game or social media feed while keeping a podcast or music player at 100%. It also enables Multi-Sound, allowing two media apps to play audio at the exact same time.*How to enable it: Download the official Good Lock suite from the Galaxy Store, install the Sound Assistant module, and toggle on Individual App Volumes.
Considering we essentially use smartphones like handheld computers, having a virtual sound mixer is great. One UI supports app-by-app volume, which allows you to multitask without clashing app audio. This means you can set your mix across apps to enjoy your perfect blend of sounds, for productivity, fun, or…simply a more tolerable experience.
3. Split Audio Output (Separate App Sound) #
If you’ve ever had your music interrupted on a Bluetooth speaker because a social media video or voice note started playing, this setting fixes it instantly.
What it does: Forces a specific app (like Spotify or YouTube Music) to stream exclusively to a connected Bluetooth speaker, while all other phone audio—like games, phone calls, or video apps—plays through the phone’s internal speakers.- How to enable it: Go to Settings > Sounds and vibration > Separate app sound > turn it ‘On’, pick your music app, and set the output to your Bluetooth device.
Another great way to control your Samsung smartphone audio. If you always want music uninterrupted, or for it to default to an external speaker, Split Audio Output is ideal. I know I’ve been unknowingly connected to Bluetooth and raged against my volume buttons. This would solve that. And it can separate music output in your car from Google Maps navigation commands.
5. Instant Stealth Mode for Private Files (Secure Folder Toggle) #
Secure Folder isn’t just a password-protected vault—it’s an entirely isolated, encrypted secondary Android environment.
*What it does: Beyond hiding sensitive photos, banking apps, or documents, you can instantly turn the entire folder invisible across the device. When hidden, the app icon completely disappears from your App Drawer, home screen, and search results.*How to use it: Enable Secure Folder under Settings > Security and privacy. Then swipe down your Quick Settings Panel, add the Secure Folder tile, and tap it to instantly hide or reveal the folder on demand.
Honestly, I had no idea this existed. Undoubtedly, it’s a good idea if there’s data on your phone that you specifically want to secure and keep protected. For example, you can store banking or payment apps in this folder for maximum protection. But it can also do more. Secure Folder can create clones of existing apps, so you have a way to separate accounts on the same apps. And if you want to hand your device to a child or anyone else, having a secret pocket with sensitive data in it could be very useful.