Joe Maring / Android Authority
I usually like to stick to brand-agnostic Android apps since I switch between manufacturers pretty often. I chase the best hardware at the best price, which has made me particularly frustrated about software-focused launches in recent years.
However, over the past year I’ve gained more of an appreciation of good software. This is partly due to my experience with a phone that forces split notifications, as well as how impressed I was with my experience of Samsung’s One UI 8.
In fact, three pre-installed Samsung apps have impressed me so much that I honestly wish more brands would copy them.
What is your favorite Samsung app?
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Clock.
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Modes and Routines.
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Reminder.
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Another app (let us know in the comments).
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1. Clock
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
I have sung the praises of Samsung’s Clock app before. I rely on the app so much that even though I’ve switched my primary smartphone, I always make sure that I have a Samsung phone in bed.
This is down to some simple features and customization that Clock has that I haven’t been able to find in other alarm apps. Firstly, Samsung’s app supports a snooze interval of up to 60 minutes, whereas most other apps max out at around 30 minutes.
But even if you set a default snooze interval, you can adjust this when the alarm actually goes off. By tapping the plus or minus icons, you can increase or decrease the next snooze interval while the alarm is ringing.
I love Samsung’s Clock app for its long maximum snooze interval and adjustments you can make when the alarm sounds.
Meanwhile, in your alarm settings, you can also choose how many snooze repeats you want to allow. You can even choose unlimited snoozes if you really struggle to wake up.
The reason these extremely customizable alarm settings are important to me is because I deal with chronic pain and fatigue. Some days, I really need the extra sleep, so an hour-long snooze is needed. When I have an appointment or meeting, though, I will shorten this snooze period.
2. Reminder
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
Samsung’s Reminder app didn’t really stand out to me until its One UI 8 update. This is because the update to the app’s interface made it much easier to set location-based reminders and switch between different views for reminders.
There are plenty of great reminder apps out there, but Samsung’s is impressive in terms of user-friendliness.
I also like the way that the app includes templates for reminders, such as reminders that recur on specific dates or grocery list reminders.
The user friendliness is what makes Samsung’s app so appealing. While many other reminder apps have location-based reminders and reminder templates, they don’t feel as easy to use as Samsung’s version.
I find that TickTick, in particular, buries certain features, making something simple more complicated than it needs to be.
3. Modes and Routines
Megan Ellis / Android Authority
Most smartphone brands have native apps that could work together in a variety of ways to create useful automations. Yet, beyond a few scheduled modes like Night Mode or Do Not Disturb mode, many brands don’t tap into the potential of our handsets.
Due to my frustrations with IFTTT, I tried out other automation apps that wouldn’t require a monthly subscription. However, it was surprisingly difficult to find apps that allow you to create simple automations in a user-friendly way.
I decided to try out Modes and Routines when I was testing out the Galaxy Fold 7 and was glad to see that Samsung’s latest iteration of the app packs in a bunch of useful functionality. These are the types of automations that don’t require additional smart home devices or sensors, but use the information that your phone already has access to.
Modes and Routines doesn’t require smart home devices or additional sensors, it works with the tools and data your phone has access to.
For example, I’m particularly interested in weather-based routines due to my chronic migraines. Getting a push notification when the temperature is going to be above a certain value for the next day is immensely helpful for me.
Samsung also makes it easy to create your own routines by using one of the templates provided and changing the ingredients. There are a bunch of templates to choose from, and you can unlock even more custom routines using Good Lock.
Honorable mention: Now Brief
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
As a result, Now Brief is a feature that I wish other brands would copy, but with one essential caveat: making it much more useful. I think that creating a central hub where users can get an overview of their day, along with important information, is genuinely useful.
I never thought I’d be a huge advocate of a specific phone brand’s software because of how often I switch between manufacturers. But the worsening experience of free apps has made me appreciate it more when a phone comes with great default apps.
While I think that Samsung has a few things it can learn from its competition in terms of making bigger hardware leaps, it is setting a great example when it comes to these useful apps.
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