Usermanual
Features
Biometric security | Dark mode
Gettingstarted
Device layout: Galaxy A12
Set up your device: Charge the battery
Start using your device: Turn on your device | Use the Setup Wizard | Transfer data from an old device | Lock or unlock your device | Side key settings | Accounts | Set up voicemail | Navigation | Navigation bar | Customize your home screen | Samsung Free | Digital wellbeing and parental controls | Biometric security | Multi window | Enter text | Emergency mode
Customize your home screen: App icons | Wallpaper | Themes | Icons | Widgets | Home screen settings | Status bar | Notification panel
CameraandGallery
Camera: Navigate the camera screen | Configure shooting mode | Live focus | Record videos | Camera settings
Gallery: View pictures | Edit pictures | Play video | Edit video | Share pictures and videos | Delete pictures and videos | Group similar images | Take a screenshot
Samsungapps
Galaxy Store | Game Launcher | Samsung Free | Samsung Global Goals | Samsung Members | Calculator | Calendar | Clock | Contacts | Internet | Messages | My Files | Phone | Samsung Notes
2 SAM_A125_EN_UM_TN_UC8_032921_FINAL
Contents
Googleapps
Chrome | Drive | Duo | Gmail | Google | Maps | Photos | Play Movies & TV | Play Store | YouTube | YT Music
Microsoftapps
Outlook | LinkedIn | Office | OneDrive
Settings
Connections: Wi-Fi | Bluetooth | NFC and payment | Airplane mode | Mobile networks | Data usage | Mobile hotspot | Tethering | Nearby device scanning | Connect to a printer | Virtual Private Networks | Private DNS | Ethernet
Customization: Display | Notifications | Sounds and vibration
Security: Lock screen and security | Face recognition | Fingerprint scanner
Accounts: Samsung Cloud | Add an account | Account settings | Remove an account | Backup and restore | Google settings
Backup: Samsung account | Google Account | External storage transfer
Accessibility: Screen reader | Visibility enhancements | Hearing enhancements | Interaction and dexterity | Advanced settings | Installed services | About Accessibility
Other: Help | Dual Messenger | About phone
Learn more
Legal information
3
Galaxy A12
Set up your device
Start using your device
4
Gettingstarted
GalaxyA12
Rear cameras
Flash
USB charger/
Accessory port
Headset jack
Front camera
Volume keys
Side key/ Fingerprint sensor
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
5
Gettingstarted
Setupyourdevice
Charge the battery
Your device uses a nano-SIM card. A SIM card may be preinstalled, or you may be able to use your previous SIM card. Contact your carrier for more details.
Install SIM/ microSD card
Place the SIM card and optional microSD™ card (sold separately) into the tray with the gold contacts facing down.
MICROSD
<![endif]>SIM
Charge yourdevice
Before turning on your device, charge it fully.
NOTE The use of mobile devices on an aircraft or a ship may be subject to federal and local guidelines and restrictions. Check with appropriate authorities and always follow crew instructions regarding when and how you may use your device.
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
6
Gettingstarted
Your device is powered by a rechargeable battery.
NOTE Use only charging devices and batteries (if applicable) that are approved by Samsung. Samsung charging devices and batteries are designed for your device to maximize battery life. Using other charging devices and batteries may void your warranty and may cause damage.
TIP While charging,the device andthe chargermaybecome hotandstop charging.This usuallydoesnotaffectthe device’slifespan orperformance andis in the device’snormal range of operation.Disconnectthe chargerfromthe device andwaitforthe device tocool down.For more information,visit samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00076952.
Startusingyourdevice
Turn on yourdevice
Use the Side key to turn your device on. Do not use the device if the body is cracked or broken. Use the device only after it has been repaired.
◌Press and hold the Side key to turn the device on.
•To turn the device off, press and hold the Side key >Power off. Confirm when prompted.
•To restart your device, press and hold the Side key >Restart. Confirm when prompted.
7
Gettingstarted
The first time you turn your device on, the Setup Wizard guides you through the basics of setting up your device.
Follow the prompts to choose a default language, connect to a Wi-Fi® network, set up accounts, choose location services, learn about your device’s features, and more.
Transferdata from an old device
Use Smart Switch™ to transfer contacts, photos, music, videos, messages, notes, calendars, and more from your old device. Smart Switch can transfer your data via USB cable, Wi-Fi, or computer.
Visit samsung.com/us/support/owners/app/smart-switch to learn more.
1.From Settings, tapAccounts and backup > Smart Switch.
2.Follow the prompts and select the content to transfer.
Visit samsung.com/smartswitch for more information.
8
Gettingstarted
Lock orunlock yourdevice
Use your device’s screen lock features to secure your device. By default, the device locks automatically when the screen times out. For more information about screen locks, see Lock screen and security.
Side key
Press to lock. Press to turn on the screen, and then swipe the screen to unlock it.
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
9
Gettingstarted
Side keysettings
You can customize the shortcuts assigned to the Side key.
Double press
Choose which feature is launched when the Side key is pressed twice.
1.From Settings, tapAdvanced features > Side key.
2.Tap Double press to enable this feature, and tap an option: • Quick launch camera (default)
• Open app
Set up and manage your accounts.
TIP Accounts may support email, calendars, contacts, and other features. Contact your carrier for more information.
Add a Google Account
Sign in to your Google Account to access your Google Cloud Storage, apps installed from your account, and make full use of your device’s Android™ features.
1.From Settings, tapAccounts and backup > Accounts.
2.TapAdd account > Google.
NOTE When you sign in to a Google Account, Factory Reset Protection (FRP) is activated. FRP requires your Google Account information when resetting to factory settings. For more information, see Factory Reset Protection.
Add a Samsung account
Sign in to your Samsung account to access exclusive Samsung content and make full use of Samsung apps.
1.From Settings, tapAccounts and backup > Accounts.
2.TapAdd account > Samsung account.
10
Gettingstarted
Add an Outlook account
Sign in to your Outlook® account to view and manage email messages.
1.From Settings, tapAccounts and backup > Accounts.
2.TapAdd account > Outlook.
You can set up your voicemail service when you access it for the first time. You can access voicemail through the Phone app. Options vary by carrier.
1.FromPhone, touch and hold the1 key or tapVoicemail.
2.Follow the tutorial to create a password, record a greeting, and record your name.
11
Gettingstarted
A touch screen responds best to a light touch from the pad of your finger or a capacitive stylus. Using excessive force or a metallic object on the touch screen may damage the surface of the screen and the damage will not be covered by the warranty.
Tap
Lightly touch items to select or launch them.
•Tap an item to select it.
•Double-tap an image to zoom in or out.
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
12
Gettingstarted
Swipe
Lightly drag your finger across the screen.
•Swipe the screen to unlock the device.
•Swipe the screen to scroll through the Home screens or menu options.
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
13
Gettingstarted
Drag and drop
Touch and hold an item, and then move it to a new location.
•Drag an app shortcut to add it to a Home screen.
•Drag a widget to place it in a new location.
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
14
Gettingstarted
Zoom in and out
Bring your thumb and forefinger together or apart on the screen to zoom in and out.
•Move your thumb and forefinger together on the screen to zoom out.
•Move your thumb and forefinger apart on the screen to zoom in.
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
15
Gettingstarted
Touch and hold
Touch and hold items to activate them.
•Touch and hold a field to display a pop-up menu of options.
•Touch and hold a Home screen to customize the Home screen.
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
16
Gettingstarted
You may navigate your device by using either the navigation buttons or full screen gestures.
Recent apps |
Back |
Home
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
17
Gettingstarted
Navigation buttons
Use buttons along the bottom of the screen for quick navigation.
1.From Settings, tapDisplay > Navigation bar > Buttons.
2.Tap an option under Button order to choose which side of the screen the Back and Recent apps icons display.
Navigation gestures
Hide the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen for an unobstructed screen experience. Instead swipe to navigate your device.
1.From Settings, tapDisplay > Navigation bar > Swipe gestures to enable the feature.
2.Tap an option to customize:
•More options: Choose a gesture type and sensitivity.
•Gesture hints: Display lines at the bottom of the screen where each screen gesture is located.
•Show button to hide keyboard: Show an icon on the bottom right corner of the screen to hide the keyboard when the device is in portrait mode.
18
Gettingstarted
Customize yourhome screen
The Home screen is the starting point for navigating your device. You can place your favorite apps and widgets here, in addition to setting up additional Home screens, removing screens, changing the order of screens, and choosing a main Home screen.
App icons | Wallpaper | Themes | Icons | Widgets | Home screen settings | Status bar | Notification panel
App icons
Use app icons to launch an app from any Home screen.
◌From Apps, touch and hold an app icon, and tapAdd to Home. To remove an icon:
◌From a Home screen, touch and hold an app icon, and then tapRemove from Home.
NOTE Removing an icon does not delete the app, it just removes the icon from a Home screen.
Wallpaper
Change the look of the Home and Lock screens by choosing a favorite picture, video, or preloaded wallpaper.
1.From a Home screen, touch and hold the screen, and then tapWallpaper.
2.Tap one of the following menus for available wallpapers:
•My wallpapers: Choose from featured and downloaded wallpapers.
•Gallery: Choose pictures and videos saved in the Gallery app.
•Wallpaper services: Enable additional features including guide page and Dynamic Lock screen.
•Apply Dark mode to Wallpaper: Enable to apply Dark mode to your wallpaper.
•Explore more wallpapers: Find and download more wallpapers from Galaxy Themes.
19
Gettingstarted
3.Tap a picture or video to choose it.
•If choosing a single picture, choose which screen or screens you want to apply the wallpaper to.
•Videos and multiple pictures can only be applied to the Lock screen.
•If choosing videos or pictures from the Gallery, tap on one or more items, and then tap Done.
4.Tap Set on Home screen, Set on Lock screen, or Set on Lock and Home screens
(depending on which screens are applicable).
•If applying a picture from the Gallery to both the Home and Lock screens, enable Sync my edits if you want any edits made to that wallpaper to be applied to both screens.
Themes
Set a theme to be applied to your Home and Lock screens, wallpapers, and app icons.
1.From a Home screen, touch and hold the screen.
2.TapThemes, and tap a theme to preview and download it.
3.TapNavigation drawer > My stuff > Themes to see downloaded themes.
4.Tap a theme, and then tap Apply to apply the selected theme.
Icons
Apply different icon sets to replace the default icons.
1.From a Home screen, touch and hold the screen.
2.TapThemes > Icons, and tap an icon set to preview and download it.
3.TapNavigation drawer > My stuff > Icons to see downloaded icons.
4.Tap an icon, and then tap Apply to apply the selected icon set.
20
Gettingstarted
Widgets
Add widgets to your home screens for quick access to info or apps.
1.From a Home screen, touch and hold the screen.
2.TapWidgets, and then tap a widget set to open it.
3.Swipe to the widget you want to add, and drag it to the Home screen.
Customize Widgets
Once you have added a widget, you can customize where it's located and how it functions.
◌From a Home screen, touch and hold a widget, and tap an option:
•Remove from Home: Delete a widget from your screen.
•Widget settings: Customize the function or appearance of the widget.
•App info: Review the widget usage, permissions, and more.
Home screen settings
Customize your Home and Apps screens.
1.From a Home screen, touch and hold the screen.
2.TapHome screen settings to customize:
•Home screen layout: Set your device to have separate Home and Apps screens, or only a Home screen where all apps are located.
•Home screen grid: Choose a layout to determine how icons are arranged on the Home screen.
•Apps screen grid: Choose a layout to determine how icons are arranged on the Apps screen.
•Apps button: Add a button to the Home screen for easy access to the Apps screen.
•App icon badges: Enable to show badges on apps with active notifications. You can also choose the badge style.
•Lock Home screen layout: Prevent items on the Home screen from being removed or repositioned.
21
Gettingstarted
•Add apps to Home screen: Automatically add newly-downloaded apps to the Home screen.
•Swipe down for notification panel: Enable this feature to open the Notification panel by swiping down anywhere on the Home screen.
•Rotate to landscape mode: Rotate the Home screen automatically when your device’s orientation is changed from portrait to landscape.
•Hide apps: Choose apps to hide from the Home and App screens. Return to this screen to restore hidden apps. Hidden apps are still installed and can appear as results in Finder searches.
•About Home screen: View version information.
22
Gettingstarted
Status bar
The Status bar provides device information on the right side and notification alerts on the left.
Status icons
Battery full |
Charging |
Mute |
Vibrate |
Airplane mode |
Bluetooth active |
Location active |
Alarm |
Notification icons |
|
|
|
Missed calls |
Call in progress |
New message |
Voicemail |
New email Download Upload App update
Configure display options for the Status bar.
◌From Quick settings, tap More options > Status bar for the following options:
•Show notification icons: Choose how to display notification icons on the Status bar.
•Show battery percentage: Display the battery charge percentage next to the battery icon on the Status bar.
23
Gettingstarted
Notification panel
For quick access to notifications, settings, and more, simply open the Notification panel.
Device settings
Quick settings
View all
Notification cards
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
24
Gettingstarted
View the Notification panel
You can access the Notification panel from any screen.
1.Swipe down on the screen to display the Notification panel.
•To open an item, tap it.
•To clear a single notification, drag the notification left or right.
•To clear all notifications, tap Clear.
•To customize notifications, tap Notification settings.
2.Drag upward from the bottom of the screen or tapBack to close the Notification panel.
Finger sensor gestures
You can also open or close the Notification panel by swiping up or down on the fingerprint sensor.
1.From Settings, tapAdvanced features > Motions and gestures > Finger sensor gestures.
2.Tapto enable the feature.
Quick settings
The Notification panel provides quick access to device functions using Quick settings.
◌Swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to display Quick settings.
•TapFinder search to search the device.
•TapPower off for Power off, Emergency mode, and Restart options.
•Tap Open settings to quickly access the device's settings menu.
•Tap More options to reorder Quick settings or to change the button layout.
•Tap a quick setting icon to turn it on or off.
•Touch and hold a quick setting icon to open the setting.
•Drag the Brightness slider to adjust the screen brightness.
25
Gettingstarted
Access live TV shows, news and articles from numerous sources, and interactive games entirely free of charge.
◌ From a Home screen, swipe right.
TIP To customize Samsung Free, tap More options > Settings.
You can monitor and manage your digital habits by getting a daily view of how frequently you use apps, how many notifications you receive, and how often you check your device. You can also set your device to help you wind down before going to bed.
◌From Settings, tapDigital Wellbeing and parental controls for the following features:
•Tap the Dashboard to view the following:
–Screen time: View how long an app has been opened and used each day.
–Notifications: View how many notifications have been received from an app each day.
–Unlocks: View how many times an app has been opened each day.
Your goals
•Screen time: Set a screen time goal and view your daily average.
•Unlocks: Set a daily goal for how many times you unlock your device and view your daily average.
•App timers: Set a daily limit for how long you use each app.
Ways to disconnect
•Focus mode: Limit app usage for set periods of time to avoid distractions from your device.
•Wind down: Enable to turn the screen to grayscale and limit notifications before going to bed.
26
Gettingstarted
Check on your kids
•Parental controls: Supervise your children’s digital life with Google’s Family Link app. You can choose apps, set content filters, keep an eye on screen time, and set screen time limits.
Biometricsecurity
Use biometrics to securely unlock your device and log in to accounts.
Face recognition
You can enable Face Recognition to unlock your screen. To use your face to unlock your device, you must set a pattern, PIN, or password.
•Face recognition is less secure than Pattern, PIN, or Password. Your device could be unlocked by someone or something that looks like your image.
•Some conditions may affect face recognition, including wearing glasses, hats, beards, or heavy make-up.
•When registering your face, ensure that you are in a well-lit area and the camera lens is clean.
1.From Settings, tapBiometrics and security > Face recognition.
2.Follow the prompts to register your face.
Face recognition management
Customize how face recognition works.
◌From Settings, tapBiometrics and security > Face recognition.
•Remove face data: Delete existing faces.
•Add alternative look: Enhance face recognition by adding an alternative appearance.
•Face unlock: Enable or disable face recognition security.
•Stay on Lock screen: When you unlock your device with face recognition, stay on the Lock screen until you swipe the screen.
27
Gettingstarted
•Faster recognition: Turn on for faster face recognition. Turn off to increase security and make it harder to unlock using an image or video of your likeness.
•Require open eyes: Facial recognition will only recognize your face when your eyes are open.
•Brighten screen: Increase the screen brightness temporarily so that your face can be recognized in dark conditions.
•About unlocking with biometrics: Learn additional information about securing your device with biometrics.
Fingerprint scanner
Use fingerprint recognition as an alternative to entering passwords in certain apps. You can also use your fingerprint to verify your identity when logging in to your Samsung account. To use your fingerprint to unlock your device, you must set a pattern, PIN, or password.
1.From Settings, tapBiometrics and security > Fingerprints.
2.Follow the prompts to register your fingerprint.
Fingerprint management
Add, delete, and rename fingerprints.
◌From Settings, tapBiometrics and security > Fingerprints for the following options:
•The list of registered fingerprints is at the top of this list. You can tap a fingerprint to remove or rename it.
•Add fingerprint: Simply follow the prompts to register another fingerprint.
•Check added fingerprints: Scan your fingerprint to see if it has been registered.
28
Gettingstarted
Fingerprint verification settings
Use fingerprint recognition to verify your identity in supported apps and actions.
◌From Settings, tapBiometrics and security > Fingerprints.
•Fingerprint unlock: Use your fingerprint for identification when unlocking your device.
•Fingerprint always on: Wake and unlock your device by just touching the Side key.
•Web sign-in: Use your fingerprints to sign in to websites.
•Samsung account: Use your fingerprints to verify your identity instead of your Samsung account password.
•About unlocking with biometrics: Read details on the requirements each biometric security feature has for using your pattern, PIN, or password as a backup.
Biometrics settings
Configure your preferences for biometric security options.
◌From Settings, tapBiometrics and security > Biometrics preferences for the following:
•Screen transition effect: Show a transition effect when you use biometrics to unlock your device.
29
Gettingstarted
Multitask by using multiple apps at the same time. Apps that support Multi window™ can be displayed together on a split screen. You can switch between the apps and adjust the size of their windows.
Split screen control
1.From any screen, tapRecent apps.
2.Tap the app icon, and then tap Open in split screen view.
3.Tap an app in the other window to add it to the split screen view.
•Drag the middle of the window border to adjust the window size.
Devicesandsoftwareareconstantlyevolving— theillustrationsyouseehereareforreferenceonly.
30