Updated
Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 20
Samsung Hides Galaxy Connectivity Labs Behind 7 Taps, Unlocking Wi-Fi 7 Diagnostics
Updated
Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 20

Samsung Hides Galaxy Connectivity Labs Behind 7 Taps, Unlocking Wi-Fi 7 Diagnostics

2 articles · Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 20

Summary

  • Seven taps on the Intelligent Wi-Fi version number reveal Samsung’s hidden Connectivity Labs, a buried One UI feature that exposes detailed Wi-Fi and cellular diagnostics plus network-management toggles.
  • Connectivity Labs shows daily connection averages, Wi-Fi and data usage, time spent on each Wi-Fi standard, and tools such as Home Wi-Fi inspection, faster mobile-data switching, and a 2.4GHz IoT setup option.
  • Settings → Advanced features → Labs adds broader One UI controls, including forcing dark mode in selected apps and enabling split-screen or pop-up multitasking for all apps.
  • Samsung also scatters Labs menus across first-party apps: Health uses them for wearable metrics, Expert RAW adds modes like Astrophoto and Ocean, and SmartThings can keep an old Galaxy device’s display always on as a controller.
  • Foldable Galaxy phones get extra value from Labs, with options to run apps on the cover screen, use main-screen navigation there, and install MultiStar for wider outer-display app support.

Insights

Are Samsung's hidden 'Labs' a gateway to user empowerment, or a testbed for a future where the phone controls the user?
As Samsung's AI gets smarter, can its privacy features ever match the total control offered by open-source alternatives like GrapheneOS?