Samsung Galaxy S3 tips and tricks [2]

How to get better battery life on the Samsung Galaxy S3

The big, beautiful screen is one of the most appealing things about the Galaxy S3, but this is also the thing that sucks the most juice. One simple way to get more battery life out of your device is by turning down the screen's brightness.
This can be accomplished by going into the Settings, tapping on Display, turning off Auto Brightness and then setting the brightness that you want. I've found the screen is so nice that you can comfortably get by on some of the lower settings.
Another sure-fire way to get more battery life out of your Galaxy S3 is to reduce some of the connections your phone is making. Every time your Galaxy S3 searches for a Wi-Fi network or pings the GPS database, that eats up battery life.
If you know that you're not going to need either of these, go into the Settings and turn off Wi-Fi and GPS. It's kind of a pain that you have to manually turn these on when you want to use it, but Samsung made this super simple to do by including quick access to these in the Android notification bar.
Speaking of location, make sure you know which apps have access to your phone's location features and adjust accordingly. For something like Foursquare or Google Maps, having location capabilities is a must but you should think about whether other apps really need to know where you are.
Another way to get more juice out of your Galaxy S3 is by turning off background data syncing. For those who need every single Tweet, email or Facebook notification in real time, turning off background data may seem crazy but it definitely will save on battery life. Additionally, I've found this can also make you more efficient by removing distractions.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is an Android-powered phone, so many of these tips will apply to other Android phones. Be sure to read How to improve your Android smartphone's battery life.

How to sync iTunes with your Samsung Galaxy S3

Thanks to the folks at Media Mushroom, you can now sync your full iTunes library to your Galaxy S3 in an easy way.
You can transfer contacts, messages, photos, music and videos with ease. If this is something you're interested in doing, read our full guide below.
Note: Easy Phone Sync will only import DRM-free videos and music from iTunes.

1. From the Galaxy S3 home screen, head to the Google Play Store and download and install the Easy Phone Sync app.
2. Next, head to www.easyphonesync.com and download and install the Easy Phone Sync desktop software on your PC or Mac.
3. Install and run the Easy Phone Sync desktop software and it will automatically begin importing messages, photos, videos, music and contacts from iTunes.
4. Now plug in your Galaxy S3 using the USB cable to your computer and the Easy Phone Sync software should automatically recognize and open the Easy Phone Sync app on your phone.
5. Now that the app is open, tap the sync button on your Galaxy S3.
6. That's it. Your Galaxy S3 should now automatically sync with iTunes!

How to back up your Samsung Galaxy S3

With smartphones being basically computers these days, having top of the line back up software is key. Thankfully, Samsung provides users with something known as Kies, a proprietary software for users. With Kies you can back up your contacts, call log, SMS/MMS messages, and media files.
Now, I'm sure there are a few of you who don't know how to use Kies and if that sounds like you, this guide is going to be a big help. Here we show you how to back up your S3 like a pro.
Follow the directions below.

1. Download install Samsung Kies to your Windows PC or Mac. Full directions can be found here.
   
2. Navigate to the Kies icon and open the application.
3. Plug your micro USB cable into the S3 and the USB end to your computer.
4. Wait for Samsung Kies to recognize the device.
5. Select the Back up/Restore tab.
6. Scroll to the bottom of the window and click the Backup button. Kies will by default select everything to back up.
7. When Kies finishes, click complete.
8. That's it! You have successfully created a backup of your Galaxy S3.

How to load music on your Samsung Galaxy S3

Being able to listen to music on your S3 is a big deal. Before you can listen to it, however, you need to know how to transfer the songs you love to your device.
To get started, follow on below:

1. Download, install, and open Samsung Kies.
2. Connect your S3 to the computer using a MicroUSB to USB data cable, which should be provided with the phone. The phone should be recognized once you plug it in.
3. Once it's connected, go to notifications and select "Media Device(MTP)" Kies will now recognize your device as a media player.
4. Go back to Kies and select Music under Library
5. Mark the music files you want to transfer to your device and then click Transfer to device.
6. The selected music files will now load up on your Note 2.
7. Disconnect the device and you're done!

How to format your microSD card on the Samsung Galaxy S3

If you've gotten that "Memory is Full" notice on the Samsung Galaxy S3, you'll probably be a little frustrated. That being said, I'm sure there are at least a few of you out there who would like to format your S3's microSD card, but simply don't know how. If so, you've come to the right place.

1. From the Galaxy S3 home screen, open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Storage.
3. Here you will see microSD card at the bottom. Press Mount microSD card.
   
4. Next you will tap Format microSD card and the card's data will be deleted.

How to sync your Samsung Galaxy S3 with FitBit

The new FitBit for Android update will let you sync to recent devices over Bluetooth 4.0, which means you will be able to get data fed to your phones in real-time. Bluetooth 4.0 also means better battery life for the device and the phone.
So, just how do you sync your Galaxy S3 to a FitBit mobile device? Read our guide to find out!

1. From the Galaxy S3 home screen, head to the Google Play Store and download and install FitBit for Android.
2. Launch FitBit and sign-up or sign-in.
3. Tap your Samsung Galaxy S3 to your FitBit device. Make sure NFC and Bluetooth is turned on.
4. That's it. Your Galaxy S3 should now automatically sync with your FitBit in real-time.

How to send a scheduled email on the Samsung Galaxy S3

On the Galaxy S3 you can send an email at a specified date and time whenever you please. The feature is useful and really really cool.
To schedule an email on your Galaxy S3, follow the steps below.

1. From the Galaxy S3 home screen, select Applications.
2. Next, tap on the default Samsung email app.
3. Enter the email you want to send in the compose line.
4. Now, tap the Expanded Menu option.
5. Tap Schedule Sending.
6. Now select the time you want the email to send and the date.
7. Tap Done. Your email will now send automatically at the date and time set.

How to use your Samsung Galaxy S3 as a Wi-Fi mobile hotspot

With a Wi-Fi hotspot enabled on your smartphone, there are many things you might accomplish. From work to video editing, you can do almost anything from your your laptop where and whenever you want. Be aware that your carrier may charge you more for this option or it can eat into your shared data plan.
Anyway, to set up and turn on a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot on your Galaxy S3, follow the steps below:

1. From the home screen, select Applications.
2. From the Applications screen, select Settings.
3. After selecting it, tap More.
4. Next, tap Tethering and Portable hotspot. This take you to a hotspot menu.
5. Now, select Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot and a mobile hotspot will turn on. Make sure you aren't on Wi-Fi.
6. To maximize the most out of the feature, you really need to investigate all the settings on your own. In the settings you can set a password and even make your mobile hotspot private.
7. Have fun!