Samsung Galaxy Tab S4

The recently released Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has been discovered as a versatile tablet/ laptop combination. Although it is tiny as a laptop here is a brief guide on using it in laptop mode with the keyboard cover accessory.

These notes may also apply to users of other Samsung Devices that utilize the Dex Mode.

Quick Links to the content below

Orientation
Screen Modes
Samsung Dex
Email
Desktop Shortcuts
Keyboard and Dictation
Microsoft Office
Forced Restart

Orientation

Screen Modes

1. Samsung DeX
   (Desktop eXperience)
   Samsung DeX provides a more desktop like experience especially when the tablet is docked into the keyboard cover. You get a screen layout that closely resembles your Windows desktop. When docked the tablet can be set to automatically switch to Samsung DeX.
   Samsung DeX is always in Landscape mode.
   To view properly, rotate the tablet to the landscape orientation. (It will already be rotated correctly if docked onto the keyboard).
2. Normal
   This mode shows the normal screen layout in both Landscape and Portrait orientations.

Switching between Samsung DeX screen layout mode and Normal screen layout mode

Whilst the tablet is in Samsung DeX mode:
Tap on the △. This is found in system tray area at the bottom right to bring up the Quick Settings menu. Tap on the last item “Samsung DeX”.

Whilst the tablet is in Normal mode:
Swipe down from the top of the screen twice (or once using two fingers). Find the “Samsung DeX” switch and tap it once.

Samsung DeX

The Samsung DeX Desktop – explained

KeyBoard Shortcuts

These keyboard shortcuts work while the tablet is connected to the keyboard cover.

Home	🔍+⤶ Enter
Back	🔍+Backspace
Running apps	Alt+⭾Tab
Notifications	🔍+N
Keyboard shortcuts	🔍+/
Switch languages	↑ Shift + Space
Lock screen	🔍+L
All apps	🔍
Browser	🔍+B
Contacts	🔍+C
Email	🔍+E
Music	🔍+P

Windows (in Samsung DeX mode)

Just like on your desktop computer, all open applications are displayed in the task bar at the bottom of the screen. The selected application will be open in a window with three icons in the top right of the application. These icons work in the same way as applications on your Windows desktop.

1. Minimise
2. Maximise or Resize
3. Close

Note: not all Android apps allow resizing of their respective window.

Email

All email accounts can be setup in the Samsung Email App

You can open the email app in two different ways:

1. Find and tap on the email app icon 
2. Use the keyboard shortcut 🔍+E (Whilst in Samsung DeX screen layout mode)

The email app has three columns

1. Column 1 contains the email accounts and folders.
2. Column 2 contains the email items for the selected email account or folder in column 1.
3. Column 3 displays the email content of the selected email in column 2.

To resize the columns put your finger on the vertical line between two columns and drag left or right.

Email Actions

Quick actions in column 2 (middle column)

In the email items column (column 2) put your finger on an email and drag left or right as follows:

• To Delete an Email: Drag the email from right to left
• To Reply, Move, or mark an email as Read: Drag the email from left to right and choose the desired action.

Compose an Email: Tap the round orange dot at the bottom of the email list column (middle column).

Quick actions in Column 3 (right column)

• copy
• reply
• reply to all
• forward
• delete

Create Desktop Shortcuts to most used web sites

You can access your most used web pages directly from the home screen:

1. Visit the web page
2. Tap the 3 dots on the top right
3. Tap “Add to Home screen”

Shortcuts are then added to the Desktop.

Using Google Chrome

If the desktop shortcut is created in Google Chrome, tapping on either shortcut will open that page into its own tab in the Chrome browser app.

Using Microsoft Edge

If the desktop shortcut is created in Microsoft Edge, tapping on either shortcut will open that page into its own new window in the Edge browser app.

Keyboard and voice input/ dictation

Dictation is activated via the microphone icon in the on-screen keyboard.

The on-screen keyboard can be set to be displayed when any application that requires keyboard input is launched. (This setting is found in the Samsung DeX settings).

If you have the tablet docked into the keyboard cover, you can simply get the onscreen keyboard out the way with the “x” at the top right of the onscreen keyboard. To bring the on-screen keyboard up again, tap inside the text input area on the screen.

Tap on the microphone icon on the on-screen keyboard to start dictation immediately. Thereafter press the centre Tap to speak icon to pause or resume. If you don’t manage the Tap to speak properly, unwanted text from background noise and conversation will populate your typing area unnecessarily.

Want to punctuate your typed text whilst speaking? Try these commands during your dictation.

• Period = period (.)
• Comma = comma (,)
• Question mark = question mark (?)
• Exclamation or exclamation point = exclamation point (!)
• Apostrophe = apostrophe (‘)
• Enter or new line = moves to a new line
• New paragraph = new paragraph
• Tab key = tab
• Colon = colon (:)
• Dash = dash (-)
• Ellipsis or dot dot dot = ellipsis (…)
• Ampersand = ampersand (&)
• Asterisk = asterisk (*)
• At sign = at sign (@)
• Backslash = backslash (\)
• Forward slash = forward slash (/)
• Open bracket = open bracket ([)
• Close bracket = closed bracket (])
• Open parenthesis = open parenthesis (()
• Close parenthesis = close parenthesis ())

Microsoft Office Apps

Included with the tablet are the Microsoft Office suite apps: Word, Excel and PowerPoint. You can only view documents in these apps.

The tablet has a screen size of 10.5 inches. Microsoft has set a limit of offering the Microsoft Office Suite apps for mobile devices for free up to a screen size of 10.1 inches.

…More info

Because the tablet size is 10.5 inches, you are not able to create or edit documents without a valid Office 365 subscription.

Forced Restart

You may find yourself in a situation where your TAB S4 freezes or can’t do anything, or you may notice that the time is not changing to the current time. Try a Forced Reboot. Here’s how:

At the same time press and hold BOTH the Power Button AND the Volume Down button at the same time for more than 7 seconds. The tablet will then restart and hopefully everything will be normal again!

…More Info

Mobile Setup

Martin’s HelpDesk can help users get the best out of their phone or tablet. With a proper setup your phone can facilitate your everyday activities. We provide a custom setup to match your lifestyle including work, travel, sports and leisure.

https://martinshelpdesk.com/smartphone