Ever wondered how to take your Samsung Galaxy and S Pen experience to the next level? The S Pen Air Gestures can do just that, allowing you to control your device with a flick of the wrist. You can change tracks, adjust volume, control video playback, take photos and videos, and do a lot more with the help of air gestures.
Some of these gestures or actions are simple and easy, while others may take some time getting used to. In this guide, we’ll explore how to use and master these gestures, making your device experience more intuitive and fun. Let’s get started!
First things first, make sure you have Air Actions or gestures turned on your Samsung phone, tablet, or laptop. This will allow you to use air actions on the home screen and specific apps. Follow the steps below.
Note: Not all S Pens may support Air actions or gestures. Make sure to check your device’s specifications before proceeding. Also, make sure that the S Pen is fully charged since S Pen gestures require Bluetooth to work.
Here are the steps on how to use air gestures:
There are a few S Pen air gestures and actions that can be used anywhere on the screen. Whether you are using an app or you are on the home screen, these gestures work everywhere.
Important: Make sure to press and hold the S Pen button when performing any of the gestures.
All these actions can be customized to toggle different shortcuts and apps. Simply tap on the gesture and select the desired shortcut and app you want to trigger with it.
S Pen air gestures and actions can also be used in specific apps like YouTube, Gallery, the Camera app, and more. It allows you to access basic functions such as switching camera modes, taking photos, controlling video playback, and more. You still need to press and hold the S Pen button when performing any of the app-specific gestures.
Apps like YouTube and Spotify come under the category of media player apps. The following gestures can be used on any media player app including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and more:
Samsung Notes is an app where you would want to use the Air actions. Since you would already be using your S Pen to take notes, it only makes sense to take advantage of the air gestures as well.
If you’re not a fan of Samsung Notes, there’s Noteshelf for you. It’s a third-party note-taking app that comes bundled with most Galaxy Tabs nowadays.
Browsing on Chrome? Well, you need to know these Air actions if you are an avid S Pen user.
The camera app is probably where it makes the most sense to use S Pen air gestures. You can easily take photos and videos with a flick of your S Pen. Pretty cool, isn’t it? Try it out, and I’m sure you’ll love these gestures.
It’s not my favorite app to use air gestures with, but it does come in handy sometimes, like when you want to slideshow a bunch of photos.
You can customize your S Pen with Pentastic for a more engaging and customized experience. Pentastic is a Goodlock module from the “Make up” tab. You can install Goodlock from the Galaxy Store or the Google Play Store on your device.
Let’s be honest, the default S Pen pointer is boring. Thankfully, you can customize the pointer to a heart, a crocodile, or something else. Follow the steps below.
If you want to customize the sound of your S Pen, follow the steps below.
This Double Tap shortcut in the Pentastic module lets you assign a quick action to your S Pen’s double-tap gesture. Just press and hold the Pen button and double-tap on your screen (it must be locked). By default, this gesture would open a blank note. Here’s how to customize it:
This is not a Goodlock module but rather a setting within the S Pen settings. It allows you to press and hold the S Pen’s button to quickly open an app or access a feature. Here’s how to customize it:
Some Samsung phones, including the Galaxy Note series, Galaxy S21 Ultra, Galaxy S22 Ultra, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy Tab series, Z Fold3, Z Fold4, and Z Fold5 support S Pen Air Actions. All tablets, including the Tab S FE series and the Atb S series, support S Pen Air Actions. Most Galaxy Notebooks with a touchscreen also support S Pen Air Actions.
Simply dock your S Pen on the back of your tablet or inside your phone and a battery level notification should pop-up on your screen.
No, you cannot use S Pen Air gestures if your S Pen is not charged. Air gestures require Bluetooth to function which in turn requires battery. But don’t worry, your S Pen can juice up really fast.
Ensure your S Pen is charged, Bluetooth is enabled, and Air Actions are turned on in the settings. If it still doesn’t work, try resetting the S Pen settings or restarting your device.
Yes, you can use S Pen Air gestures with some third-party apps such as Chrome, Noteshelf, YouTube, Spotify, and more. Do note that not all third-party apps may be supported.
S Pen Air Gestures should work with most protective cases, as long as the S Pen button can be pressed and the S Pen has a clear line of sight to the device. However, very thick or metal cases might interfere with the gestures.
