Samsung Galaxy S5: How to Use and Customize S Finder App in Android 4.4.2 Kitkat

Have you ever felt that you often wasted a lot of time to find a file you saved on your phone? Or, have you ever spent a lot of time digging into the Settings menu just to find a menu or feature? These situations will be worse if you have a lot of contents on your phone but you forget when or where you save that file, or if the menu you're looking for is located in the deep side of the settings menu. If you have ever been in those situations, then you can save yourself and your times by using the S Finder app.

S Finder app will help you to find content on your phone or search more about the keyword you have entered in the search bar in the search engine with more easily and fast. In this app, you can also apply various filters to refine the search results and give you a better result. Therefore you can rely on S Finder instead of search function in each app to help you easily find a file or menu you're looking for in a few seconds.


How to use S Finder app?
You can use S Finder app to browse content on your phone or find more information for certain keyword in search engine by using the following steps:
  1. Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notifications panel.
  2. Tap S Finder button .
  3. If this is the first time for you using this app, you'll be presented with the short introduction of this app. Feel free to check Do not show again option if you don't want to be presented with this window again in the future. Tap OK button.
  4. Tap the search bar and then type anything you want to find. Tap to start searching.
  5. The search result will be displayed on the screen. By default, S Finder will find all content related with your keyword in all categories unless you set filter for it.
  6. If necessary, you can update the search results by tapping and then select Refresh.
  7. If you want to refine your search result for certain parameter, you can set filter for your search by using the following steps:
    • Filtering the categories
      • Tap .
      • In the category filter row , tap the required categories you want to use (they are likely: Notes, Conversations, Settings, Images, Music, Videos). The selected filters will turn blue.
      • The search results will be displayed based on the selected categories.
      • For instance, if you want to search "flash" in the settings menu, then you can type flash in the search bar and then select Settings for your filter.
    • Filtering the time
      • Tap .
      • In the time filter row , tap the required time you want to use (they are likely: Past 30 days, Past 7 days, Yesterday, Today, Next 7 days). The selected filters will turn blue.
      • The search results will be displayed based on the selected time.
      • For instance, if you want to search "schedule.pdf" you created in the 3 days ago, then you can type schedule.pdf in the search bar and then select Past 7 days for your filter.
    • Filtering the tag
      If previously you've tagged your contacts in the pictures, then you can select the tagged contact as the filter and the S Finder app will display all tagged-contact-related contents.
    • Filtering the location
      If previously you've tagged locations in the pictures, events or else, then you can select the tagged location and the S Finder app will display all tagged-location-related contents.
  8. Some search results (e.g: picture, contact, music, url) can be shared to others by using the following steps:
    • Tap and then tap Select.
    • All share-able search results will have a checkbox in their left sides.
    • Tick the checkbox in the desired search results you want to share.
    • Tap Share button .
    • Select the required share method you want to use (e.g: Email, Gmail, Messages, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, etc).
    • Follow the on-screen instruction to complete sharing the selected search results.


How to customize S Finder app?
You can customize the settings menu of the S Finder app to suit your need by using the following steps:
  1. Swipe down the top of the screen to open up the notifications panel.
  2. Tap S Finder button .
  3. Long tap the Recent apps key or tap to display additional options and then select Settings.
  4. Change the order of the search results
  5. You can change the order of the search results by using the following steps:
    • Tap Result display order.
    • You'll see 4 options available, they are:
      • Frequently used category first: select this option if the search results are ordered by frequently used category. For instance, if the Music is the most often used category, then S Finder will display search results for music at the first place.
      • Currently used category: select this option if you want the search results are ordered by the currently used category/app. For instance, if the Internet app is the currently used app, then S Finder will display search results for Internet/web history at the first place.
      • Alphabetical: select this option if you want the search result categories are ordered alphabetically.
      • Custom: Select this option if you want the search results are ordered by your own setting. Choosing this option will enable the "Category order" option. Tap Category order and then re-arrange category positions per you need by dragging the in the required category to the required place.
  6. Select search category
  7. By default, all categories in S Finder are selected. In case you want to select or deselect some of categories, then you can do so by using the following steps:
    • Tap Select search category to see all available categories.
    • To activate the categories, tick the checkbox in the left side of the desired categories. Or, you can check the box besides Select all to activate all categories.
    • To deactivate the categories, clear the checkbox in the left side of the desired categories.
  8. Enable or disable save search history
  9. If necessary, you can save all search histories you have made in S Finder app by checking the box next to Save search history.
  10. Delete saved search history
  11. If previously you have enabled save search history, then S Finder app will save all search histories you have made before. In case you want to delete some saved search histories, you can do so by using the following steps:
    • Tap Delete history.
    • All saved search history will be displayed.
    • Select the desired search histories you want to delete. Or select Select all to select all saved searcg histories.
    • Tap Done button.
    • Tap OK button to confirm.
    • The selected search histories will be deleted.
  12. Show or hide filters:
  13. By default, S Finder app displays all filter options. In case you want to show or hide some of filters, then you can do so by using the following steps:
    • Tap Select filters.
    • You'll see 4 filter options (they are likely: Category filter, Time filter, Tag filter, Location filter).
    • To show the filter options, tick the checkbox next to the desired filter options you want to show in the S Finder app.
    • To hide the filter options, clear the checkbox next to the desired filter options you want to hide in the S Finder app.
    • Tap OK button.

Given to its function, using S Finder will be able to help you save your time and find files or menus you're looking for with more easily and fast. So, how about you? Has this app helped you?

3 comments:

  1. Hi

    I'm trying to figure out if there is a way that I can make it so that opening up S Finder also automatically puts the cursor in the search box, so that I can just start typing in what I want to search for, instead of first having to tap in the search box before I can start to write. It's a tiny annoyance, but would make it just a little bit easier to use...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Have you found a way to show the keyboard automatically after opening sfinder? I am looking for the same thing.

      Delete
  2. I finally found a different (and in my opinion better) sollution:

    If you use the Nova Launcher, and add a new widget, you can select a NOVA ACTION, which you configure to be a "Search" or even an "App Search". It's basically the same as the S Finder, only quicker, and it also lets you start writing immediatly, without having to select the search box first. =)

    ReplyDelete

Hi the insiders,
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