Samsung Galaxy Note 8 – How to Change Lock Screen

The lock screen function is not new or unique to smartphones. It’s an old safety function that helps users avoid accidentally making calls, wasting carrier data, or messing up their volume settings in the middle of a meeting.

These days, the lock screen feature is far more advanced than it used to be. It conserves battery life because it shuts off the screen when you’re not using it. It also acts as a security feature, as it prevents anyone else from accessing your smartphone without knowing the pattern or PIN code.

On the Note 8, the lock screen settings are very customizable. You can personalize everything, from the time it takes the screen to lock to the notifications you want to see during locked mode.

Lock Screen Settings

1. Swipe up to bring up the app list
2. Go to Settings
3. Locate and Tap Lock Screen and Security
4. Tap the Secure Lock Settings option

Under this tab, you can customize the lock screen function. You can choose how quickly the screen locks and also enable the lock screen function when pressing the power key.

From the same tab, you can add or remove a PIN code if you want extra security on your phone. Make sure you set up the Find My Mobile feature first, as it lets you unlock the phone even if you forget your 4-digit passcode.

Under Settings > Lock Screen and Security, you can select the pattern that unlocks the screen. There is also an option you can tick if you want to hide the pattern when you’re unlocking your phone.

Other Lock Screen Settings

From the same menu path, Settings > Lock Screen and Security, you can also customize the lock screen notifications. You can disable them for specific apps ensuring that nothing irrelevant ever pops up when the phone is locked. Of course, you can also turn off all notifications, following these steps:

1. Under Lock Screen and Security locate and tap Notifications
2. Switch first toggle to OFF

If you only want to disable notifications from a select group of apps, simply scroll down the list of apps and switch the toggle to OFF for every app you don’t want showing updates on your lock screen.

There’s another choice you can make here. You can configure the lock screen so that it shows notifications but hides the content. This way, you can still get your updates while the phone screen is locked but prying eyes won’t know what to make of them.

1. Go to Notifications again
2. Select Hide Content and set the toggle to ON
3. Select Notification Icons Only and set the toggle to ON

A Final Word

Configuring your lock screen preferences should be one of the first things you do on any new smartphone.

Aside from choosing which notifications to get when your Note 8 screen is off, don’t forget about implementing a PIN code for extra security. You should also set the desired amount of time before the screen turns off. A very short delay may save some power but it can prove to be an inconvenience.