The Best Hidden Features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 might not be the newest kid on the block anymore, but it’s still one of the most overqualified phones you can slip into a pocket. Under that glass-and-metal exterior lives a small army of hidden features: productivity tricks, camera smarts, S Pen superpowers, and security options that a lot of owners never fully explore.

If you’re still rocking a Note 9 (or thinking of picking one up used), the good news is that this phone can do way more than most people realize. Between Samsung’s own software, the Bluetooth-enabled S Pen, and features baked into One UI, the Note 9 is a surprisingly modern-feeling device when you unlock its “secret menu” of tools.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the best hidden features of the Galaxy Note 9: S Pen remote tricks, camera intelligence, DeX desktop mode without a dock, Secure Folder privacy options, Edge Panel shortcuts, and everyday tweaks that can make the phone feel brand-new again. Along the way you’ll get practical, real-world ways to use themnot just “tap this, tap that,” but why they actually matter in daily life.

Why the Galaxy Note 9 Still Holds Up

The Note 9 was Samsung’s “do everything” flagship: big battery, large AMOLED display, expandable storage, headphone jack (remember those?), and that iconic S Pen. Since launch, software updates introduced One UI refinements and improved camera features, so the phone aged a lot more gracefully than many of its peers.

Where it really shines in 2025 is value. On the used market, a Note 9 costs a fraction of a modern flagship, yet still gives you a high-end camera, an excellent screen, Samsung DeX, and a stylus that doubles as a remote control. Those “hidden” features are what transform it from “old Android phone” into a budget-friendly productivity machine.

S Pen Superpowers You Probably Haven’t Fully Used

1. Use the S Pen as a Bluetooth Remote

The Note 9’s S Pen isn’t just a fancy toothpick for scribbling on the screen. It’s Bluetooth-enabled, which means that little button on the side can control your phone from a distanceperfect for taking group selfies, controlling presentations, or skipping music tracks. Samsung’s own guides highlight how the S Pen can be used as a remote for the camera, Gallery, PowerPoint, and more.

To customize it:

• Go to Settings > Advanced features > S Pen > S Pen remote.
• Turn it on, then choose what a single press and double press do in supported apps.
• For the Camera, set a single press to take a photo and a double press to switch cameras.

In real life, this means you can set the phone on a tripod, step back, and click the S Pen to capture perfectly framed shotsno awkward reaching or 3-second timers. For presenters, you can flip slides in PowerPoint without touching the phone, which instantly makes you look 37% more professional (unscientific, but emotionally accurate).

2. Screen-Off Memo: A Pocket Notepad That Never Runs Out

One of the most underrated hidden features of the Galaxy Note series is Screen-off memo. With the Note 9, you can pull out the S Pen while the screen is off and write directly on the black display; the phone automatically saves your scribbles as a Samsung Notes file. Tech sites and reviewers consistently call this out as one of the S Pen’s most practical features.

How to use it:

• Make sure Screen-off memo is enabled under Settings > Advanced features > S Pen.
• With the display off, just pull out the S Pen and start writing.
• Tap Save when you’re done to store it in Samsung Notes.

This is perfect for quick grocery lists, phone numbers, or “brilliant ideas” you get at 2 a.m. before your brain forgets everything by 2:03 a.m.

3. Air Command and Custom Shortcuts

When you pull out the S Pen with the screen on, the Air Command menu pops upa circular launcher for stylus-related features. Many users leave it on the defaults and never realize how customizable it is. Samsung’s S Pen documentation shows that you can add your own shortcuts for apps and actions, turning Air Command into a personal productivity hub.

Try these tweaks:

• Add Translate to quickly hover over text in a foreign language.
• Add your favorite note template (like “Checklist”) for quick to-dos.
• Add apps like Photoshop Express or OneNote if you use them with the S Pen.

With a few minutes of customization, your S Pen goes from “cool party trick” to “daily driver” for getting things done faster.

Hidden Camera Intelligence: Let the Note 9 Think for You

4. Scene Optimizer: Auto-Tuned Photos for Different Situations

The Note 9 camera includes a feature called Scene Optimizer that uses AI to recognize what you’re shootinglike food, landscapes, night scenes, or peopleand then automatically adjusts color and exposure to match. Samsung explains that it can detect around 20 scene types and tweak saturation, contrast, and white balance accordingly.

To use it:

• Open the Camera app.
• Tap the Settings gear icon.
• Enable Scene optimizer.

When the camera recognizes a scene, you’ll see a little icon on the screen (like a plate for food or a tree for nature). It’s subtle, but it often gives your photos that “edited” look without you ever opening a photo editor.

5. Flaw Detection: Your Built-In Photo Quality Assistant

Another clever hidden feature is Flaw Detection. After you take a photo, the Note 9 analyzes it and alerts you if something went wrong. Samsung and carrier documentation note that it can spot things like blinks, motion blur, or a smudged lens, then prompt you to retake the shot before the moment is completely gone.

If you’ve ever taken a “perfect” group photo only to later see that your friend blinked at exactly the wrong second, this feature is your new best friend. Just make sure it’s turned on in the camera settings under Flaw detection.

6. Dual Aperture for Better Low-Light Photos

The Note 9’s rear camera includes Dual Aperture, which physically switches between two aperture values to handle bright light and low light more effectively. Tech reviewers highlighted that in darker environments, the camera opens up the aperture to let in more light, while bright scenes use a narrower aperture for sharper detail.

You’ll see the aperture setting in Pro mode, but even in Auto mode the phone quietly adjusts for you behind the scenes. Combine this with Scene Optimizer and you can get surprisingly clean night shots from a phone that’s several generations old.

7. Super Slow-Mo: Go Beyond the Default Settings

The 960 fps Super Slow-mo mode is not exactly hidden, but one of its best tricks is easy to miss. According to tip roundups, the Note 9 lets you choose between capturing 0.2 seconds or 0.4 seconds of super slow-motion footage. That translates into several seconds of dramatic video playback.

In the camera’s Super Slow-mo mode:

• Tap the 0.2 or 0.4 button above the shutter.
• Use 0.2 seconds for better quality (720p) and 0.4 seconds for longer clips (lower resolution).

It’s perfect for capturing your dog jumping for a frisbee, a burst balloon, orif you’re honest with yourselfyour coffee pouring into a mug in unnecessarily dramatic fashion.

DeX Without the Dock: Turn Your Note 9 Into a Desktop

8. Run Samsung DeX with Just an HDMI Cable

When the Note 9 launched, one of its biggest upgrades was a more flexible version of Samsung DeX, the desktop-like interface that runs when you connect the phone to a monitor. Earlier models needed a special DeX dock; with the Note 9, DeX can start with a simple USB-C-to-HDMI adapter. Tech outlets like Engadget and India Today pointed out that this change made DeX much cheaper and more convenient to use.

To try it:

• Get a compatible USB-C-to-HDMI adapter.
• Plug the Note 9 into a monitor or TV.
• Wait for DeX mode to launch.

From there, you get a desktop-style interface with resizable windows, a taskbar, and keyboard/mouse support. PhoneArena notes that you can pair Bluetooth peripherals or even use the Note 9 itself as a touchpad and keyboard if you don’t have extra hardware handy.

9. Use Your Note 9 as a Trackpad and Keyboard

If you connect to a TV while traveling and don’t have a mouse nearby, DeX lets the phone’s screen act as a trackpad. Tap the touchpad icon on the phone in DeX mode and you can drag, click, and type using the on-screen keyboard.

This transforms your Note 9 into a legitimate lightweight PC replacement for email, browser-based work, and streaming. It’s a hidden feature in the sense that many Note 9 owners never bother to try DeXyet once you set it up once, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Security and Privacy Tricks You Should Turn On

10. Secure Folder: A Private Space for Apps and Files

Secure Folder is Samsung’s built-in encrypted space where you can hide apps, photos, documents, and accounts behind an extra layer of security. Official support pages and carrier guides note that it can be hidden from the app drawer entirely and unlocked only with your fingerprint, PIN, or pattern.

On the Note 9, you can:

• Go to Settings > Biometrics and security > Secure Folder to set it up.
• Install a second copy of apps (like WhatsApp, Facebook, or banking apps) inside Secure Folder.
• Hide the Secure Folder icon from the app screen or rename it and change the icon to be more discreet.

This is ideal for separating work apps, hiding sensitive photos, or keeping a “clean” social media space separate from your everyday accounts.

11. Hide Secure Folder Completely

If you really don’t want anyone to know Secure Folder exists, Note 9 users can hide it from the app screen and only access it via Quick Settings. Samsung’s documentation explains that you can toggle its visibility, change its name, and even change the icon for extra stealth.

It’s like having a vault in your phone, with a secret door and a fake painting in front of it. Only with fewer laser beams and more passwords.

12. Edge Panel Shortcuts and App Pair

The Edge Panel on the Note 9 is that translucent tab on the side of the screen. Swipe it in and you’ll see app shortcuts, contacts, tools, and more. Many guides point out that you can also download extra Edge Panelsand that the download option moved into a menu, which makes it easier to miss.

From the Edge Panel settings:

• Tap the three-dot menu and choose Download to get extra panels.
• Use App Pair to launch two apps side-by-side in split screen (for example, YouTube + Messages, or Chrome + Notes).

For multitaskers, Edge Panel and App Pair can save a lot of time. With just a swipe, you can pull up your favorite dual-app combination and get back to work (or back to watching videos while pretending to workno judgment).

Everyday Quality-of-Life Tweaks

13. Change the S Pen Signature Color in Screen-Off Memo

By default, the Note 9’s Screen-off memo uses an ink color that matches your S Pen (for example, bright yellow on the blue model). PCWorld notes that you can turn off this “signature color” if you’d rather use classic white ink on the black screen.

Just go to:

• Settings > Advanced features > S Pen > Screen off memo
• Disable Use S Pen signature color.

It’s a tiny tweak, but if you take lots of notes, readability matters.

14. Customize Always On Display

The Note 9’s Always On Display (AOD) lets you see the time, date, battery level, and notifications at a glance. Many users never dive into its customization options, but you can change clock styles, colors, and even add GIFs or photos. Combined with Screen-off memo and S Pen notes, AOD can become a mini dashboard for your life.

To tweak it, head to Settings > Lock screen > Always On Display and explore the styling options. You can choose when it shows (tap to show, scheduled, or always), which can help save battery while still looking stylish.

15. Blue Light Filter and One-Handed Mode

Two more quietly powerful Note 9 features live under Advanced features:

• Blue light filter (or Eye Comfort Shield in newer One UI versions) helps reduce eye strain at night by cutting blue wavelengths.
• One-handed mode shrinks the display so you can reach everything more easily with one thumba lifesaver on a 6.4-inch screen.

Set the blue light filter to kick in automatically at sunset and assign a one-handed mode gesture (like triple-pressing the Home button or a gesture on the navigation bar). These aren’t flashy “headline” features, but they make the phone a lot more comfortable to live with day to day.

Real-World Experiences With Note 9 Hidden Features

Knowing that a feature exists is one thing; actually using it daily is another. So let’s walk through what a “best case” Note 9 experience looks like when you combine these hidden tools.

Imagine you’re starting a workday at a coffee shop. You sit down, pull out your Note 9 and a small USB-C-to-HDMI adapter, and plug into the shop’s TV or a portable monitor. DeX launches, and suddenly you’re looking at a desktop-like workspace where you can run a browser, email, Slack, and documents in windows. The phone becomes a trackpad, and you’re typing on a small Bluetooth keyboard from your bag. You’re mobile, but not limited.

During the day, you’re taking notes constantly. A client calls and rattles off changes? You pull out the S Pen with the screen off, jot them down instantly with Screen-off memo, and tap save. Later, in a meeting, you hand the Note 9 around the table and use the S Pen as a remote to flip through a PowerPoint deck mirrored to the TV via DeX. No dongle jungle, no laptop fan noisejust a phone doing double duty.

On a weekend, the same phone turns into your casual camera. You enable Scene Optimizer and Flaw Detection, so when you take photos at a dim restaurant, the Note 9 quietly boosts colors and brightness while warning you if someone blinked. You grab a few Super Slow-mo clips of your kid cannonballing into the pool and share them on social mediastill looking surprisingly modern in 2025 thanks to Dual Aperture and AI processing.

Privacy-wise, Secure Folder becomes your “secret compartment.” You keep your banking apps and sensitive photos inside it, with a different unlock method than your main device. Even if you hand your phone to a friend to show a picture or a YouTube clip, your private content stays locked up. For work, you can even duplicate appsone WhatsApp for personal contacts, one inside Secure Folder for clients.

Edge Panel and App Pair help you juggle everything at once. Swipe from the side and launch Chrome and Samsung Notes in split screen to research and jot ideas. Or pull up YouTube and Messages together so you can watch reviews while texting a friend about whether you should finally upgrade (spoiler: you might delay that decision once you fully unlock what the Note 9 already does).

Even late at night, the phone adapts. The blue light filter kicks in, easing strain on your eyes as you scroll. You shrink the screen using One-handed mode while lying in bed so you can reach everything without doing a finger yoga pose across the display. Then, before you sleep, you yank out the S Pen one last time, scribble tomorrow’s to-do list on the dark screen, and tuck the phone on the nightstand where the Always On Display quietly shows the time and your next alarm.

None of this requires root, custom ROMs, or hacking. It’s all built-injust a little buried. Once you dig up these best hidden features of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, the phone stops feeling like a “backup device” and starts feeling like a trusty main driver again.

Conclusion: A Classic Phone With Modern Tricks

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is proof that a well-designed phone with thought-out features can stay relevant for years. Between its Bluetooth S Pen remote, Screen-off memo and Air Command, intelligent camera modes like Scene Optimizer and Flaw Detection, DeX desktop mode without a dock, Secure Folder privacy tools, and customizable Edge Panels, it still offers a rich, flagship-level experience when you unlock what’s already there.

Whether you’re a productivity nerd, a mobile photographer, or someone who just loves getting maximum value from their tech, the Note 9 rewards curiosity. Explore its hidden features, set them up to fit your life, and you may find that the “old” Note in your hand feels a lot more like a smart, modern companion than a relic.