Losing or damaging your Samsung phone doesn’t have to mean losing everything on it. Samsung Cloud offers a built-in, straightforward solution for backing up your data—so you can quickly restore it to a new phone or after a factory reset.

Even though Samsung Cloud no longer supports backing up photos and files directly (those features have migrated to Microsoft OneDrive), it remains essential for safeguarding contacts, messages, settings, and more. Here’s how to use it effectively.

Before You Start Make sure you have:

• A Samsung Account. If not, create one via Settings.
• A solid Wi-Fi connection to avoid mobile data charges.
• A charged device or your charger handy, just in case.

Method 1: Manual Backup to Samsung Cloud This method lets you choose what to back up and when.

Steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap “Accounts and backup.”
3. Tap “Samsung Cloud.”
4. Tap “Back up data.”
5. Toggle on what you want to back up: Contacts, Call logs, Messages, Calendar, Settings, Home screen, Apps, Samsung Notes, etc.
6. Tap “Back up now.”
7. Wait for the process to complete. Once done, you’ll see the latest backup date displayed.

Method 2: Set Up Auto Backup Want peace of mind without having to remember to back up?

Steps:

1. Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud.
2. Tap “Back up data.”
3. Toggle on “Auto back up.”
4. Choose which items you want included.

Auto backups happen when your phone is:

• On Wi-Fi
• Charging
• Idle (screen off)

Method 3: Use Temporary Cloud Backup (One UI 6+) For newer devices running One UI 6 or later, Samsung added a powerful feature called Temporary Cloud Backup.

Why use it?

• It’s perfect for switching phones or getting repairs.
• Unlimited storage for 30 days.
• Includes more data types (even media files).

Steps:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Battery and device care.
3. Tap Maintenance mode.
4. Tap “Temporary Cloud Backup.”
5. Follow the prompts to choose data and start the backup.

Make sure to restore your data within 30 days!

What Does Samsung Cloud Back Up and Sync? Backed up:

• Contacts
• Messages (SMS/MMS)
• Call logs
• Calendar
• Clock settings (alarms, timers)
• Home screen layout
• Apps (package + basic settings)
• Device settings (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.)
• Samsung Notes
• Voice Recorder files

Continuously synced:

• Contacts
• Calendar
• Samsung Notes
• Reminders
• Samsung Internet bookmarks
• Keyboard settings & learned words

Note on Photos/Videos: Samsung Cloud no longer supports Gallery or My Files. Use OneDrive (linked with Samsung Gallery) or Google Photos instead.

Restoring Your Data When setting up a new phone or after a reset:

1. Sign in with your Samsung Account during setup.
2. Choose “Restore from Samsung Cloud.”
3. Select the latest backup and what to restore.

To restore manually later:

1. Go to Settings > Accounts and backup > Samsung Cloud.
2. Tap “Restore data.”
3. Select your backup and what you want to recover.

FAQ

Q1: Is Samsung Cloud still available?

Yes—but only for essential data (like contacts, messages, etc.). For media files, use OneDrive or Google Photos.

Q2: How much free space do I get?

You get 5GB free. That’s plenty for settings and text-based backups, but not for photos.

Q3: Can I back up photos?

Not to Samsung Cloud anymore. Use OneDrive or Google Photos instead.

Q4: What’s Temporary Cloud Backup?

It’s a short-term, high-capacity backup option for One UI 6+ devices. You get unlimited space for 30 days—great for transitions or emergencies.

Q5: What if I don’t use Samsung Cloud for a while?

Samsung may delete inactive data after 12 months of no usage. They’ll usually notify you beforehand.

Backing up your Samsung phone is simple but powerful. It ensures you won’t lose your important data when life gets unpredictable. Whether you do it manually or set up auto-backup, having that safety net is always worth it.

The status bar on your Samsung Galaxy phone, located at the very top of your screen, is a crucial area. It provides glanceable information about your device’s current state: network signal, Wi-Fi connectivity, battery level, time, and, importantly, notification icons from various apps. While incredibly useful, a crowded status bar can sometimes feel overwhelming or visually cluttered, especially if you have many persistent notifications or active system features.

Historically, Android, and by extension Samsung’s One UI, has given users some control over what appears in this space. Early Android versions had a “System UI Tuner” for basic status bar customizations, but its accessibility varied. Samsung, with its One UI overlay, has offered more robust customization options, particularly through its Good Lock suite of apps. This allows users to tailor their experience beyond the standard Android offerings, including granular control over status bar icons.

This guide will walk you through the various methods to hide status bar icons on your Samsung Galaxy phone, helping you achieve a cleaner, more minimalist look while ensuring you don’t miss crucial information.

Understanding Status Bar Icons

Before we dive into hiding them, let’s quickly identify the types of icons you’ll typically see in your status bar:

• System Icons: These represent the fundamental status of your phone, such as Wi-Fi, cellular signal, battery, Bluetooth, alarm, NFC, location, airplane mode, etc. They are always on the right side (or grouped with essential icons on the left in some older One UI versions) of the status bar.
• Notification Icons: These appear on the left side of the status bar and indicate new notifications from your apps (e.g., new message, email, app update, music playback).

The ability to hide these icons gives you more control over your device’s aesthetics and can reduce visual noise.

Method 1: Using Built-in Notification Settings (For Notification Icons)

Samsung One UI allows you to manage how notification icons are displayed, offering a degree of control over the left side of your status bar. This method primarily affects notification icons, not system icons like Wi-Fi or battery.

1. Open Settings: Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Panel, then tap the Settings gear icon (⚙️). Alternatively, find and tap the Settings app icon in your app drawer.
2. Navigate to Notification Settings: Scroll down and tap on Notifications.
3. Access Advanced Settings: Tap Advanced settings.
4. Manage Notification Icons:
   • Show notification icons: Tap on this option. You’ll typically see a few choices:
     • All notifications: Shows icons for every pending notification. This can quickly clutter your status bar.
     • 3 most recent: Shows icons for only the three most recent notifications. Older notifications will be represented by a dot. This is a good balance for many users.
     • Number of notifications: Displays a number indicating how many notifications you have, without showing individual app icons. This is quite minimalist.
     • None: Hides all notification icons from the status bar. You will still see them in the notification panel when you swipe down, but not at the top of your screen.
   • Choose “Number of notifications” or “None” to effectively hide most or all of your notification icons from the status bar.
5. Hide Battery Percentage (Optional but related): While not a notification icon, the battery percentage can also contribute to clutter.
   • From the Notifications > Advanced settings screen, scroll down and toggle off Show battery percentage. The battery icon will still be visible, but the exact percentage number will be hidden.

Method 2: Using Samsung’s Good Lock Suite (QuickStar Module) – For System Icons

For granular control over system icons (like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, alarm, NFC, etc.), Samsung offers a powerful customization suite called Good Lock. Within Good Lock, the QuickStar module specifically allows you to hide these often-persistent icons. This is the most comprehensive way to clean up the right side of your status bar.

Important Note: Good Lock and its modules are official Samsung apps, but they are not pre-installed. You need to download them from the Galaxy Store. Good Lock modules are updated periodically, so ensure you have the latest versions for full functionality.

Step 2.1: Download and Install Good Lock & QuickStar

1. Open the Galaxy Store: Find the Galaxy Store app icon on your Home screen or in the App Drawer and tap it.
2. Search for Good Lock: In the Galaxy Store, tap the search icon (magnifying glass) and type “Good Lock.” Tap on the Good Lock app from the search results.
3. Install Good Lock: Tap the Install button to download and install the Good Lock app.
4. Open Good Lock: Once installed, open the Good Lock app.
5. Install QuickStar: Inside Good Lock, you’ll see a list of various modules. Scroll down and find QuickStar. Tap the download icon next to it to install the QuickStar module. Good Lock will redirect you to the Galaxy Store to download QuickStar.
   • Pro Tip: If you’re having trouble finding it, use the search bar within Good Lock or Galaxy Store for “QuickStar.”
6. Open QuickStar (from Good Lock): After QuickStar is installed, go back to the Good Lock app and tap on the QuickStar module to open it.

Step 2.2: Hide System Indicator Icons with QuickStar

1. Toggle QuickStar On: Inside the QuickStar module, ensure the main toggle at the top is On.
2. Access “Visibility of indicator icons”: Tap on the option labeled “Visibility of indicator icons”.
3. Toggle Off Desired Icons: You’ll see a comprehensive list of system icons. Each icon has a toggle next to it.
   • Scroll down and toggle off any icon you wish to hide from your status bar.
   • Examples of icons you can hide:
     • Alarm: If you prefer not to see the alarm clock icon when an alarm is set.
     • Bluetooth: If you know Bluetooth is always on and don’t need the constant visual reminder.
     • Wi-Fi: If you’re always connected and don’t need the icon.
     • NFC: If you keep it on but rarely use it.
     • Battery icon: You can hide the battery icon entirely, especially if you opted to show only the percentage (though most prefer to see at least the icon).
     • Network (IMS network icon): This can vary by carrier but might show an icon related to VoLTE/VoWiFi.
     • Modes and Routines: If you activate a Bixby Routine or Mode (e.g., Sleep Mode, Driving Mode), a specific icon often appears. QuickStar allows you to hide these.
     • Device Care: An icon related to device optimization sometimes appears.
     • Location: The location icon that shows when an app is using your location.
4. Observe Changes: As you toggle off an icon, it will disappear from your status bar in real-time.
5. Go Back: Once you’ve made your selections, simply go back to the previous screen or exit QuickStar. Your changes are automatically saved.

What about the Clock? QuickStar also allows you to hide the clock from the status bar.

• Within QuickStar, go to “Clock settings”.
• You can then choose to “Hide” the clock completely, or even change its position (left, right, or center).

Considerations When Hiding Icons

• Awareness: While hiding icons creates a cleaner look, remember that some icons provide important status updates. For instance, hiding the Wi-Fi icon means you won’t immediately know if your phone has disconnected from Wi-Fi.
• Notification Drawer: Even if you hide notification icons from the status bar, they will still be visible in your notification drawer when you swipe down from the top of the screen. This ensures you don’t miss any critical alerts.
• Battery Drain (Minimal): Hiding icons via these methods has a negligible impact on battery life. The icons are visual indicators, not significant background processes.
• Updates: After a One UI update, especially a major one, sometimes Good Lock modules might need to be updated to ensure full compatibility. If you find icons reappearing or QuickStar not working, check the Galaxy Store for updates to Good Lock and QuickStar.

Conclusion

A clean and uncluttered status bar can significantly enhance your Samsung Galaxy phone’s aesthetic appeal and user experience. By leveraging the built-in notification settings for app alerts and, more powerfully, by utilizing Samsung’s Good Lock suite with the QuickStar module for system indicators, you gain precise control over what information is constantly displayed at the top of your screen. Take the time to customize these settings to achieve your ideal, minimalist, yet informative status bar.

FAQ

Q1: Can I hide the battery icon from the status bar on my Samsung phone?

Yes, you can. With Samsung’s Good Lock app and the QuickStar module, you can specifically toggle off the battery icon from the list of “Visibility of indicator icons.” You can also choose to hide just the battery percentage via Settings > Notifications > Advanced settings.

Q2: Will hiding status bar icons prevent me from receiving notifications?

No, hiding status bar icons only affects their visibility at the top of your screen. You will still receive all notifications, and they will be accessible in your notification drawer when you swipe down. This feature is purely for visual decluttering.

Q3: Is the Good Lock app safe to use on my Samsung phone?

Yes, Good Lock is an official suite of customization apps developed by Samsung Electronics. It is perfectly safe to download and use from the Galaxy Store. It provides advanced customization options that are not typically available in the standard One UI settings.

Q4: How do I get Good Lock and QuickStar on my Samsung phone?

You can download both Good Lock and its QuickStar module directly from the Samsung Galaxy Store. Simply open the Galaxy Store app, search for “Good Lock,” install it, and then open Good Lock to find and install the “QuickStar” module.

Q5: Can I hide the clock from the status bar on my Samsung phone?

Yes, you can. Using the QuickStar module within the Good Lock app, you can access “Clock settings” and choose to “Hide” the clock from your status bar. You can also change its position (left, right, or center) from here.