Technologies

5 Hidden Galaxy S23 Features You Should Be Using All the Time

Improve your battery life, take higher-quality photos and more with these lesser-known features.

This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.

During Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in February, the electronics giant announced the Galaxy S23 series with several new capabilities, including GIF remastering to improve the quality of GIF files, Astro Hyperlapse to capture time-lapse night videos of the stars and, of course, the massive 200-megapixel camera on the Ultra.

However, underneath all the popular specs, there’s an array of new, lesser-known features and settings that can significantly improve your experience on the Galaxy S23. You just need to know where to look. Here’s where you can find five hidden Galaxy S23 features and what they can do for you.

Don’t have a Galaxy S23 just yet? Check out our review of the Galaxy S23 Ultra, as well as the Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus. And if you’re looking to upgrade, here’s how the Galaxy S23 compares to the Galaxy S22, iPhone 14 and the Pixel 7.

1. Clip objects out of your photos and videos with a single press

Just as Apple added an image-clipping feature to iOS 16, so has Samsung to the Galaxy S23. With image clipping, you can go into any image (or even video) in your photo gallery and separate an object, such as a person or an item, from the background, allowing you to then share it with others.

If you want to cut something out of an image, go to your camera roll and simply press on the object you want to clip from the photo. Not all objects can be clipped, so you may get a notification that says «Couldn’t find anything to clip.» If an object is successfully clipped, you’ll feel a slight vibration and you’ll be able to drag the clipped object around the photo. This also works on videos, but they do have to be paused.

You then have three options: Copy the clip to your clipboard, share the clip (email, SMS, etc.) or save the clip as a new photo in your gallery.

Clipping out Baby Yoda from a photo — For better clipping, choose a photo with a clear object in the foreground and a solid background.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

2. Take Expert RAW photos from within your camera

In 2022, Samsung released its advanced camera app Expert RAW, allowing seasoned photographers to shoot in Expert RAW format. Like RAW files, Expert RAW files are uncompressed digital images but with the bonus of multi-exposure HDR, giving your images greater dynamic range. The only reason to shoot in Expert RAW is for improved photo editing in the post-processing phase. While Expert RAW is available on the Galaxy S22, it’s only through the Expert RAW app. On the Galaxy S23, Expert RAW is now built-in to the native camera — but you’ll need to enable it first.

In the Samsung camera, swipe through the various camera modes at the bottom and tap on More. Next, tap Expert RAW, which will ask you to then download the Expert RAW application. You only need the app downloaded on your device, but you won’t need to open it to shoot in Expert Raw. Once it’s downloaded, you can freely use Expert RAW mode in your camera to take Expert RAW photos.

Expert RAW mode on the Galaxy S23 — You can control white balance, shutter speed and more with Expert RAW.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

3. Prioritize your battery life over processing speed

There are many ways to preserve the battery life, including turning your phone off, using dark mode and enabling airplane mode — but Samsung has added a battery-saving feature on the Galaxy S23. The new Light mode prioritizes your battery life and cooling efficiency over processing speed, meaning your phone will use less energy to preserve battery life without affecting general use.

To enable the new Light performance mode, go to Settings and type «performance profile.» A single result, under Battery and device care, should appear — tap it. Next, tap Performance profile and select the Light option. Note that while this feature doesn’t apply while you’re gaming, it may affect the performance of other apps, so go back to Standard if you notice any issues.

Preserve your battery life by enabling this setting.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

4. Choose which app notifications are shown on your lock screen

If your Galaxy S23 is locked, you may not want to receive notifications for every single application on your lock screen. Instead of enabling Do Not Disturb mode, which stops all alerts in general, there’s a new feature that allows you to customize what shows up on your lock screen.

In the Settings application, go to Notifications > Lock screen notifications and tap the gear icon next to Show content. A list of every application on your phone will appear — if you don’t want to see certain app notifications on your lock screen, toggle it off here.

Lock screen notification setting on the Galaxy S23 — You can choose to disable lock screen notifications for all your apps or individually.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

5. Check out the battery life for all your Galaxy devices on your home screen

Samsung now makes it easier to keep an eye on the battery life of all your Galaxy devices. In your home screen customization settings, you’ll find two new battery widgets you can add to your home screen to check out the battery life of your Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds and more from your Galaxy S23.

Battery widget on the Galaxy S23 — As long as your other Galaxy devices are connected to your S23, you can monitor their battery from your lock screen.

Nelson Aguilar/CNET

Press your finger down anywhere on a blank space on your home screen and then go into Widgets. You now have two new battery widgets you can add to your home screen: battery status circles in a 4×1 grid and a battery status list in a 4×2 grid. As long as your other Galaxy products are connected to your S23, you can check out their battery life from your home screen.

Technologies

We Played Nintendo Switch 2: Mario, Donkey Kong, Mouse, Camera and a Lot More

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Every Reveal About the Console, New Games, Price, Release Date

The $450 console launches June 5, with Mario Kart World the highlight of its launch day game lineup.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday as part of the company’s latest Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Editions and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.