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Air Gesture

Update 1: FAQs on Galaxy S4 Air Gesture were added at the bottom of this page. PDF version of all these FAQs can be downloaded from this post.

Waving your hand at the Samsung Galaxy S4 to accept calls, change music, or browse the web and your photos? This sounds ridiculous.  But it is true.

This feature is called  Galaxy S4 Air Gesture. Control phone functions without touching the screen!

Near the Samsung logo, there is a dedicated sensor to detect the motion of your hand. Galaxy S4 will take some actions corresponding to the motion pattern and current phone state.

At this time, only selected (not all) apps can respond to Galaxy S4 Air Gesture. Maybe gradually, more apps can be controlled by these air gestures.  Currently, you can use 5 air gestures.

  • Quick glance.

When the Galaxy S4 screen is off, move your hand above the sensor to view notifications, missed calls, new messages, time and date, and more.

  • Air jump.

While viewing emails or webpages, move your hand up or down across the sensor to scroll the page up or down.

  • Air browse.

Move your hand to the left or right across the sensor to browse images, webpages, songs, or memos.

  • Air move.

Tap and hold an icon with one hand, and then move your other hand to the left or right across the sensor to move the icon to another location.

While using the daily or weekly calendar, tap and hold an event, and then move your other hand to the left or right to move the event to another day or week.

  • Air call-accept.

When a call comes in, move your hand to the left, and then to the right across the sensor to answer the call.

To use air gesture, you need activate this feature in Galaxy S4. You can do so through  Settings– My device — Motions and gestures –Air gesture. Drag it to right to activate it.

Here is the cheat sheet of Air Gesture:

Samsung Galaxy S4 Air Gesture cheat sheet
Samsung Galaxy S4 Air Gesture cheat sheet

 

FAQs on Air Gesture

Q1 : A palm-shaped icon has appeared on the status bar. What is this?
A : The air gesture feature has been activated. When Galaxy S4 air gestures are available, the palm-shaped icon will appear on the status bar at the top of the screen. To check if this feature has been enabled go to:
Path : Setting → My device → Motions and gestures → Air gesture
You can control your device by making specific gestures with your hand above the sensors via Air gesture.

Q2 : The gesture recognition via Air gesture isn’t working well.
A : The sensor recognizes gestures best when you make smooth, steady movement about 7cm from the sensor.
If you perform them too far from the device or while wearing dark-coloured clothes such as gloves, the device may not recognize your gestures.

Q3 : The screen moves up and down. Why is that?
A : The Air jump function has been activated. To check if this feature has been enabled go to: Path : Setting → My device → Motions and gestures → Air gesture → Air jump
When air gestures are available, you can scroll web pages by moving your hand up or down above the sensor in Internet/ Email. (for Samsung browser / Samsung account)

Q4 : I find that photos and music skip between “next” and “previous”. Why is that?
A : The Air browse function has been activated. . To check if this feature has been enabled go to: Path : Setting → My device → Motions and gestures → Air gesture → Air browse
When air browse are available, you can go to the next or previous item by moving your hand left or right above the sensor in Gallery / Internet / Music Player / Music on lock screen / S memo page view.

Q5 : I try to go to the next or previous item in “Music” on the lock screen, but it does not work in my device. What is the problem?
A : Please check that “Music” on the lock screen feature in Air browse is turned on.
Path : Setting → My device → Motions and gestures → Air gesture → Air browse → Music on lock screen. When you select the “Music on lock screen box”, it will work normally.

Q6 : Incoming calls are answered as I go to pick up the device by itself. Why is that?
A : The Air call-accept function has been activated. To check if this feature has been enabled go to: Path : Setting → My device → Motions and gestures → Air gesture → Air call-accept
You can accept incoming calls by moving your hand above the sensor.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. my air gesture sensor not blinking? but all app is working in air gesture are working why?

    Reply

  2. The only gesture I can get to work is quick glance, the rest wont……… I am following the required movements, is it a fault??

    Reply

  4. my fon doesn’t have settings 4 motion and gestures cause i had formatted it once……what should i do to enable this functions on my fon back….

    Reply

  5. i Actived air guester but the the top screen dosent blinking why? and when phone is off i move my hands over sensor like in catalog but it didnt work why ?? notice that i followed every step and correct

    Reply

  8. Settings>>mydevices>> scroll down..under input and control option you can find motions and gestures. Go in there to activate the settings of air gestures. Also, scroll a bit down and click on Air view option to have more interesting setting enabled on your device..

    Reply

  9. I have done reset on my phone. There is no gesture icon on my setting My Device Input control.
    Why do I not have the gesture icon setting on my phone?
    It feel that my phone is limited of functionalites
    . It seems that I am not alone with this problem.

    Reply

  10. I am on my second phone (I returned the first within 2 days for the same problem) and the air gestures and motions are not working. The phone has only limited functionality (only quick glance is working) and yes….I have checked and checked again and again in settings, my device, and all of the air gesture and motion settings imaginable to ensure they are all turned on. I got both phones at Costco, so I wonder if it is a lot issue. The first phone had better functionality, as the smart scroll actually worked on it, while this phone literally has little functionality. What is your suggestion? Again, please know that I have gone through all of the trouble shooting tips as well as YouTube videos depicting tips and possible fixes. Nothing has worked. Very frustrated and disappointed.

    Reply

  11. Once you go into Motions and gestures, turn on Air gesture. Then tap Air Gesture to go into more detail. You can then select each feature you want turned on (browsing, call answering, etc). Tap the individual features again to learn how to perform the gesture – you can even try them right there.

    Reply

  13. I think I have a good answer why motion gesture are not included in all Samsung phone, even if gesture motions are standard in all S4 phones. Samsung have of course quality check of their products before shipping out to the world so all phones must work properly.

    After little research I found out that are many copies of Samsung S4 on the market which are manufactured parallel in China, and those phones are not true Samsung phones and are limited in functionalities and performance.

    Watch out if you buy a Samsung S4 phone because all are not what you think. Even if there is a logo of Samsung S4 does not mean any guarantee.

    A similar example is that you can buy from some dealers brand watches very cheap but they are bad or good copies from the original.

    Samsung could stop very easy copies of Samsung phones, by a function to check the authority of the phone by cryptically check of the phone hardware and identity.

    As Samsung are not doing this check for the customers, Samsung are aware that copies of phone will increase their market share and benefit them until the customer will find this out.

    Reply

  15. i think this air gesture is just an awful gimmick. i know a few people witht eh ohine, myself included, it dont work for any of us

    Reply

  19. Hello,

    is it possible to ENABLE Air Jump on Apps like Facebook?

    thanks a lot. would really appreciate an answer 😀

    Reply

  24. Bro i m apply all in air gesture option but did not find that option in my notification area and also it did not work

    Reply

  27. hello…..is there any API available for “Air gesture” so that i can develop an app. that uses this sensors…

    Reply

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