Galaxy S4 Guides

Galaxy S4 KitKat update: top 12 new features and improvements

by 61 Comments

galaxy_s4_kitkat_updateFinally, Samsung Galaxy S4 KitKat update is available for more and more carriers.  Now, let’s explore the top 12 new features and improvements in this Galaxy S4 KitKat update (4.4.2).

Because the system update need approval from individual carriers, you may wait a bit longer time than the others depending on the carrier, model, and region.

Galaxy S4 KitKat update: Samsung did it right this time

The Galaxy S4 KitKat update  is more or less incremental in the user interface. Most users will just feel slightly new interface after getting this Galaxy S4 KitKat update.

This Galaxy S4 KitKat (4.4.2) update is far better than the S4 Jelly Bean 4.3 update, which is probably the worst Android update. As detailed in this post, there were so many problems in the S4 Jelly Bean 4.3 update.

So far, after trying the Galaxy S4 KitKat update, I’m quite happy with it.

1. Full screen music player on lock screen

The Samsung Galaxy S4 KitKat update brings the full-screen music player control to the lock screen. You can control your music player in the lock screen without unlocking the your Galaxy S4.

The good news is full screen music player on lock screen works for most music players, not just the stock Samsung music player or just Google Play music. Amazon MP3 player works  as well.

2. Quick access to camera  from lock screen

After getting the Galaxy S4 KitKat update, you will find the camera app shortcut in the lock screen. Essentially, you can snap pictures quicker.

This is a small, but very useful feature.

3. Change home screen easily

In Android KitKat 4.4, Google makes it easier to change launchers (of course, your home screen). Samsung did not crop this feature in this Galaxy S4 KitKat update.

Now after updating your Samsung Galaxy S4 to KitKat, you can easily change the home screen under Settings (Settings–General–Default–Applications-Home).

By default, you can choose TouchWiz home or TouchWiz home easy because only TouchWiz launcher is pre-installed.

Of course, you will have more options if you install any other third-party launchers..

4. Transparent notification bar

Galaxy S4 KitKat officially comes with a transparent notification bar. This means the notification  bar now works with all wallpapers.

One minor difference you may notice is that the green battery level indicator now is white.

5.  Reset the default applications easily

After installing more and more apps, some operations can be performed by several apps, for example, opening  a webpage can be done in Chrome or the stock Internet app.  So, you have to setup a default app for such operations. Otherwise, you have to choose the app every time.

Sometimes, you may want to change the default app to other one. In Galaxy S4 KitKat update, resetting the default app is easy. In the task manager widget, you can quickly check and reset the default app. It is not necessary to go to Application Manager.

6. Hangouts as an unified messaging app

The new Hangouts app in Galaxy S4 KitKat update keeps all your messages, conversations and video calls together in the same place so you’ll never miss a message no matter how your friend sends it. So, the new Hangouts is a replacement for the messaging app.

One advantage of the Hangouts over Messaging is that you can share your location and send animated GIFs very easily.

If you feel uncomfortable with the Hangouts and want to switch back to Messaging, it is also painless: just go to Settings–General–Default applications.

7. Real full-screen mode

With KitKat update,   Galaxy S4 can automatically hide everything except what you really want to see (book, movie, game..). Just swipe the edge of the screen to bring back your status bar and navigation buttons.

Of course, this feature works on selected apps, not all apps. It seems this feature works better in Nexus (stock) Android.

8. Native support of emojis

Samsung started their own support for emoji since Jelly Bean 4.2. You can find them in Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 even before the KitKat update. Such emojis works with Samsung own devices and iPhones (black and white only).

Android finally brought native support of emoji in Android 4.4 (KitKat). Most of the stock emojis are quite nice.   In Galaxy S4 KitKat update, Samsung added a few more emojis.

So, now you can enjoy emojis in more apps, and with more friends.

9. Faster Multitasking

After getting the Galaxy S4 KitKat update, you will find that switching from app to app is easier than  ever.  Your Galaxy S4 is more responsive. This is due to code and memory optimization in Android KitKat 4.4.

Anyway, my experience with this KitKat update is far, far better than that of Jelly Bean 4.3 update.

10.  Report of location requests

In Galaxy S4 KitKat update, Samsung adds an integrated location menu which enables users to easily activate GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks, while simultaneously checking the battery usage of apps running location service capabilities.

You can also choose location method as high accuracy (use GPS+WiFi+Mobile  network), power saving (use WiFi+ mobile network), or GPS only.

You can access the location menu at: Settings–Connections–Location.

11. Wireless printing is not limited to Samsung printers

Wireless printing from your Galaxy S4 is not new. Galaxy S4 supports wireless printing out of box in most regions. But before the KitKat update, only Samsung printers are supported.

Galaxy S4 KitKat update extends the wireless printing support to other brands of printer as well.

You can access the wireless printing settings at: Settings–Connections–More network–Printing.

12. Updated Google  apps

Upgraded Google Mobile Service apps can be found in this Galaxy S4 KitKat update.  You can automatically back up photos and video to Google+.  You can open, view, rename and share Google Docs and files as if they are just local files.

What do you think about this Galaxy S4 KitKat update?

Please let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mduduzi says

    Greeting
    Greetings Simon…
    My name is Mduduzi from South Africa, I’m the owner of Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-i9295 without Andriod, Kies for PC connection is not working, and the Google Play Store is acting strange. How to install Andriod and Google play store in my smartphone. I hope you will provide some attention to my request for assistance, thanks

    Regards
    Mduduzi Mkhwanazi (Mr)

    Reply

  2. vanessa says

    I still can’t find the emojis.. all I have is the regualr android emojis.. I keep searching for how to enable it but all I have found so far is app downloads which I don’t want.. please help. Thanks

    Reply

  4. Bert Beattie says

    Love the update but I keep getting the annoying “Internet connection unstable” message . It’s not as intrusive as the security update was but it is annoying. Is there a a solution? Is it actually doing anything? I haven’t noticed anything.

    Reply

  5. divya bhatia says

    Hello frm india.updated to kit kat and I noticed there are no settings options on my s4 i9500 its just gone.how do I fix it?

    Reply

  7. Wiliam says

    I have the KitKat update for one day now and I am amazed they obviously removed text reflow! This not only has consequences for the browser (one can use a different one) but also for apps using that feature. There is an interesting article on that, unfortunately I have read it too late (http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/01/28/bug-watch-text-reflow-removed-from-webviews-in-kitkat-probably-not-coming-back/). I am wondering if it is possible to return to JellyBean but I think it will not … I can only recommend NOT to update to KitKat if you want to be able to conveniently read text.

    Reply

  9. jesus says

    Google+ Photos still doesn’t allow to create autoawesome videos thru app even after kitkat update on Verizon S4. Shoiuld this be an available feature?

    Reply

  10. Crystal says

    I preferred the black and white android emojis top the now updated coloured emojis. Is there a way I can get the black and white ones on the interface?

    Reply

  11. Jessica says

    Why are some of my apps transparent with a small sd card icon? When clicked, it says “application not installed”?!

    Reply

  12. Anonymous says

    i am using s4 with kitkat 4.4.2 version and i cant find the “share app” option in menu. how to enable the share app option in the menu.

    Reply

  13. g.i.j says

    hello,

    Please help. there is something wrong with the PlayStore on my galaxy s4. for example, there is an app update, when i update it, the percentage in PlayStore showed 10%, but in the notification bar showed already 30~40%, it varies. but this happened on every app that needs update.

    i know this has no harm for me. but it just keeps me wondering. i’ve searched Google for the answer, but haven’t found one.
    Maybe you can help..

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply

  14. maz says

    My phone has no ‘end call’ button if the caller is engaged/busy so i have to press the back button which locks the screen. Also when I end a call my screen locks. The network is also only showing 1 bar and calls are getting rejected in and out……all since kit kat.

    Also no lock screen camera and the ‘add icons on locked screen’ in settings is greyed out.

    Device is slower now too.

    Help

    Reply

  15. Anonymous says

    Hey i can’t send emojis since my update. Whenever I try to send one it just continues to say sending until it eventually it say message failed. I also haven’t been able to back up my contacts on the cloud. It always says backup failed or lost connection

    Reply

  16. Aser says

    How does the music lockscreen thing work? I can’t seem to figure it out, tried adding widgets but cant find one for music.

    Reply

  17. Raeju says

    Hello! I recently got this update and a little unstatisfied with it. The thing thats been driving me through a wall is the full screen music control. The small widget was SOOO much cleaner and nice. Is there anyway to show the smaller widget instead of full screeen?

    Reply

  18. Patience says

    I have a Galaxy S4, I have had the KK update for almost a week, and I hate the new Kit Kat update. 1) My battery life has dropped significantly from 10 hours to 4hours. 2) My network signal is weaker at my house, so my texts out and in are often delayed now. 3) Google playstore is acting very twirky, not showing My Apps or taking a very long time to load. 4) I like to use multiple text applications. I like the stock app for pictures, and I like handcent for SMS. Now you can only use one text messaging application. Kit Kat only allows one application to have permissions to write to SMS files. So I have to choose between using the stock app or Handcent. I can no longer send messages from both. That sucks! 5) I don’t like the way it handles privacy and GPS locations. 6) It no longer offers my backup applications permissions. So I thought my text messages, call logs and such were backed up, and when I went to restore, there were no files because KK restricts permissions. I have only noticed one benefit to KK, and that is the way it handles call waiting and sending a call to vm while on another call. JB hangs up on the existing call , and KK effectively sends the new call to vm without hanging up. I can live without this feature. I am bringing my phone to Best Buy to have JB reinstalled and am leaving Kit Kat behind. I do not like the privacy handling at all.

    Reply

  19. Anonymous says

    After a week I am finding more issues since KK. The screens hang, the camera on the lock screen doesn’t work (the option to add it is greyed). I have really bad phone reception usually 1 bar or less and my calls keep dropping. Wifi is possibly the worse issue; it doesn’t link to my home hub without me actively changing it and I can no longer get Wifi where I previously had no problems. I work in London so to have a phone that want pick up phone calls or Wifi is really annoying.

    Reply

  20. Anonymous says

    I prefer the small widget of music player in lockscreen than the huge widget. In previous version, widgets are working in pattern lockscreen. In latest version, battery life improved from 30% to 10% drain at night. It provides good info and improvement on memory. Had trouble on autosave on some apps in SDcard, but so far, apps are trying to do something about it. Still waiting, even just an ultra power saving mode for S4.

    Reply

  23. simon says

    You can check whether the s4 kitkat update is available in your region at: settings – general – about phone – software update. Then tap update.

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