Just got your Galaxy Z Fold 8? Here are the first 5 things you need to do

I’m currently using the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it doesn’t take long to realize it’s a special device. I loved my Microsoft Surface Duo, original Google Pixel Fold, and BlackBerry Passport — all phones with one thing in common: a wider aspect ratio. We’ve been stuck in an era of taller, narrower devices for the last decade or so, and the few phones that slip through that offer a different experience, I’m all over.

If you’re like me and excited to get your hands on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, there are some important steps you should go through when first starting out — especially if you’ve only used traditional slab smartphones or even other book-style foldables. Here are the five things I recommend doing first once you pick up your Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 isn’t cheap, and when you’re spending $1,900, there are expectations. Multitasking is a fantastic way to get more out of your phone, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 excels at it. Much like the Microsoft Surface Duo I mentioned earlier, I appreciate having more room for two apps running side by side. It’s simple enough in One UI 9. Open the first app you want to use, then press the dash at the top of the screen to enter either split-screen view or multi-windowed mode. From there, you can select the second app you want opened.

Once two apps are open, I love resizing and taking advantage of 90:10 multitasking. It lets me glide back and forth between apps with a tap, which is ideal when I’m reading an email and want to copy the information into a Google Doc or my calendar.

Don’t neglect app pairs. Once you have two apps open, tap the three dots between them to save them as a pair. I recommend adding them to your Edge Panel for easy access. It’s a little work up front, but it’ll save you a bunch of time in the long run.

I don’t plan on using the feature often, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 can multitask in ways other Samsung phones can’t — even the more expensive Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. You can have three apps side by side on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, like you can with the Galaxy Z TriFold and Samsung’s other tablets. It gets a little cramped on the Z Fold 8’s 7.6-inch internal display, but I am sure there are instances where it will be useful.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is one of the more versatile foldables I’ve used, because it’s not limited to being comfortable just in landscape orientation. Most apps scale well, but if you run into one that feels a little squished with how short and wide the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is, it’s comfortable to rotate the device into portrait mode.

I notice it most with apps like Threads and Instagram. The landscape orientation is usable, but the device really shines when I scroll in portrait mode. It’s not something I’m comfortable doing on my Galaxy Z TriFold because the device feels a little unwieldy in portrait mode, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is just the right size to take advantage of it. It feels just like any other 7- or 8-inch tablet when I turn it, and it’s great in the hand. I get the best of both worlds with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, in a way I never felt with other book-style foldables with taller aspect ratios.

Samsung may not be as cautious as Apple with its software, but it does limit some functionality by default. If you’re going to get the most out of your Galaxy Z Fold 8, you have to play around in Labs. To find Labs, open the Settings app, tap Advanced features, and then find the Labs page.

The first setting I changed was to enable multi-window for all apps. It forces apps that aren’t designed to function with multitasking to work. You may get the occasional wonky aspect ratio or odd experience, but the overall benefits outweigh any potential compromises.

I’d also spend some time checking all your apps to make sure they are set to landscape orientation, even if they were designed for portrait mode. Most are checked by default. However, frequently used apps like Instagram aren’t, and enabling landscape mode does directly impact the user experience. I used Instagram with it enabled and disabled, and I vastly prefer enabling the wider-screen support.

Everyone is making a big deal out of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 not supporting Flex Mode, but I’m focused on how well tent mode works on the phone. I never bothered with tent mode on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra-style foldables, because video content didn’t look amazing in that orientation, and it didn’t seem worth the effort. That’s not the case on the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Videos look excellent on the 16:10 outer display on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and I can see it quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to watch content on the phone. I know people love Flex Mode, but I’m hoping the superior tent mode at least makes up for it for some buyers.

Thankfully, One UI 9 on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 disables screen mirroring by default. That means whatever you do on the cover screen won’t be mirrored automatically on the internal display. I can’t tell you how quickly screen mirroring becomes frustrating, and I’m grateful Samsung gives us the choice. I’ve found myself treating the outer display on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 much like I do the cover screen on the Motorola Razr Ultra. I recommend setting up frequently used apps and social media, with maybe a couple of widgets. I wouldn’t want it to be too busy.

However, the internal layout I’d set up would be like a tablet, with plenty of app pairs and productivity apps. It’s better for web browsing and email. Part of the fun of buying a folding phone is getting two devices in one, so you might as well lean into that functionality.

No matter how you use your Galaxy Z Fold 8, I believe you’ll enjoy it. It’s a different device, but its usefulness is better than you think, and buyers will respond.