Setting up and using Smart Unlock on the Samsung Blade

The Samsung Blade features Smart Unlock gesture control, which enables users to unlock the phone, launch features and make calls simply by drawing a character with their finger.

Smart Unlock can be used to unlock the phone, unlock and launch a number of applications, or unlock and call a speed-dial contact. Users can select and assign a letter of the alphabet to one or more of these operations, and drawing the letter on the locked screen immediately unlocks it and carries out the appropriate command.

You can, for instance, assign 'O' for unlocking, 'M' for launching messages, 'B' for browsing and 'T' for a favourite contact you want to dial quickly - it's entirely up to you what letters you want to assign to individual functions in the Smart Unlock menus.

It's easy to set up and use, too - here's how...

Setting up and using Smart Unlock gesture control

1. In the home screen, press Menu or press the central Menu button under the display (Figure 1).
2. In the main menu, press Settings (Figure 2).
3. In the Settings menu, press Smart Unlock (Figure 3).
4. You can now choose whether or not to turn on or off the Smart Unlock function (Figure 4). Press the On panel.
5. A list of options appears: Unlock only, Speed dial, and Apps launch (Figure 5). You can select any of these options by pressing them.

Unlock only

1. The first basic option is Unlock only. This will simply unlock your locked screen when you draw your assigned character.
2. Press Unlock only. A grid of alphabetic characters appears (Figure 6). Press a letter you want to assign to the unlock function (to see more letters you can scroll down the screen with a drag of the finger).
3. You are returned to the Smart Unlock screen, with the assigned character displayed (Figure 7).

Apps launch

1. You can assign Smart Unlock characters to a launch a bunch of phone functions too. Press Apps launch. A list of applications you can launch by using Smart Unlock characters appears (Figure 8).
2. Scroll down to the app you want by dragging your finger. Press to select.
3. The grid of letters appears again (Figure 6). Press the letter you want to assign to launch the app.
4. You are returned to the list of apps. The app you selected has a letter against it (Figure 9).
5. Press any other apps you want to select to use with Smart Unlock. The list of letters appears again, and as before you select the one you want to assign to a particular application.
6. When you've assigned letters to all the applications you want to use with Smart Unlock (Figure 10), press the back arrow button. You are returned to the Smart Unlock screen.

Speed dial

1. To assign characters to unlock the phone and dial one or more of your speed dial contact numbers, press Speed Dial. A list of your speed dial numbers is displayed (Figure 11), or if you haven't selected any, a blank list you can fill up with numbers from your contacts list. (To add new contacts to the speed dial list, simply press the blank entry and then scroll down and press the contact you require. This will add it to a speed dial slot.)
2. Press the speed dial entry to which you want to assign a character. The grid of characters appears (Figure 6).
3. Press the letter you want to assign. Repeat for any other speed dial contacts. When you've done as many as you require (Figure 12), press the back arrow button. You are returned to the Smart Unlock screen.

Save changes
When you have made all your selections, in the Smart Unlock screen (Figure 7), press Save. Press the back arrow button twice or the Call end button to return to the home screen.

You can alter your Smart Unlock list or deselect functions any time you want by going into the Smart Unlock settings as above and resetting them.

Using Smart Unlock
Using Smart Unlock is simple.

• When the phone is locked, you can unlock it, unlock it and launch an application, or unlock it and dial a speed dial number simply by drawing onscreen the appropriate letter you have assigned to that application, number or unlock function.
• The display needs to be on, with the 'phone locked' symbol showing, for the Smart Unlock function to work (Figure 13).

Note: if you are going to use several Smart Unlock codes, it may be wise to assign letters you will remember to speed dial numbers to avoid misdialling errors.