You did it. You leaped and invested in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, the undisputed king of the Android world in 2025. You’ve been captivated by its breathtaking display, amazed by its versatile camera system, and impressed by its lightning-fast performance. It is, by any measure, an incredible piece of hardware. But here’s a thought that might surprise you: you are probably only using about 60% of what your ₦2.5 million phone can actually do.
The true power of the S25 Ultra isn’t just in its titanium frame or its periscope lens; it’s buried deep within its sophisticated software, Samsung’s One UI 7. Think of your phone as an iceberg. The daily apps and basic features are the visible tip. The vast, powerful, and game-changing capabilities lie just beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered. These are the features that can transform your device from a great phone into an indispensable tool for productivity, creativity, and security, especially in a dynamic environment like Lagos. It’s time to unlock the full value of your investment. Here are five of the best One UI 7 features on your Galaxy S25 Ultra that you are probably not using, but absolutely should be. 💡⚙️
1. Modes and Routines: Automate Your Lagos Life
This is, without a doubt, the single most powerful and underutilized feature in One UI 7. **Modes and Routines** is essentially a smart automation engine (like IFTTT) built directly into your phone. It allows you to create custom “routines” where your phone automatically changes its settings and performs actions based on a specific trigger, like your location, the time of day, or a connected device.
How It Works
You create a simple “If/Then” command. For example: **If** I connect to my car’s Bluetooth, **Then** launch Google Maps and Spotify. The level of customization is incredibly deep. You can find it by going to Settings > Modes and Routines.
Game-Changing Nigerian Use Cases:
- The “Commute” Routine: This is a lifesaver for anyone who drives in Lagos. You can set it so that when your phone connects to your car’s Bluetooth between 7 AM and 9 AM, it automatically turns on mobile data, launches Google Maps for traffic updates, opens your preferred music or podcast app, and sets your phone to “Do Not Disturb” for all but your starred contacts. Your phone is ready for the commute before you even pull out of your driveway.
- The “NEPA is Gone” Routine: Create a routine that triggers when your phone is unplugged from the charger between 10 PM and 6 AM. This routine can automatically enable Power Saving Mode, reduce the screen brightness to 30%, turn off the Always-On Display, and disable background data for non-essential apps. It’s an intelligent way to maximize every last percentage point of your battery during a power outage.
- The “Office Focus” Routine: Using your office location as a GPS trigger, you can create a routine that activates the moment you arrive at work. It can automatically switch your phone to Vibrate, turn on Wi-Fi, turn off mobile data (to save money), and even launch your work-related apps like Slack, Teams, or your email client. When you leave, it automatically reverts to your normal settings.
- The “Meeting” Routine: You can create a routine that syncs with your calendar. For any event in your calendar titled “Meeting,” your phone will automatically switch to Silent mode for the duration of that event. You’ll never be the person whose phone rings in the middle of an important presentation again.
Taking just 30 minutes to set up a few key routines can save you hundreds of taps and a significant amount of mental energy every single day.
2. Samsung DeX: Your Portable Desktop PC in Disguise
Many users have heard of Samsung DeX, but few have actually tried it. They are missing out on one of the S25 Ultra’s most incredible features. **DeX (Desktop Experience)** is a software platform that transforms your phone’s interface into a familiar, desktop-like environment when connected to an external screen like a monitor or a TV.
How It Works
You can connect your S25 Ultra to any screen with an HDMI port using a simple USB-C to HDMI cable or adapter. You can also connect wirelessly to any Miracast-enabled smart TV or monitor. Once connected, your Android apps open in resizable windows, and you have a taskbar, just like on a Windows PC or Mac. Pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you have a fully functional work station powered entirely by your phone.
Game-Changing Nigerian Use Cases:
- The Ultimate Power Cut Solution: Your laptop battery is dead, and NEPA has taken the light. This is a common disaster for professionals and students. With DeX, it’s a minor inconvenience. Simply connect your S25 Ultra to a portable USB-C monitor (which can often be powered by a power bank) or your TV (if your inverter is on), and you can continue writing your report, answering emails, and managing spreadsheets without missing a beat.
- The Ultra-Mobile Professional: Lighten your daily carry. Instead of lugging a heavy laptop to a client meeting, just bring your phone and a small adapter. You can walk into any boardroom, connect your S25 Ultra to their projector or TV, and deliver a full PowerPoint presentation, using your phone’s screen as a trackpad.
DeX turns your S25 Ultra from a device for content consumption into a powerful tool for content creation.
3. The AI-Powered Gallery: “Photo Remaster” and “Object Eraser”
You probably use the Samsung Gallery app every day, but buried within its editor are two powerful AI tools that many users completely overlook.
How It Works
Open any photo in the Gallery, tap the “Edit” (pencil) icon, and then tap the three dots in the corner. You’ll see an option for “Object eraser.” For remastering, simply view a photo and look for a small “AI” icon or go into the menu and select “Remaster picture.”
Game-Changing Nigerian Use Cases:
- Object Eraser: You took the perfect photo at a crowded Lagos wedding, but someone you don’t know walked into the background. Or you have a beautiful shot from Elegushi Beach, but there’s a distracting piece of litter on the sand. With Object Eraser, you simply draw a circle around the unwanted item, and the phone’s AI will intelligently remove it and fill in the background. It’s like having a magic wand from Photoshop right in your phone.
- Photo Remaster: You have an old photo you took with a lesser phone, or a shot that came out a bit dark and blurry. With a single tap, the “Remaster picture” feature uses AI to automatically enhance the brightness, colour, contrast, and sharpness of the image, often with dramatic and beautiful results. It’s a one-touch fix for making your average photos look great.
4. Secure Folder: Your Private Digital Vault
In a world of increasing digital privacy concerns, Secure Folder is an incredibly powerful security feature that is unique to Samsung devices. It is a completely separate, sandboxed, and encrypted space on your phone that is protected by its own password, PIN, or biometric lock.
Game-Changing Nigerian Use Cases:
- True Business & Personal Separation: For an entrepreneur in Nigeria, this is critical. You can install a completely separate set of your work apps inside Secure Folder. This means all your sensitive business banking apps, client documents, and work contacts are in a high-security vault, completely inaccessible from your regular home screen.
- Financial Privacy: If you ever need to hand your phone to a friend or family member, you can do so with confidence. All of your personal banking apps and financial documents can be kept inside Secure Folder. They won’t even know those apps exist on your phone.
- Run Two Copies of WhatsApp: This is a massive hack. You can install a second, completely independent copy of WhatsApp inside Secure Folder and link it to your second SIM card. This allows you to run two different WhatsApp numbers on the same device officially, without needing to use unreliable third-party cloning apps.
Conclusion: Unlock the True Value of Your Investment
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is an incredible piece of hardware, but its true genius is unlocked by exploring the incredible depth of its One UI 7 software. By taking a few minutes to master features like Modes and Routines, Samsung DeX, the AI Gallery tools, and Secure Folder, you can transform your device from a great smartphone into a truly indispensable tool for thriving in the fast-paced world of Lagos. You’ve already made the investment; now it’s time to claim the full return.
