7. Browsing the Web
In this chapter, you find out how to use the Internet app and Google Chrome to browse the Web. Topics include the following:
Setting options for viewing pages
Creating and organizing bookmarks
Using other menu commands
You’re probably already familiar with the basics of using a web browser. Making the transition from browsing on a computer to browsing on your phone is relatively easy. As with a desktop browser, you can enter page addresses by typing, tapping links, and selecting bookmarks for your favorite sites.
The Galaxy S5 generally ships with a pair of browsers: Internet and Google Chrome. Although this chapter focuses on using Internet (the default browser for most carriers), you should check out Chrome, too. You can use whichever browser app you prefer, as well as switch between them whenever you like. See “Google Chrome Essentials,” at the end of this chapter, for information on getting started with Chrome and how it differs from Internet.
Verizon Users and the Internet App
At its launch, the Verizon Galaxy S5 included Google Chrome as its only web browser. Because Chrome is so similar to Internet, Chrome users should review both the Internet and Chrome material in this chapter.
Launching Internet
You can launch the Internet app in several ways. The most common are as follows:
• On the Home screen, tap the Internet icon at the bottom of the screen.
• On the Home screen, tap Apps, followed by Internet.
• Tap a web link in an email message. Links can be blue underlined text, images, or other objects. If the item you tap is indeed a link, the linked page appears in the browser.
Because there are two browser apps installed on the phone (and you may have installed others), whenever you perform an indirect action that requires a browser (such as tapping a link), a Complete Action Using dialog box appears that asks which browser to launch. Select a browser (Internet or Chrome), and then tap Just Once. After familiarizing yourself with both browsers, you can specify a default browser to use for all future indirect launches by tapping Always.
If you ever want to reverse your decision, open Settings, scroll to the Applications section, and tap Default Applications. In the Clear Defaults area, find the browser that you previously set as the default and tap its Clear button.
• Tap a blue underlined link in a text or multimedia message. In the dialog box that appears, tap Open Link to open the link in the browser or tap Cancel if you change your mind.
Apps and certain documents can contain links that automatically redirect you to web pages, causing the browser to launch if it isn’t currently running. For example, if you tap text, an icon, or a button in some apps when searching for instructions, a help file or manual might open in the browser.
Visiting Web Pages
You can go to a particular web page (called an address or URL) using the same methods that you use with Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, and other popular desktop web browsers. The most common methods are typing the address, tapping a link on the current page, choosing a bookmarked or recently visited (History) site or page, and searching for a site or page with one of the popular search engines.
Immersion Mode
In this new version of Internet, web pages are normally displayed in a full-screen immersion mode, enabling you to see as much of every page as possible without the distraction of the address box. Regardless of where you are in the current page, you can reveal the address box and status bar by dragging down slightly.
Type the Address
1. If the browser isn’t currently running, go to the Home screen and tap the Internet icon.
2. Tap the address box. The current page’s address is selected.
3. Enter the new address and tap Go. (Because the current address is already selected, typing anything immediately replaces the old address.) The web page loads.
Fast Address Selection
As you type, a list of possible addresses appears. If you see the one you want, you can tap it instead of completing the address. You can also select a search suggestion if the site’s actual URL isn’t in the list.
Following a Link
In the browser, if you tap an object, graphic, or text that represents a web link, the link briefly flashes blue and then the linked page loads.
Not Every Link Leads to a Page
Other than special mobile versions of web pages (designed for viewing on cell phones), pages displayed in the Internet app are identical to those you see in Internet Explorer, Safari, and other desktop browsers. That means that they also contain links designed to download PC and Mac applications, device drivers, and the like. Of course, such programs and drivers can’t be used by your phone, but you might not be prevented from downloading them.
To remove these downloads, go to the Home screen and tap Apps, My Files, Download History. Select any listed item by pressing and holding its entry. Then tap the check box of every additional inappropriate download and tap Delete.
You can also delete files directly from the Download folder. In the Local Storage section of My Files, tap Device Storage or SD Card, and then open the Download folder. Select any listed item by pressing and holding its entry. Tap the check box for every additional inappropriate download, and then tap the Delete icon.
Visit a Bookmarked, Recent, or Saved Page
1. Drag or flick down until the Address box appears, and then tap the Bookmarks (star) icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. To visit a bookmarked page (one whose address you stored), tap its thumbnail or name. (For information about creating and managing bookmarks, see “Working with Bookmarks,” later in this chapter.)
Bookmark Display Options
You can view bookmarks as a thumbnail grid or scrolling list. To switch views, tap the menu icon, and choose List View or Thumbnail View.
You can change the order of your bookmarks by tapping the menu icon and choosing Change Order. (If you’ve created folders, open the folder whose bookmarks you want to reorganize before choosing Change Order.) To move a bookmark, long press the bookmark’s dot grid to select it and then drag it to the new position. When you’re satisfied with the changes, tap Done—or tap Cancel to ignore the changes.
3. To open a saved page (one that you saved for later or offline reading), drag or flick down until the Address box appears, and tap the Saved Pages icon on the bar at the bottom of the screen. Locate the page in the scrolling list, and tap its thumbnail.
Saving a Page
To store a copy of the current page in Saved Pages, tap the menu icon and choose Save Page. Use this command for any page that you want to read later or that might not be readily available online, such as a receipt for an online purchase.
4. Internet stores the list of recently viewed pages in History, a folder at the top of the Bookmarks screen. To revisit a recently viewed page, drag or flick down until the Address box appears, and tap the Bookmarks icon on the bar at the bottom of the screen. Open the History folder, scroll to locate the desired page, and tap its name. To make it easier to find the page, you can expand (show) or collapse (hide) page-view periods (Today, Last 7 Days, and so on) by tapping section heads.
It’s Not All Good: Configuring or Removing the Lumen Toolbar (Sprint)
Search for a Site or Page
1. The address box doubles as a search box. Enter your search phrase, such as “exercise machines” or “trim a parrot’s beak.” As you type, the search engine builds a list of possible search topics.
2. You can do any of the following:
• Tap a suggestion to immediately perform that search in the default search engine.
• Tap the arrow at the end of a suggestion to transfer the text into the address box—enabling you to add to or edit the search text before performing the search.
• Tap a direct link in the suggestion list to load that specific page—rather than performing a search.
• Tap the Go key on the keyboard to perform the search using the text that’s in the address box.
Changing Search Engines
The active search engine’s icon is shown to the left of the address box. To change search engines, tap the icon and choose a different one.
Viewing Pages
Similar to your computer’s browser, the Internet app provides several ways for you to view pages, such as viewing in portrait or landscape mode, scrolling the page, changing the magnification, reloading the page, and displaying multiple pages in separate windows.
Portrait or Landscape View
Depending on the direction that you rotate the phone, you can view any page in portrait (normal) or landscape (sideways) mode. You can change the phone’s orientation whenever you want; the page adjusts automatically. (If the orientation doesn’t change when you rotate the phone, launch Settings; tap Display, Screen Rotation; and set the Rotate Screen slider to On. By default, there’s also a Screen Rotation button in the Quick Setting buttons at the top of the Notification panel.)
Many pages don’t fit entirely onscreen. To view parts that are off-screen, flick or drag up, down, right, or left, depending on the direction you want the page’s material to scroll. If you want to take advantage of some tricks, you can scroll by tilting your head or the phone up and down (Smart Scroll) or by waving your hand up and down over the sensor at the top of the phone (Air Browse).
• To activate Smart Scroll, open Settings and tap Accessibility, Dexterity and Interaction, Smart Scroll. Drag the Smart Scroll slider to the On position, and select Tilting Head or Tilting Device.
• To activate Air Browse, open Settings and tap Motions and Gestures, Air Browse. Drag the Air Browse slider to the On position, and ensure that Internet is one of the checked options.
Magnification (Zoom)
You can increase the magnification of the current page to make it easier to read (zoom in) or reduce it to get a bird’s-eye view of the entire page (zoom out).
• To zoom in (making everything on the page larger), put your thumb and forefinger on the page and spread them apart.
• To zoom out (making everything on the page smaller), put your thumb and forefinger on the page and pinch them together.
Other Zoom Options
You can quickly zoom in or out by double-tapping the screen. Repeat to reverse the zoom. If Magnification Gestures (an Accessibility setting) is enabled, you can triple-tap to zoom. To enable or disable Magnification Gestures, open Settings and then tap Accessibility, Vision, Magnification Gestures.
Reader View
To make it easier to read certain pages (such as articles), tap the Reader icon—if it’s present—to the left of the address box. When reading an article in Reader view, you can increase or decrease the size of text by tapping an icon. To view the text as white on a black background, tap the menu icon and choose Night Mode. To return to the original web page, tap the Back icon or press the Back key.
Refreshing the Page
If the current page didn’t load correctly or you think the content might have changed while you were viewing it, you can refresh the page by tapping the Reload icon in the address box. If a page is loading slowly, you can stop it by tapping the X icon.
Working with Windows
The tabbed interface of current desktop browsers enables you to keep several web pages open simultaneously and easily switch among them. The Internet app mimics this feature by enabling you to open multiple windows. Each window is the equivalent of a new browser and operates independently of other windows.
• To create a new window, tap the menu icon and choose New Window. You can also tap the Windows icon to the right of the address box and then tap the plus (+) icon in Window Manager. A new browser window opens.
• To navigate among or manage the open windows, tap the Windows icon to open the Window Manager. To switch to a window, tap its thumbnail. To remove a window that you no longer need, tap its minus (–) icon or swipe its thumbnail horizontally off the screen.
Create a New Window from a Bookmark or History Item
You can press and hold a site’s name in Bookmarks or History to select it, and then tap the Add New Window icon in the toolbar. Doing so opens the website or page in a new window.
Page Navigation
As you replace the current page with new ones by entering addresses, tapping links, and selecting bookmarks, you can move back or forward through the stack of pages. (Note that each window has its own stack.) To return to the previous page, tap the Back icon at the bottom of the screen or press the Back key. You’ll go back one page for each tap or key press. If you’ve gone back one or more pages, you can move forward through the stack by tapping the Forward icon.
One Too Many
If you use the Back key to move back through the pages in the current window and press it when you’re on the first page, you’ll exit Internet.
Incognito Browsing
The Internet app supports incognito browsing in which entries aren’t recorded in History, searches aren’t recorded, and cookies aren’t stored. Rather than make this a general browser setting, Internet enables it only for pages loaded into a designated incognito window.
1. Tap the Windows icon at the top of any browser page.
2. In Window Manager, tap the menu icon and choose New Incognito Window.
3. Review the text in the Incognito Mode dialog box, and tap OK to dismiss it.
4. A new browser window appears. Specify the first page to display by tapping a Quick Access icon, entering an address in the address box, performing a search, selecting from bookmarks or History items, or using another method. Web activities performed in this window are secure; activities performed in other Internet windows are recorded normally.
Quickly Switching to Incognito Mode
In addition to creating a new window for Incognito mode, you can apply Incognito mode to the current window by tapping the menu icon and choosing Incognito Mode.
5. To remove an incognito window and its pages, open the Window Manager, find the incognito window, and delete it by tapping the minus (–) icon in its upper-right corner.
Working with Bookmarks
As explained earlier in this chapter, bookmarks are stored addresses of websites and pages that you regularly visit. The purpose of creating a bookmark is to enable you to view the site or page again by simply tapping its entry in the Bookmarks grid or list rather than having to reenter the address.
Create a Bookmark from the Current Page
It’s common to decide to bookmark a page while you’re viewing it.
1. Do either of the following:
• Tap the star icon at the left end of the address bar.
• Tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the screen and then tap the plus (+) icon on the Bookmarks toolbar.
2. Edit the bookmark name, if necessary.
3. By default, new bookmarks are stored in the Bookmarks folder. To select a different folder or subfolder, tap the current folder name and select a destination folder.
4. Tap Save to store the new bookmark.
Create a Bookmark from the History List
If you’ve recently visited a page, the quickest way to add it as a new bookmark is to locate it in the History list.
1. With any web page displayed, tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Open the History folder at the top of the Bookmarks list or grid by tapping its icon.
3. In the History list, locate the page that you want to bookmark. Press and hold its entry to select it.
4. Tap the menu icon, and choose Add Bookmark.
5. Perform Steps 2–4 from the previous task: editing the name, selecting a storage location, and saving the new bookmark.
Edit Bookmarks
You can edit a bookmark’s title, its address (setting it for a site’s main page or another specific page), or the folder in which it’s stored.
1. In the Bookmarks list, find the bookmark that you want to edit—opening folders, if necessary. Press and hold the bookmark to select it.
2. Tap the menu icon and choose Edit.
Other Options
The menu also enables you to set the selected bookmark as your home page, share it with a friend, create a Home screen shortcut to it, or delete it.
3. Make any desired changes to the title, address, and/or its folder, and then tap Save.
Editing the Address
Although you normally won’t want to edit a page’s address if it requires a lot of typing, it’s relatively simple to change a page-specific address to one that goes to the site’s main page. Just delete the extraneous material to the right of the main part of the address, such as http://m.newegg.com/.
Using Bookmark Folders
After amassing more than a handful of bookmarks, you can optionally create folders in which to organize your bookmarks—rather than storing them all in Bookmarks, the main folder. When creating a new bookmark or editing an existing one, you can move it into the most appropriate folder.
Navigating Among Bookmark Folders
When viewing items in a bookmark folder, don’t press the Back key or tap the Back icon if you want to move up a level. Either action exits Bookmarks and returns you to the browser screen. If you want to continue working in Bookmarks, tap the appropriate path element (such as Bookmarks or the name of a higher folder in the hierarchy) at the top of the screen.
Create a Bookmark Folder
1. With any web page onscreen, tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap the menu icon and choose Create Folder.
3. Name the new folder.
4. Select a parent (containing) folder for this new folder.
5. Tap Done. The new folder is created within the selected folder and added to the Bookmarks list.
Move Bookmarks into Folders
1. With any web page onscreen, tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. As necessary, open folders to expose the bookmarks that you want to move. (Bookmarks to be moved must all have the same destination folder.) Tap the menu icon and choose Select.
3. Select each bookmark by tapping its check box (in List View) or its thumbnail (in Thumbnail View).
4. Tap the menu icon and choose Move to Folder.
5. Tap the destination folder. The selected bookmarks move into the folder.
Delete Bookmarks
You can delete bookmarks that you no longer use.
1. With any web page onscreen, tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the screen.
2. Opening folders as necessary, press and hold one of the bookmarks that you want to delete. (When deleting more than one, they must all be in the same folder.)
3. Optional: Tap the check boxes of additional bookmarks that you want to delete. If desired, you can mark entire bookmark folders—and their contents—for deletion.
4. Tap the Delete toolbar icon. The selected bookmarks are immediately deleted.
Another Approach
In Bookmarks, display the list of items from which you want to delete, tap the menu icon, and choose Delete. Tap the check box of each bookmark and folder that you want to delete. When you finish selecting, tap Done.
Deletions performed in this manner are also immediate. However, if you realize that you made a mistake, quickly tap the Undo bar that briefly appears near the bottom of the screen.
More Menu Commands
The main menu contains additional useful commands that haven’t been discussed. Here’s an explanation of what the remaining commands do.
1. With any web page displayed, tap the menu icon. (To see all the commands, you have to scroll the menu.) Brightness and Settings apply to all pages; the other commands apply only to the current page.
2. Add to Quick Access. When you create a new window, your list of Quick Access icons appears. Choose this command to add the current page to the Quick Access roster.
3. Add Shortcut to Home Screen. Create a Home screen shortcut for the current page. When you tap the shortcut, the Internet app launches and displays the web page.
4. Share Via. Share the page with another person or device using a variety of methods.
5. Find on Page. Search the current page for a text string. Each match (if any) is highlighted. To move between matches, tap an arrow icon. The page scrolls as needed to display each match.
6. Desktop View. By default, if a mobile version of a site is available, it is displayed; otherwise, the desktop version is shown. Enable this option to automatically display all sites as though they were being viewed in a desktop browser—ignoring a mobile version, if one is available.
7. Brightness. Enables you to specify a browser-specific brightness setting.
8. Print. Print the current page on a supported Wi-Fi printer.
9. Settings. View and modify Internet app preferences (see the next section, “Configuring the Browser”).
Configuring the Browser
As is the case with a Mac or PC browser, you can configure the Internet app to match your preferred way of working and perform common browser actions, such as clearing the cache and managing cookies.
1. With any web page displayed, tap the menu icon and choose Settings. (You may have to scroll the menu to see the Settings command.)
Another Path to Settings
Regardless of whether Internet is currently running, you can also configure it by opening Settings, scrolling to the Applications section, and tapping the Internet icon. The same screen appears.
2. The Settings screen appears, divided into two sections: Basics and Advanced.
• Account. Specify the types of data that you want to sync with your Samsung account.
• Set Homepage. Specify a new home page by setting it to the carrier’s default, the current page, your Quick Access links, Most Visited Sites, or Other—a URL that you manually enter.
• Auto Fill Forms. Enable forms on web pages to be automatically filled in with stored text for your name, address, phone number, and email address.
• Privacy. Propose common search terms when performing finds and popular websites when entering addresses; remember form data and site passwords; delete a variety of cached data types.
• Screen and Text. Adjust zoom control and full-screen mode; text size and scaling.
• Content Settings. Accept cookies; enable/disable location information access and JavaScript; block pop-ups; specify the default storage location (device or memory card); clear all data stored by selected websites; enable or disable website notifications; and reset browser settings to defaults.
• Bandwidth Management. Preload pages; disable image downloads.
To view or modify any of these settings, tap a category and make the necessary changes. When you’re done, press the Back key or tap the Back icon.
Google Chrome Essentials
Although most carriers treat the Internet app as the S5’s primary browser, you might want to give Chrome a whirl, too. As you experiment with Chrome, you’ll note that many of the instructions provided in this chapter for Internet also apply to Chrome. The two apps have similar menu commands, Settings options, and display options, for example. This section contains a rundown of some Chrome features that differ substantially from those of Internet.
Launching Chrome. Go to the Home screen and tap Apps, Chrome. Or tap a Home screen shortcut for Chrome, if you have one.
Specifying a Default Browser. If you tap a web link in an email or text message, a Complete Action Using dialog box appears. If you decide that you prefer Chrome to Internet (or vice versa), select the desired browser and tap Always. From that point forward, the selected browser will automatically launch whenever you open a link. For more information on setting or changing the default browser, see “Launching Internet,” at the beginning of this chapter. Note that you aren’t required to specify a default browser.
Tabs versus windows. Like Internet’s windows, Chrome’s tabs enable you to keep multiple web pages open simultaneously and switch among them as desired.
• To create a new tab, tap the menu icon and choose New Tab, or tap the Tabs icon and tap New Tab. The tabs icon always shows the number of open tabs.
• To switch among tabs, you can swipe horizontally across the address box area. You can also tap the Tabs icon, and then tap the tab that you want to make active.
• To remove a tab, tap the Tabs icon. Then tap the X in the tab’s name or swipe the tab off either side of the screen. To simultaneously remove all tabs, tap the menu icon and choose Close All Tabs.
Search engine. Google is Chrome’s default search engine. To use a different one, tap the menu icon and choose Settings, Search Engine.
Working with bookmarks. You can create, open, delete, and organize bookmarks for frequently visited pages.
• To create a bookmark for the current page, open the menu; tap the star icon; specify the bookmark’s name, address, and containing folder; and tap Save.
• To remove a bookmark or edit its details, open the menu and tap the star icon. Then tap Remove or make the desired edits, respectively, and tap Save.
• To open a bookmark, tap the menu icon and choose Bookmarks. Open folders as necessary, and then tap the thumbnail of the bookmark to open.
History. To open the list of recently viewed pages (History), tap the menu icon and choose History. Tap any page name to view it, search History for a particular page, delete an entry by tapping its X, or quickly delete the stored browsing history and other data, such as cookies.
