Samsung is known for putting their capacitive buttons at the bottom of their phones and now we have a way to disable the backlight used under these keys.
There’s a huge divide within the Android community about capacitive buttons. For those who are unaware, capacitive buttons are when an Android OEM decides to not use software navigation buttons and instead builds them into the bottom bezel of the phone. Some people really, really like this style while others wish that OEMs would use software buttons instead.
I can understand both sides of the fence because they both have legit reasons for wanting them a certain way.
Some people don’t like buttons on the bezels because they are used to holding the phone there and they accidentally hit those buttons when they didn’t mean to. Some people dislike the order of these buttons and since capacitive buttons are built into the case, they can’t rearrange them. If the navigation buttons are implemented via the software level then they can be rearranged to fit the preference of the user and they can also be customized(by changing the style or adding in a fourth or fifth button). However, there’s also the type of person who doesn’t like a software navigation bar because it takes space away from the applications that they are using.
Google tried to resolve this by adding in immersive mode in Android 4.4 KitKat and while that does work with some applications, it doesn’t work with things like the launcher, when the keyboard is up, etcetera. So there are many, many instances where the navigation bar is taking up precious screen space that can be better used by the application on-screen. There’s also a group of people who have a device with an AMOLED display. These displays have a tendency to have burn-ins when there is a static image on the screen for too long. I’ve seen many reports from users who have burn-ins on the status bar and navigation bar of their device and it can completely ruin the experience of a smartphone.
As mentioned, no matter which side of the fence you are on, there are reasonable points for both sides. However, those who opt for a device with capacitive buttons can still have some issue with the way an OEM handles them. The image above isn’t the Galaxy S6 or the S6 Edge, but it gives you an idea of how these work. The Galaxy S6’s capacitive buttons do light up and if you are in the dark when this happens then can be rather blinding. with all of the features that Samsung adds into TouchWiz, it’s shocking that they haven’t added in a way for users to customize how these function.
Galaxy Button Lights
This is what we have 3rd party applications for. There’s an application in the Google Play Store called Galaxy Button Lights that lets you disable this backlight or even control how bright they get. The application is very straight forward and incredibly simple to use. You can find the link to the application below and after you install it, all you have to do is launch the application and configure it to how you like it.
If you want the lights to stay lit longer after you use them, then simply move the slider to the right. If you want the lights to turn off quicker after you use them, then just move the slider to the left. You also have an Always On and Always Off toggle here as well that lets you complete disable the lights or keep them on at all times. Be careful though, if you keep them on all the time then the lights could die out eventually so at least be aware of that. Once you are done setting it up how you like, all you have to do is tap on the Save Button Backlight Behavior button and then close the application.
The best part is. . .you don’t even need root access to your Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge in order to tweak this setting. Since you don’t need root access, your warranty will not be void by using this application!
I’m curious to see who owns a Galaxy S6 or an S6 Edge and would like the ability to customize the capacitive button lights. If you own one of these devices, drop down into the comments section below and tell me your thoughts about this feature. Do you like how Samsung implements the feature? Do you wish Samsung had baked in a way to customize it from within the settings? Let me know your thoughts!
