Essential Guide: How to Enable Double Tap to Wake on Your Samsung Galaxy Z Foldable

Transitioning to a Samsung Galaxy Z series foldable device comes with a few adjustments, chief among them being the physical placement of the fingerprint sensor. If you recently purchased a Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Galaxy Z Flip 8, you might find yourself accidentally unlocking your phone just by trying to check your notifications. Fortunately, mastering One UI settings can seamlessly resolve this everyday inconvenience.

Overcoming Side-Mounted Fingerprint Sensor Quirks in One UI

One thing you'll have to get used to after you switch to a Samsung Galaxy Z foldable phone is the fingerprint scanner's location. Unlike most other Galaxy phones, which have in-display fingerprint sensors, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and its siblings have fingerprint scanners embedded in the physical side button.

Over the years, many Galaxy phone users have formed the habit of pressing this side button to wake the screen and check lock screen notifications without unlocking the device.

For new foldable phone users, that habit can become a bit of an issue because, on Galaxy Z devices, the same side button also unlocks the phone when you touch it with a registered fingerprint. And the fingerprint scanner is so fast, it might unlock the phone before you have a chance to see the lock screen.

Is there no reliable way to check lock screen notifications on these Samsung foldable phones without accidentally triggering the fingerprint scanner? Should you use a registered finger for unlocking the phone and an unregistered one for waking it up without leaving the lock screen? That sounds more like a hassle than a solution, but thankfully, there's a much better one already baked into Samsung's One UI software.

Don't Forget You Can Double-Tap Your Screen to Wake It

Samsung's One UI has had this neat trick for years: You can double-tap the screen to turn it on. It was useful before, but now it works even great on foldables.

Using this gesture, you can check notifications directly on your Galaxy Z Flip or Fold's lock screen without having to touch the side-mounted fingerprint scanner and unlock your phone.

This feature is enabled by default in One UI, but not everyone is aware of its existence, especially newcomers who may have switched to Samsung this year. And if it's turned off, you may have imported your old settings through SmartSwitch.

To make sure this gesture is enabled on your Galaxy Z device, go to:

• Settings > Advanced features > Motions and gestures > enable Double tap to turn on screen.

In the spirit of customization, Samsung also included a separate, similar double-tap gesture to turn off the screen. You can use one or both for the complete experience.

Now, whenever you want to check lock screen notifications or Now Brief without unlocking your phone, you can just double-tap the display.

The side key will work the same as before: press and hold it for a fraction of a second to wake the screen and bypass the lock screen while simultaneously unlocking your phone — all in one gesture that will no longer conflict with another function.

Why does my Samsung foldable unlock immediately when I press the power button?

Samsung Galaxy Z foldable devices feature a side-mounted capacitive fingerprint scanner built directly into the power key, which registers your touch instantly and unlocks the phone before you can check lock screen notifications.

How do I check my lock screen notifications without unlocking my phone?

You can enable One UI's double-tap-to-wake gesture, allowing you to turn on the cover screen with a quick double-tap instead of pressing the side power key.

Where is the double tap to wake setting located in One UI?

Navigate to your phone's Settings app, tap on Advanced features, select Motions and gestures, and toggle on Double tap to turn on screen.

Can I also turn off my screen using a double-tap gesture?

Yes, Samsung provides an additional gesture option allowing you to double-tap on an empty space on the home screen or lock screen to turn the display off.

🔎 Ultimately, tailoring your Samsung Galaxy Z foldable device to your daily routine takes only a few minor adjustments. By enabling convenient display gestures like double-tap-to-wake, you can completely eliminate the accidental unlocks caused by side-mounted fingerprint sensors and enjoy a smoother, more efficient smartphone experience.