The Tool Desk
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Use the model-specific instructions below rather than assuming that a gesture on one foldable works on another.
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What a secondary display is useful for
The secondary display is the smaller screen on the outside of a flip phone. It is available when the handset is folded, so you can perform short tasks without opening the main display. Typical uses include:
- Checking notification icons, alerts, and message details.
- Answering or rejecting calls, with audio routed according to the phone’s settings and connected accessories.
- Viewing music playback controls.
- Opening quick settings on supported Motorola razr models.
- Launching the rear camera and using the outside screen as a selfie preview.
- Using selected apps, contacts, calendars, weather panels, games, or widgets where the model supports them.
- Glancing at time, notifications, or media through a sleep or always-on display.
It is not a universal miniature version of the inner screen. Manufacturers limit which apps and actions can run while the phone is closed, and the available controls can change between generations or software releases.
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Check the exact phone before changing settings
Identify the model name and software version in Settings before following a gesture. A Galaxy Z Flip, razr 2023, razr 60, razr 2024, and razr 2025-family phone can use different menus even when the action sounds similar.
- Look for an External display, Cover screen, Sleep display, Always-on display, or Control center section in Settings.
- Install available system updates if a documented option is missing; menu names can move after an update.
- Keep the phone folded and awake while testing. Some actions are available only on the interactive display, not on a passive clock view.
- Confirm that Bluetooth audio or a headset is connected before answering a call if you do not want the phone’s speaker to be used.
The instructions in the next sections are tied to the models named in the manufacturer guides. Treat them as examples of supported behavior, not a promise that every foldable has the same controls.
How to check notifications and calls while the phone is closed
Galaxy Z Flip: wake the cover screen and open an alert
Samsung’s reviewed Galaxy Z Flip support instructions, last updated December 2, 2020, use the following workflow:
- With the phone folded, press the Side key or double-tap the cover screen to wake it.
- Tap and swipe through alerts, app notifications, and messages.
- If a notification requires its app, tap the notification and tap it again. Unfold the phone to continue in the app on the inner display.
- Swipe left to reach music playback controls when audio is playing.
These directions describe the Galaxy Z Flip covered by that support page. Later Z Flip generations may expose different notification actions or settings, so use the guide for your specific model when a gesture does not respond.
Galaxy Z Flip: answer or reject a call
- When an incoming call appears on the cover screen, swipe right to answer.
- Swipe left to reject the call.
Samsung says that answering while the phone remains folded enables speakerphone unless a headset or Bluetooth audio accessory is being used. Consider your surroundings before answering; a folded call can be audible to people nearby.
Motorola razr 2023 and razr+ 2023: expand or dismiss notifications
On the razr 2023 and razr+ 2023, notification icons appear along the bottom of the external display.
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- Tap a notification icon to open the notification list.
- Tap the down arrow on a bundled notification to expand it or reveal more information.
- Swipe a notification sideways to dismiss it.
- Swipe down to close the notification list.
The Motorola razr 60 guide documents notification icons and the same general method for expanding notification details. If your icon arrangement or gesture differs, open the phone’s external-display settings and consult the guide for that generation.
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A cover-screen notification may show enough information to decide whether the alert can wait. Opening the full app is a separate action: on the documented Galaxy Z Flip workflow, the phone must be unfolded to continue in the app. Other models may permit a limited reply or app view, but that capability must be confirmed for the exact phone rather than assumed from the notification itself.
Quick settings, media, and glanceable controls
Motorola razr 60 quick settings
The razr 60 user guide says to open quick settings by swiping down on the external display. Use the panel for the controls exposed by that model and software version, then follow the on-screen gesture to close it. The guide establishes the swipe-down action for the razr 60; it does not make that gesture a standard for Samsung or every other foldable.
Sleep display on razr 2024
Motorola’s razr 2024 documentation describes Sleep display as a way to peek at the time, notifications, and currently playing media. Tap, lift, or wave gestures can be configured to wake the interactive display. If a wave does nothing, check the Sleep display settings and enable the desired wake gesture.
Control-center choices on the razr 2025 family
The razr 2025-family guide covers sleep display, always-on display, and control-center settings. It notes that the route to quick settings and notifications depends on the selected control-center style. In practice, a swipe that opens one panel on one style may open another panel, or require a different direction, on another style.
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Samsung music controls
The reviewed Samsung support page documents music playback controls on the Galaxy Z Flip cover screen by swiping left. It does not establish that every Galaxy Z Flip generation exposes identical quick settings or media controls. Use the control layout shown on your own cover screen.
Take a selfie with the rear cameras
The outside display can work as a live preview for the rear cameras. This lets you use the main cameras while the phone is folded instead of relying on the inner display’s front-facing camera. The preview is especially useful when the rear camera system has capabilities that the front camera does not.
Galaxy Z Flip camera workflow
- Keep the Galaxy Z Flip folded.
- Double-tap the Side key to launch the camera.
- Use the cover screen to frame yourself with the rear cameras.
- Press Volume Down to take the picture, or use the configured palm gesture.
Samsung describes this as taking selfies with the rear camera while previewing on the cover screen without unfolding. The Side-key shortcut and palm gesture can depend on the phone’s settings.
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Motorola razr 2023 and razr+ 2023
- With the phone closed, twist it twice to open the camera, or double-press the Power button.
- Choose Photo, then select Mirror so the external display acts as the preview.
- Tap the external display or press Volume Up to capture the image.
If the twist shortcut is disabled or unreliable, use the Power-button shortcut and review gesture settings.
Motorola razr 60
The razr 60 guide documents the same general mirror workflow: open the camera while the phone is closed, select the photo mode’s mirror option, frame the shot on the external display, and use the display or a volume key to capture. Positioning the phone with the camera at the top gives a better angle according to the guide.
Gesture availability can depend on setup. If twisting twice does not launch the camera, use the model’s documented button shortcut or open the external-display camera controls manually.
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Selfie-preview practical checks
- Clean the rear camera lenses before framing; the outside preview cannot correct a smudged lens.
- Place the camera at the top edge when using the razr 60 workflow so the viewing angle is more natural.
- Check which rear lens is selected before shooting; the preview shows the framing for the active camera, not necessarily every lens.
- Use a volume-key capture method when tapping the small preview causes the phone to move.
Customize what appears on the outside display
Panels on razr 2023 models
Motorola’s razr 2023 documentation describes external-display panels for apps, contacts, calling and messaging, calendar, weather, games, and widgets. To manage panels, touch and hold an empty area of the Home panel, then select the panel-management option shown on screen.
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Panels on the razr 60
The razr 60 guide also documents external-display panels and their customization. Use the same general approach—touch and hold a blank area of the Home panel—then add, remove, or reorder the panels offered by your software.
App transition on razr 2024
Motorola’s razr 2024 guide explains that app-transition behavior can be configured when you want an app to continue on the external display after closing the phone. The setting determines whether an app remains available outside or moves the activity to the inner screen. Because only supported apps can run in that mode, the option may not appear for every app.
Sleep and desk display on the razr 2025 family
The razr 2025-family guide separates Sleep display and Desk display. Desk display supports a tent or stand position and can show a clock or a picture-and-text carousel. Configure these modes under the external-display settings, then test the phone in the physical position in which you plan to use it. A display that is convenient on a desk may be too visible in a pocket or public place.
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Privacy and audio considerations
A small screen is not automatically a private screen. Notification previews can reveal message text to anyone looking over your shoulder, and a folded call may use speakerphone. Review notification-preview controls, hide sensitive content where appropriate, and connect a headset or Bluetooth audio accessory before answering a call that should not be public.
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When you enable a panel or allow an app to continue on the outside display, consider what information it exposes while the phone is closed. Calendar, messaging, contact, and weather panels can be convenient, but they may show personal details without the privacy of the inner screen.
Troubleshoot a gesture or feature that is missing
The display will not wake
- Press the Side or Power key once, then try the documented double-tap, lift, or wave gesture.
- Check whether Sleep display or always-on display is disabled.
- Remove a case or screen protector that may interfere with touch or proximity sensors.
- Restart the phone and test again while it is fully folded.
Swipe-down opens the wrong panel
On newer Motorola phones, the selected control-center style can change how quick settings and notifications are reached. Open Settings and search for Control center or External display, then follow the layout shown for that style. Do not apply the razr 60 swipe-down instruction to a Samsung phone without checking its own guide.
The camera shortcut does nothing
- Try the alternate shortcut: double-press Power on supported razr models or double-tap the Side key on the documented Galaxy Z Flip workflow.
- Verify that the phone is folded completely and the cover display is active.
- Check gesture settings and camera permissions.
- Open the camera from an available external-display app or panel if the shortcut was disabled.
A notification cannot be expanded
Tap the notification icon first, then use the down arrow where the Motorola interface provides one. Some alerts are intentionally compact or grouped, and not every notification exposes additional text or actions on the outside display.
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Calls are unexpectedly loud
On the Galaxy Z Flip behavior documented by Samsung, answering while folded uses speakerphone unless a headset or Bluetooth audio accessory is connected. Connect the accessory before answering or unfold the phone and adjust the call route after connecting.
How to compare phones by their secondary-display experience
If you are choosing between flip-style foldables, compare the functions that matter to your routine rather than the screen size alone. The available manufacturer material does not provide a current, exhaustive side-by-side ranking of all models, so use these as a checklist.
| Capability | What to verify | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications | Whether icons, full details, bundled alerts, dismissal, and replies are supported while closed | Determines whether you can triage alerts without unfolding |
| Quick settings and media | Which swipe opens quick settings, whether media controls are available, and whether control-center styles can be changed | Shows how many routine controls remain accessible |
| Rear-camera selfies | Camera-launch shortcut, mirror-preview mode, capture buttons, and supported gestures | Determines how quickly you can frame and shoot with the main cameras |
| Apps and panels | Available app, contact, calendar, weather, game, and widget panels; app-transition options | Indicates whether the outside screen supports your actual tasks |
| Privacy and calls | Notification-preview controls and call audio routing while folded | Prevents accidental disclosure of messages or conversations |
| Stand and glance modes | Sleep, always-on, and desk-display options, including tent or stand behavior | Useful for clocks, media, and passive information at a desk |
What you should expect in daily use
The secondary display is best treated as a fast triage and capture surface. It can tell you whether an alert needs attention, expose selected controls, and provide a rear-camera preview without the delay of opening the phone. It is not a guarantee that every notification can be answered or that every inner-screen app can be transferred outside.
For reliable use, learn the three or four gestures supported by your exact model, configure only the panels and wake actions you need, and check call-audio and notification privacy before using the phone in public. A flip phone with an interactive cover or external display is required; no separate accessory is needed for the core notification, control, and selfie functions described here.
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