The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is at its best when you stop treating it like a big phone and start using the features that only make sense on a foldable: Flex mode, three app multi window, the always visible taskbar, the cover screen camera preview, and DeX on an external display. This guide covers seven settings and habits that turn it into a pocket workstation, with exact One UI 8 menu paths.
Before the tips, one important correction to a lot of older advice floating around: the Z Fold 7 dropped S Pen support. Samsung removed the digitizer layer from the inner display to get the phone down to 8.9 mm folded and 4.2 mm open, and it confirmed at launch that no stylus works with the device. The official Samsung newsroom announcement lists the 8.0 inch main screen, 6.5 inch cover screen, 200 MP main camera, Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy and the Armor FlexHinge, and makes no mention of a stylus. For a deep look at the new hinge, see our piece on what happens when you fold and unfold the Fold 7 200,000 times.
1. Turn on the taskbar and learn its shortcuts
The taskbar is the single feature that makes the Fold 7 feel like a tablet. It sits at the bottom of the inner screen, shows your dock apps plus recent apps, and lets you drag any icon into the current app to open a split screen.
Menu path: Settings > Display > Taskbar. Turn the toggle on, then open the Taskbar settings page and enable Show recent apps.
Once it is on, drag an icon to the left or right half of the screen for split screen, drag it to the center for a floating pop up, and tap the app drawer dots to reach apps that are not pinned.
2. Force multi window for every app
Out of the box, some apps refuse to open in split screen or as a pop up because the developer never flagged them as resizable. One UI has a Labs switch that overrides that.
Menu path: Settings > Advanced features > Labs, then turn on Multi window for all apps. On the same screen, enable Full screen in split screen view if you want apps to ignore their own aspect ratio when they share the display.
Also visit Settings > Advanced features > Multi window and turn on Swipe for split screen and Swipe for pop up view for gesture shortcuts.
3. Use Flex mode on purpose
Flex mode kicks in when you half fold the phone and stand it on a desk. The active app moves to the top half and the bottom half becomes a control panel or a touchpad.
To get Flex mode in apps that do not support it natively, enable the Flex mode panel: Settings > Advanced features > Labs > Flex mode panel, then pick the apps that should show the panel. Half fold the phone in a listed app and a navigation bar button switches the bottom half into a touchpad with brightness, volume and screenshot controls.
4. Take selfies with the 200 MP main camera using the cover screen
The Fold 7 has a 10 MP inner selfie camera and a 10 MP cover camera, but the best portrait you can take of yourself uses the 200 MP rear camera with the cover screen as the preview.
Open the Camera app with the phone unfolded and tap the cover screen preview icon in the top corner of the viewfinder (it looks like a small phone with an arrow). The cover display lights up with a live preview so the person in front of the lens can frame the shot. You can also start from the cover screen: open Camera on the outer display, swipe up on the viewfinder or tap the flip icon, and choose Rear camera selfie.
In Camera settings, turn on Show palm under Shooting methods so a raised hand triggers the timer without touching the screen.
5. Continue apps on the cover screen and control which apps open where
Menu path: Settings > Display > Continue apps on cover screen. Turn on the master toggle and then pick apps individually. Apps you leave off the list close to the lock screen when you fold the phone, which is good privacy behavior for banking apps.
6. Install Good Lock and the MultiStar module
Good Lock is Samsung’s free customization suite in the Galaxy Store, and the MultiStar module is written specifically for foldables. Install Good Lock from the Galaxy Store, open it, switch to the Life up tab and install MultiStar. We have a broader rundown of the suite in five Good Lock modules to customize your Galaxy like a pro, so here we will stick to the foldable options.
| MultiStar option | What it does on the Fold 7 | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| I love Galaxy Foldable > Launch multi instances | Open two copies of one app side by side | Comparing two browser tabs or two documents |
| I love Galaxy Foldable > Cover screen mirroring | Mirror a running app to the cover screen | Showing a video or slide to someone across a table |
| I love Galaxy Foldable > Custom aspect ratio | Force apps into a phone shaped window on the inner screen | Social apps that stretch badly on a square display |
| Enable multi window for all apps | Same as the Labs switch, plus per app control | Apps that still refuse split screen after the Labs setting |
| Quick launch actions | Assign an app or split screen pair to a swipe on the edge | Opening your work layout in one gesture |
Toggle names shift slightly between MultiStar versions, but the section labeled for Galaxy foldables is where the Fold specific switches live. Home Up (taskbar and app drawer tweaks) is the other module worth installing.
7. Use DeX, and protect the hinge
DeX turns the Fold 7 into a desktop when you plug it into a monitor over USB C or cast it to a DeX capable TV. The fastest way to start it is the DeX tile in the Quick panel; the full settings live at Settings > Connected devices > Samsung DeX. Connect a USB C to HDMI cable or a hub, pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and you get a windowed desktop with resizable apps.
On hardware care: the Armor FlexHinge is built for years of folding, but grit is the enemy. Keep the phone out of sandy pockets, do not force it past flat, and wipe the crease with a microfiber cloth. Choose a two piece case that leaves the hinge free to move, and never peel the factory protector on the inner display; if it bubbles, have a Samsung service center replace it. It is also worth reading which Fold 7 model offers a much longer warranty before you buy, because the inner display is the expensive part to replace.
Troubleshooting
Taskbar disappears in some apps
That is the intended behavior for full screen games and video. If it also vanishes in normal apps, check Settings > Display > Taskbar and make sure the option to hide it until expanded is off. A swipe up from the bottom edge always brings it back.
An app opens as a phone sized window in the middle of the screen
The app has declared a fixed aspect ratio. Turn on Multi window for all apps in Labs, or in MultiStar set a custom aspect ratio for that app. Some banking apps deliberately refuse to resize, and no setting changes that.
Flex mode panel does not appear
The panel only shows for apps you ticked in the Labs list, and only when the phone is folded between roughly 75 and 115 degrees. Fold it further toward flat and the app returns to full screen.
DeX will not start over the cable
DeX needs a cable or hub that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, not a charge only cable. If the monitor shows a signal but DeX does not launch, open Settings > Connected devices > Samsung DeX and check that starting DeX automatically on connection is enabled.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Galaxy Z Fold 7 work with the S Pen?
No. Samsung removed the digitizer layer from the inner display to make the Fold 7 thinner and lighter, and confirmed at launch that no S Pen model works with it. Older Fold Edition and Pro pens from the Fold 5 and Fold 6 will not register. A capacitive stylus works like a finger but offers no pressure sensitivity.
Can I run three apps at once on the inner screen?
Yes. The Fold 7 supports three app split screen plus floating pop up windows on top of that. Drag icons from the taskbar to build the layout, then save it as an app pair from Recents so it opens with one tap next time.
Which apps should I let continue on the cover screen?
Choose apps you read or listen to while walking: browser, maps, podcasts, messaging and reading apps. Leave out banking and password apps so they lock when you close the phone. The list is managed under Settings > Display > Continue apps on cover screen and can be changed at any time.
Is Good Lock safe to install?
Good Lock is published by Samsung in the Galaxy Store, so it is as trustworthy as any other Samsung app. Modules run with system permissions because they modify One UI, and a few features can behave oddly after a major One UI update until the module is refreshed, but nothing it does is permanent.
Does DeX need a special dock?
No. Any USB C hub or cable that supports video output over DisplayPort Alt Mode works, and wireless DeX runs over Miracast on many smart TVs and monitors. A hub with power delivery keeps the phone charged during long sessions, which matters because DeX with a large external display draws a lot of power.
The bottom line
The Fold 7 rewards a few minutes in Settings. Turn on the taskbar and multi window for all apps first, because those two changes shape every session on the inner screen. Then add the Flex mode panel, cover screen continuity and the cover screen camera preview, which are the features that make people fall in love with the form factor.
Good Lock and DeX are the power user layer on top. Neither is required, but both are free, and together they cover most of what the missing S Pen used to do for productivity. If you are weighing this phone against what came after it, our coverage of the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 announcements for the Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 shows how much of this software carries forward.
