How do you activate Dolby Atmos on any Samsung Galaxy smartphone, from the Galaxy S9 to the latest models? The feature is available on all models except those with a single speaker. Here’s how.
While the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, launched in 2018, weren’t the first Samsung phones to feature stereo speakers – that credit goes to the Galaxy C9 Pro – they were the first to democratize this feature for Samsung.
In addition to stereo speakers, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ also introduced Dolby Atmosa feature that offers virtual surround sound on the phone’s speakers, as well as headphones and Bluetooth devices.
How to Enable Dolby Atmos on Samsung Galaxy Smartphones
The easiest way to activate Dolby Atmos is to use its dedicated quick-activation button in the notification bar. Just swipe down twice from the top of the screen to expand the area of quick activation buttons, scroll left until you find the button that says Dolby Atmos, and tap it to activate the feature.
Otherwise, do the following:
- Open “Settings” and tap on “Sounds and vibration”. If your smartphone has the latest Android version 9.0 or later, select “Advanced sound settings” then “Quality and sound effects”. If you have an earlier version, tap directly on “Quality and sound effects”.
- Slide the switch to enable “Dolby Atmos” and or “Dolby Atmos for Gaming”.
By default, Dolby Atmos is set to automatically detect if you’re watching movies, listening to music, or something that puts more emphasis on vocals. However, you can change the automatic setting for movies, music, or voice by holding down the Dolby Atmos button.
As for Dolby Atmos in video games, this is a separate setting. To turn on Dolby Atmos for games, open your phone’s Settings app, tap Sounds & Haptics, scroll down and tap Sound Quality & Effects, then turn on the Dolby Atmos for Games button.
To read: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra test: the king of Android smartphones is not about to abdicate
What is Dolby Atmos sound for on a Samsung smartphone?
Dolby Atmos emulates a surround sound effect, improves stereo separation and, in many cases, increase the volume of the audio output of a Galaxy smartphone, whether you use wired or wireless audio products, Bluetooth devices like your car’s audio system, or the phone’s own stereo speakers (as mentioned earlier, Dolby Atmos does not work on a single loudspeaker, for obvious reasons). Dolby Atmos works on all kinds of media, from movies and music to voice recordings and games.
Stereo speakers continue to be mostly exclusive to Samsung’s flagship phones like the Galaxy S23 and some of its mid-range phones, but Dolby Atmos support is available on virtually all Galaxy smartphones launched since the Galaxy S9 and the S9+. For phones with a single speaker, Dolby Atmos only works on headphones and Bluetooth devices.
