What is the Samsung S Pen & how do I use it?

Last Update date : Oct 13. 2026

The S Pen is a special stylus integrated into the Galaxy Note series, as well as some of the later Galaxy Tabs.

To use the S Pen, remove it from your device by pressing gently on the end. When you remove it, your device will vibrate briefly. You can also activate the S Pen by hovering it over the screen and quickly pressing the S Pen button at the end twice.

Please note: New features have been introduced with each new Galaxy Note and S Pen. Therefore, some of the features mentioned below may not be available on older models.

A useful function of the S Pen is Air Command. This creates a small icon on your screen that appears when the S Pen is activated and can be clicked on to expand and show S Pen features and functions.

If Air Command doesn't appear when you activate the S Pen, you may need to switch it on. The path to turn it on will be different depending on your model and operating system.

  • Settings > Advanced Features > S Pen > Show Air Command icon
  • Settings > Advanced Features > Air Command > Floating icon
  • Settings > S Pen > Air Command

 

Using your S Pen as a remote control lets you take photos from a distance, control PowerPoint presentations, browse Gallery, and more.

With the Galaxy Note10/Note10+, you can go a step further and use Air Actions to control your phone with six gestures (left/right, up/down, swing left/right.

Follow the steps below on your Galaxy smartphone to activate the S Pen remote control functions.

1 Go to "Settings", then tap “Advanced features”.
2 Tap “S Pen”.
3 Tap “S Pen remote” or “Air Actions”.
4 Tap the switch to activate “S Pen remote".

You can also activate it via the Notification panel:

1 Swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to open the Notification panel. Then, drag the notification down to expand the menu.
2 Slide the notification panel to the left.
3 Tap “S Pen remote” or “S Pen Air Actions”.
4 A message will pop-up, asking you if you want to keep using your current S Pen or connect a new one. In this example, choose “Keep using current S Pen”.

Please note: Make sure the S Pen has enough battery for the Bluetooth connectivity to work properly.

Change and customise the app, features or actions of your S Pen button to adapt it to your preferences and needs.

Please note: This feature is available on the Galaxy Note9 and Note10/Note10+. Availability and design might vary depending on the model type and operating system installed.

1 Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the Notification panel.
2 Tap and hold "S Pen air actions".

Or, go to "Settings", tap "Advanced features", tap "S Pen", then tap "Air actions" to open the S Pen remote settings screen.

3 Under the heading "App actions", select an app to customise. In this example, "Camera".
4 Change actions by tapping items under the headings "Single press", “Double press”, and "Gestures".

Please note: Like other Bluetooth devices, the S Pen’s max range is 10m. The Note8 S Pen cannot be used as a remote control or use Air actions.

The Pen button can be found on the side of the S Pen. You can customise the use of the Pen button in two ways:

  • Choose the app that launches when you press and hold the Pen button
  • Choose what you would like to happen if you single or double press the Pen button

 

Press and hold

You can choose which app you would like to open when you press and hold the Pen button on your S Pen for a few seconds.

1 Go to "Settings", then tap “Advanced features”.
2 Tap “S Pen”.
3 Select “S Pen remote” or “Air actions” to open the S Pen remote settings screen.
4 Tap “Hold down Pen button to”.
5 Select the app or feature you wish to be launched (e.g. Camera, Calculator, Translate), in this example “Camera”.
6 Whichever app you select will be launched when holding down the S Pen button for 2-3 seconds.

Single or double press

1 Go to "Settings", then tap “Advanced features”.
2 Tap “S Pen”.
3 Select “Air actions” or “S Pen remote” to open the S Pen remote settings screen.
4 In the “App actions” section, tap the apps you wish to customise air actions for, in this example “Camera”.
5 Tap next to “Single press” to choose what you want to happen when you press the button once.
6 Tap next to “Double press” to choose what you want to happen when you press the button twice.

Thanks to the S Pen, you can avoid running back into the frame after setting the camera timer or squeezing into the image because of limited space. Use the S Pen as a remote control to take the perfect selfie or group photo.

To activate this feature, first follow the steps above in the section "Use the S Pen as a remote control" to activate the S Pen remote control settings.

The S Pen connects to your device via Bluetooth and can act as a remote camera trigger from up to 10m away.

1 Set the phone at a distance.
2 Place yourself nicely in the frame.
3 Press the S Pen button once to snap a picture.
2 Press the S Pen button twice to switch between front or rear camera.

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