Samsung Urged to Fix the Galaxy Z Flip Cover Screen

Samsung’s clamshell foldable is still a stunner, but the smallest display keeps holding it back. As the next Galaxy Z Flip nears, the message from power users and reviewers is clear: the cover screen needs to graduate from cute novelty to capable computer. The hardware is there; the software isn’t. If Samsung wants the Flip to feel genuinely modern, it must take the front display seriously.

Why the cover screen now defines clamshell usefulness

A clamshell foldable lives or dies by how much you can do without opening it. Quick replies, navigation, music controls, camera framing, smart home toggles—these are cover-screen jobs. When those tasks demand a full unfold, the Flip loses its advantage over a slab phone. Reviewers across outlets praise the form factor but consistently flag the front display’s limitations as the friction that pushes people back to standard phones.

Competitors have leaned into this reality. Motorola’s Razr Plus/Ultra lets you run nearly any app on the external panel, rearrange widgets on-device, and set up clocks and wallpapers directly on the cover. It feels like a tiny phone you can trust. Samsung, by contrast, still treats the Flip’s cover as an accessory.

End the two app drawers and make the launcher unified

Flip’s cover screen currently presents a locked list of “optimized” apps—Google Maps, YouTube, a few messaging options—and blocks most other apps. To get literally anything else, users need to install Samsung’s Good Lock and add more plug-ins to unveil a second, parallel app drawer. The result is two conflicting launchers, two behaviors, near-inability to predict what will happen where or why, and far more taps than anyone should need.

There’s no technological reason this isn’t a first-party feature. Samsung already owns Good Lock; the code path is there. Unite the app drawers into a single native launcher. Allow users to pick what pages show up where. Offer easy per-app toggles for windowing, aspect ratio, and input method. Motorola has this on several models, over several generations. Samsung, in One UI, could largely match Motorola’s implementation—ideally with more polish and safer defaults.

Design better multitasking and faster app switching tools

The cover screen is large enough to handle more than one thing at a time. Even without typical split-screen, easy task shifting is hugely important. Much of the Flip’s modern flow drives users back to the cover home to quickly swap between apps, as it takes the fewest taps and the least time. No wonder flexible layouts and faster swapping benefit foldables as they benefit everyone.

Samsung might design a cover-specific version: one primary app claiming most of the window while a swipeable secondary “card” you can flick in and out holds the rest. A Recent Apps view that lives on the cover screen, constant media controls, a small dock for two or three pinned apps, a one-tap app jump list, a persistent folder view/button—whatever would help. Even an 80/20 layout, or a lightweight picture-in-picture bubble for maps or timers, would make the Flip feel less like a lock screen and more like a legit mini phone.

Let users customize the cover without opening the Flip

On-device customization should be table stakes. Right now, arranging cover widgets, changing clock styles, tweaking quick settings, or setting a third-party keyboard often requires opening the phone and diving into menus. That is the opposite of convenience. Samsung can fix this with a cover-based edit mode: long-press to add, resize, or remove widgets; swipe into a clock gallery; adjust brightness, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth from a persistent shade; and allow third-party keyboards and voice input on the cover with clear safety prompts. Accessibility features like larger touch targets and haptic confirmation would also help. These are small touches that add up to daily utility.

Hardware is ready, but software must finally catch up

Samsung’s recent Flips already ship with fast cover panels, robust cameras, and “for Galaxy” Snapdragon chipsets that can handle anything the front display throws at them. The rumored move to a roughly 4-inch-plus cover on upcoming models only raises the stakes. DSCC and other display analysts have noted how external screens have become the focal point of clamshell differentiation; the software experience is now the bottleneck.

Competition is tightening across foldables and carriers

Counterpoint Research and IDC agree that foldable shipments are growing as Samsung’s share lessens and rivals’ capacities increase. The most recent Razr from Motorola has been pushed aggressively in the United States through carrier promotions from Verizon and AT&T. Reviews on popular technology websites such as The Verge and GSMArena regularly highlight the Razr line for its “do-it-all” outer display as a headline feature, sending a clear message to consumers: live on the cover.

If Samsung wants the Flip to assume clear leadership again, it must address this. People purchase this phone to get more for less, not just to reduce friction points.

What success could look like on the Flip’s cover screen

• One unified cover app drawer designed by Samsung with per-app access safeguards.
• Real multitasking primitives on the front: Recents, a Mini Dock, and an optional secondary card view.
• Complete on-cover control for widgets, clocks, quick settings, and keyboards.
• A configurable 80/20 layout and lightweight picture-in-picture bubbles for maps or timers.
• Persistent media controls, a small dock for pinned apps, a one-tap jump list, and a persistent folder button.

With these in place, the external display is no longer just a peek window on the future. Samsung has the ability, the silicon, and the software stack to accomplish these tasks. Do it, and the next Galaxy Z Flip will not only be an emblem but will also work like one.