How to Use the Samsung S Pen on Galaxy Phones and Tablets

The Samsung S Pen is a stylus included with certain Samsung Galaxy devices — specifically the Galaxy S24 Ultra, S23 Ultra, Z Fold series, and Galaxy Tab S tablets. Unlike a basic stylus, the S Pen has electronics inside it that allow for pressure sensitivity, precise writing, and special features called Air Actions that let you control your phone without touching the screen.

The S Pen slots into the bottom of Galaxy Ultra phones and certain Galaxy Tab models. When you pull it out, a menu called Air Command pops up automatically — a circle of shortcuts for S Pen features. If Air Command doesn't appear, tap the floating pen icon that usually shows on screen.

The most practical everyday use for most people is Samsung Notes. Open the app, create a new note, and write naturally with the S Pen. It recognizes up to 4,096 levels of pressure, so your strokes look like real pen marks rather than robotic digital lines. You can also draw, sketch, and create diagrams.

Smart Select is one of the most useful S Pen features. Tap it in the Air Command menu, then draw a rectangle around any area on your screen — a photo, a paragraph of text, a section of a map. That selection is captured as an image you can save, share, or paste into a document. It's much more precise than trying to take a screenshot and crop it later.

Screen Write takes a screenshot instantly and opens it in an annotation tool where you can write notes on top of the captured screen. This is helpful for marking up web pages, highlighting something in an email, or sending a photo with your handwritten notes added.

Live Message lets you create an animated message by drawing or writing, then sends the animation to friends or family as a moving graphic — a nice way to send a personal, handwritten note digitally.

Air Actions work when the S Pen is held in the air near (not touching) the screen. Click the S Pen button once, twice, or hold it to trigger different actions — take a photo, advance slides in a presentation, or scroll through content. Configure Air Actions in Settings > Advanced Features > S Pen > Air Actions.