How to customise home screen modes on the Samsung Omnia Pro B7610

The Samsung Omnia Pro is a heavily featured Windows Mobile-powered smartphone, delivering a Qwerty keyboard and high-speed HSDAP and Wi-Fi mobile connectivity options as well as plenty of work and entertainment applications onboard.

If you want to separate your office and downtime use of the phone, however, Samsung provides a dual home screen set-up that enables you to switch 'mode' between 'Work' and 'Life' at the touch of a button.

The dual home screens are very different looking, and can be individually customised to suit how you use the phone. They can even be renamed, should you wish to. The standard out-of-the-box home screen is set up for the 'Life' mode, with Samsung's Widgets-based TouchWiz user interface prominent.

However, the 'Work' mode offers a more information-packed user interface, which users can adapt using a drag-and-drop Widget-style set-up.

In 'Work' mode, users can scroll downscreen to view extensive info, updates and shortcuts, with a quick finger press taking you into the relevant function, message or application.

Here's how to set up and use the Mode function...

Swapping between Modes

1. When first switched on, the Samsung Omnia Pro B7610 is set up to be in 'Life' mode. Widgets, selectable from a side toolbar, can be used to customise the homescreen with mini-apps and shortcuts (see our article How to set up and use Widgets on the Samsung Omnia Pro B7610 for more info).
   
   To swap to 'Work' mode, press and hold the Mode switch key on the left side of the phone (directly below the volume keys).
2. In a few moments the phone will switch into 'Work' mode.
3. Scroll down to see teh full range of options onscreen.

Repeat the procedure to get back to the 'Life' mode.

Customising Work mode

1. To customise the Work mode screen, press Edit. A toolbar appears onscreen. You can scroll up or down with a finger to browse options.
2. To add one of these options to the 'Work' home screen, press and drag the icon you want to use to the place on the main portion of the display where you want to install it. Drop it in place by removing your finger from the display.
3. You can add as many of the additional items as you like, or you can drag and drop items off the home screen.
4. When you have finished your changes, press Done. You will be returned to the amended Work home screen.

Changing Mode settings.

1. From the home screen, press Start in the top left of the display.
2. In the main menu, scroll down and press the Mode Manager icon.
3. You are presented with a split screen showing the Work and Life mode screens. Here you can change the name of either model to something different, should you prefer, or change the settings.
4. To change the name, press the name panel. Type in the name you want to use. Press Exit. You are returned to the homescreen.
5. To change settings in the Mode menu, press the Settings button. A menu appears. Here you can press any of the panels displayed and select options to customise the screen.
6. If you press Wallpaper, the Photo Picker will appear. Press one of the images you want to use as a wallpaper.
7. You will see the new wallpaper previewed. Press Done to store.
8. Similarly, by pressing the Ring panel you can select what ringtone and ringer settings you'd like to use.
9. By pressing Today screen items you can select which items are displayed on the Today home screen. Scroll down and press the white boxes for the ones you want to select. The ticked ones are already shown on the home screen.
10. Any items ticked will be displayed. Press Done when you're finished.
11. You will be returned to the Mode Manager menu. Press Done again. Press Exit to return to the home screen
12. The newly customised items will be displayed on the home screen.