Do I need a Samsung Account on my Galaxy S6?

By Andrew Martonik
last updated

Much like a Google Account is basically required if you want to make the most of any Android phone, a Samsung Account is starting to become an integral part of owning a Samsung phone. Creating or signing into your Samsung Account is baked right into the setup process for the Galaxy S6, and while you're technically able to skip on past it, you're really best off signing in.

Samsung Account on the GS6

It's rather confusing at times, but Samsung has shifted a lot of its app and service updates over to the Galaxy Apps store — this completely separate app store requires a Samsung Account to function. The first time you open it up to update a pre-installed app or land there from the camera to download an extra shooting mode, you don't want to have to create an account on the spot just to get that done.

Further, if you have a Samsung Account connected to your Galaxy S6 you'll be able to keep all of your Samsung apps — such as S Health — seamlessly synced, as well as have the option to keep the Internet browser, your contacts, your calendar and keyboard settings the same between Samsung devices.

So while you definitely can use your Galaxy S6 without a Samsung Account, you're best off just signing up for one and having all of the added benefits of already being signed in the next time you go to use a Samsung app. You can create one from the "Accounts" area of the phone settings.

Andrew Martonik
Andrew Martonik

Andrew was an Executive Editor, U.S. at Android Central between 2012 and 2020.

88 Comments
  • Not hard to make one, it will use your Google account basically. Also it helps if you ever have a warrenty claim through the company. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Buying any device without the intended software designed for that hardware, is like buying a "Ferrari without the Engine".
    Some people just like to sit and pretend things are working. (These people include but are not limited to smartphone buyers that pay $80+ a month when they only Talk & Text and use 500MBs of data.) And to those who feel offended, I like your Ferrari. Can you give me a ride to the store in it?
    Not a pretend ride, a real one. Rooted LG G2 Rooted GSIII
    Stock Galaxy Note 4
    (The Sprint Lover)
  • Because Samsung just couldn't put their shit into the Play store like everyone else, huh? I may get updates for the built in apps, but I won't purchase a single app from there. I don't need yet another app store. The account sync stuff is fine, but again, you don't need a full app store for that.
  • They will for Tizen Posted via the Android Central App
  • Gotta link for that statement?
  • http://www.tizenexperts.com/2015/01/tizen-app-store-opens-public-ahead-s... Posted via the Android Central App
  • Lol Tizen huh. Posted via the Sailfish iMore app
  • Is that that hard to comprehend? Posted via the Android Central App
  • The only argument I have is for specific uses like the note with the s pen and the s 6 edge and it's benefits for the edges. I know they can do these things through Google but I don't mind them going in house. That and specific app shopping for the note 4. Hard to find those s pen friendly apps as easily as you can on their store. Posted on my Sexy Note 4
  • That outta show em!! Way to go buddy Posted via the Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
  • *ought to You're welcome, buddy!
  • For him giving an opening to be a total internet douchebag? You should praise him, not just thank him
  • Oh shit...it's the grammer police!!! How about a nice hot cup of STFU !!!!! Lmao Posted via the Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
  • Spelling not grammar. Posted via the Android Central App
  • *grammar Sorry, I had to.
  • I have GREAT news for you. You never need to use/see it.
  • You forget that Samsung is yet another company trying to incorporate a Googleless Android fork. Because of their popularity, Samsung actually does have a good shot at it, and getting consumers to start using the Samsung store is one step.
  • Yeah, they're moving a lot of their apps to the Play Store because they are working so hard to fork Android, right?
  • What fun is that. They might be able to make a $$$ by blessing you with a separate account.
  • Honestly, I think Samsung may as well make another OS since they're doing this. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Finally got to play around with one of these for a while today... Build is great.. Touch Wiz still unusable.. No way I would dump that kind of cash on what amounts to a nicely built point and shoot.
  • Maaan.....u so stuuuuupid Posted via the Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
  • +1 Posted via the Android Central App
  • unusable...yeah thats it. You are a joke
  • You doth protest too much. Yes Samsung applications pretty much suck at least 99.9% of them., but to say it's unusable is a bit of a stretch and I hate Samsung apps. Them forcing people to tie into their application store just to get updates that could be on Google Play makes me want to never use them ever again. I don't need another account. Via Nexus 6: "Takin updates for granted."
  • WTF? Most of samsungs apps don't suck at all anymore. They've overhauled practically every aspect of all of their native apps. But im sure you're probably basing your opinion on the galaxy S4 you used over a year ago, lmao Posted via the Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
  • Because everything after was so awesome? I had an S3 and an S4 then I bought the S5 and returned it. You say improved, I say the differences is that of the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 4s. Did they make changes, yes, is it better... You may think so, I decided to get a moto X and couldn't be happier. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Goddamn, anything is better than the software on tje S4. That crap looked terrible. You should check out the S5 on lollipop. None of Samsung's applications look much like they did on KK Posted via the Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
  • Even the S4 is going to get Lollipop with an overhauled user interface. Let the haters hate. I have an M8 and personally find HTC's software to be incredibly overrated.
  • Nope. Basing it off of my sons Note 4, and my wife and daughters S5s. They have to disable like 30 apps just to make it better. Crazy. Via Nexus 6: "Takin updates for granted."
  • Woah!! I didnt realize that Samsung had 30 pre-installed applications entirely of their own making on the S5 and note 4 ....\s No, carrier bloat and 3rd party pre-installed apps are not Samsung apps. If you wanted to dive into the services then ya, there are still quite a few. But you were originally complaining about Samsung's applications sucking Posted via the Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
  • Don't know but I have found many Samsung apps much better than Goggle Apps.. Especially the camera app. S health I find better than Fit. The Samsung PrinTap app is just awesome, I took pics today at my daughter's game and picked up the prints on the way. Many more, but you get the idea..
  • Just disable all the Samsung apps and install a different launcher. It would be worth it just for the camera and display. I've said it before and I'll say it again. A phone is only as good as it's user. Google+ All Day Everyday
  • Exactly. Want a stock look. You got plenty of launchers for that. Plus you'll get the amazing display and awesome camera software and other nifty Samsung software to boot that are actually worth it Posted via the Sailfish iMore app
  • You are the meme for "haters gonna hate". Bruh, get real... Posted via the Android Central App
  • Exactly! Google+ All Day Everyday
  • if that's all you can see in a device this nice, you're right, stick with that moto g
  • You mean the Nexus 6 Google+ All Day Everyday
  • Great analysis. You should start you own blog. People would flock there to hear solid info on various electronics.
  • Read the privacy policy for the Samsung account. No thank you. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Read the one from Google. It's just as bad if you're paranoid about privacy. Brought to you by the Fantastic Note 4
  • Except I'd go with Google's security with my data day over whatever Samsung.
  • ^this Via Nexus 6: "Takin updates for granted."
  • Yeah like the one for google is any better lol. What a fool. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Actually I have yet to read a privacy policy that doesn't sound intrusive. These are just things we have to deal with these days. You can either be on the cutting edge of tech and learn how to deal with privacy issues or you can live old fashioned without the tech. Pick your poison. Google+ All Day Everyday
  • And Snowden says ...
  • Most importantly you can backup and restore your text messages Posted via the Android Central App
  • Just use your Google account to sign up. Posted on my OnePlus One
  • I'm not a touchwiz fan, so I'd probably install Cyanogenmod, and that would negate the need for the Samsung account. Posted via the Android Central App
  • yeah but then you are stuck with AWFUL CM so you would do better with a samsung account. At least your phone will work
  • What Touchwiz is for you is what CM is to others... Posted from the Nexus 6, Nexus 5, or the Surface Pro 3
  • Let me clarify. Cm is fine on devices that are either a nexus or that is made to have cm on it. For any damages vice with an oem skin, it is a train wreck of broken wonky crap Sent via carrier duck. They were out of pigeons
  • And have a phone with a lot of bugs and broken features. That can't be replicated on a custom rom. Like for one the awesome camera. Posted via the Android Central App
  • @Lantesh, just skip the theatrics and purchase a Nexus. Google+ All Day Everyday
  • I'm still using my Nexus 4 actually. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Sweet Google+ All Day Everyday
  • Gosh. Children. Like it all really affects your daily productivity. Wow, what an endless obsession.
  • Buying a Samsung phone and then removing all the features that sold the phone is just silly, why not get a Nexus and go bland right from the start? The Samsung camera app and the features is still the best. Installing CM just ruins a phone, unless it's a Nexus devices as it's comes featureless.. I tried CM many times and just couldn't..
  • Lol. Samsung fanboys are almost as bad as iCrap fanboys.
  • @Eamarille, any kind of blind allegiance to a brand/cooperation is not healthy. Google+ All Day Everyday
  • Well I love the Samsung apps s health works nice on the note 4 don't need to by a watch it dies it all plus the S pen apps are right there to download no problem. I have lollipop on Verizon my phone is even faster and smoother with the upgrade. I had a nexus 5 nice but I could do way more with Samsung. Talk text and play your games on the same screen without slowing down. A window open for each app let you do more makes the bigger screen worth it.
  • I made a Samsung acct. Why not? It registers my device for me, for basic warranty issues. I just get my apps from Google play.
    Samsung can update their apps as well. having a samsung acct isn't hurting my phone in any way. LOVE my S6 Edge so much...
  • Even though I like what Samsung has done with the S6 Edge, it's not enough to get me to buy into this. From the outside, it looks like Samsung is trying to get customers locked into their services so they keep buying Samsung, even if they turn away from Android some day (Verizon does a similar thing as a carrier with their Verizon branded phones.). One of the reasons I buy Android is so I'm free to buy from any manufacturer or carrier and have all my apps and data synced through Google. I also want all the other services Google offers too. If I ever do decide to buy from Samsung, I would definitely skip the Samsung account and download other solutions that could be used on any other phone I buy in the future, most likely a Google solution.
  • Can Samsung's often (not always) crappy apps be loaded onto other brands? I own a Note 3 but have never thought of it.
  • So, it's okay for Google to lock you in, but it's not okay for Samsung, Apple, Microsoft, LG, HTC, or any other OEM/Carrier/whatever to lock you in? Does this not would incredibly... biased to you? Of course not...
  • Google does not lock you into any one Android phone manufacturer or into any one phone carrier. That's Samsung's and Verizon's strategy though. If they end up offering all their services across multiple devices and networks, then you would be right. In that case, there would be no difference, and people would just have to pick which ones they want to use.
  • I made one that I sync manually.
  • hello test Posted via the Android Central App
  • How is this different than the S5? After plugging my gmail account into my phone, the second thing it wanted was to make a Samsung account. Funny thing is, I turned off all the sync settings, and rarely ever open the Samsung market. I only really did it so it would stop asking me about it.
  • Totally disagree, I think Andrew is off the mark with this suggestion. there's nothing to be gained by signing in other than stuff like S health and people with multiple Samsung devices. You can confidently skip and ignore this, all of your Google account stuff will still sync just fine.
  • Samsung's Account system did a lot of things Google Account didn't do, like properly Sync Tasks if you weren't using an EAS account on the phone. Proper Tasks (with priority, delegation, progress, etc.) not the crap that's in Google Keep or Google Now. It's was pretty necessary for me to use my S3 or Note 3, to be frank. Without it, I would never have gotten those phones at all. All Android phones are filled with bloat. If you get a Verizon HTC, Samsung, Sony, LG, Motorola, whatever phone they will load the entire Amazon ecosystem and their bevy of apps onto it (20+ apps/services). Without all of that, the Samsung devices aren't really much different than a Windows or iOS device and their software is certainly more capable and in many cases way more polished than what Google released on a Nexus device.
  • Most of what Samsung does with their ROM mods is NOT NEEDED!!!! I had to deactivate so many things that my old S4 was not the same device... and I never, EVER, logged into Samsung.
  • The S4 was bloat to the EXTREME. While services are still excessive on their phones, it's not nearly what it was then Posted via the Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
  • Adding a Samsung account if you don't use any of the Samsung apps does nothing but annoy and drain your battery. Don't do it.
  • Doesn't drain battery or annoy...at all. Not sure what you're basing this off of. Posted via the Android Central App
  • Didn't sign up for one on my tab s. I doubt you HAVE to. Don't think I'm missing out on anything. Posted via Tab S 10.5 running Iron ROM 2.1
  • Yes, you need the Samsung account to enjoy the Samsung gifts on S6 edge! (Premium apps) Posted via the Android Central App
  • And the extra camera modes, which are absolutely worth it. That's the only reason I signed into the Samsung account. Also to download themes, but they all suck right now so really not yet for the themes, but when good ones start coming out we'll need to be signed into the Samsung account to download. I'm fine with that. Really not as big a deal as people are making it out to be. Posted via the Android Central App
  • What do I base it on? It will download updates to apps you never use when it wants. It is communicating back to Samsung when it wants. Sometimes the apps wake-lock in the process. When you log into Facebook and you have a Samsung account, it asks you if you want to connect to Samsung... say "no" and it will prompt EVERY time after a reboot. Say "yes" and you find Samsung will tell your friends how you love Samsung. Yeah, such fun. Now, ask me again what I base it on.
  • You can turn off app auto-updates and notifications in the Galaxy store settings. You can also disable services to keep from receiving anything from samsung. You didn't know about this? Posted via the Note 4 or Tab S 10.5
  • Nah, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. So far that hasn't happened as I don't use any S-apps (all disabled) or need any extra camera modes on my Samsung devices (ex. OG Note 10.1, Note 2 and Note 4).
  • I can't speak for the s6 but i do have the note 4 and I have all the samsung stuff enabled and an account logged in and I have not seen any battery drain, or hibderance to my phobes performance. I had my phone stolen not long ago and because Samsung allows you to require a password before the device can be wiped the yhirves couldn't do anythibg about it to reset the device, android device manager does not do this on its own unless you have 5.1 so i was able to track down the thief and confront them.
  • Die for a phone. It's the OG way!
  • I opened up a Samsung account and received 1/2 off coupon on any of their Samsung accessories for my phone. Why wouldn't you wqnt to open one up? They don't spam you, all as you get is having your name as listed as a Samsung phone owner and the benefits that it provides. Unless there is something negative I don't know about. I received 40 bucks off my accessories and I say that's a good thing.
  • Frankly, needing a Samsung account to take full advantage of some features and promotions just rubs me the wrong way, especially combined with some of the Samsung smartwatch requirements and speculation about Tizen. I don't consider it a deal-breaker at this point, though. Posted via AC App on HTC One
  • Every Time When I Enter This SITE i Saw information ONLY ABOUT SAMSUNG , i didn`t know that Androidcentral.com is SAMSUNG.COM.
    This site supposed to give me information about android phones, so if i need to set up something on my phone i can DO IT ON A HUAWEI , LG , ASUS ,
  • Even more reasons I'm glad I returned the janky S6, who do we need to have separate accounts for hardware ??... looking at you too Motorola ... I have a 360 and still don't have nor want a moto account.
  • Trying to use selfie stick. Can't without samsung account