Personal a OnePlus cellphone? I modified 10 settings to considerably enhance the consumer expertise

It has been agreed upon by the ZDNET crew that the OnePlus 13 is that this 12 months’s sleeper hit. At a beginning value of $899, the flagship cellphone can compete in opposition to dearer telephones just like the Pixel 9 Professional XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely. And we’ve OnePlus’ clear but extremely customizable software program expertise to thank for that.

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For those who switched to a OnePlus cellphone not too long ago or have been utilizing one since its startup days, there is a good probability you are not utilizing the cellphone to its full potential. The truth is, over time, OxygenOS, which has since been transformed to ColorOS, has obtained quite a few updates that make the telephones extra productive and straightforward to make use of. 

Listed below are 10 of them that I like to recommend enabling or altering to attain essentially the most intuitive consumer expertise.

1. Allow Fingerprint Fast Launch

OnePlus telephones have a characteristic that allows you to launch apps from the lock display screen with only a press-and-swipe. With Fingerprint Fast Launch, you may add as much as 5 apps or actions to launch with no need to carry your finger after unlocking the cellphone. 

As an illustration, I’ve added Gmail, Chrome, Video and Portrait on my OnePlus 13. I can place my finger and swipe it in the direction of the app/motion that I need to launch. It is useful once I must report a fast video or hear my Gmail ping for an essential electronic mail. You possibly can allow it by going to Settings > Safety and Privateness > Finger and Face Unlock > Fingerprint > Fast Launch.

2. Use the Sensible Sidebar to your benefit

Samsung launched a sidebar-like characteristic on the Galaxy Observe Edge, and it has advanced since to be extra customizable and helpful. On OnePlus telephones, the Sensible Sidebar is a small space on the best edge (customizable) which you can entry with a swipe. It’s helpful for shortly accessing your most-used instruments (like voice recorder or display screen recorder) and apps. You possibly can allow/disable it by going to Settings > Accessibility and Comfort > Sensible Sidebar.

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The Sensible Sidebar can be helpful as a productive characteristic. You possibly can drag and drop gadgets to the File Dock, which may be accessed anytime sooner or later. I continuously use it to pull gadgets from Instagram or Chrome and drop them into WhatsApp chats. To allow File Dock, you might want to go to Settings > Accessibility and Comfort > Sensible Sidebar > Toggle on File Dock. You possibly can additional regulate the Sensible Sidebar place, features, and extra. 

3. Use XPAN mode for landscapes

XPAN is likely one of the most underrated digital camera options, for my part. I first used it on the Oppo Discover N2 Flip to seize Costa Brava surroundings, and I am glad it has made its approach to OnePlus telephones. It’s impressed by Hasselblad’s XPan characteristic, which lets you seize panoramic pictures in a novel 65:24 facet ratio. 

OnePlus first added the XPAN Mode on OnePlus 9 sequence nevertheless it hasn’t gained traction as a result of for the longest time, it did not permit customers so as to add XPAN to their Viewfinder. In consequence, it was hidden underneath Extra within the Digicam app. You possibly can add it and use it by going to Digicam > Extra > faucet and maintain XPAN > after which including it to the viewfinder. 

4. Allow Reside Images

Earlier final 12 months, I wrote about how a lot I like Reside Images on my iPhone, and extra Android telephones ought to have this characteristic. To my nice shock, virtually each 2025 smartphone now has a Reside Photograph or comparable characteristic, which captures a 3-second video while you click on a photograph. I adore it as a result of it tends to seize the feelings behind a photograph. 

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It is available in particularly helpful once I’m snapping photographs of my mother and father. They will by no means get each of their eyes open in a shot without delay. It takes just a few tries, and within the meantime, Reside Photograph captures quick and humorous behind-the-scenes footage. To allow Reside Images on a OnePlus cellphone, go to Digicam and faucet on the third icon on the highest row.

5. AI Edits to enhance your photographs

Latest OnePlus telephones have a number of AI options that may be helpful in sure conditions. Certainly one of my favourite AI options on the OnePlus 13 is AI Reflection Eraser. It resides within the Images app and can be utilized to erase mirror reflections in your photos. 

AI Eraser and AI Unblur are two different options that turn out to be useful when there’s an undesirable topic within the background or once I seize a photograph, nevertheless it seems to be blurry. To make use of these options, you might want to go to the photograph you need to edit > faucet on Edit > AI Editor.

6. Change the show decision

When you’ve got a flagship OnePlus cellphone, just like the OnePlus 13, be sure to’re utilizing the show at its highest decision. In spite of everything, you paid for QHD+. Most telephones that help QHD decision do not have it enabled by default. 

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I like to recommend altering it to the sharpest decision accessible as a result of OnePlus telephones have dependable battery life, and a pointy display screen will not harm it. It will allow you to work together with a sharper and extra pleasing show. To allow QHD+, go to Settings > Show & brightness > Display decision > Excessive.

7. Add Fast Search shortcut

OnePlus not too long ago added a world search to its telephones, permitting you to seek for contacts, settings, recordsdata, and extra by merely writing their names within the Fast Search field. There are a number of methods to entry it, and certainly one of them is a swipe-down gesture on the house display screen. For those who’re coming from an iPhone, this could be your go-to gesture. 

Nevertheless, for individuals who have used an Android and like having Notifications and Fast Settings on a swipe down on the house display screen, you should not must miss out on Fast Search. You possibly can add it to your private home display screen above the house display screen apps to nonetheless have it at your fingertips. I like to recommend doing so as a result of over time, you will discover your self utilizing Fast Search continuously. 

So as to add Fast Search to the house display screen, go to Settings > House display screen & Lock display screen > Toggle on Present search on the backside.

8. Customise At all times on Show

OnePlus affords a number of customization choices for At all times on Show (AOD) to assist personalize your cellphone higher. You possibly can add a black-and-white picture sketch with Canvas, a Bitmoji, or just a picture and textual content. Furthermore, you may select what you need to see in your AoD–it goes additional than merely selecting notification icons.

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You possibly can select to show the same old data like Time, Date, Battery, and Notifications, in addition to Contextual information from Reside Alerts and music playback. I’ve it enabled for my meals supply apps, Swiggy and Zomato, so I can see when my order might be delivered at a look. I hope Uber extends help for this characteristic as a result of I would like to see the ETA for my driver with no need to unlock my cellphone.

Moreover, you may regulate the clock type, change to informational AoDs like Perception and Carbon footprint, and extra. You may discover all these choices underneath Settings > Wallpapers & kinds > At all times On Show.

9. Double faucet to show the display screen on/off

You’ll not understand how helpful this characteristic is till you employ it. When on the house display screen, you may double-tap to lock your cellphone. That is helpful when your cellphone is mendacity unlocked on a desk and also you need to lock it, however urgent the ability button is not essentially the most handy choice. 

Equally, when you don’t love AoD however nonetheless want data at a look, double-tap to wake your cellphone is an efficient choice. To allow, go to Settings > House display screen & Lock display screen and toggle on these two choices:

1. Double faucet to lock
2. Double faucet to show the display screen on/off

Bonus: Allow these OnePlus gestures and settings

There are a number of shortcuts that I miss once I transfer from a OnePlus cellphone to evaluate one other cellphone. These embody –

• Icon pull-down: OnePlus lets you make its big-screen telephones extra manageable by swiping from the underside left or proper to drag down the display screen. Go to Settings > House display screen & Lock display screen > Icon pull-down gesture > Toggle on Icon pull-down gesture.

• Increase to wake: In order for you your cellphone display screen to activate as quickly as you decide it up, it’s best to activate Increase to wake by going to Go to Settings > House display screen & Lock display screen > Toggle on Increase to wake.

• Reside Alerts: Like Reside Actions on iPhone, OnePlus has a Reside Alerts characteristic that exhibits glanceable data from sure apps with no need to open them. Go to Settings > Notification & Fast Settings > Reside Alerts > flip it on/off for the apps you want.

• Pocket mistouch prevention: There are occasions while you put your cellphone in your pocket with out turning off the display screen. Butt dial is a most well-known instance of pocket mistouch. To stop it from occurring, allow this characteristic by going to Settings > House display screen & Lock display screen > Toggle on Pocket mistouch prevention.

• Fast Settings traditional view: For those who’re used to the default Fast Settings view, the current Android 15 updates throughout producers might be annoying as a result of it splits Fast Settings (swipe down from the best aspect) and Notifications (swipe down from the left aspect) like iOS. Whereas OnePlus makes you select between Cut up and Traditional when establishing the cellphone, you may change your type by going to Settings > Notification & Fast Settings > Fast Settings > Traditional.