Own a OnePlus phone? I changed 10 settings to significantly improve the user experience

It has been agreed upon by the ZDNET group 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 costlier telephones just like the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. And we’ve OnePlus’ clear but extremely customizable software program expertise to thank for that.

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In case you switched to a OnePlus cellphone lately or have been utilizing one since its startup days, there is a good probability you are not utilizing the cellphone to its full potential. In reality, over time, OxygenOS, which has since been transformed to ColorOS, has obtained quite a few updates that make the telephones extra productive and simple to make use of. 

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

1. Allow Fingerprint Fast Launch

OnePlus telephones have a characteristic that permits you to launch apps from the lock display with only a press-and-swipe. With Fingerprint Fast Launch, you possibly can add as much as 5 apps or actions to launch without having to elevate 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 direction of the app/motion that I wish to launch. It turns out to be useful once I have to file a fast video or hear my Gmail ping for an necessary e mail. You’ll be able to allow it by going to Settings > Safety and Privateness > Finger and Face Unlock > Fingerprint > Fast Launch.

2. Use the Good 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 Good Sidebar is a small space on the best edge (customizable) which you can entry with a swipe. It’s helpful for rapidly accessing your most-used instruments (like voice recorder or display recorder) and apps. You’ll be able to allow/disable it by going to Settings > Accessibility and Comfort > Good Sidebar.

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The Good Sidebar can be helpful as a productive characteristic. You’ll be able to drag and drop objects to the File Dock, which might be accessed anytime sooner or later. I often use it to tug objects from Instagram or Chrome and drop them into WhatsApp chats. To allow File Dock, you want to go to Settings > Accessibility and Comfort > Good Sidebar > Toggle on File Dock. You’ll be able to additional alter the Good Sidebar place, capabilities, and extra. 

3. Use XPAN mode for landscapes

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

OnePlus first added the XPAN Mode on OnePlus 9 collection but it surely hasn’t gained traction as a result of for the longest time, it did not enable customers so as to add XPAN to their Viewfinder. Consequently, it was hidden underneath Extra within the Digicam app. You’ll be able to add it and use it by going to Digicam > Extra > faucet and maintain XPAN > after which including it to the viewfinder. 

4. Allow Dwell Pictures

Earlier final 12 months, I wrote about how a lot I like Dwell Pictures on my iPhone, and extra Android telephones ought to have this characteristic. To my nice shock, nearly each 2025 smartphone now has a Dwell Photograph or comparable characteristic, which captures a 3-second video whenever 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 useful once I’m snapping photographs of my dad and mom. They’ll by no means get each of their eyes open in a shot without delay. It takes just a few tries, and within the meantime, Dwell Photograph captures quick and humorous behind-the-scenes footage. To allow Dwell Pictures 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 whole lot 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 Pictures app and can be utilized to erase mirror reflections in your photographs. 

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, but it surely seems to be blurry. To make use of these options, you want to go to the photograph you wish to edit > faucet on Edit > AI Editor.

6. Change the show decision

You probably have a flagship OnePlus cellphone, just like the OnePlus 13, ensure you’re utilizing the show at its highest decision. In any case, you paid for QHD+. Most telephones that assist QHD decision haven’t got it enabled by default. 

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

7. Add Fast Search shortcut

OnePlus lately added a worldwide 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 considered one of them is a swipe-down gesture on the house display. In case you’re coming from an iPhone, this is likely to 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, you should not must miss out on Fast Search. You’ll be able to add it to your own home display above the house display apps to nonetheless have it at your fingertips. I like to recommend doing so as a result of over time, you may discover your self utilizing Fast Search often. 

So as to add Fast Search to the house display, go to Settings > Dwelling display & Lock display > 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’ll be able to add a black-and-white picture sketch with Canvas, a Bitmoji, or just a picture and textual content. Furthermore, you possibly can select what you wish to see in your AoD–it goes additional than merely selecting notification icons.

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You’ll be able to select to show the standard info like Time, Date, Battery, and Notifications, in addition to Contextual information from Dwell 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 assist for this characteristic as a result of I would like to see the ETA for my driver without having to unlock my cellphone.

Moreover, you possibly can alter the clock model, change to informational AoDs like Perception and Carbon footprint, and extra. You will discover all these choices underneath Settings > Wallpapers & types > At all times On Show.

9. Double faucet to show the display on/off

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

Equally, in the event you don’t love AoD however nonetheless want info at a look, double-tap to wake your cellphone is an efficient possibility. To allow, go to Settings > Dwelling display & Lock display and toggle on these two choices:

1. Double faucet to lock
2. Double faucet to show the display 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 assessment one other cellphone. These embody –

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

• Elevate to wake: If you would like your cellphone display to activate as quickly as you decide it up, you must activate Elevate to wake by going to Go to Settings > Dwelling display & Lock display > Toggle on Elevate to wake.

• Dwell Alerts: Like Dwell Actions on iPhone, OnePlus has a Dwell Alerts characteristic that exhibits glanceable info from sure apps without having to open them. Go to Settings > Notification & Fast Settings > Dwell Alerts > flip it on/off for the apps you want.

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

• Fast Settings traditional view: In case you’re used to the default Fast Settings view, the current Android 15 updates throughout producers could possibly 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 Basic when establishing the cellphone, you possibly can change your model by going to Settings > Notification & Fast Settings > Fast Settings > Basic.