Do you have a OnePlus phone? I changed 10 settings that gave a big boost to my performance

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a favorite source On Google.

It has been agreed by the ZDNET team that oneplus 15 This year’s sleeper hit. At a starting price of $899, the flagship phone can compete with more expensive phones like the Pixel 10 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. And we have OnePlus’ clean but highly customizable software experience to thank for that.

Also: I stopped using the Samsung S25 Ultra after battery-testing this amazing Android phone

If you’ve recently switched to a OnePlus phone or have been using it since its early days, there’s a good chance that you’re not using the phone to its full potential. In fact, over the past few years, OxygenOS, later rebranded as ColorOS, has received several updates that make the phone more productive and easier to use.

Here are 10 recommendations for enabling or changing these settings to get the smoothest user experience.

1. Enable Fingerprint Quick Launch

OnePlus phones have a feature that lets you launch apps from the lock screen with just a press-and-swipe. With Fingerprint Quick Launch, you can add up to five apps or actions to launch without lifting your finger after unlocking the phone.

For example, I’ve added Gmail, Chrome, Video, and Portrait on my OnePlus. I can place my finger and swipe it towards the app/action I want to launch. This comes in handy when I need to record a quick video or hear my Gmail ping for an important email. You can enable it by going to settings , security and privacy , Finger and face unlock , fingerprint , quick Launch,

2. Use the smart sidebar to your advantage

Samsung introduced a sidebar-like feature on the Galaxy Note Edge, and it has since become more customizable and useful. On OnePlus phones, the Smart Sidebar is a small area on the right edge (customizable) that you can access with a swipe. This is useful for quickly accessing your most frequently used tools (like voice recorder or screen recorder) and apps. You can enable/disable it by going to settings , Accessibility and Convenience , smart sidebar,

Also: I Took 500+ Photos with the Two Best Android Phones of 2025 – Here’s Who Wins

The Smart Sidebar is also useful as a productivity feature. You can drag and drop items to the File Dock, which can be accessed anytime in the future. I often use it to drag items from Instagram or Chrome and drop them into WhatsApp chats. To enable File Dock, you need to go here settings , Accessibility and Convenience , smart sidebar > toggle on file dockYou can further adjust the Smart Sidebar’s position, functions, and more,

3. Use XPAN mode for landscapes

XPAN is one of the most underrated camera features in my opinion. I first used it on Oppo Find N2 Flip Capture of Costa Brava The visuals, and I’m glad it’s made its way to OnePlus phones. It’s inspired by Hasselblad’s XPan feature, which allows you to capture panoramic shots in the unique 65:24 aspect ratio.

OnePlus first added XPAN mode in the OnePlus 9 series, but it did not gain popularity because for a long time, it did not allow users to add XPAN to its viewfinder. As a result, it was hidden under Peacock in the Camera app. You can add and use it by going to camera , More > tap and hold XPAN >And then adding it to the viewfinder.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, XPAN is no longer available on the OnePlus 15 series.

4. Enable Live Photos

Early last year, I wrote about how much I love Live Photos on my iPhone, and how more Android phones should have this feature. To my pleasant surprise, almost every 2025 smartphone now has a Live Photo or similar feature, which captures a 3-second video when the photo is clicked. I like it because it captures the emotion behind the photo.

Also: Best Android Phones to Buy in 2025

This especially comes in handy when I’m photographing my parents. They can never open both their eyes together in one shot. It takes some effort, and in the meantime, Live Photo captures short and fun behind-the-scenes footage. To enable Live Photos on OnePlus phones, go to camera And tap on the third icon on the top row.

5. AI editing to improve your photos

Recent OnePlus phones have a lot of AI features that can be useful in certain situations. One of my favorite AI features on the OnePlus 13 is the AI ​​Reflection Eraser. It lives in the Photos app and can be used to erase mirror reflections in your images.

AI Eraser and AI Unblur are two other features that come in handy when there’s an unwanted subject in the background or when I take a photo, but it ends up blurry. To use these features, you need to go to the photo you want to edit > tap on it edit , AI editor,

6. Change display resolution

If you have a flagship OnePlus phone like the OnePlus 15, make sure you’re using the display at the highest resolution. After all, you paid for FHD+. Some models, like the older OnePlus 13, also support QHD resolution, so you’ll want to make sure it’s turned on for the best picture quality.

Also: How to clear your Android phone cache (and drastically improve its performance)

I recommend changing it to the sharpest resolution available because OnePlus phones have reliable battery life, and a brighter screen won’t hurt it. This will let you interact with a clearer and more pleasing display. To enable QHD+, go to settings , display and brightness , screen resolution , High,

7. Add Quick Search Shortcut

OnePlus recently added a global search to its phones, allowing you to search for contacts, settings, files, and more by simply typing their names in the quick search box. There are several ways to access it, and one of them is the swipe-down gesture on the home screen. If you’re coming from an iPhone, this may be your favorite prompt.

However, for those who have used Android and like to have notifications and quick settings when you swipe down on the home screen, you should not miss the quick search. You can add it to your home screen above home screen apps to keep it at your fingertips. I recommend doing this because over time, you’ll find yourself using Quick Find again and again.

To add quick search to the home screen, go to settings , Home screen and lock screen > toggle on show search on the bottom,

8. Customize Always On Display

OnePlus offers several customization options for Always On Display (AOD) to help you better personalize your phone. You can add a canvas, a Bitmoji, or simply a black-and-white image sketch with an image and text. Plus, you can choose what you want to see on your AOD—this goes far beyond just choosing a notification icon.

Also: I compared the two best Android flagship phones of 2025 – and it was pretty close

You can choose to display general information, such as time, date, battery, and notifications, as well as relevant information from live alerts and music playback. I’ve enabled it for my food delivery apps, Swiggy and Zomato, so I can see at a glance when my order will be delivered. I hope Uber adds support for this feature because I’d love to see the ETA for my driver without having to unlock my phone.

Additionally, you can adjust the watch style, make changes to informational AODs like Insight and Carbon Footprint, and much more. You will find all these options below settings , Wallpapers and Styles , always on display,

9. Double tap to turn screen on/off

You won’t realize how useful this feature is until you use it. While on the Home screen, you can double-tap to lock your phone. This is useful when your phone is lying open on a table and you want to lock it, but pressing the power button isn’t the most convenient option.

Similarly, if you don’t like AoD but still need information at a glance, double-tapping your phone to wake it is a good option. To enable, go to settings , Home screen and lock screen And toggle on these two options:

1. double tap to lock
2. Double tap to turn screen on/off

Bonus: Enable These OnePlus Gestures and Settings

There are many shortcuts that I miss when I go from reviewing OnePlus phones to other phones. This includes –

• icon pull-down: OnePlus allows you to make your big-screen phone more manageable by swiping from the bottom left or right to pull the screen down. go to settings , Home screen and lock screen , pull down gesture > toggle on pull down gesture,

• wake up wake up: If you want your phone’s screen to turn on as soon as you wake it up, then you should go to Go and turn on Raise to Wake. settings , Home screen and lock screen > toggle on wake up wake up,

• live alert: Like Live Activities on the iPhone, OnePlus has a Live Alerts feature that shows viewable information from certain apps without the need to open them. Go settings , Notifications and quick settings , live alert > Turn it on/off for the apps you need.

• Pocket Mistouch Prevention: Many times you keep your phone in your pocket without turning off the screen. The butt dial pocket is the most famous example of a mistouch. To prevent this from happening, enable this feature by going to settings , Home screen and lock screen > toggle on Pocket Mistouch Prevention,

• Quick Settings Classic View: If you’re accustomed to the default Quick Settings view, Android 16 updates for all manufacturers can be annoying as they split Quick Settings (swipe down from the right) and Notifications (swipe down from the left) like iOS. While OnePlus asks you to choose between Split and Classic when setting up the phone, you can change your style by going to settings , Notifications and quick settings , quick settings , classic,