Ten tips and tricks for the OnePlus 6T

The OnePlus 6T launched not so long ago, and while it's the priciest OnePlus phone we've seen so far, it's still comfortably cheaper than devices like the Pixel 3, Galaxy S9+ and LG V40.

If you've bought one recently, or plant to, let us walk you through some of the best software features you're going to want to learn and use.

The OnePlus 6T ships with Android 9 Pie-based Oxygen OS out of the box. Oxygen OS is simply one of the best Android interfaces around. It keeps things simple, retains the stock Android look, and even adds some super useful extras.

Also read: Android 9 Pie review: the reason I gave up my iPhone X

So here's how to make the most of the software running on your new and shiny OnePlus 6T.

Quick launch

The OnePlus 6T is the first device from OnePlus to come with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Well along with it, comes the Quick launch feature which takes advantage of the new authentication system.

Quick launch basically lets you use the scanner to directly trigger certain activities or apps. Simply keep your finger on the in-display scanner. Continue doing so even as the screen has been unlocked. Soon you will see a mini app launcher with shortcuts for certain activities (new event, new note, my library) or apps.

In order to access the option, you need to head over to Settings> Utilities> Quick launch and enable the option from there. You can also customize the list of shortcuts from there.

Customize the fingerprint animation effect

Speaking of which, each time you authenticate you'll notice a cool animation effect that appears as you press your finger against the display.

Well OnePlus lets you customize this effect. There are three options to choose from and you can find them by going to Settings> Fingerprint> Fingerprint animation effect.

Navigation bar customization

The navigation bar on the OnePlus 6T is customizable and you can choose between three types of Navigation bar style, each with its own unique layout. To access these options, go to Settings> Buttons & Gestures> Navigation bar & gestures.

• The Standard Bar – comes the usual buttons: Back, Home and Recent. You can customize the bar by swapping the buttons via the Navigation bar customization setting.
• Two Button Bar – this layout features a home and back buttons that can swap sides like on the standard style bar. The Recent button is missing, so to access your Recent apps, you will have to press and swipe up the home button to the top.
• Navigation gestures – the OnePlus 6T comes with the navigation gestures that were introduced by the iPhone X. To access Home, you have to swipe up from the bottom center edge of the screen. For Recent apps, swipe up from the bottom center edge of the screen and pause, and for Back, swipe up from the left/right side of the bottom of the screen.

Use Dark Theme

OnePlus is known for including a dark theme on its devices. It's very simple to switch to it. Head over to Settings> Display> Theme and choose your favorite. There's also Colorful theme to be taken advantage of, but note that dark theme is good for conserving battery life.

Also read: First 10 things you should do with your new OnePlus 6T

Night Mode

Speaking of all things dark, the OnePlus 6T also has a Night Mode. This option is here to counter the negative effects of blue light which your phone's display emits in abundance.

To enable Night Mode go to Settings > Display > Night Mode.  You can opt to have it automatically enabled from sunset to sunrise.

Double tap to wake

The OnePlus 6T has ditched the LED notification light, but if you still want to be able to quickly check to see if you got any new notifications, you can enable Double tap to wake.

The option can be found by following this path Settings> Buttons & gestures> Quick Gestures > Double tap to wake.

Once enabled you'll be able to double tap to wake the display, without pressing the wake button or using the fingerprint reader.

Of course, the OnePlus 6T also has the Ambient display which also shows notifications. You can set it to show up when you pick up the phone or tap the screen (both options available under Settings > Display > Ambient display).

Set a motion wallpaper

As every OnePlus phone before it, the OnePlus 6T comes with a series of official wallpapers you can take advantage of. But this time around you also have three motion wallpapers to make use of, which are very satisfying to look at.

You can enable them by going to Display> Wallpapers. You'll find the option in the Customization section. Alternatively, long press on a blank area the lower portion of the home scree and then tap on Wallpapers.

Swipe down

The OnePlus 6T has a big display and sometimes it can be a chore to reach all the way to the top to swipe down and open quick settings. Fortunately, the phone has a Swipe down option which when turned on lets you swipe down to open quick settings from anywhere on the display.

To activate it, you will need to long press on the blank area on the Home screen > Home > Swipe down.

Customize how you take calls

On the OnePlus 6T, you have to swipe down to answer an incoming phone call. Well, if you're having a hard time adjusting to this gestures, you can always enable Swipe Up to Answer.

You'll need to access OnePlus' native Phone app and then tap on the three-dot menu located in the top right corner. Tap Settings> Swipe up to answer (under Calls).

There's another option to answer calls. Go to Settings> Buttons & Gestures> Quick gestures> Answers calls by gesture. This will allow you to answer an incoming call by simply raising the phone to the ear.

Smart boost

OnePlus has included a new feature that is used to test out new features. It's called OnePlus Laboratory and you can find it by going to Settings> Utilities > OnePlus Laboratory. From there activate the Smart Boost option which is meant to boost the overall performance of the device by about 20%.

While at the moment Smart Boost is the only feature available in the OnePlus Laboratory, the company will probably add more soon.

Bonus

Calculator Easter Egg

Unlock a cool Easter Egg, by opening the Calculator app typing 1+=. You'll see a Never Settle logo appear on a red background!

#Google #Android #Smartphones #OS #News @ndrdnws #ndrdnws #AndroidNews