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It's been agreed upon by the ZDNET squad that the OnePlus 13 is this year's sleeper hit. At a starting terms of $899, the flagship telephone tin vie against much costly phones similar the Pixel 10 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. And we person OnePlus' cleanable yet highly customizable bundle acquisition to convey for that.
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If you switched to a OnePlus telephone precocious oregon person been utilizing 1 since its startup days, there's a bully accidental you aren't utilizing the telephone to its afloat potential. In fact, implicit the years, OxygenOS, which has since been converted to ColorOS, has received galore updates that marque the phones much productive and casual to use.
Here are 10 of them that I urge enabling oregon changing to execute the astir intuitive idiosyncratic experience.
1. Enable Fingerprint Quick Launch
Fingerprint Quick Launch connected OnePlus 13
OnePlus phones person a diagnostic that lets you motorboat apps from the fastener surface with conscionable a press-and-swipe. With Fingerprint Quick Launch, you tin adhd up to 5 apps oregon actions to motorboat without needing to assistance your digit aft unlocking the phone.
For instance, I've added Gmail, Chrome, Video, and Portrait connected my OnePlus 13. I tin spot my digit and swipe it toward the app/action that I privation to launch. It comes successful useful erstwhile I request to grounds a speedy video oregon perceive my Gmail ping for an important email. You tin alteration 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 diagnostic connected the Galaxy Note Edge, and it has evolved since to beryllium much customizable and useful. On OnePlus phones, the Smart Sidebar is simply a tiny country connected the close borderline (customizable) that you tin entree with a swipe. It is utile for rapidly accessing your most-used tools (like the dependable recorder oregon surface recorder) and apps. You tin enable/disable it by going to Settings > Accessibility and Convenience > Smart Sidebar.
The Smart Sidebar is besides utile arsenic a productive feature. You tin resistance and driblet items to the File Dock, which tin beryllium accessed anytime successful the future. I often usage it to resistance items from Instagram oregon Chrome and driblet them into WhatsApp chats. To alteration File Dock, you request to spell to Settings > Accessibility and Convenience > Smart Sidebar > Toggle on File Dock. You tin further set the Smart Sidebar position, functions, and more.
3. Use XPAN mode for landscapes
XPAN is 1 of the astir underrated camera features, successful my opinion. I archetypal utilized it connected the Oppo Find N2 Flip to capture Costa Brava scenery, and I'm gladsome it has made its mode to OnePlus phones. It is inspired by Hasselblad's XPan feature, which allows you to seizure panoramic shots successful a unsocial 65:24 facet ratio.
Costa Brava changeable utilizing XPAN Mode
OnePlus archetypal added the XPAN Mode connected OnePlus 9 bid but it hasn't gained traction due to the fact that for the longest time, it didn't let users to adhd XPAN to their Viewfinder. As a result, it was hidden nether More successful the Camera app. You tin adhd it and usage it by going to Camera > More > pat and clasp XPAN > and past adding it to the viewfinder.
4. Enable Live Photos
Earlier past year, I wrote astir however overmuch I similar Live Photos connected my iPhone, and much Android phones should person this feature. To my pleasant surprise, astir each 2025 smartphone present has a Live Photo oregon akin feature, which captures a 3-second video erstwhile you click a photo. I emotion it due to the fact that it tends to seizure the emotions down a photo.
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It comes successful particularly useful erstwhile I'm snapping photos of my parents. They tin ne'er get some of their eyes unfastened successful a changeable astatine once. It takes a fewer tries, and successful the meantime, Live Photo captures abbreviated and comic behind-the-scenes footage. To alteration Live Photos connected a OnePlus phone, spell to Camera and pat connected the 3rd icon connected the apical row.
5. AI Edits to amended your photos
Recent OnePlus phones person a batch of AI features that tin beryllium utile successful definite situations. One of my favourite AI features connected the OnePlus 13 is AI Reflection Eraser. It resides successful the Photos app and tin beryllium utilized to erase reflector reflections successful your images.
AI Eraser and AI Unblur are 2 different features that travel successful useful erstwhile there's an unwanted taxable successful the inheritance oregon erstwhile I seizure a photo, but it turns retired to beryllium blurry. To usage these features, you request to spell to the photograph you privation to edit > pat connected Edit > AI Editor.
6. Change the show resolution
If you person a flagship OnePlus phone, similar the OnePlus 13, marque definite you're utilizing the show astatine its highest resolution. After all, you paid for QHD+. Most phones that enactment QHD solution don't person it enabled by default.
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I urge changing it to the sharpest solution disposable due to the fact that OnePlus phones person reliable artillery life, and a crisp surface won't wounded it. This volition fto you interact with a sharper and much pleasing display. To alteration QHD+, spell to Settings > Display & brightness > Screen resolution > High.
7. Add Quick Search shortcut
OnePlus precocious added a planetary hunt to its phones, allowing you to hunt for contacts, settings, files, and much by simply penning their names successful the Quick Search box. There are aggregate ways to entree it, and 1 of them is simply a swipe-down motion connected the location screen. If you're coming from an iPhone, this mightiness beryllium your go-to gesture.
However, for those who person utilized an Android and similar having Notifications and Quick Settings connected a swipe down connected the location screen, you shouldn't person to miss retired connected Quick Search. You tin adhd it to your location surface supra the location surface apps to inactive person it astatine your fingertips. I urge doing truthful due to the fact that implicit time, you'll announcement yourself utilizing Quick Search frequently.
To adhd Quick Search to the location screen, spell to Settings > Home surface & Lock screen > Toggle on Show search at the bottom.
8. Customize Always connected Display
OnePlus offers respective customization options for Always connected Display (AOD) to assistance personalize your telephone better. You tin adhd a black-and-white representation sketch with Canvas, a Bitmoji, oregon simply an representation and text. Moreover, you tin take what you privation to spot connected your AoD–it goes further than simply choosing notification icons.
You tin take to show the accustomed accusation similar Time, Date, Battery, and Notifications, arsenic good arsenic Contextual info from Live Alerts and euphony playback. I person it enabled for my nutrient transportation apps, Swiggy and Zomato, truthful I tin spot erstwhile my bid volition beryllium delivered astatine a glance. I anticipation Uber extends enactment for this diagnostic due to the fact that I'd emotion to spot the ETA for my operator without needing to unlock my phone.
Furthermore, you tin set the timepiece style, alteration to informational AoDs similar Insight and Carbon footprint, and more. You'll find each these options nether Settings > Wallpapers & styles > Always On Display.
9. Double pat to crook the surface on/off
You volition not recognize however utile this diagnostic is until you usage it. When connected the location screen, you tin double-tap to fastener your phone. This is utile erstwhile your telephone is lying unlocked connected a array and you privation to fastener it, but pressing the powerfulness fastener isn't the astir convenient option.
Similarly, if you don't similar AoD but inactive request accusation astatine a glance, double-tap to aftermath your telephone is simply a bully option. To enable, spell to Settings > Home surface & Lock screen and toggle connected these 2 options:
- Double pat to lock
- Double pat to crook the surface on/off
Bonus: Enable these OnePlus gestures and settings
There are aggregate shortcuts that I miss erstwhile I determination from a OnePlus telephone to reappraisal different phone. These see -
Icon pull-down: OnePlus allows you to marque its big-screen phones much manageable by swiping from the bottommost near oregon close to propulsion down the screen. Go to Settings > Home surface & Lock screen > Icon pull-down gesture > Toggle connected Icon pull-down gesture.
Raise to wake: If you privation your telephone surface to crook connected arsenic soon arsenic you prime it up, you should crook connected Raise to aftermath by going to Go to Settings > Home surface & Lock screen > Toggle connected Raise to wake.
Live Alerts: Like Live Activities connected iPhone, OnePlus has a Live Alerts diagnostic that shows glanceable accusation from definite apps without needing to unfastened them. Go to Settings > Notification & Quick Settings > Live Alerts > crook it on/off for the apps you need.
Pocket mistouch prevention: There are times erstwhile you enactment your telephone successful your pouch without turning disconnected the screen. Butt dial is simply a astir celebrated illustration of pouch mistouch. To forestall it from happening, alteration this diagnostic by going to Settings > Home surface & Lock screen > Toggle connected Pocket mistouch prevention.
Quick Settings classical view: If you're utilized to the default Quick Settings view, the caller Android 15 updates crossed manufacturers could beryllium annoying due to the fact that they divided Quick Settings (swipe down from the close side) and Notifications (swipe down from the near side) similar iOS. While OnePlus makes you take betwixt Split and Classic erstwhile mounting up the phone, you tin alteration your benignant by going to Settings > Notification & Quick Settings > Quick Settings > Classic.
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