Changing These 10 Settings On My Oneplus Phone Gave It A Big Performance Boost

1 week ago

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It's been agreed upon by nan ZDNET squad that the OnePlus 13 is this year's sleeper hit. At a starting value of $899, nan flagship telephone tin compete against much costly phones for illustration nan Pixel 10 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. And we person OnePlus' cleanable yet highly customizable package acquisition to convey for that.

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If you switched to a OnePlus telephone precocious aliases person been utilizing 1 since its startup days, there's a bully chance you aren't utilizing nan telephone to its afloat potential. In fact, complete nan years, OxygenOS, which has since been converted to ColorOS, has received galore updates that make nan phones much productive and easy to use.

Here are 10 of them that I urge enabling aliases changing to execute nan astir intuitive personification experience.

1. Enable Fingerprint Quick Launch

Fingerprint Quick Launch connected OnePlus 13

OnePlus phones person a characteristic that lets you motorboat apps from nan fastener surface pinch conscionable a press-and-swipe. With Fingerprint Quick Launch, you tin adhd up to 5 apps aliases actions to motorboat without needing to assistance your digit aft unlocking nan phone.

For instance, I've added Gmail, Chrome, Video, and Portrait connected my OnePlus 13. I tin spot my digit and swipe it toward nan app/action that I want to launch. It comes successful useful erstwhile I request to grounds a speedy video aliases 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 nan Smart Sidebar to your advantage

Samsung introduced a sidebar-like characteristic connected nan Galaxy Note Edge, and it has evolved since to beryllium much customizable and useful. On OnePlus phones, nan Smart Sidebar is simply a mini area connected nan correct separator (customizable) that you tin entree pinch a swipe. It is useful for quickly accessing your most-used devices (like nan sound recorder aliases surface recorder) and apps. You tin enable/disable it by going to Settings > Accessibility and Convenience > Smart Sidebar.

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The Smart Sidebar is besides useful arsenic a productive feature. You tin resistance and driblet items to nan File Dock, which tin beryllium accessed anytime successful nan future. I often usage it to resistance items from Instagram aliases 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 nan Smart Sidebar position, functions, and more.

3. Use XPAN mode for landscapes

XPAN is 1 of nan astir underrated camera features, successful my opinion. I first utilized it connected nan Oppo Find N2 Flip to capture Costa Brava scenery, and I'm gladsome it has made its measurement 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.

OnePlus first added nan XPAN Mode connected OnePlus 9 bid but it hasn't gained traction because for nan longest time, it didn't let users to adhd XPAN to their Viewfinder. As a result, it was hidden nether More successful nan Camera app. You tin adhd it and usage it by going to Camera > More > pat and clasp XPAN > and past adding it to nan viewfinder.

4. Enable Live Photos

Earlier past year, I wrote astir really overmuch I for illustration Live Photos connected my iPhone, and much Android phones should person this feature. To my pleasant surprise, almost each 2025 smartphone now has a Live Photo aliases akin feature, which captures a 3-second video erstwhile you click a photo. I emotion it because it tends to seizure nan 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 nan meantime, Live Photo captures short and funny behind-the-scenes footage. To alteration Live Photos connected a OnePlus phone, spell to Camera and pat connected nan 3rd icon connected nan apical row.

5. AI Edits to amended your photos

Recent OnePlus phones person a batch of AI features that tin beryllium useful successful definite situations. One of my favourite AI features connected nan OnePlus 13 is AI Reflection Eraser. It resides successful nan 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 nan inheritance aliases erstwhile I seizure a photo, but it turns retired to beryllium blurry. To usage these features, you request to spell to nan photograph you want to edit > pat connected Edit > AI Editor.

6. Change nan show resolution

If you person a flagship OnePlus phone, for illustration nan OnePlus 13, make judge you're utilizing nan show astatine its highest resolution. After all, you paid for QHD+. Most phones that support QHD solution don't person it enabled by default.

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I urge changing it to nan sharpest solution disposable because OnePlus phones person reliable artillery life, and a crisp surface won't wounded it. This will fto you interact pinch 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 world hunt to its phones, allowing you to hunt for contacts, settings, files, and much by simply penning their names successful nan Quick Search box. There are aggregate ways to entree it, and 1 of them is simply a swipe-down motion connected nan 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 for illustration having Notifications and Quick Settings connected a swipe down connected nan location screen, you shouldn't person to miss retired connected Quick Search. You tin adhd it to your location surface supra nan location surface apps to still person it astatine your fingertips. I urge doing truthful because complete time, you'll announcement yourself utilizing Quick Search frequently.

To adhd Quick Search to nan location screen, spell to Settings > Home surface & Lock screen > Toggle on Show search at nan bottom.

8. Customize Always connected Display

OnePlus offers respective customization options for Always connected Display (AOD) to thief personalize your telephone better. You tin adhd a black-and-white image sketch pinch Canvas, a Bitmoji, aliases simply an image and text. Moreover, you tin take what you want to spot connected your AoD–it goes further than simply choosing notification icons.

Also: Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. OnePlus 13: I compared nan champion Android phones, and it was very close

You tin take to show nan accustomed accusation for illustration 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 will beryllium delivered astatine a glance. I dream Uber extends support for this characteristic because I'd emotion to spot nan ETA for my driver without needing to unlock my phone.

Furthermore, you tin set nan timepiece style, alteration to informational AoDs for illustration Insight and Carbon footprint, and more. You'll find each these options nether Settings > Wallpapers & styles > Always On Display.

9. Double pat to move nan surface on/off

You will not recognize really useful this characteristic is until you usage it. When connected nan location screen, you tin double-tap to fastener your phone. This is useful erstwhile your telephone is lying unlocked connected a array and you want to fastener it, but pressing nan powerfulness fastener isn't nan astir convenient option.

Similarly, if you don't for illustration AoD but still 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 move nan surface on/off

Bonus: Enable these OnePlus gestures and settings

There are aggregate shortcuts that I miss erstwhile I move from a OnePlus telephone to reappraisal different phone. These see -

Icon pull-down: OnePlus allows you to make its big-screen phones much manageable by swiping from nan bottommost near aliases correct to propulsion down nan screen. Go to Settings > Home surface & Lock screen > Icon pull-down gesture > Toggle connected Icon pull-down gesture.
Raise to wake: If you want your telephone surface to move connected arsenic soon arsenic you prime it up, you should move 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 characteristic that shows glanceable accusation from definite apps without needing to unfastened them. Go to Settings > Notification & Quick Settings > Live Alerts > move it on/off for nan apps you need.
Pocket mistouch prevention: There are times erstwhile you put your telephone successful your pouch without turning disconnected nan screen. Butt dial is simply a astir celebrated illustration of pouch mistouch. To forestall it from happening, alteration this characteristic by going to Settings > Home surface & Lock screen > Toggle connected Pocket mistouch prevention.
Quick Settings classical view: If you're utilized to nan default Quick Settings view, nan caller Android 15 updates crossed manufacturers could beryllium annoying because they divided Quick Settings (swipe down from nan correct side) and Notifications (swipe down from nan near side) for illustration iOS. While OnePlus makes you take betwixt Split and Classic erstwhile mounting up nan phone, you tin alteration your style by going to Settings > Notification & Quick Settings > Quick Settings > Classic.