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

It’s been agreed upon by the ZDNET team that the OnePlus 13 is this year’s sleeper hit. At a starting price of $899, the flagship phone can compete against more expensive phones like the Pixel 9 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. And we have OnePlus’ clean yet highly customizable software experience to thank for that.

Also: Why I recommend this OnePlus phone over the S25 Ultra – especially at this price

If you switched to a OnePlus phone recently or have been using one since its startup days, there’s a good chance you aren’t using the phone to its full potential. In fact, over the years, OxygenOS, which has since been converted to ColorOS, has received numerous updates that make the phones more productive and easy to use. 

Here are 10 of them that I recommend enabling or changing to achieve the most intuitive 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 needing to lift your finger after unlocking the phone. 

For instance, I’ve added Gmail, Chrome, Video and Portrait on my OnePlus 13. I can place my finger and swipe it towards the app/action that I want to launch. It 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 evolved since to be 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. It is useful for quickly accessing your most-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: This Android phone reminds me of an iPhone from the back, but it’s a fraction of the price

The Smart Sidebar is also useful as a productive feature. You can drag and drop items to the File Dock, which can be accessed anytime in the future. I frequently use it to drag items from Instagram or Chrome and drop them into WhatsApp chats. To enable File Dock, you need to go to Settings > Accessibility and Convenience > Smart Sidebar > Toggle on File Dock. You can further adjust the Smart Sidebar 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 the Oppo Find N2 Flip to capture Costa Brava scenery, and I’m glad it has made its way to OnePlus phones. It is inspired by Hasselblad’s XPan feature, which allows you to capture panoramic shots in a unique 65:24 aspect ratio. 

OnePlus first added the XPAN Mode on OnePlus 9 series but it hasn’t gained traction because for the longest time, it didn’t allow users to add XPAN to their Viewfinder. As a result, it was hidden under More in the Camera app. You can add it and use it by going to Camera > More > tap and hold XPAN > and then adding it to the viewfinder. 

4. Enable Live Photos

Earlier last year, I wrote about how much I like Live Photos on my iPhone, and 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 you click a photo. I love it because it tends to capture the emotions behind a photo. 

Also: This midrange OnePlus phone undercuts the Galaxy S25 and delivers a premium experience

It comes in especially handy when I’m snapping photos of my parents. They can never get both of their eyes open in a shot at once. It takes a few tries, and in the meantime, Live Photo captures short and funny behind-the-scenes footage. To enable Live Photos on a OnePlus phone, go to Camera and tap on the third icon on the top row.

5. AI Edits 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 AI Reflection Eraser. It resides 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 capture a photo, but it turns out to be blurry. To use these features, you need to go to the photo you want to edit > tap on Edit > AI Editor.

6. Change the display resolution

If you have a flagship OnePlus phone, like the OnePlus 13, make sure you’re using the display at its highest resolution. After all, you paid for QHD+. Most phones that support QHD resolution don’t have it enabled by default. 

Also: Is Apple’s iOS 26 rebranding a gimmick or pure genius? My verdict as an iPhone and Mac user

I recommend changing it to the sharpest resolution available because OnePlus phones have reliable battery life, and a sharp screen won’t hurt it. This will let you interact with a sharper and more pleasing display. To enable QHD+, go to Settings > Display & 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 writing their names in the Quick Search box. There are multiple ways to access it, and one of them is a swipe-down gesture on the home screen. If you’re coming from an iPhone, this might be your go-to gesture. 

However, for those who have used an Android and prefer having Notifications and Quick Settings on a swipe down on the home screen, you shouldn’t have to miss out on Quick Search. You can add it to your home screen above the home screen apps to still have it at your fingertips. I recommend doing so because over time, you’ll notice yourself using Quick Search frequently. 

To add Quick Search to the home screen, go to Settings > Home screen & Lock screen > Toggle on Show search at the bottom.

8. Customize Always on Display

OnePlus offers several customization options for Always on Display (AOD) to help personalize your phone better. You can add a black-and-white image sketch with Canvas, a Bitmoji, or simply an image and text. Moreover, you can choose what you want to see on your AoD–it goes further than simply choosing notification icons.

Also: The best Android phones to buy in 2025

You can choose to display the usual information like Time, Date, Battery, and Notifications, as well as Contextual info from Live Alerts and music playback. I have it enabled for my food delivery apps, Swiggy and Zomato, so I can see when my order will be delivered at a glance. I hope Uber extends support for this feature because I’d love to see the ETA for my driver without needing to unlock my phone.

Furthermore, you can adjust the clock style, change to informational AoDs like Insight and Carbon footprint, and more. You’ll find all these options under Settings > Wallpapers & styles > Always On Display.

9. Double tap to turn the screen on/off

You will not realize how useful this feature is until you use it. When on the home screen, you can double-tap to lock your phone. This is useful when your phone is lying unlocked 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-tap to wake your phone is a good option. To enable, go to Settings > Home screen & Lock screen and toggle on these two options:

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

Bonus: Enable these OnePlus gestures and settings

There are multiple shortcuts that I miss when I move from a OnePlus phone to review another phone. These include –

• Icon pull-down: OnePlus allows you to make its big-screen phones more manageable by swiping from the bottom left or right to pull down the screen. Go to Settings > Home screen & Lock screen > Icon pull-down gesture > Toggle on Icon pull-down gesture.

• Raise to wake: If you want your phone screen to turn on as soon as you pick it up, you should turn on Raise to wake by going to Go to Settings > Home screen & Lock screen > Toggle on Raise to wake.

• Live Alerts: Like Live Activities on iPhone, OnePlus has a Live Alerts feature that shows glanceable information from certain apps without needing to open them. Go to Settings > Notification & Quick Settings > Live Alerts > turn it on/off for the apps you need.

• Pocket mistouch prevention: There are times when you put your phone in your pocket without turning off the screen. Butt dial is a most famous example of pocket mistouch. To prevent it from happening, enable this feature by going to Settings > Home screen & Lock screen > Toggle on Pocket mistouch prevention.

• Quick Settings classic view: If you’re used to the default Quick Settings view, the recent Android 15 updates across manufacturers could be annoying because it splits Quick Settings (swipe down from the right side) and Notifications (swipe down from the left side) like iOS. While OnePlus makes you choose between Split and Classic when setting up the phone, you can change your style by going to Settings > Notification & Quick Settings > Quick Settings > Classic.