OnePlus 6T tips and tricks: Get the most out of your new phone [Video]

Damien Wilde | Nov 12 2018 - 12:39 pm PT

We covered a great deal of what makes the OnePlus 6T such a superb device in our full review, but that was only a minor dive into some of the extra features that have been brought about with the update to Android 9.0 Pie. Let’s take a look at some tips and tricks for getting the best out of your phone.

Whilst OxygenOS might be one of the closest experiences to Google’s Android on the market, there are more than enough additions to make it really stand out amongst all the OEM skins elsewhere. That said, many of these tips and tricks can be achieved on older OnePlus devices, even those not running the latest build of OxygenOS, so that is just something to bear in mind.

One more thing to remember is that this isn’t by any means a definitive list. It’s just 10 of the best tips and tricks to get you started with both the OnePlus 6T and Android Pie on OxygenOS.

It’s also worth noting that many of these are not exactly new or completely unknown features, but there are a few that are 100% exclusive to the OnePlus 6T. If you consider yourself the fountain of OnePlus knowledge then please let us know of any neat tips you have in the comments section below.

Add Quick launch shortcuts to Lockscreen

Using the in-display fingerprint reader, you can quickly launch applications from a locked device state. To do so, you’ll need to enable the Quick launch options within the settings app.

Go to Settings > Utilities > Quick launch and toggle it on. From here, tap on “Shortcuts settings” which will allow you to add a number of application shortcuts, such as Instagram or Facebook for instance. You’re not limited to apps either, you can add app functionality shortcuts such as starting a timer or adding a new note.

Change screen unlock style

The in-display reader animation as standard has the Cosmos effect, but with two more options to choose from, why limit yourself to just the standard option?

To change this animation go to Settings > Security & lock screen > Fingerprint, enter your PIN and choose “Fingerprint animation effect”. Here you’ll find the three animation effects pre-installed as part of Android 9.0 Pie.

Hide the notch

Not one that I would recommend, as I mentioned in the full review, the teardrop notch isn’t all that bad. That said if you find it irritating, then you can hide it in the software.

To hide the notch simply go to Settings > Display > Notch Display and then choose the “hide the notch area” option. A quick and simple fix for those that can’t abide the notch.

Disable Shelf

The Shelf is one of those OxygenOS additions that you’ll either use every day or never use. So with that in mind, if you fall into the latter camp then you can disable the feature altogether.

From your Home screen (not from the Shelf) simply long press > Select “Settings” > Toggle “Disable Shelf”. It’s as easy as that.

Add a motion wallpaper

This is one that might pass you by if you set up your device from an older phone backup. OnePlus has included three animated wallpapers within the latest release of Oxygen OS.

Long press on your Home screen > Select “Wallpapers” > Now scroll until you see a small graph style icon in a dotted circle.

Not exactly a deep selection, but a nice little bonus wallpaper option nonetheless.

Enable Dark Mode

This is a basic but neat little fix for the overly bright menus on your OnePlus 6T device. It’s an effective way of changing your entire OS color and theme. This will change the Quick Settings color as well as all Oxygen OS menus.

Open “Settings” > “Display” > “Theme” > Now you can select from Colorful, Dark or Light themes.

Change theme accent colors

We’ve covered the theme change but you can customize the accent colors for a more unique theme should you wish.

Open “Settings” > “Display” > “Accent Color” > now you can choose from a few preselected colors or even use Hexcode to fine tune to your own desires.

Create parallel apps

For those of us that use multiple social media accounts on the same platform or messenger applications, then having access without needing to log in or out might be useful. Luckily OxygenOS does have the option for multiple “Parallel apps”.

To enable simply go to “Settings” > “Utilities” > “Parallel apps”.

This will give you the option to create a fully working duplicate with any supported application. Any apps that are duplicates can be deciphered by the orange tag in the lower right corner of the app icon. To find your new “Parallel app” just open your app drawer and it will appear next to the original.

Double tap to wake your phone

This is one of the first things I enabled when getting hands-on with the OnePlus 6T, as it makes it that little bit easier to check notifications without the LED notification light. Simply put, you can double tap to wake the display, meaning no need to press the sleep/wake button before using the fingerprint reader.

To do so open “Settings” > “Buttons & gestures” > “Quick Gestures” > Toggle “Double tap to wake”.

Change navigation method

Some people like the pre-Android Pie navigation menu. It’s simple, easy to grasp and has been consistent since the early days of the operating system. If you’re not a fan of gesture controls you can revert to this onscreen button method at any time.

Open “Settings” > “Buttons & gestures” > “Navigation bar & gestures” > Choose “Back, Home, Recents” and you have reverted to the triangle, circle and square icons.

One little extra….the Calculator easter egg

This is old news for many OnePlus users, as this neat little trick has existed since at least the OnePlus 3 (which is the last device I tried this on). In the calculator app, try typing in “1+=” and then you’ll see a Never Settle logo on a red background.

A cool little easter egg that can be done on almost any OnePlus device.

As we said, this is only a quick list of 10 of the best tips and tricks for your brand new OnePlus 6T device, if you have any of your own then please share them in the comments section below!