5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Your OnePlus Phone Could Do

When shopping for smartphones, you have many brand options. Some people prefer Google or Samsung on the Android side, while others look to Apple on the iOS side. OnePlus is another viable option, especially for people who prefer high-end Android phones with high performance and long-lasting batteries.

Although OnePlus phones are packed with features that people love, you probably already know most of the features OnePlus announces. For example, the Mind Space app that comes with the OnePlus 15 is touted as a robust AI-based tool that helps you organize all the information you capture. However, some features and capabilities are not as well known as others. Some of these functions are hidden behind a maze of menus, while others are so situational that you might only use them a few times a year. But OnePlus still implemented these features.

Here are some of the most useful OnePlus features that you’re probably not using because you might not even know they exist. These are just a few examples of the obscure and unique features of your OnePlus phone, and they are in no particular order.

Depending on your job, your employer may provide a dedicated work-only phone, but sometimes you need to use your personal phone for work. Android devices have dedicated work profiles to help you separate your work life from your home life, and while OnePlus includes this feature, it takes it a step further with the ability to clone apps.

App cloning can be useful if you don’t want to set up a full work profile on your home phone just to make sure your work and personal accounts stay separate. For example, you can clone WhatsApp and register one instance with your personal phone number and the other with your work phone number. And while many apps these days have built-in functionality for multiple accounts, keeping a cloned copy allows you to “sandbox” accounts, so to speak: you get separate launch icons, notification settings, and app options for each instance.

To clone an app to your OnePlus phone, open the Settings app in your app drawer, select Applications in the main list, then tap Application cloningr. Select or search for the desired app, then press the button Create an application clone button. You can then give a custom name to the cloned app or leave the pre-filled one (app name with the word “Clone” added) intact. The cloned app icon will be similar to the original, but with a small badge added in the lower right corner to distinguish it.

Although many people are rightly concerned about AI replacing workers, the tools it provides can help you become more productive if used correctly. For example, Google Drive has an AI feature that helps you organize your files, and OnePlus’ Mind Space fills that same niche. But helping you stay organized isn’t the only AI capability your OnePlus phone has.

Although some Android devices let you easily record calls, you often have to use separate apps to transcribe conversations – or do it yourself. However, OnePlus includes an AI-powered feature called “AI VoiceScribe” that can automatically turn everything it records, from lectures to calls, into processed text. But first you need to enable one or two options. Depending on your operating system version, you can enable AI VoiceScribe from Settings > Accessibility and Convenience > AI VoiceScribe (OxygenOS 15) or Settings > OnePlus AI > AI VoiceScribe (OxygenOS 16 or higher). After that, make sure the “Smart Sidebar” pop-up overlay is enabled under Settings > Accessibility & Convenience > Smart Sidebar. Now, when you’re in a supported video calling or chat app, you can open the smart sidebar and select AI VoiceScribe to use the feature.

If you prefer to use AI to make sure other people can understand you clearly during calls, OnePlus offers “Clear Voice.” This feature intelligently removes background noise from conversations and can be enabled under Settings > Sound & vibration > Microphone mode > Clear voice. Enabling the feature helps ensure that people can understand you when you can’t find a nice, quiet corner to make calls. Think of this feature as an “any port in a storm” option when you need to make a call but can’t find a safe port.

Since smartphones require a constant connection to cell towers or Wi-Fi to fully function, these devices are best used in cities or suburbs. We wouldn’t exactly consider a smartphone a crucial camping gadget – especially compared to lanterns, binoculars and hand warmers – but OnePlus is no different. Sort of.

OnePlus phones have a special mode called “Outdoor Mode”. When enabled, this feature prioritizes internet speed to provide “more accurate location services” and improved “app stability.” Outdoor mode has several additional benefits, such as increasing screen brightness so you can read more easily in bright sunlight. While Outdoor Mode can’t magically connect you to the internet in the absence of a signal, it will at least optimize how your phone uses whatever connection it can find. Just make sure to pack an extra battery or three.

Activating Outdoor mode is quite simple. From the Settings application, scroll down and select Accessibility and conveniencethen touch Outdoor fashion. Enable the feature and you are good to go. From here, you can personalize your Outdoor Mode experience by adding a widget to your home screen or enabling options like “Enhanced Call Sound,” which automatically turns on Clear Voice and turns the speaker volume up to maximum when you make phone calls.

When you put your phone to sleep while it’s running an app, the device picks up where it left off once you wake it up (although you’d have to press a play button if you were in the middle of a YouTube video). But what if you want to use another app? Usually, you have to close the current program and then enter the new one. OnePlus has a solution, but only if you’re willing to use biometrics.

OnePlus phones have a feature called Quick Launch that lets you jump directly from a sleeping phone to your favorite apps. All you have to do is unlock your phone using your fingerprint, but instead of removing your finger from the screen, leave it there for a second until the app icons appear. Then simply move your finger over the icon and release it to launch the program. Easy… as long as you’re on the “fingerprint” side of the “Face ID vs. fingerprint” biometric argument.

Obviously, you can only use Quick Launch if your phone is set to unlock using your fingerprint under Settings > Security & Privacy > Device Unlock > Face & Fingerprint Unlock > Fingerprint. In this same menu, you can activate the Quick Launch option, then press the To modify next to “Current Menu” to choose your favorite apps. You can only choose five apps or shortcuts at a time, but you can arrange them however you like.

While smartphone touchscreens allow application designers to program a wide variety of custom functions, the component has a fatal flaw: it is unresponsive to gestures made while wearing gloves. This drawback also carries over to touchscreen computer monitors, but OnePlus offers a potential solution.

OnePlus phones have a dedicated “Gloves mode” that increases the sensitivity of the phone when you wear gloves. Unlike the other features in this article, Gloves mode is pretty self-explanatory and simple: just turn it on when you’re outside in cold weather, and you won’t need to take off your gloves just to turn on the GPS or start playing a podcast.

To activate Gloves mode, simply open the Settings application, select Accessibility and conveniencethen activate it Glove fashion to fall over. Just keep in mind that while the setting increases sensitivity, it has a built-in limit and doesn’t work with very thick gloves. Also, as the mode states in its description, Gloves Mode doesn’t support video games, so don’t think you can finally use it to go outside and play “Pokémon GO” when it’s snowing. Other than that, Gloves mode is extremely useful.