The OnePlus 2 represents amazing value for the money, and should you be lucky enough to pick one up — that pesky invite system still applies, so you can’t buy it in stores — you’ll want to get the most out of it. We’ve collected some handy tips and tricks to help new and existing owners use the OnePlus 2 and OxygenOS to its best ability.
Related: Read our OnePlus 2 review here
Shelf
On the subject of Shelf, it’s an OxygenOS feature that’s worth checking out. It can be enabled during initial setup of the phone, but if you decided to pass it by and now want to try it out, the option to turn it on can be hard to find. Long-press on the home screen and select Settings in the bottom left, then look for the Enable Shelf toggle.
Shelf slides in with a swipe to the left. Tap the pencil icon in the white circle at the top of the screen, click the plus icon, and then the cube icon. This long-winded process brings up a selection of typical Android widgets that you’d often add to home screens. Choose the ones you like, and add them to Shelf. The list of frequently used apps and contacts refreshes itself periodically.
Gestures
Go to Settings, and scroll down to the Gestures option. Here, you’ll discover a few handy controls to make using your OnePlus 2 quicker and easier. Our particular favorite is borrowed from LG, and it’s a double-tap to wake the sleeping screen — it’s a very helpful feature.
You can also draw different symbols on the screen to activate functions. A V switches on the flashlight, an O brings up the camera, and a selection of gestures let you control the music player. You can mix and match them all in this menu, and pick the ones you’ll end up using.
Double-tap Home Button
This is another gesture control, and it’s even more versatile. Go to Settings, then Buttons, and look for the Double Tap Action control. Tap it, and you’re presented with a list of options. The one you choose will happen when you double tap the Home button, in this case it’s the OnePlus 2’s fingerprint sensor. Although choices range from voice search to opening the last app used, we favor opening the camera or opening Shelf, which works even when you’re in another app.
Dark mode
This is a feature we’ll be seeing more of once Android 6.0 becomes more common place. It takes the light parts of the OS and turns them dark. Why? Quite often, this makes viewing the screen or reading content more comfortable in certain situations. Oh, and it looks cool.
Go to Settings, Customization, and toggle Dark Mode on.
Icon Packs
If you’re looking for a way to change the look of your OnePlus 2 more comprehensively, then you’ll want to explore the world of Icon Packs, which are easily swapped on your phone. First head to Google Play and search for ‘Icon Pack.’ There are hundreds of choices, many of which are free to download. Pick one you like and install it.
Return to the home screen and long-press, then select Settings in the bottom left. Tap the first option, Icon Pack, and the new pack should be displayed. Select it, and it should be applied automatically. Depending on which one you choose, there may be some incompatibility problems, and a tweak of the wallpaper and icon layout will be needed to make some packs look their best.
That’s our top five tips for OnePlus 2 owners, but we’ll be adding more over time, particularly if OnePlus continues to add new features to OxygenOS. If you’ve got a favorite feature that we haven’t covered here, share it in the comments below.
