Skip to main content

20 great tips to help you get the most out of your LG G3

As one of the best Android smartphones on the market right now, life is definitely good with the LG G3. It’s a powerful device with plenty of customization options and a range of software features that could add value for you. Check out these LG G3 tips to find out how to tailor the phone to your liking and get a little more out of it.

How to get split screenLG G3 work review screens apps drag

You can have two apps on screen at once with the LG G3. All you have to do is tap and hold the Back button until the menu pops up and select two apps.

Recommended Videos

Knock Knock

LG has expanded on the popular Knock On feature, which allows you to double tap the screen to bring the phone to life. You can also add a Knock Code if you’re security conscious. By default you can double tap with your fingertip anywhere on the screen to wake your phone, and a double tap on an empty portion of home screen or the status bar will send it back to sleep. If you want to use the Knock Code, then go to Settings > Lock screen > Select screen lock > Knock Code and set your pattern. It divides the screen into four segments and you can create a pattern of between three and eight taps to unlock your LG G3.

How to choose quick toggles

Pull down the notification shade and you’ll see a bunch of quick settings options along the top. If you want to change this list to suit your needs, scroll all the way along to the right and tap the Edit icon and then select which toggles you want and tap and drag to re-order them.

How to quickly launch the cameraLG G3 work review screens camera

When the screen is off, you can press and hold the Volume down key on the back and you’ll launch straight into the camera. You can also use the Volume down key to snap a shot.

How to get floating apps

LG calls this feature QSlide and you can access it in your notification shade. Toggle it on and you’ll see a list of supported apps. Pick the one you want and it will pop up on top of whatever else you are doing as a wee floating window. You can minimize it, resize it, make it transparent, and drag it around to wherever you want it.

How to share music, photos, or videos wirelessly

If you have another DLNA device on your network, you can use SmartShare to stream content to it. Open up the Gallery or Music app, tap the Menu icon (three dots) at the top right, choose SmartShare, and then Play or Beam, finally, choose your target device then hit Send. You can also access content on compatible devices and stream it to your phone via the Nearby devices option in the menu of the Gallery and Music apps.

How to customize your home screensLG G3 work review screens smart tips

Tap and hold on an empty portion of home screen to get your menu pop-up for apps, widgets, and wallpapers. You can choose from the standard Gallery and Live wallpapers, but you’ll also find a Multi-photo option in wallpapers which allows you to choose a different image for each home screen.

You may also notice that if you slide all the way to the left from your home screen, you’ll get the G3 Smart Bulletin, which defaults to the Health app and some Smart tips to teach you about features of the phone. If you want to get rid of it, go to your app drawer and tap the Menu icon to select Home screen settings where you can toggle Smart Bulletin off. You can also change the transition animations via Screen swipe effect and select Allow Home screen looping in here.

How to change navigation keys

You can actually change the look or order of the three main navigation keys that are ever present at the bottom of the screen. If you open up Settings > Display > Home touch buttons you’ll find options for color, transparency, combination, and the choice to have them fade away when you’re using apps.

How to free up storage space

If you look in Settings > General, you’ll find a Smart cleaning option that can free up some space by deleting temp files, old downloads, and idle apps.

How to launch QMemo

When the screen is off, you can press and hold the Volume up key to launch straight into the QMemo app and make a quick note. If the screen is on, then you can swipe up from the Home key and over to the right to quickly launch the QMemo app. It will take a screenshot and allow you to write or draw over the top.

How to use shortcut gesturesLG G3 work review screens gestures

You can flip the LG G3 to silence it, have it fade to quiet if you pick it up, and take incoming calls by simply lifting it to your ear via the Gestures in Settings > General.

How to launch Google Now

If you have the Google search widget on your home screen, then you can launch Google Now by saying “Ok Google” when you’re on the home screen. You can also swipe up from the Home key at the bottom to quickly launch Google Now.

How to share your phone safely

If you want to allow someone else to use your phone, but you really don’t want to give them unlimited access, then you should go into Settings > General > Guest mode. You can set a different unlock code to launch a limited subset of your phone’s apps with no access to your private stuff.

How to customize the keyboardLG G3 work review screens keyboard input

If you’re typing in landscape, you can make things a little easier by swiping out from the center with both thumbs to split the keyboard. If you want to actually change the default layout, then you need to go into Settings > General > Language & input and hit the settings icon next to the LG keyboard and then Keyboard height and layout to tweak the size and key order.

How to move the cursor

When using the keyboard, you can touch and hold on the spacebar and then move right or left to move the cursor.

How to use the G3 one-handed

You can make the G3 easier to handle with one paw by going into Settings > General > One-handed operation and having the dialer and keyboard lean over to the left or right, depending on which hand you use.

How to save battery

Go to Settings > General > Battery and you’ll find the option to display your remaining battery life as a percentage and also the Battery saver, which can be set to automatically turn off specific features when the battery hits a specified level. You might also want to turn on Battery saving in Location mode under Settings > General.

How to set quiet time

You can actually set your LG G3 to automatically go quiet during certain times of day or night, which is handy if you want an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Just go to Settings > Sound > Quiet mode, decide what you want to have silent, and choose Set time > Schedule to have it happen automatically. You can even set a different schedule for weekends.

How to take a selfie with a gesture

You can use a hand gesture to take a selfie. Hold your hand up, palm open, until you see a box appear around it, then make a fist and it will snap a shot.

How to take a photo with your voice

The Cheese shutter feature allows you to snap a shot by using voice commands. Turn it on in your camera settings and you can capture a photo by saying “Cheese,” “Smile,” “Whisky,” “Kimchi,” or “LG.”

We’ve reached the end of our LG G3 tips and tricks, but check back for new additions in the not too distant future.

Simon Hill
Former Associate Mobile Editor
Simon Hill is an experienced technology journalist and editor who loves all things tech. He is currently the Associate Mobile…
T-Mobile home internet plans have changed, here’s what you should know
how to unlock your iphone use with another carrier t mobile hq sign feat 720x720

*Updated 6/12/2025 to include new plans, promotions and fiber internet service details

While Verizon was the first to deploy 5G home internet, users complained about their network being small at the time with intermittent connections. T-Mobile, while trailing Verizon with their 5G home internet service, at least launched with "nationwide" service that reached a lot more homes on the initial launch.

Read more
These three iOS 26 beta features are my favorite so far
The Liquid Design lock screen on the iOS 26 developer beta 1 running on the iPhone 16 Pro

For fans of the Apple ecosystem, it’s been an incredible week. Apple’s annual WWDC 2025 keynote revealed a whole new Liquid Glass design that’s unified across all its platforms. Also unified across all platforms is the numbering scheme, with iOS 26 designed to represent the year of release… plus one. 

The new platform doesn’t deliver one of the key things I asked for — multitasking, which is available on iPadOS 26 — but it does bring several new features that make the iPhone far more usable. 

Read more
Anker recalls a million power banks over fire risk — here’s what to do
Anker's PowerCore 10000 power bank.

Anker is recalling more than a million of its PowerCore 10000 power banks due to a risk of overheating that could lead to fire and burns.

The tech company has received 19 reports of fires and explosions linked to the power bank, which contains lithium-ion batteries. Two of the reports relate to minor burn injuries and required medical attention, while a further 11 reports cite property damage totaling more than $60,000, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Read more