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Master your new Razer Phone 2 with these handy tips and tricks

Razer Phone 2 Hands-on
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

From its 120Hz display, to its jaw-dropping Dolby Atmos speakers, the Razer Phone 2 is made for gaming. But at $800, the phone is probably going to be used for a whole lot more than playing Pokemon Go. If you’re a lucky new owner, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite Razer Phone 2 tips and tricks to get you started with your new phone.

How to set up Do Not Disturb

Whether you want a little time away from your email or you simply want to have a good night’s sleep without tons of notifications, Do Not Disturb mode can can help. When you set up Do Not Disturb, you can easily create multiple schedules that limit the number and types of notifications and calls you’ll receive.

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Setting up Do Not Disturb mode is easy. Simply go to Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb Preferences.  From here you can customize the pre-defined rules by tapping on them. If you’d like to create a custom rule, select Add More and choose either Event Rule or Time Rule. When you’ve finished updating any rule, make sure you enable it by toggling on the slider at the top of the screen.

How to customize your homepage with Theme Store

Looking to jazz up your home screen? You’re in luck because the Razer Phone 2 has an awesome Theme Store that allows you to totally customize your phone. If you want to give it a shot, just open the Theme Store app and scroll through the Featured and Game Theme sections. You can also search for specific themes by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the screen. When you’ve found a theme you like, tap on it and select Download. Once it is downloaded, press the Apply button to change to your new theme.

How to record video in 4K

Just about every flagship supports 4K video recording and the Razer Phone 2 is no exception. However, if you want to record video in 4K you’ll need to make an adjustment to the settings in your Camera app.

To switch to 4K resolution tap the Camera icon followed by the gear icon below the viewfinder. Select Back Camera Resolution and tap the radio button next to UHD 4K.

How to find games optimized for the Razer Phone 2

One of the things that makes the Razer Phone 2 stand out is its awesome 120Hz display. In contrast to 60Hz displays found on other smartphones, the Razer Phone 2’s display offers latency-free gaming and buttery smooth performance. But what good is the awesome display if you can’t find games that are optimized for it?

Luckily, Razer is a step ahead of the game and created Cortex. This app allows you to quickly access your game library, find new games, and even optimize the phone for game play. To find new games, simply open the Cortex app and tap the featured icon. From this screen you can easily download supported games from the Google Play store.

If you already have a library of games, you just need to open the Cortex app to find them neatly stored under the Library tab. Finally, you’ll notice a Game Booster tab on the lower right side of the screen. From here you can choose which power mode you’d like to use on the phone in general, or simply improve performance on selected games and apps by tapping the Manage Games icon.

How to customize the Razer logo

Last year’s Razer Phone had a relatively ho-hum design. This year, however, Razer made some changes that make its newest flagship a bit more eye-catching. One of those changes is the addition of the backlit Razer logo on the phone. The new logo is more than just for show though, it can also alert you when you have new notifications.

You can easily customize both the color and function of the Razer logo on your new phone. If you want to give it a shot go to Settings > Chroma. Toggle on the My Chroma Effect slider and tap My Chroma Effect. From this screen you can adjust the color by tapping on the color wheel or entering a Hex code, and you can adjust the brightness by tapping on the brightness icon at the bottom of the display. You can also tap the effect icon on the bottom right side of the screen to customize the logo lighting effect. Tap the back arrow to return to the primary screen: From here you can select when you’d like the logo to be illuminated by tapping your preferred icon under the Battery Consumption tab.

How to wake the screen by lifting your phone

Like its predecessor, the new Razer Phone 2 has speakers that sit prominently at the top and bottom of the display. While this means the phone has awesome audio quality, it also means there’s no room for a fingerprint sensor. For better or worse, Razer chose to put the fingerprint sensor on the side of its phone, making it difficult to access when it’s sitting on a table.

Luckily there’s a somewhat hidden gesture that can wake your screen whenever you lift the phone. To turn on the feature go to Settings > Display and tap on Advanced. Select Ambient Display and toggle the slider next to Lift To Check Phone. 

How to change the display refresh rate

Perhaps the standout feature on the new Razer Phone 2 is its 120Hz display. We’ve already talked about what it can do for game performance, but did you know it can drain your battery rather quickly? Fortunately you can easily choose between three different refresh rates on your new smartphone.

To change your display’s refresh rate, go to Settings > Display and tap on Refresh Rate. You’ll see three options: 60Hz, 90Hz, and 120Hz. Tap the appropriate radio box next to your preferred refresh rate. If you’re unsure which refresh rate to select, you’ll probably want to choose 120Hz when gaming, and 90Hz for daily use. If you find your battery draining quickly at 90Hz, you may want to give 60Hz a shot.

Now you’ve learned a few of our favorite tips and tricks, you may want to change a few settings on your new Razer Phone 2 in order to have the best user experience.

Steven Winkelman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven writes about technology, social practice, and books. At Digital Trends, he focuses primarily on mobile and wearables…
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