If you were around when the World-Wide Web first became a household service (i.e. if you are old like I am), you might be able to reflect on how much it has changed. There are textbook names for the transition I am referring to—the passage from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0. Web 1.0 wasn’t all that interactive. It was still very informative, but one-sided in-so-far-as company websites spoke at consumers, and the power and control over the site rested solely in the hands of the business. Fast-forward to Web 2.0, after the introduction and implementation of social networking, and now users can influence what happens online. Companies are forced to acknowledge consumers’ opinions and share control. These days it’s more about individuality than mass production; so, ask yourself—is your smartphone still 1.0? Or can you interact, exert influence, and customize your smartphone to evolve to the 2.0 era? That’s what we are here to do today.
1. Switch Themes
It’s relatively easy to enable built-in themes such as Dark Mode, which inverts the shades of black and white on several aspects of your user interface. This is mostly for looks, as the OnePlus 2 uses an LCD screen as opposed to an OLED display, which would also benefit from using a darker theme regarding battery life, but it still looks cool.
To use Dark Mode, go to Settings > Customization. And once it’s enabled, you can then choose an accent color. There are also many more themes available for download in Google Play; some were designed specifically with the OnePlus 2 in mind—like Theme OnePlus 2 (Oxygen OS). Download: Theme OnePlus 2 (Oxygen OS)
2. Customize Navigation Keys
If you had designed this phone would you have placed the Back button where it is? Or perhaps you have put it where the Apps key is instead? The phone is big, and everyone has different hand sizes, as well as preferences. But that’s why it’s so nice that you can relocate touch keys. Go to Settings > Buttons > Swap Buttons to swap out buttons. So if you are left-handed or you just simply want the choice to be yours, configuring these buttons is easy. You may also enable or disable these on-screen buttons if you wish. You can also set each of these buttons to perform certain actions, such as a long-press of the Home button could take a screenshot.
3. Gestures
There are a couple of different places you can go to implement gestures on the OnePlus 2. The most obvious goes by the name Gestures, and it’s under the Settings menu. There you will find Double Tap to Wake, the same one that is on the LG G2. Then there’s Open Camera, which will help you capture that once-in-a-lifetime moment quicker by linking the camera to the drawing of a circle on your screen. Tracing the letter V with your finger can trigger the flashlight if you want it to.
You can also play some music by swiping two fingers down the screen or try out other gesture/app combinations. Another gesture option can be found by going to Settings > Buttons > Double Tap Action Control, which permits you to choose what happens when you double-tap the Home button. The phone seems a little particular about some of its gestures. For instance, it can seem like the circular gesture isn’t working to open the camera, but you may have to experiment with size and speed in which you draw the circle. The phone seems a little particular about some of its gestures. For instance, it can seem like the circular gesture isn’t working to open the camera, but you may have to experiment with size and speed in which you draw the circle.
4. Personalize LED Light
When LED lights come in all colors of the rainbow, why are you limited to just green, red, and white? On the OnePlus 2, you can customize the LED notification color. There are eight colors to choose from, with four settings available to change.
To see all of your options, go to Settings > Customization > LED Notifications. For even more control over these settings, you could download an app like Light Manager – LED Settings. Using a third-party app can afford you more choices, especially for different types of notifications. Otherwise, your options are Battery Charging, Battery Low Warning, Battery Full, and Global Notifications. Download: Light Manager – LED Settings
5. Icon Packs
An icon pack is an app that turns all of your standard icons into customized ones. There can also be options within your Launcher Settings.
If you are looking for more variety, visit Google Play to find icon packs like Click UI or the Rondo icon pack. Retrorika is another gem if you like the retro/vintage look. Download: Click UI – Icon Pack
- Change Launchers If you want a bigger change than just the icons, you can also switch out your launcher. You can go download launchers from Google Play, such as Google Launcher Download: Google Now Launcher
or Nova Launcher, Download: Nova Launcher
both of which are extremely popular.
Once the launcher is installed your OnePlus 2 will allow you to set the new launcher as default when you press the Home button. Other launcher options include Asus ZenUI Launcher, Download: ZenUI Launcher – Theme, Wallpaper
Arrow Launcher Download: Arrow Launcher
and Yahoo Aviate Launcher Download: Yahoo Aviate Launcher
7. Try Out a Different Camera App
Some third-party camera apps can seem like they are light-years ahead of the default camera app on your phone. The camera app that comes with the OnePlus 2 is okay, but it could be improved upon. You can take matters into your hands by downloading a superior camera app. If special effects are what you are craving, check out Cameringo+ Effects Camera. Download: Cameringo+ Effects Camera
Another camera app where you will find settings, features, and editing options galore is Camera Zoom Fx. Download: Camera Zoom Fx
Camera 360 – Photo Editor may be known for its funny stickers, but is certainly no joke of a camera app. For those who want better selfies, Download: Camera 360 – Photo Editor
Candy Camera is extremely popular. Download: Candy Camera
If you are trying the new camera app to a gesture that you want to work even when your phone is in sleep mode, try disabling the lock screen pattern, and an option to change the camera from default should appear the next time you use the gesture. Choose your new camera app and select Always.
8. Shelf
You might have already tried out Shelf when you initially set up your phone. But if not, you should at least check it out. It’s designed to give you quick access to your contacts, favorite apps, and widgets. Shelf isn’t everyone’s’ favorite, and many have experienced problems after the OxygenOS 2.2 update, but it’s worth exploring.
To enable Shelf, press and hold any blank area of your Home screen and choose Settings. Toggle the Enable Shelf switch to ON, and you will now be able to see a new panel when you swipe to the right on your Home screen. The header image is customizable, and though you’ll automatically start out with widgets like Mobile Bookmarks, you can add several more. Note the pencil (Edit) icon to the upper right.
9. Unlock with Your Fingerprint
What is more unique to you than your fingerprint? This is a way to customize your OnePlus 2 that ensures it will be like no one else’s. OnePlus boasts that it can be used to unlock the OnePlus 2 in under .5 seconds. A feature that speeds things up is that you don’t have to unlock the screen first. Unfortunately, the fingerprint reader setup is not part of the overall initial phone setup.
It is recommended that you scan all sides of your finger when you go to add it. If you do this, the fingerprint scanner should rarely give you an error. Go to Settings > Fingerprint > Add Fingerprint, then press your finger on the Home key until the phone vibrates, and repeat as needed for each side. Ideally, the sensor should eventually register your fingerprint at 100%.
10. Fit More on Your Screen
You can go about making the most of your screen space in a few different ways. You can adjust the App Drawer Grid Size through Settings, which is visible when you long-press a blank area of the Home screen. If you are using a third-party launcher, mostly likely can still press and hold your Home screen to change grid or icon size. Another alternative is to change the DPI, or Pixel Density, and this can be done by first installing a custom launcher, and then using the Window Manipulator app. Download: Solo Launcher – Clean, Smooth, DIY
Download: Windows Manipulator
Conclusion
The OnePlus 2, being in the market for a while now, has a loyal following. Everyone uses their device just a little bit different than the next person, so there are a lot of variations in the way your phone is setup vs. mine. We love to hear how your OnePlus 2 is personalized. Which customization was your favorite? Did you experience any issues during or after? Let us know. Featured Image Credit
