How to Customize a OnePlus 9 Phone

Your OnePlus 9 smartphone is full of personalization power. The Oxygen OS 11 ecosystem allows you to adjust everything from the look of interface elements to camera settings and screen modes. 

Learn how to customize your OnePlus 9 phone with these and many more options from the Settings menu.

Choose How to Unlock Your Phone

Access your smartphone by choosing your preferred unlocking methods.

1. Swipe down from the top of the phone to reveal the quick settings menu. Select the gear icon at the bottom-right corner to open Settings.

2. From the Settings menu, select Security & Lock Screen.

3. Under Device Security, select from Lock Screen Passcode, Fingerprint Unlock, Face Unlock, or Smart Lock.

   Smart Lock adds another layer of convenience by unlocking your device when it’s on your person or in a trusted location. You can also set it open near a trusted device, such as a smartwatch.

Edit Quick Settings Icons

Change the quick-access icons you see at the top of the device.

1. Swipe down twice from the top of the phone to view an expanded quick settings menu.

2. Select the pencil icon in the bottom-right corner of the menu.

3. From the Edit screen, select shortcut icons and drag and drop them into place as desired. Remove icons to the grey area if you’d prefer not to see them in the main settings area.

Change Gestures and Interactions

If you’d like to customize the way you interact with your device, visit Buttons & Gestures.

1. Go to Settings > Buttons & Gestures > Alert Slider.

2. Choose whether you want the phone to vibrate, ring, or stay silent for calls and notifications.

3. From Buttons & Gestures > Quick Gestures, move the slider to the right next to Double Tap to Wake to use this gesture.

4. Move the toggles next to Three-Finger Screenshot and Music Control to activate touch shortcuts for quick screenshots or access to music controls.

5. To apply other shortcuts with hand drawings, choose and draw the letter and connect it with the desired application. For example, set Draw O to open the camera.

Arrange Widgets and Apps

Add important widgets or frequently used app shortcuts to your display.

1. Long-press the Home screen to reveal a Widgets shortcut.

2. Press Widgets to access the library.

3. Press and hold the widget you want to add and drag and drop it where you’d like it to appear.

4. To add a new app, swipe the upward arrow on the Home screen.

5. Select and place the desired app in an available location, indicated by a circular white outline.

Change the Wallpaper

Choose from one of your images or select an image from another source.

1. Go to Settings > Customization > Wallpapers.

2. To use a personal photo, select My Photo, find the picture you want to use, and change the perspective by tapping and arranging it on the screen.

3. After you make your choice, select Set Wallpaper.

4. To use one of the preset wallpapers, select it and press Save to apply it.

Pick Your Accent Color, Button Style, and Font

You can control the type and color scheme from Settings > Customization. Browse the options in these categories and choose Save to preserve your preferences.

• Accent color: Pick from twelve different color options.
• Button icons: Choose from round, square, teardrop, and round rectangle. You can also customize the way app icons appear, either rounded or rounded rectangles.
• Fonts: OnePlus 9 offers Roboto and OnePlus Sans type options.

Adjust Display Brightness

Adaptive Brightness is on by default, but you have several other options for changing color vibrancy and display effects.

1. Go to Settings > Display.

2. To manually adjust brightness, move the dial underneath Adaptive Brightness.

3. Select Comfort tone to ask the system to change the screen tone to match the amount of available light.

Control Ambient Display Settings

Choose what you see and how you interact with the Ambient Display. This setting is on by default from Settings > Display > Ambient Display.

From this menu, use the toggle on/off features to control the following:

• Waking motions: Adjust whether you want to tap or pick up your phone to wake the display.
• Enable Always-on mode: Note this can drain the battery rapidly.
• Manage what you see: Choose to show messages, notifications, and the fingerprint icon if applicable.
• Change the Horizon Light color: This is the shade on the left and right edges of the display in Ambient Display mode.

Select the Ambient Display Clock Mode

If you activate the Ambient Display mode, you can choose the clock that displays.

1. Go to Settings > Customization > Clock on ambient display.

2. Scroll right to view all the clock styles.

3. Tap an option to preview it and select Save to apply the change.

Choose Your Preferred Display Enhancements

The OnePlus 9 comes with a high-quality display. Learn how to adjust settings to enhance colors and playback quality.

1. Go to Settings > Display > Advanced > Screen Calibration. The default setting is Vivid. Choose Natural for less saturated color. Select Advanced to change specific color settings.

2. From Settings > Display > Display Enhancement Engine, turn on Vibrant Color Effect to enhance contrast.

3. To view all video in ultra-high resolution, go to Settings > Display > Display Enhancement Engine > Ultra-high video resolution.

   By default, the OnePlus 9 comes with an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate. To change it to 60Hz for battery preservation, visit Settings > Display > Advanced > Refresh Rate.

Use Dark Mode

The OnePlus 9 comes with an upgraded Dark Mode. When activated, it dynamically adjusts color and contrast to make the screen easier to read. Control how long you want to use it or set it to turn on as necessary.

1. Navigate to Settings > Display.

2. Scroll down to Scenes and select Dark Mode.

3. To choose when to apply it, toggle the button to the right next to Manual.

4. To enable automatic activation, select Turn on Automatically. Choose to keep it on from sunrise to sunset or a custom time range.

Limit Screen Time

Cut down on the time you use certain apps or the number of times you pick up the device from the Apps & Notifications area.

1. Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications.

2. Select Screen time and click the hourglass icon next to the application you’d like to limit.

3. Choose the time length for daily use and select OK when you’re finished.

4. Repeat with other apps as desired.

Activate Zen Mode

Turn on Zen Mode when you need time away from your phone. This setting deactivates most features and plays calming music.

1. Swipe down twice from the top of the display to bring up the quick settings menu.

2. Find and select the Zen Mode icon.

3. Choose the duration for the session by using the drop-down arrow and selecting Let’s Go > Confirm to enter this mode on your own.

4. To enter or start a group Zen Mode session, select the icon with two figures and choose to Create a Room or Join a Room to start.

   Once you’re in Zen Mode, you can’t disable it. This mode blocks notifications and app access but still allows calls to come through.

Enable Reading Mode

To change the way the display looks while reading content, turn on Reading Mode.

1. From Settings > Display > Scenes, choose Reading Mode.

2. Enable this mode by moving the toggle to the right next to Turn on Reading Mode.

3. Then select between the Mono effect and Chromatic effect.

4. Use Add Apps for Reading Mode to select specific programs you’d like to use in Reading Mode every time you open them.

Schedule Bedtime Mode

Use OnePlus 9’s Bedtime Mode to limit screen time around your sleep schedule.

1. Go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls and select Tap to Show.

2. Under Ways to Disconnect, select Bedtime mode, and choose between Based on schedule or While charging at bedtime.

3. To adjust the schedule, tap the start and end times and tap OK to save.

   Use the additional features under When Bedtime Mode is On to reduce disruptions or blue light exposure.

Choose Your Preferred Camera Mode

The OnePlus 9 comes with an impressive camera system with several modes, including Hasselblad Pro and Tilt-Shift.

1. From the Home screen, choose the camera icon. Or tap the camera from the lock screen.

2. Next, scroll left and right through the various camera modes or swipe up in the black area below near the shutter button to access a shortcut menu.

3. Select your desired shooting setting and make available adjustments depending on the mode.

   Explore the icons at the top of the screen and advanced photo and video settings by tapping the three dots in the upper-right corner.