ColorOS Tips & Tricks: Get the Most Out of Your OPPO Phone

Just bought a brand new OPPO phone but find yourself lost in the menus, unaware of the seriously incredible features just a few taps away? You're not alone! Previously, we explored the top OPPO phones boasting long battery life, the best OPPO camera phones, and the ultimate OPPO phones for gaming in 2025. But this time, we're diving into all the ways to enhance your OPPO phone experience with ColorOS tips and tricks.  
Many OPPO users miss out on hidden gestures, shortcuts, and underused settings, preventing them from truly maximising their device. That's where this guide comes in. If you're using an OPPO handset, you're likely experiencing ColorOS, OPPO’s sleek, smart, and feature-packed Android-based operating system. ColorOS offers a wealth of possibilities beyond the surface—if you know where to look. 

In this blog, we're revealing the ultimate ColorOS tips to unlock the full potential of your device. From customising your interface to improving battery life and boosting overall phone performance, we've got you covered. Whether you're aiming to enhance your daily usability or uncover hidden OPPO features, consider this your essential ColorOS settings guide. 

Not sure what ColorOS can do or thinking of an upgrade? Explore the latest OPPO phones for sale and buy OPPO Reno online at the OPPO Store UK! 

Mastering the Basics: Essential ColorOS Tips 

ColorOS tips and tricks start with the basics. Keeping that in mind, the essential ColorOS tips below will help you navigate, customise, and optimise your phone’s interface like a pro. If you're a first-time OPPO user or simply looking to unlock more value from your current device, these tips are sure to boost your experience. 

Navigation Gestures 

Gestures allow for a more fluid, full-screen experience. Swiping up to go home, holding to open recent apps, or swiping from the side to go back feels intuitive and saves screen space.  

ColorOS offers two main navigation styles: the classic three-button layout and a more immersive gesture-based system. To switch: 

1. Go to Settings > Convenience Tools > Navigation. 
2. Choose between Gesture Navigation or Virtual Buttons. 
3. Tap More Settings to fine-tune gestures, such as swipe sensitivity and edge exclusion zones. 

Mastering Navigation Gestures on ColorOS is one of the smartest ColorOS tips for a better daily experience. 

Customising the Home Screen 

Your phone should reflect your personality and needs. With ColorOS, it’s easy to make the interface your own: 

• Head to Settings > Home Screen & Lock Screen Magazine to change wallpapers, themes, and icon packs. 
• Long-press apps to move them, create folders, or rearrange home screen pages. 
• Add widgets by long pressing the home screen and tapping “Widgets”. Drag and drop your favourites, like weather, calendar, or battery stats, for quick access. 

Whether you're aiming for a minimalist layout or a fully loaded dashboard, this OPPO settings guide makes it easy to get things just right. 

Quick Settings and Notification Shade 

Swipe down from the top to open the Quick Settings panel—your control centre. Here, you can: 

1. Tap the pencil/edit icon to rearrange toggles (like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and screen recording). 
2. Go to Settings > Notifications & Status Bar to customise notification style (banners, bubbles, etc.). 
3. Prioritise important alerts by selecting the app in Settings > App Management > Notifications, then enabling High Priority Notifications. 

With these basics mastered, you’re well on your way to an efficient and personalised OPPO experience. 

Next-Level OPPO ColorOS Tips, Tricks, and Hacks! 

• AI Speak: Press and hold text on a web page, then tap "AI Speak" for a hands-free read-aloud experience with voice and speed customisation. 
• AI Reply: Auto-suggests smart responses in chat apps—long-press a message to view AI replies instantly. 
• Expand: Tap the three dots in supported apps and select "Expand" to enter split-screen mode—perfect for multitasking vertically. 
• Charging Limits: Go to Battery Settings and toggle “Charging Limit” to stop at 80%, reducing battery wear over time. 
• Arctic Mode: In cold climates, enable Arctic Mode from Battery Settings to maintain optimal charging speed and battery health. 
• AI Photo Editor: In the Photos app, tap “Edit” and choose AI tools like Clarity Enhancer or Eraser to upgrade images with a single tap. 
• Clone Phone: During setup, scan the QR code on your new device to quickly and securely clone your old phone's content. 
• Microsoft Phone Link: Open “Connection & Sharing” settings to link your OPPO with a Windows PC—sync calls, texts, and apps seamlessly. 
• Trinity Engine: This built-in engine works quietly in the background—boosts smoothness and lowers lag, specifically during gaming. 
• ROM Vitalisation: In Storage settings, enable ROM Vitalisation to compress seldom-used app data and free up space automatically. 
• Touch To Share: Just tap your OPPO against an iPhone using the Touch To Share shortcut in the share menu for instant photo transfer. 

Unlocking Hidden Potential: OPPO Hidden Features 

Beyond its clean interface and slick performance, ColorOS hides a treasure trove of powerful tools designed to make your everyday interactions faster, smarter, and more secure. These OPPO hidden features aren’t always obvious, but once discovered, they’re absolute game-changers. Let’s take a look at them to unlock the real potential of your device. 

Screen-Off Gestures 

Get things done without even turning on your display with screen-off gestures. 

To enable them: 

1. Go to Settings > Special Features > Gestures & Motions > Screen-off Gestures. 
2. Toggle Enable Screen-off Gestures. 
3. Choose from built-in gestures like double-tap to wake, draw 'O' to open the camera, or 'V' to switch on the torch. 
4. You can even customise gestures to open specific apps or make calls. 

Activating these OPPO hidden features will add a touch of magic and speed up access to everyday functions—perfect for when your hands are full or you're in a rush. 

Smart Sidebar 

The Smart Sidebar is like having a mini control panel always at your fingertips. 

To activate: 

1. Go to Settings > Special Features > Smart Sidebar. 
2. Enable the toggle and adjust the position if needed. 
3. Now, swipe inward from the edge of your screen to reveal the sidebar. You can add tools (like screenshot, screen recording, and file manager) and shortcuts to your most-used apps. 

To customise: 

• Tap the “+” icon on the sidebar. 
• Drag and drop to add, remove, or rearrange items. 

The Smart Sidebar is one of the most practical OPPO hidden features, allowing quick access to functions without leaving your current app. 

Split Screen and Floating Windows 

Need to reply to a message while watching a video? Multitasking is made simple with Split Screen and Floating Windows—a highlight among smart ColorOS tips. 

To activate Split Screen: 

• Open a supported app, then swipe up with three fingers or use the recent apps screen to tap the Split Screen icon. 

For Floating Windows: 

• Open an app from Smart Sidebar or Recent Apps, then tap the Floating Window icon. 
• Resize and move it anywhere on your screen. 

These features are ideal for multitaskers juggling shopping lists, messages, and Zoom calls simultaneously. 

Private Safe 

Worried about prying eyes? The Private Safe keeps your sensitive files, photos, documents, and audio secure and encrypted. 

Here’s how to set it up: 

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Private Safe. 
2. Authenticate with your passcode, fingerprint, or face unlock. 
3. Tap the “+” icon to add files from your gallery, file manager, or recorder. 

Everything stored here is hidden from your standard apps. Whether it’s confidential work documents or personal pictures, Private Safe ensures your data stays private. 

These features go far beyond the basics, and once you start using them, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. 

Underrated ColorOS 15 Features 

Think you’ve mastered your OPPO phone? Think again. ColorOS 15 is brimming with subtle innovations that often go unnoticed but once you try them, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. These smart enhancements go far beyond the basics, blending convenience, security, and personalisation into your daily routine. Regardless of if you want to boost phone performance or uncover smart shortcuts, these lesser-known ColorOS tips are worth exploring. 

1. Fingerprint Quick Launch 

 
A shortcut dream come true. With this feature, you can assign frequently used apps to your fingerprint sensor. Just unlock your phone, hold your finger for a second longer, and jump straight into your app of choice. It’s ideal for decluttering your home screen while keeping key tools just a tap away. 

2. Icon Pull-Down 
 

Struggling to tap icons one-handed? With Icon Pull-Down enabled, a simple downward swipe brings all your app icons into thumb’s reach. Perfect for larger devices or when you’re mid-coffee sip—this is one of those tips and tricks that saves precious seconds. 

3. Flexible Windows 
 

Multitask like a boss using Flexible Windows. Reply to messages, browse the web, or run multiple apps with ease using floating or split-screen views. It’s a brilliant ColorOS tip for balancing work, play, and productivity. 

4. Super Power Saving Mode  

Running low on battery power? This extreme battery-saving feature limits background activity and allows only select apps to run, extending your phone’s life in critical moments. Essential for travellers or days when you forget your charger. 

5. Simple Mode & Kid Space 
 

Simple Mode enlarges icons and increases volume—fantastic for the visually impaired or elderly users. Meanwhile, Kid Space promotes healthy habits by encouraging better posture and lighting, while also enabling Eye Comfort Mode. It’s thoughtful functionality built into the OS. 

6. Auto Pixelate & Lock Layout 
 

Want to share screenshots without oversharing? Auto Pixelate hides personal details in chat captures with one tap. And once you’ve perfected your home screen, use Lock Layout to keep everything exactly where you like it. 

Optimising Performance: Tips for a Smooth ColorOS Experience 

Getting the best out of your OPPO device means keeping it running fast and efficiently. These performance-focused ColorOS tips will help you maintain speed, extend battery life, and enjoy a seamless user experience. 

Managing Background Apps 

Background apps are often the silent culprits behind slowdowns and battery drain. Even when not in use, they can consume resources and impact phone performance. 

To manage them: 

1. Open Settings > Battery > More Settings. 
2. Tap App Battery Management to view which apps are using the most power in the background. 
3. Choose Auto Optimisation or manually restrict background activity for non-essential apps. 

You can also use Battery Optimisation under the same menu to enable system-level energy-saving settings, reducing unnecessary background processes while preserving battery life. 

Clearing Cache and Storage 

Over time, your device accumulates temporary files and cached data, which can slow things down. Regular cleaning boosts phone performance and frees up valuable space. 

Steps to clear cache and junk files: 

1. Go to Settings > About Device > Storage. 
2. Tap Clean Storage or open Phone Manager from the tools folder. 
3. Use the Storage Manager to delete junk files, unused apps, large files, and more. 

This tool provides smart suggestions based on storage usage, keeping your OPPO phone clutter-free and running smoothly. 

Network Optimisation 

Strong network performance is essential for streaming, gaming, and browsing. ColorOS includes smart tools to improve connectivity: 

• Wi-Fi Assistant: Automatically switches to better networks or mobile data when Wi-Fi is unstable. Enable it via Settings > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi Assistant. 
• Dual-channel Network Acceleration: Available on select models, this combines mobile data and Wi-Fi for faster downloads. 

For basic issues, restarting your phone or resetting network settings via Settings > System Settings > Reset Options can resolve persistent connection problems. 

Software Updates 

Regular software updates aren’t just about new features—they're vital for system stability, security, and phone performance. 

To check for updates: 

1. Go to Settings > About Device > Software Update. 
2. Tap Check for Updates. 

Keeping your phone up to date ensures you benefit from the latest enhancements, security patches, and bug fixes, all key to a well-optimised experience.  

Other Incredible ColorOS 15 Features  

1. Snap and Ask: This feature allows users to take a photo of any object or scene and instantly receive relevant information, providing real-time search functionality without manual input.  
2. AI Toolbox Enhancements: ColorOS 15 introduces advanced AI capabilities, including the Xiaobu assistant, which can understand natural language and hold conversations. It also offers on-screen content awareness, providing recommendations such as travel itineraries. 
3. Redesigned Notification Panel: The notification panel and control centre have been separated, allowing for more flexibility and a cleaner interface.  
4. Dynamic Motion Effects: Enhanced animations and transition effects have been applied across the UI, providing a smoother and more visually appealing user experience.  
5. Smart Island: Inspired by Apple's Dynamic Island, this feature integrates fluid cloud and the mobile phone camera area to achieve a more intelligent interactive experience. 

Conclusion 

Mastering ColorOS is about more than just knowing your way around your OPPO phone; it's about empowering yourself with a suite of intelligent tools designed to streamline your digital life. 

From the fundamental enhancements like personalised home screens and efficient navigation to the more sophisticated hidden features and performance-boosting tweaks, ColorOS offers a depth of functionality that caters to a wide range of needs. By embracing these tips and tricks, you unlock a richer, more intuitive, and ultimately more satisfying mobile experience. Additionally, with these tips and tricks, you no longer stay just a user; you become a confident navigator of a powerful and versatile operating system. 

As you continue to explore the possibilities of ColorOS, remember that OPPO remains at the forefront of mobile innovation, constantly refining and adding features that enhance user convenience and performance. To witness this evolution firsthand and discover the latest devices that embody these advancements, visit and browse the OPPO Store UK. Explore our selection of OPPO phones for sale or buy the OPPO Reno online at the best prices to experience the latest ColorOS 15 and take the next step in your mobile journey. Not sure which OPPO phone to buy? Check out our OPPO phones buying guide and stay up to date with the latest OPPO price and features to make an informed decision. Your ideal OPPO experience awaits!