LG G5
The bottom of the G5 comes off, giving access to the battery and where modular accessories can be slotted into place IBTimes UK

The LG G5 has been one of the most awaited phones of the year and only recently have people started receiving their devices. While consumer forums have been buzzing with users curious about taking full advantage of the phone and see what goodies it packs, we give you a low-down of some of the best tips and tricks to use on the phone and guide you through some of the essential features:

How to bring back the app drawer

The app drawer has been removed by the company for the G5 unlike the G4 so those of you who do not like this new interface style can get the app drawer back by following some simple steps:

  • Go to Settings
  • Tap on Display and select Home Screen
  • Now tap on the Select Home option
  • You will see an Easy Home option. Choose that
  • Now you can access a variety of shortcuts on the home screen, and increase the size of the font as well

How to customise navigation buttons

On the G5 like many other Android phones you can rearrange the existing buttons, add buttons and also change the colour of the buttons. See how it can be done:

  • Go to Settings
  • Tap on Display and select Home Touch Buttons
  • Then select the button combination you seek by dragging and dropping the buttons in any order but you have to limit it to a maximum of five
  • There is no extra save option here as the changes will show up as you make them
  • Now you can choose the colour of the buttons on the previous page

How to hide apps

If organising is not your forte or you do not like you home screen cluttered, try this option to hide your apps:

  • Go to Settings and then Home Screen
  • You will find the Hide Apps option
  • A long list of installed apps will be visible among which simply check which ones you don't want to see

How to use the Knock Code to unlock the phone

The fingerprint sensor is nothing new and we have been seeing it in the flagships coming but the G5 has something called a Knock Code feature, where a code can be tapped out using four sections of the lock screen. See how to use it:

  • Go to Settings and Display and then Lock Screen
  • Now select Screen Lock and you will be prompted to enter the phone's PIN
  • After you have entered the correct PIN you will see a list of lock screen security methods
  • Choose Knock Code
  • There are options in this too as the first one gives the option of using Knock Code before the phone powers up and the second one when the screen has been locked for the first time
  • Make your choice and tap on Next to set up your code
  • It has been enabled now

Warning - Entering incorrect Knock Code 10 times will perform a factory reset on your device and you will lose all of your information; so make sure you do this wisely.

How to use Game Optimisation

This is quite a unique option that we have not seen before where a particular setting can tweak video quality in games to help make the most of the remaining battery life. To get the maximum out of this feature, follow these steps:

  • Go to Settings
  • Tap on General and scroll down to Battery & Power Saving
  • Under this you can turn on the battery percentage meter, and find the Game Optimizer mode
  • Tap to choose either basic or full optimisation and your phone battery will manage the the game accordingly

Shortcut for camera when LG G5 is sleeping

While LG G5 does not have a gesture control feature to turn on the camera like the OnePlus phones, it does have a short cut. Double-tap the volume down button and your camera will open up bypassing any security setup. However, to make changes to the saved snaps or view them again you will have to unlock your phone through the PIN, Pattern, Passcode or fingerprint.

How to take selfies without touching the phone

The LG G5 has this quirky feature called gesture shot where one does not even need to press the camera click button to take a selfie and can just do it by not even touching the screen.

  • Open the camera app and switch to the front snapper
  • Hold your open hand up to the camera and then close it into a fist
  • Make sure to hold up your open hand to the camera until brackets appear around it
  • A 3-second timer will count down to the shot
  • To take 4 burst shots make two consecutive fists

How to save battery

Like many phones having battery saver options and Android Marshmallow also introducing the same, the LG G5 has a feature that can help you use your battery wisely. Now these steps have to be combined one after the other to save the overall battery.

  • Go to Settings and tap on general
  • Then scroll down to battery & power saving
  • There will be two options there - restrict apps in background and block use of always-on display
  • Swipe right to switch on both of them
  • After you have done this go to the LG's Smart Doctor app and tap 'Diagnose'
  • There will be a charging section at the top
  • It will offer you advice on the best phone practice to keep your battery healthy in case you need to save more on power

How to connect to the VR headset

For the LG G5 you won't have the burden of your phone on your VR headset as unlike the Samsung Galaxy S7 here you need to simply plug in the VR headset through a cable via the USB port.

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