Honor Play is a gaming-centric smartphone featuring Kirin 970 CPU and runs on the latest EMUI version 8.2 based on Android 8.1 Oreo. The EMUI 8.2 comes with a lot of features including the new additions such as the GPU Turbo and 4D Gaming. If you’ve got your hands-on with Honor Play, we are sharing these tips and tricks as well as some hidden features that you can try them out.
1) Hide The Infamous Notch
Honor Play boasts a new design, there’s a notch at the top and it’s the newest design of 2018. Not all users fancy the full-screen notch design, you get an option to disable it. To disable the notch on Honor Play, go to the Settings -> Display -> Hide Notch.
2) Run Apps In Full Screen
The Honor Play comes with a full-screen design with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. This is a newer aspect ratio that many apps can’t support. For this, you have an option on the phone to force the app to launch it in full screen.
Go to Settings -> Display -> Full screen display. Choose the apps you want to enter full screen.
Note: Not all apps work in full-screen, the app content may get cropped from the sides. If you encounter the same, disable the full-screen for those apps.
3) App Twin – Clone Your Apps (WhatsApp, Instagram…)
Starting from the EMUI 8.0, HUAWEI added dual apps feature and the Honor Play is no exception. Whenever you want an app to run in dual mode, make use on App Twin. App Twin creates dual instances of the apps, for example, two WhatsApp accounts so you don’t have to worry about getting a new phone.
Turn it on under the Settings -> Apps & Notifications -> App Twin and choose the available apps you want to clone.
4) Navigation Gestures
This is perhaps the best EMUI feature on the phone, the navigation gestures can let you navigate the phone in a new way. The navigation gestures can be enabled inside the System Settings. Go to Settings -> System -> System navigation and select the first option Single-key navigation.
Here’s how the navigation gestures work
Touch once
- Tapping the bar once will go one step back. It acts as a back button on the phone.
Tap and hold
- Tapping and holding on the bar will take you to the homesceen.
Swipe Left/Right
- When swipe on the bar either left or right side opens the recent apps menu.
Swipe up
- Swipe up on the bar triggers the Google Assistant.
If you have enabled Auto-hide navigation key, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to show it.
5) Navigate With Floating Dock
Aside from the navigation gestures you just saw, there’s a floating ball included too that can be used for navigation from any corner. The navigation dock allows you to navigate via a floating ball that can be moved to any location on the screen. This will disable on-screen buttons and increases the one-hand capabilities.
To get the floating navigation dock, go to Settings -> System -> System Navigation -> Navigation Dock, turn it on by sliding on that button.
6) Identify Products Using Amazon Assistant
This is a new feature added to the EMUI 8.2, the HiTouch enables the user to identify products displayed on the screen using the Amazon Assistant. What you need to do is tap and hold anywhere with two fingers simultaneously (two thumbs) to see what’s on the screen and Amazon Assistant will aid you further with the product links.
Enable it under Settings -> Smart assistance -> HiTouch.
7) App Drawer Style Homescreen
While the EMUI is actually based on a homescreen layout without app drawer, everything else you see on the phone is available on the homescreen itself. But, that doesn’t end here, the Honor Play can also achieve the app drawer style Homescreen if you want.
Head to the Display settings -> Home screen style and select Drawer.
8) Display Network Speed & Battery Percentage In Status Bar
Almost all Honor phones don’t show up battery percentage in the status bar. To display battery percentage on Honor Play, go to Settings -> Battery -> Battery percentage and select the appropriate option.
The same option is also available in the Settings -> Notifications & status bar. From here, you can enable the network speed indicator in the status bar by selecting Display network speed slider. It shows you realtime network speed of your Wi-Fi and Mobile data in the status bar.
9) Unlock Honor Play With Your Face
Also available is the face unlock that unlocks the phone with your facial data. To enable the Face Unlock feature, go to Settings -> Security & Privacy -> Face Unlock. Enroll your Face data. Now lock the phone, hold it up front and try to unlock it with your face.
10) Lock Apps With Fingerprint Scanner
If you think the fingerprint scanner is limited to locking and unlocking the phone, the Honor Play can lock individual apps with your fingerprints. To lock apps using your fingerprints, head to Settings -> Security & privacy -> Fingerprint ID and add your fingerprint if you haven’t done it yet. And then under Security & privacy, tap the App lock and choose the apps you want to lock with your fingerprints.
11) Fingerprint Gestures
In addition to locking the apps with your fingerprints, these gestures also come in handy. The fingerprint scanner can also be used to open and close the notification panel, browse the gallery, take selfies/photos, answer calls, and stop alarms. Turn on the sliders you see under Fingerprint ID settings.
12) Record Screen Activity
There’s one feature that comes handy when you want to record any activity on the screen. Yes, recording screens is that easy, all you need to do is hit the Screen Recording shortcut in the notification panel. Follow the instructions on the screen and start recording.
If you can’t find the shortcut, swipe from the top, tap the edit icon beside the settings gear icon. Tap and hold the Screen Recording, and drag the shortcut to the panel.
13)Three-finger Screenshot
Another handy feature is the three-finger screenshot. If you are unable to take screenshots using the combination of the power and volume keys, this swipe gesture will allow you to take screenshots via three fingers. Swipe to the bottom with your three fingers to take the screenshots.
Turn it on from Settings -> Smart assistance -> Motion control -> Three-finger screenshot.
14) Flip To Mute
This might be the best way to keep the phone in silent mode, the Motion control gestures will let you do it. The flip-to-mute feature will stop any phone vibrations and incoming calls when you flip the phone facing down on the surface. It can be found under Motion control under Smart assistance.
15) One-Handed UI
Can’t be able to use the phone with two hands? If one of your hands is occupied, this one-handed feature lets you use the phone with one hand. Swiping on the bottom on-screen navigation buttons will enter the one-handed screen.
To turn this feature on, head to the Settings -> Smart assistance -> One-handed UI and enable the mini screen view. You can also enable one-hand keyboard which shifts the keyboard and dialer on either side.
16) Storage Cleanup Utility
Storage cleaning won’t be necessary, you get enough storage on the phone, there’s 128 GB internal storage with an option to expand it with a microSD card. The storage cleanup utility cleans unutilized memory and cache from the phone which restores a little storage to large storage depending upon the junk available on the phone. Go to Settings -> Storage and tap clean up.
17) Power Saving Battery Modes
The Honor Play does last longer than expected, it packs a 3,750 mAh battery which is enough to survive more than a day on a single charge. While the battery life is impressive, you have the option to extend it even further using the provided battery saving modes. Choose between Power saving mode and Ultra power saving mode. It can be accessed in the notification panel and battery settings.
18) Eye Comfort Mode
For those who are using the Honor Play at night or in dark environments, the Honor Play offers Eye comfort (night mode) which eliminates blue light from the screen to relieve visual fatigue. To turn it on, enter Display settings and turn on Eye comfort. There’s a shortcut in the notification panel as well.
Go to Display settings and Eye comfort or simply tap the shortcut available in the notification panel.
Also check our hands-on with Honor Play and its unboxing video.
