Along with the other smartphone brands, HUAWEI also enters the mid-range market with its Y9 2019 version. The HUAWEI Y9 2019 is recently launched in India and it packs a whole lot of features in it. To start off, here are the top 10 tips, tricks, and hidden features you can do on the HUAWEI Y9 2019.
1) Hide the notch
HUAWEI’s recent smartphones are plagued with the notch that most Androids are now moving to. The HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro, HUAWEI Nova 3, HUAWEI P20 Lite, and the new HUAWEI Y9 2019, all are notched enabled. Users who want to hide the notch, the HUAWEI Y9 2019 gives you an option, you just need to do a quick setting in the Display.
Go to Settings -> Display -> Notch and select Hide notch.
2) Navigate with gestures
EMUI is full of features that make things easier for you, navigating the phone with the on-screen buttons is just too mainstream, why not use the gestures to control the Y9 2019? The HUAWEI Y9 2019 supports gesture-based navigation and it’s easier once you know it.
To enable the gesture navigation, head to the Settings -> System -> System navigation and choose the first option Gestures.
Here’s how the navigation gestures work.
Home Screen
- Swipe from the bottom of the screen to go to the home screen.
Back
- Swipe inward from the left or right edges to return to the previous screen.
Recent Tasks
- Swipe from the bottom to the screen and pause to view recent tasks.
Google Assistant
- Swipe up from the bottom corners to access Google Assistant.
3) Three finger screenshot
A new way to take screenshots is to swipe your three fingers on the screen, it doesn’t require you to press Power key + Volume key which is the conventional method for taking screenshots on all Androids.
Enable the three finger gesture under the Settings -> Smart assistance -> Motion control -> Three-finger screenshot.
4) App Twin – Run two WhatsApps, Snapchat, Instagram…
The HUAWEI Y9 2019 also supports App Twin feature that allows you to run dual apps simultaneously. It clones any supported apps into two so that you can run two different accounts of the same app. For example, running two WhatsApp or Snapchat or Instagram accounts on the same device.
Go to the Settings -> Apps & Notifications -> App Twin and choose the apps available that you want to clone.
5) Record Screen Activity
Record screens with the built-in Screen Recorder, go to the notification panel by swiping from the top and tap on the shortcut Screen recorder as shown.
Capturing the screen can help you with recording gameplay or any activity you make on the phone. No need to install any third party apps, just tap on the shortcut and follow the instructions on the screen to start recording.
6) Lock Apps using your fingerprints
A handy feature that will help you to secure the apps is to lock the apps with your fingerprints. The fingerprint scanner on the back not only unlocks the phone but also used to unlock the secured apps that you’ve locked with it.
You will need to add a fingerprint and a PIN/passcode to continue using the App Lock with fingerprints. Register a fingerprint if you haven’t done it yet. Go to Settings -> Security & privacy -> Fingerprint ID.
If you have already done that, then just head to the same settings and tap the App lock and choose the apps you want to lock with your fingerprints.
7) Display battery percentage in status bar
The HUAWEI Y9 2019, just like the others, don’t show up the battery percentage in the status bar. To view the battery percentage in the status bar next to the battery icon or inside the icon, go to the Settings -> Battery and choose from the given options in the Battery percentage.
Go to Settings -> Battery -> Battery percentage and choose the desired option, either you want it next to the battery icon or inside the icon.
8) Display network speed in status bar
Another thing that you may not know is to view the internet or network speed in the status bar. If you are downloading something or watching or streaming videos or any other content, you can see your internet speed in real-time.
Go to Settings -> Display -> More display settings and enable Display network speed slider. Once done, check the status bar showing you the network speed for both WiFi as well as Mobile data in the status bar.
9) Ride mode
A great addition to the EMUI is the Ride Mode, the HUAWEI Y9 2019 has a safety feature built-in that lets you drive a two-wheeler or bike safely without any phone interruptions. The Ride mode is basically a bike safety feature for the users who drive bikes while using the phone.
Go to Settings -> System -> Ride Mode and turn on the slider. It can also be enabled from the notification panel shortcut or from the homescreen app.
Turning this feature on leaves all the calls to be answered by the pre-recorded voice or by a pre-defined SMS depending on the Ride Mode settings you choose. The caller will be notified with a message – the user is currently riding and cannot answer calls. It also disables earphones and Bluetooth headsets during the ride.
In case of emergency, the caller can press 1 during the call to allow the phone to ring, the receiver then stops the bike and receive the call further.
Here are the options you get in the Ride Mode.
- Preferred answering method – Set the preferred answering method, either by voice or by text. The third option will decline the call automatically.
- Auto-answer by voice – Answer through the built-in multilingual voice or your recorded voice.
- Auto-answer by text – Send automatic messages to the caller.
- Ride tracking – Track your ride for a total distance and total time covered in a day, week, and month.
- Distance unit – Units shown in Miles or Kilometers
To edit the Ride Mode, tap the edit icon on the top right corner.
10) One-handed UI
The display on the Y9 2019 is 6.5-inch, larger than standard size, and with that, it’s not easy to use it one-handed. Your thumb may not reach to the corners if you are using it one handed. With this amazing gesture, turn your Y9 2019 screen into smaller to control it with one hand.
To go into the one-handed UI mode, swipe on the bottom at the on-screen navigation buttons. Make sure you enable the feature in 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.
You may also find more tips and tricks of the HUAWEI Y9 2019 other than the ones we mentioned here, do share with us if you’ve got any in the comments below. You can also check our How-To Guides for more guides and tutorials related to smartphones and Apps.
