How to enable system and screen-off gestures on the OnePlus 5

We all love being able to access features on our devices as fast as possible, and many manufacturers have implemented a number of shortcuts that allow us to launch apps and other features on the fly. Most devices running Android have opted to use a double-tap of the power button to quickly launch the camera, but OnePlus has taken these shortcuts to the next level by implementing a number of quick launch gestures, even while the screen is off.

So how do you enable these, and what do these gestures look like? Let’s take a look.

How to use gestures on OnePlus 5

To access these gestures, go into your settings, and tap on the “Gestures” settings under “Customization”. Here, you’ll find two “System gestures” and seven “Screen-off gestures”. The system gestures include “Flip to mute”, which mutes your device when you turn it onto its face, and “Three-finger screenshot”, which allows you to take a screenshot simply by swiping three of your fingers across the display.

Screen-off gestures are a bit different. These work by having the user draw specific shapes and using different multi-touch gestures to control the device while the screen is off. This section includes Double tap to wake, Music control, Draw O, Draw V, Draw S, Draw M, and Draw W. While the first two options are toggles that simply activate the feature, drawing letters while the screen is off allows you to launch either a system application like the camera or flashlight, or quick-launch an individual application. I’d probably set all of these to launch Reddit because, well, that’s basically all I use my phone for anyways.

Are you planning on using any of these gestures? While OnePlus certainly isn’t the first to offer this feature, it’s quite a new idea to offer this many options.