If you’ve just got a new 6P and you want the most from your device, here’s a list with tips customize the Nexus 6P. If you’re having problems with your shiny new device, check our guide for troubleshooting your Nexus 6P
1. Adding Your Fingerprint
One of the best new features on the 6P is the fingerprint scanner, and it’s probably one of the first things you’ll want to try out when you first get your phone. To add a fingerprint to your device;
- Go to your Settings, and tap Security.
- Tap on Nexus Imprint to begin the set up process.
- Hit Continue, and set a backup password, pin, or pattern.
- Follow the steps, and tap the scanner 6 times when prompted to save a fingerprint on your 6P.
- Once you’ve added your first fingerprint, you’re given the option to add more if you wish. That’s all you need to start using your scanner.
2. Enable System UI Tuner (Battery Percentage Bar)
If you want to see just how much battery life you have left, you can set a battery percentage bar in your System UI Tuner settings.
- You’ll need to enable Developer Options on your phone. Go to your Settings, tap About Phone, and scroll down to the bottom of this menu.
- You’ll see the Build Number Tap it several times in succession and back out into the main Settings menu again.
- Pull down the notification bar and hold the gear-shaped Settings icon for 2-4 seconds.
- You should see a popup on screen informing you that you’ve added the System UI Tuner to your Settings. (You can find the System UI Tuner menu at the bottom of the page in your Settings menu.)
- Open the System UI Tuner menu, and you’ll see an option to Show embedded battery percentage. Tap the toggle on the right and you’ll now be able to tell just how much battery you have left.
3. Improve Your Battery Life
Showing exactly how much battery power you have left is one thing, but what about prolonging the life of your device? Quick charging is a handy feature, but you might not be able to get to a power point in time, so here are a few tips you can use to prolong your usage. Lowering the screen brightness is usually one of the easiest ways to prolong your battery life, and you can also turn off the adaptive brightness settings. The 6P also has an additional power saving option which will kick in at 15% thanks to Marshmallow, but you can also enable it earlier in your settings.
In your Settings, got to Battery and tap the three dots in the top right corner.You’ll find the option to enable power saving here.
4. Fingerprint Purchases in the Play Store
This is a way to use the built-in fingerprint scanner as a means of authorizing purchases you make on the app store. At the very least, it’ll seem futuristic during the first few payments.
Open the Google Play app on your device.Open the navigation drawer and tap Settings.Tick the box called Fingerprint authentication to
That’s it, you should now be ready to pay with your finger. It’s also never bad to have an additional layer of security on your 6P.
5. Turn on the Notification LED
It’s strange that the notification LED is set off by default, but that’s easily remedied with a few taps in your settings. It can be useful if you often leave your phone on silent, or you find yourself missing calls or notifications regularly.
In your Settings, tap Sound & Notification.Find the option called Pulse Notification Light.Use the switch to turn the notifications on.
If you decide they were right to keep it switched off by default, you can turn it off again in the same menu. (The light is RGB so they can display a number of different colors if you use a third-party app to regulate it.)
6. Setting App Permissions
It’s advisable to limit the amount of access apps have to your device if you’re unsure about their intentions. It’s a great feature from the new update, and it’s simple enough to get them working to your preferences.
In your Settings menu, tap Applications.Find the app that you want to set permissions for, and tap it to open another menu.From here, tap App Permissions, and you’ll be able to turn them on and off as you wish.
7. Install External Apps
Maybe you need to download an APK and you can’t use the Play Store. If so, it’s easy enough to set your device to allow for external downloads. (Of course this setting is left unchecked to keep your device secure, so it’s advised to switch it back after you’ve finished downloading the file.)
Go to your Settings, and tap Applications.From here, check Unknown Sources to allow for ‘installation of non-market ’
You will now be able to download external files, but make sure that the app you’re downloading is legitimate.
8. Voice Controls
Voice controls might have seemed like a fad when they first started becoming popular on phones, but it seems like they’re here to stay. If you want to try them out on your 6P;
Open the Google app and tap the three bars in the top left-handGo to Settings, and tap the Voice option to open up a new menu.Tap Ok Google detection, and you’ll be able to choose when it’s active.To change the language, go back into the Voice menu and tap
You will now be able to ask Google anything.
9. Customize Your Quick Settings
The Quick Settings menu is always handy if you want to quickly access your Wi-Fi or mobile data, and it can also be customized to better fit your habits. To customize your quick settings;
Pull down the notification bar and hold the gear-shaped Settings icon for 2-4 seconds.You should see a popup on screen informing you that you’ve added the System UI Tuner to your Settings.You’ll find the System UI Tuner listed at the bottom of your Settings menu.Tap it, and tap Quick Settings.From this menu, you’ll be able to rearrange the icons and settings however you like.
10. Customize the Home Screen
One of the most obvious ways to customize your home screen is to get a new wallpaper or widget to give your phone some individuality. Here’s how to get started;
Press and hold any open space on your home screen. This will bring up a menu that lists Wallpapers, Widgets and Settings.To rearrange your apps, you can press and hold them to move them across to another tile. You can also put them in folders to clear space on your home screen.To add a widget, tap the Widgets option to bring up a new menu. From here, you can drag and drop it on your screen by holding it down.
11. Access Google Now
Google Now can be pretty interesting if you want news and traffic updates for your favourite destinations. If you want to customize your home screen even further with Google Now;
From your Home screen, drag your finger left to right across the Google display.This will open your Google Now home page, with cards that are relevant to your interests. (Or at least semi-relevant.)You can customize your cards by pressing the three lines in the top left hand corner of the screen.Tap Customize to begin personalizing your Google Now app.You can set your preferred mode of travel and favourite locations and sports teams or athletes, and you’ll receive relevant notifications and updates in your news feed when you use the app.
If you have a spare five minutes, (and you’ve used Google a lot in the past) it’s likely you’ll find something interesting in the news feed, so it’s worth a try.
12. The Play Store
From wallpapers to the latest apps, the Play Store has lots of content that can be used to customize the look and feel of your device, as well as how it functions. If the options on this list haven’t sated your appetite for customization, open the Play Store and have a look at the best apps on offer. We also have a number of guides for a wide range of topics, including camera apps and the best live wallpapers for Android. Either way, there are tonnes of apps on offer.
Conclusion
What’s the point in buying a premium smartphone if you’re not going to utilize its full potential? The 6P has a lot to offer, but smart users will always aim to get the most from their device. Hopefully, this list was able to help you to customize your 6P to your specifications. If you want even more tips, here’s a list of 14 tricks and hacks to customize your 6P even more. If we’ve missed a great way to customize your device, or you have questions about one of the methods on this list, let us know in the comments below, or you can send us a message on Facebook or Twitter. Featured Image Credit
