The reception for LG’s curvy phablet has been mixed. There’s no doubting the benefits of flexible technology, but it remains to be seen whether curvy screens are a form factor that’s here to stay. We like it, as you’ll see in our LG G Flex review, and if you’re here, it’s a safe bet that you like it, too. If you’re looking for some ideas on how get more from it we have you covered. Here are our top tips and tricks for the LG G Flex.
Click on an LG G Flex tip to jump right to it:
- How to use KnockOn
- How to edit Quick Settings
- How to improve the display
- How to hide or split the keyboard
- How to Slide Aside
- How to bend it
- How to heal the back
- How to use lock screen shortcuts
- How to launch Quick Theater
- How to change the keyboard
- How to use Dual Window
- How to use Voice Mate
- How to use Plug & Pop
- How to use QSlide
- How to use your LG G Flex as a remote
- How to take a photo with your voice
- How to translate text
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How to use KnockOn
The ability to double-tap the center of the screen to turn it on is a handy time-saver. You can also double-tap on any empty space to turn the screen off. To turn KnockOn on or off tap Menu > System settings > General > Gestures and check the box next to Screen on/off.
How to edit Quick Settings
If you pull down the notification shade you’ll see the Quick Settings icons along the top. You can swipe from right to left, and at the end you’ll find the option to re-order the list or add more functions.
How to improve the display
Probably the biggest complaint leveled at the G Flex concerns the quality of the display. Flagships are generally hitting 1080p now and the G Flex is just 720p. If you’re coming from an older phone you might not notice, but for anyone used to 1080p it could look grainy and pixelated. There’s a simple way to combat this: turn the brightness up to 80 percent or above. You can find it via Menu > System settings > Display > Brightness. Luckily the LG G Flex has great battery life, so this shouldn’t be a major problem.
How to hide or split the keyboard
If you want to get the keyboard to slide away, then just swipe your finger down on it. You can also split the keyboard in landscape view by dragging your thumbs or fingers apart from the center.
How to Slide Aside
This is a standard LG feature and it allows you to switch quickly between up to three apps. All you have to do is swipe three fingers left across the screen and you’ll save an app, freezing it in place. To see your three most recently saved apps as separate tabs, swipe three fingers to the right.
How to bend it
You might want to show off the bendability of the LG G Flex as a party trick and you can do so without fear. It’s not a problem to bend the phone flat to 180 degrees for short periods, just resist bending it the other way or twisting it.
How to heal the back
The special coating on the back can heal small scratches. The hotter it is, the faster this self-healing works, but don’t stick your phone in the oven. It’s also a fairly limited feature and you can scrape through the coating, from which it won’t heal, so exercise a little caution.
How to use lock screen shortcuts
You can swipe in any direction from the center of the screen to unlock your LG G Flex. You can also add shortcuts to the lock screen via Settings > Display > Lock screen > Shortcuts. The icon for anything you add will appear at the bottom of the lock screen and you can swipe it any direction to unlock the phone and automatically launch that app.
How to launch Quick Theater
This quirky feature allows you to hold the G Flex in landscape view and swipe your fingers or thumbs apart from the center of the lock screen out to the edges in order to launch the Photo, Video, or YouTube apps. You will have to use the Swipe screen lock mode for it to work.
How to change the keyboard
If you want to change your default keyboard then tap Menu > System settings > General > Language & input > Default and select the one you want. You can also change it on the fly by dragging down the notification shade when the keyboard pops up and tapping Choose input method.
How to use Dual Window
When you’ve got a 6-inch display you really want to be able to take advantage, which is why Dual Windows is such a great feature. It lets you to have two apps on screen at the same time. Turn it on in Menu > System settings > General > Multitasking and you’ll find a Dual Window checkbox. To use it, tap and hold the Back button and then drag the app icon you want to wherever you want it. There’s an option to switch the screens and you can drag the blue arrow to resize them.
How to use Voice Mate
LG’s voice control assistant can be accessed quickly by dragging your finger up from the Home button at the bottom of the screen and over the left. You can ask it to call contacts, send messages, check and set appointments or alarms, open apps, turn features on and off, and search the Internet. When Voice Mate is open, simply swipe from right to left to see a list of potential commands. You can also tap Menu > Settings in Voice Mate to tweak your preferences. It works pretty well, but you might prefer Google Now, which you can access by swiping straight up from the Home button.
How to use Plug & Pop
You can ensure that your LG G Flex automatically launches a specific app, or gives you a specific choice of apps, every time you plug in a peripheral, thanks to the Plug & Pop feature. Tap Menu > System settings > General > Accessory and choose USB Storage or Earphone. You can also edit directly via the option on the panel that pops up whenever you insert an accessory.
How to use QSlide
Your browser has a special button to the left of the address bar that lets you enter QSlide mode. It basically just reduces the browser to a small window, so you can keep it open and get on with something else at the same time. There’s a slider to change its transparency and it works with a handful of other apps, too. You can find the list in the notification shade in the QSlide apps section that sits under Quick settings.
How to use your LG G Flex as a remote
The LG G Flex does have an IR blaster and you can set it up as a remote control for any of your home entertainment devices using the Quick Remote app. It’s simple to set up and you can create different profiles for different rooms in the home. You can also quick launch Quick Remote from the lock screen by tapping the Home button and you’ll find the controls stay in your notification shade. If you want to pop up automatically at home then open Quick Remote and tap Menu > Settings then choose Auto display at home and confirm your home Wi-Fi network.
How to take a photo with your voice
It’s handy to be able to take a voice activated group shot, especially if you want to be in it. When you’re in the Camera app tap the little gear icon for advanced options and you’ll find Voice shutter listed. You can say Cheese, Smile, or a few other words to activate a snap.
How to translate text
LG included an app called Quick Translator on the LG G Flex. You’ll find it in the app drawer and it can use your camera to read and translate text. When you launch it, you have to specify a Word, Line, or Block and it can take a wee while to do the translation. If you find that it doesn’t work for you then try Google Translate.
That’s all the LG G Flex tips we have right now, but check back because we’ll add more later. We’d also love to hear any suggestions you might want to share.
