The Nexus 5X is one of the first smartphones to run Google’s latest version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Like its predecessor, the phone is also made by LG and the overall design of the Nexus 5x is pretty similar to its predecessor.
As the successor to the Nexus 5, the Nexus 5X comes with a number of awesome features. Some of them are familiar from previous Nexus 5 and some come courtesy of Google’s latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow. If you are own a Nexus 5X, the following tips and tricks will help you get the most out of it.
Quick Launch the Camera
Nexus 5X offers a quick way to launch the camera. All you need to do is double press the power button even when the phone is locked, and the camera app will be launched. You can also take a photo, when the camera app is open, by tapping Volume down.
This feature is turned ON by default, but you can disable it if you don’t need that feature by heading to Settings -> Display, and then toggle ‘Quick Launch’ to off.
Set up Smart Lock
Smart Lock is a cool feature which allows you to set certain places as trusted sites. These locations are then used to unlock the device without entering a PIN or password. For example, you can set up a trusted location such as your home and when your Nexus 5X is in that area, it will unlock automatically.
To set this up, go to Settings -> Security and tap Smart lock -> Trusted places -> Add trusted place. Add your home, or another location where you don’t want your phone to be locked, and you’ll no longer have to enter your PIN when you’re there.
Activate LED Notification Light
Nexus 5X is equipped with a RGB LED notification light that blinks to notify you of any unreadnotification. This a nifty feature to remind or alert you of pending notifications. To activate the LED light, go to Settings -> Sound & notification and toggle the switch next to Pulse notification light.
If you want to customize it further, you can use a third-party app called Light Flow as Google does not provide any option to customize the notification LED in stock Android.
Record 4K Videos
Nexus 5x allows you to record 4K videos, but it’s not turned ON by default. To enable it, go to the Settings menu in your Camera app. Tap ‘Resolution & Quality’ and choose the ‘Back Camera Video’. Now tap on ‘UHD 4K’ and you’ll be ready to start shooting 4K videos.
Manage App Permissions
With Android 6.0 Marshmallow, it is possible to manage your app permissions, which means that you have full control over what apps are allowed to do on your Nexus 5X. To access this feature, go to Settings -> Apps and tap the ‘Gear’ icon in the upper-right corner, then tap ‘App permissions’. You’ll see a list of which apps have which permissions and you can toggle them ON and OFF to grant or revoke the permission.
Enable Now on Tap
The new Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS brings some key features to the Nexus 5X, including Now on Tap, which offer quick information based on what you’re doing without having to leave the app you’re in. You just hold down the Home button and Google takes a look at what’s on screen and offers up related details, apps, and possible actions.
To enable this option, go to Settings -> Google -> Search & now -> Now cards > Now on Tap. One enabled, just tap and hold the home button to launch it.
Add Fingerprint Sensor
Nexus 5x supports fingerprint scanner which allow users to unlock phones with a fingerprint rather than a PIN. You can also use this fingerprint sensor to pay for items using Android pay. To set this up, go to Settings -> Security -> Nexus Imprint -> Add fingerprint and work through the process.
Tap and Pay
The presence of fingerprint scanner on Nexus 5X is also good to use with ‘Tap and Pay’ for some wireless payment action by using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. First, you need to enable the NFC, go to Settings -> Wireless and Network -> More -> NFC. Then,register a fingerprint by going to Settings -> Security -> Nexus imprint.
Put a Message on Lock Screen
Nexus 5X has another cool feature called ‘Lock screen message’ which let you add your own message on the lock screen. The message will appear right under the date and time on your display screen when the device is locked. You can see your text scrolling below time and date on the lock screen. To enable this feature, go to Settings -> Security -> Lock screen message.
Take Photos while Recording
With Nexus 5x, you can take photos while recording a video. Just start recording the video and tap on the screen whenever you want to take a snapshot. The image will be automatically saved to your phone’s internal memory.