When your phone is closed

You can do a lot on the small external display (External display).

Swipe for settings, apps, notifications

If your phone is locked:

If your phone is unlocked:

  • Swipe up to view notifications
  • Swipe left for app/contact shortcuts or dialer
  • Swipe right to open the camera (To learn more, read help in Camera app.)

Use other gestures

Twist the phone twice quickly to open the camera.

Press the Power button twice to open Google Assistant.

To learn about camera features, read the Camera app's help.

Add/remove app shortcuts

Add shortcut

  1. Unlock and swipe left.
  2. Touch Manage apps.
  3. Touch app icons to add.
  4. When you're done, touch .

This is a curated group of apps that work well on a smaller screen. Other apps may not display as expected.

To allow app shortcuts for any installed app:

  1. Unlock and swipe left.
  2. Touch Manage apps.
  3. Touch Explore.

  4. Touch Unlimited.

    You can now add shortcuts for any installed app.

Remove shortcut

  1. Touch & hold the icon.
  2. Touch .

Add/remove contact shortcuts

  1. Unlock and swipe left twice.

  2. Adjust shortcuts:

    • To add, touch Add shortcuts, select the type, then select the contact.
    • To remove, touch & hold the icon, then touch .

Control media

To access the media player:

  • When the screen is locked, swipe left or right.
  • When screen is unlocked, swipe up.
  • You can use the Volume buttons to change tracks.

Answer or make calls

Task Gesture to use
Answer call Flip phone open
End call Flip phone closed
Make call You can use Google Assistant, or swipe left twice to access the dialer or your contact shortcuts.
See more options during call Touch the display

You can change how your phone handles calls when you flip it open/closed.

If you reject a call, you can send a quick text message from the external display.