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If you own, or plan to own, the LG G4 you have made a decision to go against the grain. While everyone else gushes over the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 you’ve went with the lesser-known LG G4. We think you’ve made a really good choice. The LG G4 is a great device with a lot of unique features. In this guide we’ll show you some of those features and other things you need to do right now.
1. Set up KnockCode
Security is important when it comes to smartphones. This device holds a lot of personal information, and it’s with you all the time. Android phones come with a bunch of different ways to lock your device, but the G4 has one you’ve never seen. KnockCode allows you to set up a pattern of taps to unlock your phonefle. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Settings > Lock screen > Select screen lock
- Tap on Knock Code
- Tap the square 3-8 times in a pattern you can remember
- Tap Continue and then confirm the pattern again
- Next you will create a backup PIN number in case you forget the KnockCode
- That’s it!
When you wake up your phone you will see a square area on the lock screen for you to enter your KnockCode, but there is an even better way to do it. When the display is off you can perform your KnockCode and the display will wake up and unlock automatically, bypassing the lock screen altogether.
2. Set up Smart Settings
One of the new software features on the LG G4 is called Smart Settings. With this feature you can have the G4 automatically adjust settings based on your location or connected accessories. For example, when you’re at work you can have the notification sound turned off, or when you get home WiFi can automatically be enabled. It’s an incredibly handy feature you’ll want to use.
- Go to Settings > Smart Functions > Smart Settings
- You’ll see a list of toggles for “Home, Away,” and “Accessory.”
- Simply toggle the settings you’d like to have enabled in each section
Note: In order to use the “Home” settings you’ll have to turn on “My Places” in Settings > General > Location.
3. Download the best apps and games
Before we go any further you’re going to want some apps. Downloading apps from the Play Store is one of the first things you’re going to do, but with so many to choose from it can be daunting. How do you know which apps are the best, and how do you discover the hidden gems that most people don’t know about? The easiest way is to read from our extensive library of app guides. Here are a few you might want to check our right now.
- 40+ Apps for new Android users
- Best Android apps for college students
- 10 Most Addictive Android Games for Killing Time
- Top 10 Android dating apps
- Best Android Apps for learning languages
4. Use Event Pocket
Another new software feature called “Event Pocket” can be found inside LG’s calendar app. When opened, Event Pocket will present a variety of items culled from your Facebook events or nearby points of interest, allowing you to drag and drop them directly to your calendar. For those managing an endlessly busy schedule, Event Pocket could become a useful tool.
To use Event Pocket simply tap the icon in the top right of the calendar app. You will be asked to sign into Facebook. The Event Pocket is a slide-out menu from the right side. You can drag and drop items, such as Facebook events and photos, from the slide-out menu right onto the calendar. Event Pocket will also make suggestions about local events.
5. Customize the navigation buttons
The G4 has software navigation buttons across the bottom of the display. The benefit of software navigation buttons is the flexibility they provide. Unlike physical buttons they can disappear to make room for full screen apps, or in this case be customized to show more buttons. You can rearrange the existing buttons, or add up to two extra buttons.
- Go to Settings > Display > Home touch buttons
- Select Button combination
- You can drag and drop the buttons in any order you like, but there can’t be more than 5 in the bar
- Changes will show up in the navigation bar immediately
- You can also choose the color of the buttons on the previous page
6. Create folders in the app drawer
Creating folders on your home screen is a good way to organize apps, but LG takes that idea one step further. With the default LG launcher you can create custom folders inside the app drawer. The app drawer is the area that shows all of your installed apps. Folders can really make it easier to find apps if you have a lot installed.
- On the home screen tap the app drawer icon (looks like a circle with 6 dots inside it)
- Tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper right corner
- Select View apps by and choose Custom
- Still in the app drawer, tap the three-dot menu icon again
- Select Edit/Uninstall apps
- Now you can drag apps on top of each other to create folders
- Tap the check mark in the upper right corner when you’re done
- Tap on the folder and tap “Folder” to rename and choose the color
- Done!
7. Set up Smart Notice
When you first boot up the G4 you’ll notice a big widget on the home screen with weather, date, and time. Under all that, on the same widget, is a area that shows text with a down arrow on the right side. This is LG’s “Smart Notice” widget. Smart Notice is LG’s attempt at a Google Now-like notification service that notifies you of things before you need it.
To use Smart Notice you just need to have the widget on your home screen. Tap on the settings icon in the top right corner of the widget to customize it. You’ll be able to choose if you want new card notifications, and a bunch of different options for people, time, places, and phone info. Some examples include birthdays, weather alerts, and more. It’s a nifty feature, but most people probably already have apps that do most of what it does.
8. Multi-task with floating app windows
QSlide is a place where you can quickly launch apps in windows that float above whatever you’re currently doing. The QSlide apps can be re-sized, made transparent, and dragged around the screen. When you’re trying to perform multiple tasks at once the QSlide apps can be incredibly useful. There are a couple of ways to access these apps.
- Pull down on the notification shade and scroll through the toggles
- Tap on the QSlide toggle and the available apps will appear below
- To edit which apps appear here you can scroll to the right and tap Edit
- Select the app you wish to open and tap it
- Now you can drag it, resize by pulling the corner, and adjust transparency with the slider.
If you find yourself using these apps a lot you may want to use the second method.
- Go to Settings > Display > Home touch buttons
- Select Button combination
- Drag and drop the QSlide button into the navigation bar
9. Use Dual Window mode
If you want to take multi-tasking to the next level you can use Dual Window mode. You can run two apps at the same time on each half of the display. Dual Window mode doesn’t work with all apps, but new for the G4 is Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Other apps include YouTube, Chrome, Hangouts, Gmail, Messaging, and more. Here’s how to use it.
- Long-press the Back button
- Select the app to display on top
- Select the app to display on the bottom
Another way to do this is to press the Recents button and select Dual window. When Dual Window mode is active you can drag the divider between the apps to resize the windows. To close one of the apps you can simply drag the other app to full screen.
10. Open apps quickly with the volume buttons
One of the most iconic features of LG phones has become the infamous buttons on the back of the phone. No one else is putting buttons on the back of phones, and it really does make a lot of sense. LG takes advantage of these buttons to perform a few tasks besides just adjusting the volume. You can use them to quickly launch the camera or take notes when the display is off.
- Go to Settings > Shortcut key
- Switch the toggle to On
Double tapping Volume Up will launch the QMemo app for taking notes. Double tapping Volume Down will quickly launch the camera. On that same page in the settings you can choose to have the camera automatically take a photo as soon as it’s launched from the shortcut.
Now that you’ve got the basics nailed, check out 35+ more LG G4 Tips & Tricks
Bonus: Explore the LG G4 forums
If you’re already an owner of a LG G4, or you plan to buy one when they release, you can join the LG G4 forum over at Android Forums. You’ll find conversations about customization, troubleshooting problems, accessories, and much more. It’s the best place to go to ask questions and learn more about your new phone. Here are a few threads you may be interested in:
- LG G4 Professional Reviews/Previews
- LG G4 Cases
- “A Photographer’s Take on the LG G4”
- Notifications – Deal Breaker?
I absolutely love this phone! My favorite tip I have figured out so far is the icon customization. Long press on an icon and tap the little paintbrush. You have the ability to change it to any PNG image/icon from Google. If you are good at Photoshop you can create your own making the possibilities endless!
That’s an awesome tip!
I did not notice this, Thanks!
That will be in our upcoming big list of tips and tricks :)
So much easier to get a launcher that allows icon switching, download an icon pack with say 1500 icons, apply icons you want. I live in Photoshop, I don’t have much interest making maybe 100-150 icons for the apps I use.
You may not, but I would put good money down that many people would love to put their personal touch into customizing their phones…without being held down by packs and launchers.
Yes. I’ve done that. I’ve made my own icons, and all. At one point I made a Windows 7 theme. It took FOREVER for me to extract icons from Windows 7. LoL!! I couldn’t find an icon pack online.
I’ve made like one icon ever. I said, “I’ll pay someone for this mess.” I’m no artist, so it was a bit tough for me. LoL!!
I’m trying to motivate myself to completely revamp my homescreen. Kinda like how you see on MyColorScreen website. But all… that… work. ._.
I may do it this weekend…
I find launchers annoying, and slow. LG’s UI is nicer, and the option to customize icons makes it so you don’t need a launcher. It’s tougher finding nice icons… But whatever.
Any way to access Android Shortcuts through the LG Launcher? I tried looking, but I couldn’t find a way to make it work. I’m thinking of switching out the Launcher, but I didn’t want to give up in case I was just being stupid…
What are android shortcuts? Like long press on the WiFi icon in the drop down menu? Long pressing the back/multitasking button for dual window/menu?
This is the best explanation of them.http://phandroid.com/2014/03/15/android-101-shortcuts/
The Smart Settings are pretty cool, didn’t realize it had this feature. Kind of a very simplified/limited version of Tasker. Kind of cool because Tasker is way to complicated for most users to even figure out.
Not in Verizon. SOBs removed this for some crazy reason. I use Tasker, but Tasker is cryptic and cannot manage some native functions a built in app like Smart Settings can. Unless you have root and install Secure Settings plugin.. but no root yet and so I cannot do some of the basic Tasker tasks – like put into Airplane Mode or shut off data – presently since I have no Smart Settings and no root to expand Tasker.
Lol. Verizon cut out this feature? I hate those guys.
Ya verizon is dumb. They wouldn’t be able to send out an update to change that would they?
Are you referring to them being dumb or to replace the feature? Whatever the case is I’m so glad I left those guys. They’re the worse. I remember when they kept having LTE outages, dropped calls was kinda rare, but the data signal sucked. They withheld updates until the next iteration of the phone you currently have cane out. They wouldn’t allow Google wallet on their network in favor of their then Isis.
It was just too damn much. I wish more people would see this and leave them so that they would get a big taste of humble pie
Just left Verizon myself. PO’d that they removed the FM radio functionality; along with all the other stuff. They had great call signal and data for me, but finally Sprint fixed their system where I live. And I got the whole “cut my rate in half” deal. Not bad.
1 did
2 mofo SOBs removed from Verizon – so I have to use Tasker for some
3 uhh no
4 nope
5 did
6 no thanks.. Im fine with seeing all of the apps laid out – faster to swipe through than click to open a folder after having already clicked to open app drawer
7 turned off. “things you need to know” uhh no not really, more like nonsense junk you don;t “need” to know just things they think they want you to know but some app already handles
8 yep, this is cool BUT limited apps
9 yep, useful BUT limited apps AND no way to edit the list to remove apps not used
10 yep, but assigning my own would be better
As I had the G2, then the G3 I thought were great phones,I am going to wait for about 2-3 months to see what new android phones are on the market, before i choose which to buy!
That’s what I’m saying. I’m looking at larger-screen phones and I’m seeing if HTC is going to surprise me. If not, I *may* have to get the Nexus 6. It’s the only alternative for my front-facing speakers.
I had the G3 as well… Went back to Samsung with the note 4 and s6 edge… I thought about the G4 but with speculation about possible lg flagship later this year and the note 5 specs I’m going to hold off…
Got the G4, and haven’t regretted it for a minute. Obviously the outstanding camera was a big factor, but there are other little things I like as well. For example, the sound output from the phone is louder which is better for headphones and bluetooth devices.
The only thing that needs to be done is the installation of NBA JAM!
“He’s on FIRE!!”
Also:
Disable all carrier bloatware.
Install Nova Launcher and dump the ugly LG wallpaper icons and wallpaper.
Icons can be changed as I stated above and the bloat is non existent. I’m tired of seeing a Nova circle jerk through the forums because LGs UI is legit!
In my case i love the LG UI.
If anyone is still wondering if you can get both promo’s, yesterday I
got a conformation email from T-Mobile that my 128GB sd card submission
was approved and would be mailed soon. Today I got an email from LG
with tracking info for the 32GB sd card, battery and charger. Says
should arrive within 4-7 days. These make the G4 an outstanding buy.
beautiful phone! I want it!