How to unlock system UI tuner options on Android N

If you’re an Android enthusiast, you’re probably familiar with the System UI Tuner option. System UI Tuner is a set of experimental features hidden in Android that debuted in Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The good news is that it’s also part of Android N, which means it’s packed with new tricks. So, what new options does it bring and how to unlock it on Android N? Well, here’s how.

Enabling the System UI Tuner on Android N

First of all, you need to enable System UI Tuner in Android N to unlock the cool tricks that System UI Tuner has to offer. To do this, swipe down from the notification shade to Quick Settings , then press and hold the Settings gear icon for about 5 seconds . When you release the press and hold button, you’ll see the message ” Congratulations!” System UI tuner has been added to settings . The System UI Tuner appears at the bottom of the Settings page.

After you enable System UI Tuner on Android N, you can try the following options:

Note : As Google notes, these are experimental features and may not work as expected. To delete, press and hold the Settings cog again and select “Delete” when prompted.

1. Turn on night mode

Night mode, also known as dark mode, which was part of the Android M preview, is back and now part of the system UI tuner options. You can enable it from Quick Settings or by going to System UI Tuner -> Colors & Appearance -> Night Mode . Android’s dark theme now has the ability to turn on automatically depending on your location and time of day. You can also adjust the theme’s hue and brightness.

2. Adjust the display

If you’re not happy with the colors on your display, you can adjust them in Android N. To calibrate your device’s display, go to System UI Tuner -> Color and Appearance -> Display Calibration . Next, you can change the three bars showing red , green , and blue . This feature does not work in real-time at this time, so you must click Apply to see your changes . If you like what you see, you can select OK. If not, your settings will be reset.

3. Activate gesture to enable split screen

Split-screen multitasking is the biggest draw of Android N, and Android N finally brings true blue multitasking to the OS. Activating multi-window mode is very easy, but the System UI Tuner includes an option to enable a gesture to start the mode. To enable gestures, go to System UI Tuner -> More and turn on Enable split-screen swipe gestures . Once enabled, you can start split-screen mode by swiping up from the Recent History/Multitasking button . It looks very cool.

4. Show battery percentage

Android N shows you the battery percentage of your device while it’s charging, but if you want to see the battery percentage all the time, there’s an option to do so in the System UI Tuner -> Status Bar . Scroll down and tap on the “Battery” option . after that. Select Always show percentage to always display battery percentage.

5. Change the status bar clock style

Don’t like the style of the status bar clock in Android N? You can change it by going to System UI Tuner -> Status Bar -> Time . You can display seconds along with hours and minutes , or hide the clock icon. This page also allows you to hide other system settings icons such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular data from the status bar.

6. Turn Do Not Disturb on/off with the volume button

Do Not Disturb is one of the features we often use, and you can also turn it on or off using the volume buttons. To enable volume button settings in Do Not Disturb mode, go to System UI Tuner -> Do Not Disturb mode and enable “Show on volume controls” and “Volume button shortcuts” . When enabled, a button to enable Do Not Disturb will appear when you press the volume button, and you will be able to turn on Do Not Disturb while holding down the Volume Down button.

7. Show “Full Importance Settings” to set notification priority

Although it cannot reach its full potential yet, the ” Full Importance Settings ” allow you to set priority notifications. It can be enabled in System UI Tuner->Others . Once enabled, swipe the notification a little and tap the settings cog that appears. Next, a bar will appear where you can set the priority of the notification from least important to urgent.

See also: Android N vs. Android Marshmallow: What’s changed?

Have you tried these system UI tuner options on Android N?

These system UI tuner options in Android N may be experimental, but they add useful functionality. Also, contrary to the “experimental” tag, it seems to work surprisingly well. If you have Android N installed on any of your Nexus devices, give System UI Tuner a try and let us know what you think.