Huawei has become the world's second largest smartphone maker this year, surpassing Samsung and going after Apple.
Not surprisingly, being the most competitive and aggressive Chinese company in the technology market, it is highly opposed in the USA, where it is also accused of doing espionage with its devices.
Since there is no evidence in this sense and since Huawei also comes better smartphones than the competition (especially compared to Samsung), with decent prices and often much lower, it is normal that in Italy it has become the number one seller, also thanks to its Honor sub-brand.
Among the reasons for this success there is not only a competitive price and a good build quality, but also and above all the interface of the Huawei Android system, simplified and with many more functions than the original Android on each Huawei smartphone ( P10, P20, Honor etc.) which make it lighter and more optimized than, for example, the Android system of mobile phones from other brands such as Samsung or Asus.
Android 8 is installed on every Huawei and Honor phone, with the Huawei Emotion UI interface also called EMUI, also in version 8.
The most recent models, those sold last year, will receive or have already received the update to Android 9 and EMUI 9.
In this post we therefore see the best tricks and the most special functions of Huawei and Honor smartphones with EMUI (P10, P20, Honor 9, Honor v10, Huawei Mate 20 PRO and lite versions).
READ ALSO: Best Huawei smartphones by price range
1) The main EMUI screen
The default launche of Huawei phones is called EMUI which makes Android more similar to the iOS system, if only because the applications are all listed on the main screen as it is not done on other Android phones, where there is an app launcher.
The applications can then be grouped into folders and you can scroll down with your finger to do a search, just like you would do on the iPhone.
The EMUI home screen has many customization options (pressing and holding on the screen) to be able to change the graphic theme and transition effects.
Obviously, as in every Android smartphone, it is possible to change launcher and install a different one if you don't like EMUI, while still leaving the display and interface settings active.
The Display Settings allow you to activate automatic and programmed eye protection, to change the style of the Home screen (to see only the favorite apps on the main screen, using the more classic button that opens the list of all apps), to change the size of the text and activate the screensaver.
In Settings> Battery, you can have the percentage of charge displayed at the top in the status bar.
2) Lock screen
For the lock screen Huawei offers a series of high quality HD wallpapers that change every moment to show a different image.
The screen lock options are in Settings> Security and privacy> Screen lock, where you can activate the Magazine Unlock function to see different images each time on the lock screen background.
The background changes every time you turn on the phone screen and you can easily change the background manually by scrolling down with your finger and pressing the keys to see previous or next images, or by adding your own photos.
By swiping up from the bottom of the lock screen, you can quickly access some common functions such as the sound recorder, calculator, flashlight and camera.
In this set of options you can also add custom text, change style and change unlock method.
On some smartphones you can register your fingerprint for unlocking with your finger or even activate the unlock with a smile, so you can unlock it just by looking at the screen.
The lock screen of Huawei EMUI is also better than that of standard Android for the mode in which it displays the notifications, more beautiful to look at and more elegant in transparency in the background.
The options for notifications on the lock screen are in Settings> Apps and notifications> Apps, choosing for each app whether to show notification also on the lock screen.
3) No Bloatware
In Huawei smartphones, despite the profound changes to the Android system, there are no pre-installed apps that cannot be removed (as is done on Samsung and Asus).
Even if as soon as you buy a Huawei or Honor phone you will notice numerous games installed and suggested apps, these can be removed freely.
The result is that the modified Android system is not unnecessarily large and does not take up too much internal memory as it does on Samsung.
4) Gestures with your finger and knuckles
On Huawei and Honor smartphones with EMUI there is a very particular trick: the "knuckle" using the finger.
For example, you can take a screenshot of the screen by double-tapping or you can also start video recording of the screen by using a double-tap with two knuckles on the screen (as you would knock on the door).
In addition to the knuckles, there are also several gestures that can be configured to perform fast actions, for example to mute a call by turning the phone upside down or putting it in the ear to answer, without having to touch any key.
The options to activate the knuckles are in Settings> Intelligent assistance where it is also possible to activate tricks such as the use mode with gloves, the use with one hand and the movement controls .
The latter allow you to close a call by placing the phone on the screen, to activate the screen by lifting the phone, to open applications by drawing the letter on the screen, and to swipe your knuckle horizontally to divide the screen in two between two applications.
In some Huawei smartphones, you can also make the ringtone volume of a call automatically decrease when you pick up a phone and tilt it to move icons and widgets.
Use with one hand can be activated automatically by swiping your finger diagonally upwards.
In addition, you can also activate the mobile keyboard, to write more easily with the one-handed grip.
In the Smart Assistance settings of a Huawei and Honor smartphone, you can also find the option to activate the pocket mode .
In essence, the cell phone automatically recognizes that it is in a pocket or bag and raises the ringtone volume to make it hear when it rings.
5) The camera app
Huawei offers its very feature-rich camera app for its smartphones, easy to use on P10, P20 and Honor, with different shooting modes that you can choose by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or left, in portrait mode).
The mode of switching from auto to pro is also simple and quick, just by swiping the shutter button outwards.
The Huawei camera has also integrated several filters to improve the photos including:
- The beauty filter in portrait mode, to make the most beautiful faces.
- Artist mode : to transform photos into comics or works of art.
- Filters similar to Instagram to be activated in real-time shooting mode.
- Take photos with a smile: to be activated in the camera settings.
- Scan document
- AI effects .
- Bokeh effect : with the icon showing the aperture of the lens.
6) Privacy Options
Huawei's EMUI software takes care of user privacy by adding a set of options (in security settings) with special tricks absent in other Android smartphones.
The options to use are:
Private space : which hides some icons with a password from the Home screen that only the owner will then be able to see, so that you can keep the phone unlocked, but with some things not visible.
App lock : to lock the opening of some apps with passwords.
Safe files : to protect some files from external glances
7) Do not disturb
The do not disturb mode in Huawei can be configured under the Audio options section and is better than that included in Android because it allows you to prevent the receipt of notifications and phone calls at certain times of the day, or with a timer.
8) Integrated phone maintenance tools
Huawei doesn't have pre-installed apps, but it does provide some very handy built-in tools including:
- Archive Cleaning : in Settings> Memory it is a sort of Ccleaner or Cleaner Master and it is used to delete obsolete files to free up space on memory automatically.
- File management, an internal app to navigate the system folders and find all the photos and files stored in memory.
In this app there is also the possibility to protect a file with password and AES encryption to prevent its viewing by other unauthorized people through the Safe function.
- Firewall, to prevent some apps from connecting to the internet: Go to Wireless and networks> Mobile Data> Apps on the network and for each installed app you can deny access to the data network and wifi.
- Battery saving, to check if there is any app that consumes too much energy and to choose the energy saving plan, activating when you need the energy saving mode or the Ultra saving mode the one that disables everything except the basic functions of the phone.
- Automatic optimizer : In Settings> Battery, to configure the Huawei smartphone to save energy.
9) Schedule turning on and off of the phone
You can make sure that the Huawei or Honor phone turns off automatically, maybe at night and turns on again by itself, maybe before the alarm rings.
This special trick can be configured from the Intelligent Assistance settings
10) Simplified mode
If you need to configure a Huawei or Honor smartphone for an elderly person or someone with less capacity, you can activate the simplified version of EMUI which shows large buttons for the main functions and prevents any errors.
This mode is found in Settings> System> Simple mode .
11) Main buttons one to three
It is possible, on Huawei's Android, to change the navigation mode on the phone by removing the buttons on the sides of the main one.
In Settings> System> System Navigation you can choose one-button or three-button navigation and also activate the quick menu with the floating button .
12) Audio effects
The Huawei Histen Audio Effects can be activated Settings> Audio and improve audio listening with earphones.
13) Telephone options
The phone app has many special functions in its settings.
Then open the numeric keypad to call and press the button with three dots at the bottom to open the settings or use the harassment filter, which allows you to blacklist numbers from which we do not want to receive calls.
In the call settings you can activate voice commands to answer or reject a call and use the speed dial to make a call by saying the person's name.
By scrolling down, you can also activate the pocket mode option, to increase the volume of the call when the Huawei or Honor smartphone is in your pocket.
The picture is completed by options for speed dialing and that of call rejection with customizable SMS.
14) Add users and guests
In Settings> Accounts you can add new users to your phone in order to keep accounts separate if the smartphone is used by two people.
The interesting option is that of the guest account, ideal for leaving the phone to other people, lending it or showing it, without letting them see our personal data.
The option to add locked screen users is good to always keep a guest access open that can use the Huawei or Honor smartphone without letting us unlock it.
READ ALSO: Recommended Android apps that I always recommend to everyone
Not surprisingly, being the most competitive and aggressive Chinese company in the technology market, it is highly opposed in the USA, where it is also accused of doing espionage with its devices.
Since there is no evidence in this sense and since Huawei also comes better smartphones than the competition (especially compared to Samsung), with decent prices and often much lower, it is normal that in Italy it has become the number one seller, also thanks to its Honor sub-brand.
Among the reasons for this success there is not only a competitive price and a good build quality, but also and above all the interface of the Huawei Android system, simplified and with many more functions than the original Android on each Huawei smartphone ( P10, P20, Honor etc.) which make it lighter and more optimized than, for example, the Android system of mobile phones from other brands such as Samsung or Asus.
Android 8 is installed on every Huawei and Honor phone, with the Huawei Emotion UI interface also called EMUI, also in version 8.
The most recent models, those sold last year, will receive or have already received the update to Android 9 and EMUI 9.
In this post we therefore see the best tricks and the most special functions of Huawei and Honor smartphones with EMUI (P10, P20, Honor 9, Honor v10, Huawei Mate 20 PRO and lite versions).
READ ALSO: Best Huawei smartphones by price range
1) The main EMUI screen
The default launche of Huawei phones is called EMUI which makes Android more similar to the iOS system, if only because the applications are all listed on the main screen as it is not done on other Android phones, where there is an app launcher.
The applications can then be grouped into folders and you can scroll down with your finger to do a search, just like you would do on the iPhone.
The EMUI home screen has many customization options (pressing and holding on the screen) to be able to change the graphic theme and transition effects.
Obviously, as in every Android smartphone, it is possible to change launcher and install a different one if you don't like EMUI, while still leaving the display and interface settings active.
The Display Settings allow you to activate automatic and programmed eye protection, to change the style of the Home screen (to see only the favorite apps on the main screen, using the more classic button that opens the list of all apps), to change the size of the text and activate the screensaver.
In Settings> Battery, you can have the percentage of charge displayed at the top in the status bar.
2) Lock screen
For the lock screen Huawei offers a series of high quality HD wallpapers that change every moment to show a different image.
The screen lock options are in Settings> Security and privacy> Screen lock, where you can activate the Magazine Unlock function to see different images each time on the lock screen background.
The background changes every time you turn on the phone screen and you can easily change the background manually by scrolling down with your finger and pressing the keys to see previous or next images, or by adding your own photos.
By swiping up from the bottom of the lock screen, you can quickly access some common functions such as the sound recorder, calculator, flashlight and camera.
In this set of options you can also add custom text, change style and change unlock method.
On some smartphones you can register your fingerprint for unlocking with your finger or even activate the unlock with a smile, so you can unlock it just by looking at the screen.
The lock screen of Huawei EMUI is also better than that of standard Android for the mode in which it displays the notifications, more beautiful to look at and more elegant in transparency in the background.
The options for notifications on the lock screen are in Settings> Apps and notifications> Apps, choosing for each app whether to show notification also on the lock screen.
3) No Bloatware
In Huawei smartphones, despite the profound changes to the Android system, there are no pre-installed apps that cannot be removed (as is done on Samsung and Asus).
Even if as soon as you buy a Huawei or Honor phone you will notice numerous games installed and suggested apps, these can be removed freely.
The result is that the modified Android system is not unnecessarily large and does not take up too much internal memory as it does on Samsung.
4) Gestures with your finger and knuckles
On Huawei and Honor smartphones with EMUI there is a very particular trick: the "knuckle" using the finger.
For example, you can take a screenshot of the screen by double-tapping or you can also start video recording of the screen by using a double-tap with two knuckles on the screen (as you would knock on the door).
In addition to the knuckles, there are also several gestures that can be configured to perform fast actions, for example to mute a call by turning the phone upside down or putting it in the ear to answer, without having to touch any key.
The options to activate the knuckles are in Settings> Intelligent assistance where it is also possible to activate tricks such as the use mode with gloves, the use with one hand and the movement controls .
The latter allow you to close a call by placing the phone on the screen, to activate the screen by lifting the phone, to open applications by drawing the letter on the screen, and to swipe your knuckle horizontally to divide the screen in two between two applications.
In some Huawei smartphones, you can also make the ringtone volume of a call automatically decrease when you pick up a phone and tilt it to move icons and widgets.
Use with one hand can be activated automatically by swiping your finger diagonally upwards.
In addition, you can also activate the mobile keyboard, to write more easily with the one-handed grip.
In the Smart Assistance settings of a Huawei and Honor smartphone, you can also find the option to activate the pocket mode .
In essence, the cell phone automatically recognizes that it is in a pocket or bag and raises the ringtone volume to make it hear when it rings.
5) The camera app
Huawei offers its very feature-rich camera app for its smartphones, easy to use on P10, P20 and Honor, with different shooting modes that you can choose by swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or left, in portrait mode).
The mode of switching from auto to pro is also simple and quick, just by swiping the shutter button outwards.
The Huawei camera has also integrated several filters to improve the photos including:
- The beauty filter in portrait mode, to make the most beautiful faces.
- Artist mode : to transform photos into comics or works of art.
- Filters similar to Instagram to be activated in real-time shooting mode.
- Take photos with a smile: to be activated in the camera settings.
- Scan document
- AI effects .
- Bokeh effect : with the icon showing the aperture of the lens.
6) Privacy Options
Huawei's EMUI software takes care of user privacy by adding a set of options (in security settings) with special tricks absent in other Android smartphones.
The options to use are:
Private space : which hides some icons with a password from the Home screen that only the owner will then be able to see, so that you can keep the phone unlocked, but with some things not visible.
App lock : to lock the opening of some apps with passwords.
Safe files : to protect some files from external glances
7) Do not disturb
The do not disturb mode in Huawei can be configured under the Audio options section and is better than that included in Android because it allows you to prevent the receipt of notifications and phone calls at certain times of the day, or with a timer.
8) Integrated phone maintenance tools
Huawei doesn't have pre-installed apps, but it does provide some very handy built-in tools including:
- Archive Cleaning : in Settings> Memory it is a sort of Ccleaner or Cleaner Master and it is used to delete obsolete files to free up space on memory automatically.
- File management, an internal app to navigate the system folders and find all the photos and files stored in memory.
In this app there is also the possibility to protect a file with password and AES encryption to prevent its viewing by other unauthorized people through the Safe function.
- Firewall, to prevent some apps from connecting to the internet: Go to Wireless and networks> Mobile Data> Apps on the network and for each installed app you can deny access to the data network and wifi.
- Battery saving, to check if there is any app that consumes too much energy and to choose the energy saving plan, activating when you need the energy saving mode or the Ultra saving mode the one that disables everything except the basic functions of the phone.
- Automatic optimizer : In Settings> Battery, to configure the Huawei smartphone to save energy.
9) Schedule turning on and off of the phone
You can make sure that the Huawei or Honor phone turns off automatically, maybe at night and turns on again by itself, maybe before the alarm rings.
This special trick can be configured from the Intelligent Assistance settings
10) Simplified mode
If you need to configure a Huawei or Honor smartphone for an elderly person or someone with less capacity, you can activate the simplified version of EMUI which shows large buttons for the main functions and prevents any errors.
This mode is found in Settings> System> Simple mode .
11) Main buttons one to three
It is possible, on Huawei's Android, to change the navigation mode on the phone by removing the buttons on the sides of the main one.
In Settings> System> System Navigation you can choose one-button or three-button navigation and also activate the quick menu with the floating button .
12) Audio effects
The Huawei Histen Audio Effects can be activated Settings> Audio and improve audio listening with earphones.
13) Telephone options
The phone app has many special functions in its settings.
Then open the numeric keypad to call and press the button with three dots at the bottom to open the settings or use the harassment filter, which allows you to blacklist numbers from which we do not want to receive calls.
In the call settings you can activate voice commands to answer or reject a call and use the speed dial to make a call by saying the person's name.
By scrolling down, you can also activate the pocket mode option, to increase the volume of the call when the Huawei or Honor smartphone is in your pocket.
The picture is completed by options for speed dialing and that of call rejection with customizable SMS.
14) Add users and guests
In Settings> Accounts you can add new users to your phone in order to keep accounts separate if the smartphone is used by two people.
The interesting option is that of the guest account, ideal for leaving the phone to other people, lending it or showing it, without letting them see our personal data.
The option to add locked screen users is good to always keep a guest access open that can use the Huawei or Honor smartphone without letting us unlock it.
READ ALSO: Recommended Android apps that I always recommend to everyone
