Five OxygenOS tools can change how you use a OnePlus phone: Hidden Space removes selected apps from the ordinary app drawer, Smart Sidebar puts Quick note and other utilities over any app, Work Life Balance 2.0 separates work and personal alerts, OnePlus Scout searches across the phone, and Zen Mode creates a deliberate focus session. A sixth option, Shelf, provides glanceable cards. The names and gestures can differ by OxygenOS release, so check your version before assuming a feature is unavailable.
The five features at a glance
| Feature | Main benefit | How you use it | Operating style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden Space | Keep selected apps out of the normal app list | Swipe in the app drawer or use a two-finger home-screen gesture | Launcher location; available behavior depends on OxygenOS version |
| Smart Sidebar and Quick note | Open utilities without leaving the current app | Swipe inward from the floating sidebar, then choose a tool | Gesture-based overlay |
| Work Life Balance 2.0 | Apply different notification rules to work and personal time | Configure profiles using time, location or Wi-Fi conditions | Automatic settings profiles |
| OnePlus Scout | Search documents, contacts, music and web entries from one place | Use the Scout search bar, including voice search where offered | On-device search interface |
| Zen Mode | Commit to a distraction-light focus session | Choose a theme and start a session; friends can be invited | Time-bound focus experience |
1. Hidden Space: hide apps from the regular drawer
Hidden Space is a separate launcher area for apps you do not want displayed in the ordinary app list. It is useful for keeping private, infrequently used or work-related apps away from casual browsing without uninstalling them.
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The OnePlus 10 Pro OxygenOS 12 user manual describes two ways to reach it: “To access, swipe right in the app drawer or swipe outwards with two fingers on the home screen.” The exact gesture may change on newer OxygenOS releases, but the principle remains a concealed section of the launcher rather than a second copy of an app.
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- Go to an empty area of the home screen.
- Place two fingers on the screen and slide them outward.
- If your release supports the documented gesture, Hidden Space opens.
Open it from the app drawer
- Open the app drawer.
- Slide the drawer to the right.
- Hidden Space appears if the launcher and your current OxygenOS build support that route.
If neither gesture works, open Settings and use the search field for “Hidden Space,” “Hide apps” or “App drawer.” OnePlus has moved launcher controls between releases, and a phone updated beyond OxygenOS 12 may use a different gesture or menu. Hidden Space changes where an icon appears; it should not be treated as a substitute for device encryption, a secure folder or account-level protection.
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2. Smart Sidebar and Quick note: write without leaving an app
Smart Sidebar is a pull-out strip of utilities that can sit above the app currently on screen. In the OxygenOS 14 manual, the first sidebar display includes Screen translator, Screenshot, Screen recording and Quick note. The practical advantage is context: you can capture a thought during a call, lecture, video or article without switching away and losing your place.
Open Quick note
- Look for the floating Smart Sidebar handle at the edge of the display.
- Swipe inward from the handle to open the sidebar.
- Tap Quick note.
- Type in the floating Notes window while the original app remains visible behind it.
The same panel can expose translation, screenshot and screen-recording controls. If the handle is missing, open Settings and search for “Smart Sidebar”; enable it and check whether the edge position or handle visibility has been changed. A full-screen game, a different navigation mode or a restricted app can also make the handle less obvious.
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Smart Sidebar is a productivity overlay, not a private workspace. Anything you write in Quick note is handled by the phone’s Notes app and follows that app’s storage and lock settings.
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Work Life Balance 2.0 is designed for people who want different notification behavior at different times or places. OnePlus describes profiles that can be triggered by a schedule, a location or a Wi-Fi hotspot. You can designate a work account, reduce distractions and allow only selected apps during downtime.
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How it differs from Do Not Disturb
| Question | Work Life Balance 2.0 | Basic Do Not Disturb |
|---|---|---|
| What starts the rule? | Can use time, location or a Wi-Fi hotspot | Usually a manual switch or a simpler schedule |
| How selective is it? | Can filter at app level and define allowed apps for a profile | Primarily suppresses interruptions according to DND exceptions |
| Does it change by itself? | Yes, when its configured trigger is met | Only when its schedule or manual state says so |
Set up a profile
- Open Settings and search for Work Life Balance. The menu location can differ by OxygenOS version.
- Create or select a work or personal profile.
- Choose a trigger: a time window, a location or a Wi-Fi hotspot.
- Identify the account or apps associated with the profile.
- Allow the apps that must remain available and restrict the ones that create distractions.
- Test the profile before relying on it for an important work shift or personal period.
Location-based rules depend on the phone being able to identify that place, while Wi-Fi rules depend on the expected network name being visible. If a profile does not switch, check that the trigger is enabled, the schedule is valid and the phone can detect the relevant location or hotspot. Work Life Balance is the better fit when your rules should follow context automatically; DND is simpler when you only need a temporary quiet switch.
4. OnePlus Scout: search the phone from one box
OnePlus Scout is a one-stop search bar for items such as documents, contacts, music tracks and web entries. It solves a common problem: remembering the item but not which app, folder or service contains it. Instead of checking Files, Contacts, a music app and a browser separately, start with Scout and let the result list point you to the source.
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Use Scout efficiently
- Open the Scout search interface from the location provided by your OxygenOS launcher.
- Enter a distinctive word, name, file title or track title.
- Review results by category and open the matching item.
- Use voice search if the microphone option is shown and speaking is faster than typing.
Search quality depends on what the phone has indexed and on the permissions available to the relevant apps. A newly downloaded file, a contact stored in an account that is not syncing, or content inside an app that does not expose searchable data may not appear immediately. Try a shorter distinctive term and verify that the source app is installed and signed in.
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Zen Mode is more than a mute switch. OnePlus presents it as a digital focus space with tranquil visual themes and an option to invite friends into a shared Zen space. Its value is the deliberate decision to begin a session, rather than silently changing notification settings and continuing to check the phone.
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Start a Zen session
- Open Zen Mode from the location supplied by your OxygenOS build, commonly through the app drawer or a system shortcut.
- Select an available tranquil theme.
- Choose the session duration or options shown on your phone.
- Start the session and put the device aside, or invite friends when the shared-space option is available.
OnePlus has described five tranquil themes for Zen Mode, but theme counts and choices are not guaranteed to be identical on every current release. Treat the screen shown on your own phone as authoritative. Zen Mode is appropriate when you want a visible, bounded commitment to focus; Do Not Disturb is better when you simply need calls or alerts filtered while continuing to use the phone.
Optional: Shelf for glanceable controls
Shelf is a customizable at-a-glance panel rather than a privacy or focus tool. OnePlus lists cards such as weather, a step counter and headset controls, and describes Shelf as a place for quick access to digital-life controls. It suits users who prefer widgets and glanceable information over opening several apps.
Look for Shelf in the home-screen settings or by searching Settings for “Shelf.” Add only the cards you actually check; an overloaded panel defeats the purpose of quick access. Card availability can vary with the device, region and installed services.
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Which feature should you use?
- Choose Hidden Space when the problem is an app icon appearing in the normal drawer.
- Choose Smart Sidebar when you need a tool, screenshot or note while another app stays open.
- Choose Work Life Balance 2.0 when notification behavior should change automatically with your schedule, place or network.
- Choose OnePlus Scout when you know what you want but not where it is stored.
- Choose Zen Mode when focus should be a conscious session with a dedicated visual environment.
- Choose Shelf when you want weather, activity or accessory controls visible at a glance.
Version and device checks before troubleshooting
These features are documented in different OxygenOS manuals and product pages, so their menus are not guaranteed to match. The Hidden Space gesture above comes from the OnePlus 10 Pro manual for OxygenOS 12; the Smart Sidebar and Quick note description comes from the OxygenOS 14 manual. OnePlus’s OxygenOS 16 information lists the OnePlus 13 among compatible devices and notes that rollout timing varies by device model, country and carrier.
Quick Recap
- Open Settings and scroll to About device or search Settings for “OxygenOS version.”
- Record the version number and build shown there.
- Search Settings by the feature name if a gesture or shortcut fails.
- Install available system and app updates, then test again.
- Remember that carrier, country, launcher choice and device model can change availability even on the same major OxygenOS version.
Common failure points
- Hidden Space will not open: try both documented gestures, then search Settings for the current Hide apps or Hidden Space control.
- Smart Sidebar is absent: enable it in Settings, check the handle edge and test outside a restricted full-screen app.
- Work Life Balance does not switch: verify the trigger, schedule, location permission and Wi-Fi hotspot name.
- Scout returns nothing: use a distinctive shorter query and confirm the source app is installed, synced and permitted to expose content.
- Zen Mode looks different: theme names, counts and entry points can change with the OxygenOS release.
- Shelf cards are missing: check whether the card’s supporting service or accessory is available on your device and in your region.
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