EMUI: Everything You Need to Know

Get up to speed on everything you need to know about EMUI, Huawei’s innovative and user-friendly mobile interface

Brands customize their software interfaces, and with EMUI, it is easy to notice the touch of the Chinese manufacturer. The user interface’s experience is far from that of Android Stock. This article will show you some features worth using to get the most out of your smartphone, whether a Huawei P30 Pro, Mate 20 Pro, or Huawei P30 Pro. Honor View 20, to name just a few devices in the ever-growing Huawei/Honor family.

EMUI 10 now on Huawei P30 Lite

In the UK, Huawei has started the EMUI 10 update process on the Huawei P30 and Huawei P30 Pro. Of course, unlocked device versions had already started receiving the update in November, but now it looks like the Huawei P30 Lite will start getting updated with the EMUI 10.

According to the GSMArena, the Huawei P30 Lite will receive an update based on Android 10 as has already been the case in South Africa. This update is quite heavy (3.82 GB) and offers all the features specific to the EMUI operating system: system-wide dark mode, improved performance, new rounded icons, and the Hicar.

If we follow Huawei’s global strategy, the first updates with the EMUI 10 should see the light of day in Europe in February. EMUI 9.1 users should be the first beneficiaries. Here are our recommendations to determine if your Huawei is compatible with the EMUI 10. As a reminder, your phone must be connected to the WiFi network and have at least 50% battery.

Check your phone’s compatibility with EMUI 10 :

Go to Settings on your phone.
Go to the System section
Then tap on Honor Software Update.
Finally, click on Check for updates.
Tap and Install

EMUI 10 for Honor and Mate

According to our colleagues at Huawei Central, Huawei has decided to temporarily suspend the EMUI 10 update for the Mate 20 and the Mate 20 Pro. Huawei said the temporary hiatus was due to checking for operational issues and technical recalibration to provide a better update to its users. Here is an excerpt from his public statement:

“We would like to inform you that the release of Android 10 / EMUI 10 for Huawei Mate 20 devices is temporarily suspended. Please note that we will start releasing Android / EMUI 10 by the end of January 2020.”

Last week, Honor (a subsidiary of Huawei) also stopped rolling out Magic UI 3.0 (Android 10) for Honor 20, 20 Pro, and V20. The update for Honor smartphones is expected to come in the second week of February. However, the suspension of the Mate range update does not seem to affect the EMUI 10 update for the P30 series currently in progress.

How to customize the interface

One of the advantages of EMUI is undoubtedly its level of customization. It is possible to set one of your photos as a background, group the applications in the dedicated folder, navigate using the physical or virtual keys or even reorganize the applications on the screens. It only takes a few steps to adapt the interface to your tastes and needs.

Change Background: Settings > Display > Wallpaper > Set wallpaper > Gallery / Other.
Enable app drawer: Go to Settings > Display > Home screen style > Drawer.
Choose how to navigate the system: Settings > Smart Assistance > System Navigation. Here, depending on the models, you can decide whether or not to activate the single navigation key to access the home screen, return to recent activities, activate the virtual navigation bar (and customize the key combination), or choose the quick menu.
Change quick settings: pull down the drop-down menu and click the pencil icon.

Change layout and rearrange apps: press and hold your finger on the home screen and click Settings; from here, you can rearrange your apps and even shake your smartphone to realign them.
Show battery percentage: Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications & status bar > Battery percentage: “next to battery icon” / “inside battery icon.”
Add contact information to the lock screen: Settings > Security & privacy > Lock screen > Lock screen signature.
Disable pedometer on lock screen: Settings > Security & privacy > Lock screen > Lock screen step count

Customize wallpapers, widgets, and transitions. © NextPit by Irina Efremova

Dive into the display menu.

We often underestimate the importance of the display and the settings associated with it. I am not only talking about the level of brightness but also the ability to change the color rendering of the content displayed and the customization of the font size.

Font size: Settings > Display > Text size.
Change the size of interface elements: Settings > Display > Visualization.
Screen resolution: Settings > Display > Screen resolution.
Screen brightness: Settings > Display > Brightness.
Color temperature: Settings > Display > Color temperature > Default / Warm / Cool.
Color Mode: Settings > Display > Color Mode > Normal / Vivid.
Filter blue light from the screen: Settings > Display > Eye comfort.
Hide the notch: Settings > Display > More display settings > Notch.

Adjust the text size according to your preferences. © NextPit by Irina Efremova

Turning off the screen: Settings > Display > Sleep > 30 seconds is a good option to limit consumption.
View an app in full-screen mode: Settings > Display > Full-screen display.
Screen rotation: Settings > Display > Auto-rotate screen.
Increase touchscreen sensitivity in winter: Settings > Smart Assistance > Glove Mode.
Show photos on the lock screen while charging: Settings > Display > Screen saver.

Make interacting with your device faster

Not all options offered by a device are useful. On EMUI, there are some functions that I recommend you activate because they will allow you to optimize the interaction with your smartphone and access functions more quickly.

Find files in a snap: Swipe down on the home screen, and the search bar will appear.
To answer or reject voice calls, activate voice commands: Settings > Smart assistance > Voice command.
Call a contact when the screen is off. Press and hold the volume down key, then say the contact’s name after the beep.
Wake Google Assistant: Press and hold the Home button and use French voice commands (remember to activate it in the Google app first).
Open apps by drawing their initials on the screen: Settings > Smart assistance > Gesture control > Opening apps.
Split screen in two: Settings > Smart assistance > Motion control > Split screen.
Enable Quick Launcher: From the lock screen, swipe up from the bottom to access Recorder, Flashlight, Calculator, Timer, and Camera.
Use two WhatsApp / Facebook accounts: Settings > Apps & notifications > App twin.
Enable unlock with face recognition: Settings > Security & privacy > Unlock with a smile.
Enable one-handed operation: Settings > Smart Assistance > One-handed navigation interface > Display with the reduced screen.
Take a screenshot: Instead of using the classic volume down + power button combination, tap the screen with your knuckle.

Security

Locking your device with a PIN, password, pattern, fingerprint reader, or face recognition will help keep your data safe. Moreover, if you have a life you want to keep a secret, you will be happy to find three features designed for you!

Configure one or more fingerprints: Settings > Security and privacy > Identification via fingerprint.
Create a private island on your smartphone by activating Private Space: Settings > Security and privacy > Private Space.
Encode photos, audio, videos, and other files: Settings > Security and privacy > Safe.
Block access to certain apps: Settings > Security & privacy > App lock
Locate the device if lost or stolen: Settings > Security & privacy > Location data > Enabled.
Install unknown apps: Settings > Security & privacy > Other settings > Install unknown apps.
Set / deactivate the PIN code for the SIM card: Settings > Security and privacy > Other settings > Encryption and credentials > Set SIM card lock 1

Take control of the camera.

One of the components most used by users is full of surprises, especially now that artificial intelligence is interfering more and more with smartphones. Introduced on the Mate 10 Pro and View 10, thanks to the NPU Kirin 970, AI helps optimize the photo experience by choosing better settings and modes depending on the context.

Enable Pro mode: Open the camera app., swipe left to the right, and click Pro Photos or Pro Video. Note that on Huawei, the pro mode opens with a swipe up from the camera start screen.
Take a photo when the screen is off: Press the volume down button twice.
Quickly browse photos in Gallery: Open a photo in Gallery, pinch the screen to zoom out on the photo, and scroll through other photos.
Select several photos at once: open a folder, press and hold the photo you want to select, and slide your finger to select the others.
Create a bokeh effect: open the camera and click on the icon that simulates the lens’s aperture. On Huawei, the portrait mode (Bokeh effect) has a head icon in a circle. Then click on the object you want to focus on and take the picture.
Adjust the beauty effect: Click the portrait icon and slide your finger across the beauty level indicator.
Have fun with AR: Activate AR Lenses from the camera menu, click on AR at the bottom, and select the effects you want to see in real-time on the framed object.
Artist mode: transforming your photos into comics or making works of art (Prisma style).
Apply Instagram-style filters before shooting: Activate the Filter option from the camera modes and click on the three circles to display the nine filters in real time.
Take a photo with a smile: Access the camera settings by swiping the screen and activating capturing smiles.
Scan a document: Open the camera and click Scan document. Frame the business card and scan it as instructed.
Enable/Disable AI: Depending on the device, you can access this by going to the Camera app and clicking Settings > AI or by selecting the AI button on the screen you will see when launching the camera.
Apply Grid: Launch the Camera app, Settings > Composition Grid > Grid.
Set the timer on the shutter: launch the camera, select Settings > Timer and select between 2/5 or 10 seconds.

Battery

No miracle, unfortunately, you will not be able to make your smartphone battery last more than two days. However, you can monitor and manage consumption using dedicated options. If supported, you can use fast charging to quickly get all the energy you need.

Enable power saving mode: To limit background apps, turn off the automatic syncing of email and system music.
Opt for the ultra-energy saving mode: This mode allows very few emergency applications, which greatly limits the user experience.
Find out what consumes much energy: Settings > Battery > Consumption level.
Optimize consumption: Settings > Battery > Optimize, and now follow the recommendations you want to apply.
View percentage of remaining charge: Settings > Battery > Battery Level.
Set black background on the interface to save the battery: Settings > Battery > Darken interface.
Use reverse wireless charging: Settings > Battery > Reverse wireless charging.

Other Helpful Suggestions

If you are a geek and want to control the more advanced functions of the system, here are some additional tips:

Enable Developer Options: Settings > System > Phone Info > Serial Number; click it until you see the notification of successful activation.
Reset your smartphone: Settings > System > Reset > Factory data reset.
Update system : Settings > System > System update
Manage two SIM cards simultaneously: Settings > Wireless and networks > Manage dual sim cards.
Program the switching on of the smartphone to trigger the alarm: Settings > Smart assistance > Programmed switching on/off; Set the switch-on time, then the alarm time.
Transfer data from an old smartphone: get Phone Clone on both devices (Huawei, Honor, or Apple) and select the data to transfer.
Better audio experience: Settings > Sound > Huawei Histen sound effects (connect the headphones to the device, or the voice will not appear in the menu).

Do you also have a Huawei or Honor smartphone? What other tip would you add to the list? Could you share them with other users and us?

These tricks are available on Android 8.0 and EMUI 8.0, but some also work with previous versions.

Source: Gsmarena , Phonandroid , Huawei Central