WhatsApp for Vivo iQOO 13

OriginOS aggressively limits background apps, so allow WhatsApp to run freely. Go to Settings > Battery > Background power consumption management, tap WhatsApp, and turn on Allow background activity and Allow auto-launch (set it to no restrictions). Then open Settings > Apps > App manager > WhatsApp > Notifications and make sure notifications, banners and lock-screen alerts are all enabled. Finally, turn off any battery saver and lock WhatsApp in the recents tray (open recents and tap the lock icon on its card, or swipe down on the card) so the system stops clearing it from memory. See how others solved this on Reddit

The iQOO 13 panel is natively 144Hz, but the global setting in Settings > Display & brightness > Screen refresh rate only exposes Standard (60Hz), High (120Hz) and Smart Switch, so 144Hz is not selectable for everyday apps. The 144Hz mode only activates in supported games, which you enable per game inside Game Space/Game Center rather than the display menu. For normal use you are effectively running at up to 120Hz, with Smart Switch scaling the rate based on content to save battery. See how others solved this on Reddit

Open Settings > Apps > App manager, tap each preinstalled app you don't want and choose Uninstall or Disable. For the Hot Apps and Hot Games suggestion folders, long-press the folder and turn off recommendations. To stop ads inside system apps like the App Store, Browser and Music, open each app's own settings and disable Receive recommendations and any promotional notifications. Installing a third-party launcher such as Nova also hides most of the OriginOS suggestion widgets. See how others solved this on Reddit

Long-press an empty area of the home screen and tap Wallpaper & style, or open Settings > Wallpaper & style, to change wallpapers, icons and the lock-screen layout. For the always-on display, go to Settings > Display & brightness > Always-On Display (on some builds it is under Wallpaper & style), where you can pick clock styles, set a schedule and add a custom image. The full catalog of themes and AOD styles lives in the preinstalled i Theme (Themes) app, where you can download and apply official styles. See how others solved this on Reddit

A Vivo account is optional for normal use, so you can skip it during setup and still use the Google Play Store and all core features. It is only needed for Vivo cloud backup, Find Device and theme downloads. If you want those later, create one in Settings > Account & Vivo Account using an email address rather than a phone number, which is easier outside China. For backups you can rely entirely on Google instead via Settings > System > Backup, bypassing the Vivo cloud. See how others solved this on Reddit

Hardware is excellent thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite and large battery, but expect OriginOS quirks: aggressive RAM management that closes background apps and occasional notification delays. Set your key apps to no restrictions under Settings > Battery > Background power consumption management and lock them in recents, and turn off the recommendation ads in system apps. After that the day-to-day experience is smooth, though the global software still trails the Chinese build on features and updates. See how others solved this on Reddit