Android is one of the world's most popular mobile operating systems. Millions of smartphones use Android. Even though it's not difficult to use Android, there is a slight learning curve. Whether you're a complete novice to the Android ecosystem, or a user switching from other smartphone platforms, this article will get you started on how to operate an Android smartphone. Please note that Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) is used in the steps.
EditSteps
- Unbox the phone and insert the SIM card, SD card and battery. After unpacking your phone, remove the back cover (if it has one) and install the battery. Put your SIM card and SD card (if applicable) in the slots designed for them. Read and follow the instructions in the user manual that came with the phone. Alternatively, locate the user's manual for your make and model and read the instructions online.
- Some phones will specify that you fully charge the battery before proceeding. Of course, refer to the phone manual.
- Turn your phone on. To turn the phone on, hold the power key until the screen is illuminated. The power key may be situated on the right hand side or on the top of the phone, depending on your phone's manufacturer.
- Set up your phone. You'll be greeted with a language selection screen. After choosing your preferred language, you will be asked to create or use an existing Google account. You can either create an account, use an existing account, or skip this step and do it later from the settings.
- You may be asked to connect to a WiFi network.
- Unlock your phone. The very first thing you'll see is the lock screen.This will be a simple swipe to unlock, or there may not be a lock screen set by default. Simply tap the lock icon and then swipe towards the unlock icon. Unlocking the phone will take you to your homescreen (5 by default).
- Explore your phone. Tap the circle with six dots on your homescreen, and you will be taken to your application drawer. Swipe left or right to access additional homescreens. Swipe down from the top edge to access the notification shade.
- Learn to use the three Android buttons. The three keys on the bottom of your phone screen are characteristic to Android. These are , , and .
- Tap the key to go back one step or to go to a previous screen in an app.
- Tap on the key any time you see it to go straight to your home screen. This does not close an application, but rather it puts it in the background.
- Tap on the key to view the recently opened apps. Swipe left or right to close recent apps.
- Use the application drawer. Swipe left or right to access your applications. Tap on an icon to open the application. Tap on the widgets tab to see your widgets. You can long press on an app icon/widget and then place it on your home screen.
- Get device help for your phone. Many manufacturers provide a Help application, which will guide you on how to use your phone's keys, buttons etc.
- Change your settings. Tap on the settings icon to access all your settings. Settings are grouped by type and may differ depending on the manufacturer.
- Use SIM settings to configure your SIM card preferences.
- Use WiFi/Bluetooth settings to configure WiFi and Bluetooth settings respectively.
- Tap on data usage to check how much data your phone sent/received.
- Tap on more settings to check more settings for wireless and networks.
- Configure Device settings such as Sound, Display, Languages and Inputs, Battery Status and Application Manager to tweak various phone settings.
- Scroll down for additional settings.
- Download new applications. Tap on Play Store in your applications drawer to open the Google Play Store. Here you can download new apps or see the apps that you have installed on your phone.
- Uninstall an application. To uninstall an application, long-press its icon and drag it to the top of the screen, on to the words uninstall. This may vary depending on your manufacturer.You also have the option to drag it to App Info which will display the Application summary.
- Add widgets and application shortcuts to your home screens. From your application drawer long press on an app icon to select it, drag the icon to your desired home screen and then lift your finger off the screen. You can rearrange shortcuts by long-pressing them and then rearranging them.
- Widgets are useful icons which provide information at a glance without having to open the app. Placing a widget is exactly similar to placing app shortcuts on your home screen.
- Long-press an existing widget to resize it. Some widgets, however, cannot be resized.
- Remove existing shortcuts/widgets from your homescreen. To remove an existing shortcut or widget from your screen, long-press it and drag it to the trash can at the top of the screen.
- Use the notification shade. The notification shade is a characteristic of Android. It usually resides as a small black bar at the top of your screen and displays time, battery level and signal strength. It can display many different icons depending on your phone's current settings and the installed applications. It is also where you can access your notifications. Swipe down from the top of your screen to access the notification shade. You can tap on an icon in the upper right to access more features. There can be two types of notifications.
- Push notifications - These are received from various apps you have installed, such as Messaging, or Gmail. These can be dismissed by swiping left or right. Tapping on these takes you to the concerned application.
- Ongoing - These notifications cannot be dismissed and usually indicate an active application. They will be automatically dismissed once their task is complete. Examples include upcoming alarms, ongoing stopwatch/timer etc.
- Use Google Now. Google Now is a personal assistant for your phone, and provides relevant and useful information as you require and when you require. To access Google Now, tap the home button and swipe up or tap the Google Search icon in the app drawer. Please note, this only works for devices with Android 4.1 or above.
- Explore other features. There is a lot more you can do with Android! Try playing music, setting up your email, watching videos on YouTube, adding Calendar entries, setting new alarms, taking photos using the Camera! The possibilities are endless!