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In This Chapter

▶ Configuring your Android phone

▶ Turning on the phone

▶ Unlocking the phone

▶ Adding accounts

▶ Locking the phone

▶ Turning off your phone

It would be delightful if your Android phone were smart enough to pop out of the box, say “Hello,” and immediately know everything about you. It doesn’t, of course. That introduction is still necessary and it requires some careful attention. It’s all part of the initial setup-and-configuration process that happens when you first turn on the phone. And if you haven’t yet turned on your phone, this chapter helps with that ordeal as well.

Hello, Phone

Modern, technical gizmos lack an on–off switch. Instead, they feature a power button. In the case of your Android phone, the button is called the Power/Lock key. This key is used in several ways, some of which may not be obvious or apparent. That’s why I wrote this section.

✔ The setup process works more smoothly when you already have a Google, or Gmail, account. If you lack such an account, you’re prompted to create an account in the setup process, as described in the next section.

✔ The phone won’t start unless the battery is charged. See Chapter 1.

Turning on your phone for the first time

The very first time you turn on an Android phone is a special occasion. That’s when you’re required to work through the setup-and-configuration process. Don’t worry: It needs to be done only once. After that, turn on your phone according to the directions in the next section, “Turning on the phone.”

The specifics for the setup and configuration differ depending on the phone’s manufacturer as well as on the cellular provider. Odds are pretty good that the people at the Phone Store helped you through the initial setup process. If not, read the generic Android phone setup process outlined in this section, and see the notes at the end of the section for details that may apply to your specific phone.

1. Turn on the phone by pressing the Power/Lock key.

You may have to press it longer than you think. When you see the phone’s logo on the screen, you can release the key.

It’s okay to turn on the phone while it’s plugged in and charging.

2. Answer the questions presented.

You’re asked to select options for some, if not all, of the following items:

● Select your language

● Activate the phone on the mobile data network

● Choose a Wi-Fi network (can be done later)

● Set the time zone

● Sign in to your Google account

● Add other online accounts

● Set location information

When in doubt, just accept the standard options as presented to you during the setup process.

To fill in text fields, use the onscreen keyboard. See Chapter 4 for keyboard information.

Other sections in this chapter, as well as throughout this book, offer information and advice on these settings. You can’t screw up anything at this point; any selection you make can be changed later.

3. After each choice, tap the Next button or icon.

The button might be labeled with the text Next, or it may appear as an icon, as shown in the margin.

4. Tap the Finish button.

The Finish button appears on the last screen of the setup procedure.

The good news is that you’re done. From this point on, starting the phone works as described in the next section.

After the initial setup, you’re taken to the Home screen. Chapter 3 offers more Home screen information, which you should probably read right away, before the temptation to play with your new phone becomes unbearable.

✔ You may find yourself asked various questions or prompted to try various tricks when you first start to use your phone. Some of those prompts are helpful, but it’s okay to skip some. To do so, tap the OK I GOT IT button or select the Do Not Show Again check box.

✔ Additional information on connecting your phone to a Wi-Fi network is found in Chapter 17.

✔ Location items relate to how the phone knows its position on Planet Earth. I recommend activating all these items to get the most from your Android phone.

✔ It’s not necessary to use any specific software provided by the phone’s manufacturer or your cellular provider. For example, if you don’t want a Samsung account, you don’t need to sign up for one; skip that step.

✔ By setting up your Google account, you coordinate with your new Android phone whatever information you have on the Internet. This information includes your email messages and contacts on Gmail, appointments on Google Calendar, and information and data from other Google Internet applications.

✔ See the later sidebar “Who is this Android person?” for more information about the Android operating system.

Turning on the phone

To turn on your Android phone, press and hold the Power/Lock key. After a few seconds, you feel the phone vibrate slightly and then see the phone’s startup animation, logo, or hypnotic brainwashing image. Release the Power/Lock key; the phone is starting.

Eventually, you see the phone’s unlock screen. See the later section “Working the screen lock” for what to do next.

When you’ve encrypted your phone’s data, you have to work a screen lock before the device fully starts. See Chapter 21 for details on encrypting your phone’s data.

Unlocking the phone

Most of the time, you don’t turn your phone off and on. Instead, you lock and unlock it. To unlock and use the phone, press the Power/Lock key. A quick press is all that’s needed. The phone’s touchscreen comes to life, and you see one of several types of screen lock. Working these locks is covered in the next section.

After you work the screen lock, you next see the Home screen. Chapter 3 covers how to interact with the Home screen.

✔ You can press the Home button to unlock your Samsung phone. The Home button is centered below the touchscreen.

✔ Unlock a Samsung Galaxy Note phone by removing the S Pen.

✔ The phone doesn’t unlock for an incoming call; you’re able to answer the phone or decline the call. See Chapter 5 for more information on answering, declining, and ignoring incoming calls.

Working the screen lock

The standard Android screen lock is the swipe lock, illustrated in Figure 2-1. Locate a Lock icon on the screen, and then swipe the icon in the direction indicated. Onscreen animation may assist you with working the Swipe lock.

Figure 2-1 Unlocking Android phones featuring the Swipe lock.

The Swipe lock isn’t a difficult lock to pick. If you’ve added more security, you might see any one of several different screen locks on your phone. Here are the common Android screen locks:

Swipe: The standard screen lock. Swipe your finger on the screen to unlock the device, as illustrated in Figure 2-1. If a screen lock with higher security is set, work it next.

Pattern: Trace a preset pattern over dots on the screen.

PIN: Use the onscreen keyboard to type a number to unlock the device.

Password: Type a password, which can include letters, numbers, and symbols.

None: When this non-lock is selected, the device lacks a screen lock and you can use the phone immediately after pressing the Power/Lock key.

Some phones provide additional, fancy screen locks. Among the variety are the following:

Face Unlock: Look at the phone. In a few moments, your visage is recognized and the phone unlocks.

Fingerprint: Brush your finger or thumb over the sensor, such as the Home button on a Samsung Galaxy S6, to unlock the device.

Signature: The Samsung Galaxy Note line of phones lets you use the S Pen to sign your name on the screen. If the signature matches, the phone unlocks.

To use some phone features, you must choose either the PIN or password screen lock, which are considered the most secure. Other locks offer moderate security, and may require a PIN or password as a backup. The swipe and None locks are the least secure.

See Chapter 21 for information on setting the screen lock.

Unlocking and running an app

The phone’s lock screen may feature app icons. You’ll find them at the bottom of the screen (refer to Figure 2-1), if they’re available. Use those icons to both unlock the phone and run the given app.

For example, to place a quick phone call, swipe the phone icon up the screen. The phone unlocks and the Phone app appears. Similarly, you can swipe the Camera app icon to snap a quick photo.

✔ Some phones let you customize the lock screen apps, such as the Galaxy Note shown earlier, in Figure 2-1.

✔ When a secure screen lock is set, the phone isn’t actually unlocked when the app runs. To do anything else with the phone, you must eventually work the screen lock.

Who is this Android person?

Just like a computer, your phone has an operating system. It’s the main program in charge of all the software (apps) inside the phone. Unlike on a computer, however, Android is a mobile device operating system, designed primarily for use in cell phones and tablets.

Android is based on the Linux operating system, which is also a computer operating system, though it’s much more stable and bug-free than Windows, so it’s not as popular. Google owns, maintains, and develops Android, which is why your online Google information is synced with the phone.

The Android mascot, shown here, often appears on Android apps or hardware. He has no official name, though most folks call him Andy.

Add More Accounts

Your Android phone can be home to your various online incarnations. That includes your email accounts, online services, social networking, and subscriptions, plus other digital personas. I recommend adding those accounts to your phone as you continue the setup-and-configuration process.

With your phone on and unlocked, follow these steps:

1.  Tap the Apps icon.

The Apps icon is found at the bottom of the Home screen. It looks similar to the icon shown in the margin, although it has many variations. See Chapter 3 for the variety.

After tapping the Apps icon, you see the Apps drawer, which lists all apps available on your phone.

2. Open the Settings app.

You may have to swipe the Apps drawer screen a few times, paging through the various icons, to find the Settings app.

After you tap the Settings icon, the Settings app runs. Then you can configure and set phone options and features.

3. Choose the Accounts category.

On some Samsung phones, first tap the General tab atop the Settings app screen to locate the Accounts category.

The category may be titled Accounts and Sync on some phones.

Upon success, you see all existing accounts on your phone, similar to what’s shown in Figure 2-2.

4. Tap Add Account.

The Add Account item is illustrated in Figure 2-2, although it may appear as a plus sign, shown in the margin.

5. Choose an account from the list.

For example, to add a Facebook account, choose the Facebook app from the list.

Don’t worry if you don’t see the exact type of account you want to add. You may have to install a specific app before an account appears. Chapter 16 covers installing new apps on your phone.

6. Follow the directions on the screen to sign in to your account.

The steps that follow depend on the account. Generally speaking, you sign in using an existing username and password.

Figure 2-2 Accounts listed in the Settings app.