Android Phones For Dummies. Dan Gookin

remains plugged in, connected, and charging when I’m not using it.

      ✔ Phones on coffee tables get buried under magazines and are often squished when rude people put their feet on the furniture.

      ✔ Avoid putting your phone in direct sunlight; heat is bad news for any electronic gizmo.

Chapter 2

      The On/Off Chapter

       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