Chapter 2
IN THIS CHAPTER
Turning on an Android
Unlocking the screen
Configuring the device
Adding more accounts
Locking the screen
Shutting down an Android
The bestselling Pencils For Dummies has no chapter describing how to activate a pencil. Pens For Dummies does have the chapter “Enabling the Pen to Write,” but that’s not really an on–off thing. No, a phone or tablet is far more complex than a pen or a pencil. It requires more instruction for something even as basic as turning it on or off.
It would be delightful if your phone or tablet were smart enough to pop out of the box, say “Hello,” and immediately know everything about you. The real world is far more disappointing. Therefore, turning on an Android is more complex than just flipping a switch.
The Android setup process works best when you already have a Google (Gmail) account. If you lack one, you’re prompted to create an account during the setup process.
The very first time you turn on an Android gizmo is a special occasion. That’s when you’re required to work through the setup-and-configuration process. This ordeal needs to be endured only once, and it’s not terribly complex. In fact, you can merrily skip many of the options and complete them later, though I recommend that you get it out of the way now.
The specifics of the setup and configuration differ subtly, depending on the device’s manufacturer and cellular provider. If the people at the phone store helped you through the process, great! If not, first read the generic steps presented in this section and then go back and work the steps with your phone or tablet:
Press and hold the Power/Lock key.
You may have to press the key longer than you think; when you see the brand logo appear on the screen, release the key.
It’s okay to turn on the device while it’s plugged in and charging.
Answer the questions presented.
The prompts you see include the following:
When in doubt, accept the choice presented. Even if you don’t tap the SKIP button, you can use the Android to make or change a setting later. Details are offered throughout this book.
To fill in text fields, use the device’s onscreen keyboard. See Chapter 4 for keyboard information.
After each choice, tap the NEXT or SKIP button.
The NEXT button might be labeled with the text or an icon, as shown in the margin. The SKIP button is always text, though it’s sometimes difficult to locate on the screen.
Tap the FINISH button.
The FINISH button appears on the last screen of the setup procedure.
From this point on, starting the phone or tablet works as described in the next section.
After the initial setup, you’re taken to the Home screen. Chapter 3 offers details on using the Home screen, which you probably should read right away, before the temptation to play with your new phone or tablet becomes unbearable.
If you’re upgrading from an older phone or you already have an Android tablet, the restore operation ensures that your new device has all your old apps and other details from that other device. This is one of the beauties of the Android operating system: Moving to a new device isn’t that painful.
To turn on your Android, press and hold the Power/Lock key. After a few seconds, you feel the device vibrate slightly and the start-up logo appears. You can release the Power/Lock key and enjoy the hypnotic animation and perhaps start-up music.
Eventually, you see the lock screen. See the later section “Working a screen lock” for information on what to do next.
Most of the time, you don’t turn your phone or tablet off and on. Instead, you lock and unlock it. To unlock and use the device, press the Power/Lock key. A quick press is all that’s needed. The touchscreen comes to life and you see the lock screen, similar to what’s illustrated in Figure 2-1.
To begin using the Android, swipe the screen as illustrated in the figure. If you have the screen lock applied, work the lock; see the next section for details. For gizmos with a fingerprint reader, tap your finger to the reader to unlock.
Eventually you find yourself at the Home screen, where you can begin to use and interact with your phone or tablet.
The point of the lock screen is to prevent the Home screen from appearing immediately after you press the Power/Lock key: Swipe the screen to unlock the phone or tablet. Yet, the swipe lock isn’t that difficult to pick.
If you’ve added more security to your phone or tablet, you must work a screen lock after you swipe the lock screen. The common types of screen lock include:
One of these screen locks appears after you swipe the screen and before you can access the Home screen. To apply these locks, see Chapter 22.
Your phone or tablet’s lock screen may feature app icons, such as the Camera icon, illustrated earlier, in Figure 2-1. To unlock the screen and run that app, drag its icon across the touchscreen.
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.
Your Android serves as home to your various online incarnations. This list includes your email accounts, online services, social networking, subscriptions, and other digital personas. I recommended adding those accounts to your mobile gizmo to continue the setup-and-configuration process.
With your phone or tablet on and unlocked, follow these steps:
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. For devices that lack an Apps icon, swipe up the Home screen. Also refer to Chapter 3 for details on the Apps icon varieties and techniques.
The goal of tapping the Apps icon is to access the Apps drawer, where all the device’s apps are listed.
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. It’s used to configure various features on your device.
Choose the Users & Accounts category.
The category may be titled Accounts or Accounts and Sync.
Upon success, you see all existing accounts on your Android, such as email accounts, social networking, cloud storage, and whatever else you may have already set up.
If you don’t see any accounts, look for an Accounts item and choose it.
Tap Add Account.
You see a list of account types you can add. More or fewer items appear on the list, which is generated based on installed apps and settings made by the device manufacturer.
Choose an account type from the list.
For example, to add a Facebook account, choose Facebook.
Don’t worry if you don’t see the exact type of account you want to add. You may have to add a specific app before an account appears. Chapter 17 covers adding apps.
Follow the directions to sign in to your account.
The steps that follow depend on the account. Generally speaking, you sign in using your existing username and password.
Repeat these steps to continue adding accounts. When you’re done, return to the Home screen: Tap the Home navigation icon, as shown in the margin. Refer to Chapter 3 for details on what else the Home navigation icon can look like.
You can dismiss your Android in several ways, only two of which involve using a steamroller or raging elephant. The other methods are documented in this section.
Locking the gizmo is cinchy: Press and release the Power/Lock key. The display goes dark; your phone or tablet is locked.
Locking doesn’t turn off your Android.
To turn off your mobile device, heed these steps:
Press and hold the Power/Lock key.
The Device Options card appears.
Release the Power/Lock key.
The Device Options card may contain only one item, Power Off, as shown in Figure 2-2. Also shown is the Power Options card, with more options,
If you chicken out and don’t want to turn off your Android, tap the Back navigation icon to dismiss the Device Options card.
Tap the Power Off item.
If a confirmation message appears, tap the OK button. The Android shuts itself off.
The Android doesn’t run when it’s off. You aren’t reminded about appointments. Email stays on the server. Alarms don’t trigger. Phone calls are missed. The device isn’t angry with you for turning it off, though you may sense some resentment when you turn it on again.
Keep your Android in a safe place while it’s turned off. Chapter 1 offers some suggestions.
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