Android is a relatively easy-to-use operating system, so getting used to your Android phone won't be difficult if you're using another OS. However, all the settings and customization options can be a bit complicated for new users. Google walks you through all the basic steps well during setup, so you should have no problems setting it up and getting to the home screen. However, once you're set-up, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of your phone. This is where we help you. So pick up your phone, relax, and check out these 10 top things to do with your new Android phone!
Gesture navigation or on-screen buttons
Android phones offer two ways to navigate the user interface: gestures or navigation buttons. Gesture navigation allows you to use full-screen mode by removing the three buttons at the bottom of the screen. It might take some getting used to, but it's easy to remember and feels like a more natural way to navigate the user interface. However, please keep in mind that gesture navigation does not work well with third-party launchers on some phones. If this bothers you or you want to switch back to 3-button navigation, you can change it on your phone to:
1. Go to the System settings page with the Settings app.
2. Select the Gestures option and then go to System Navigation.
3. Select your preferred navigation option.
Customize the home screen with launchers, icons packs, & more
Android is known for being highly customizable, so we recommend making the most of it. You don't have to do this if you don't want to, but there are some great ways to customize your phone like it truly belongs to you. It is recommended to familiarize yourself with various Android launchers, icon packs, and wallpapers first. You can also check out one of our recent guides that walk you through the details of how to customize your Android home screen.
Pro Tips: If your phone has an OLED display, try to pick a wallpaper with a black background since it will look great and also help you save some additional battery.
You can take it to the next level by testing a few apps like KWGT and UCCW that allow you to add your launcher and create your widgets. The best way for new users to familiarize themselves with the setup is to download these apps and try them out for themselves. There are many things you can do to customize your Android home screen, so take some time to check it out. To make it easier to get started, we leave download links for some popular custom apps below.
1. Nova Launcher - Download
2. Backdrops Wallpaper - Download
3. KWGT Kustom Widget Maker - Download
Uninstall Bloatware from your Carrier or OEM
Depending on which phone you buy and where you bought it, your new Android phone may come with some apps pre-installed, but you may not use them. These applications are commonly referred to as malware. This is because it stays on your phone and takes up memory, using resources that you can allocate to the apps you actually use. Therefore, it is recommended to uninstall all unused apps from your phone.
Some pre-installed applications can be easily uninstalled, while others, such as a carrier or OEM applications, may not have an uninstall option. We recommend that you install and store only the apps you normally need and use on your phone. If you have apps you never use, you should consider deleting them.
Customize Quick Toggles
Dragging the notification bar on Android reveals several toggles across the top of the screen for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, and more. By default, you are looking at the quick settings menu. down the notification bar. You can access this particular menu at any time, regardless of which app or settings page you are on. So it's a good idea to set it up so you can quickly access frequently used settings without having to visit the settings page. Here's how:
1. Swipe down twice from any screen to first reveal the notification shade and then the quick settings menu.
2. Locate the pencil icon and tap it to start editing your quick settings menu.
3. You'll then see a collection of icons that are currently a part of your quick settings menu. Scroll down further to reveal the ones you can drag up and add to the live menu.
4. We recommend dragging the most used settings icons towards the top to ensure they show when you just drag down once from any screen to see the notification shade.
Change animation speeds to make your phone feel snappier
Smartphone processors have become very fast lately, so no matter which phone you buy, you should be able to get decent performance, at least when performing basic tasks. This coupled with a high refresh rate display like a 90Hz or 120Hz panel means you get a smooth experience when using the phone. However, a quick hack can make your experience smoother when using your Android device. This is a basic trick that has been around for years and still works very well.
We're speeding up the UI animations significantly to make the phone run faster. It won't affect your phone's performance, but it will run faster than before adjusting this setting. Here's how:
1. Head over to Settings > About Phone, and tap seven times on Build Number. This will enable Developer Options on your Android phone.
2. Now, go to the System settings page and scroll down to find the newly unlocked Developer Options.
3. Scroll down until you find these options: Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale.
Click on all these options and change the animation scale to 0.5X. Now when you reboot your device, you will immediately see a faster animation and your phone will run faster and faster.
Setup Digital Wellbeing
Digital Wellbeing is a great way to limit your phone usage by setting time limits for specific apps. You can also turn on features like focus mode to limit smartphone use during the day. If you're addicted to social media apps or games on your device, this is a great way to stay off your phone and set limits. There are many options on the digital wellness menu to explore, so we recommend taking the time to visit each one to see which one is right for you. Here's where to find your Digital wellbeing settings:
1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down till you find the Digital Wellbeing option, and select it.
3. Once you're in the Digital Wellbeing option, scroll down to find all the options available to restrict your phone usage.
You can set goals for screen time, set app timers that prevent apps from opening, and even add focus mode and sleep mode to keep you away from your phone before bed. Sometimes digital detox is so important and Digital Wellbeing can help you do just that.
Keep everything up to date
As you know, all the best smartphones get frequent software updates that fix bugs or unlock new features. It's important to keep your phone up to date to keep everything running smoothly. There's also a very good chance you'll see several updates waiting for you, especially if the phone you bought has been off the market for a while. You can check for updates by going to Settings > System > System Update. In particular, you should make sure all apps are up to date. Apps and games tend to get updated more frequently than the phone itself, so it's always a good idea to check for these updates first. The easiest way is to go to the Play Store, select "My Apps & Games" from the menu, then click the "Update All" button.
Track your mobile data
This is one of the most important settings to enable if you don't have an unlimited mobile data plan. You can use Android's built-in tool to track how much data you've used in a given billing cycle. You can ask your phone to notify you when you reach your monthly limit or set a blocking threshold to automatically turn off mobile data. Setting up mobile data tracking is very easy and can be used on Android phones. Here's how to activate it :
1. Go to Settings and select Network & internet option.
2. Tap on your service provider's name to enter SIM settings, and look for an option called Data warning & limit.
Here you will find options to set alerts on your data usage or set a limit at which your mobile data will automatically turn off.
Explore different menus and settings
If you're new to Android or new to an updated version, we highly recommend exploring the various menus and settings to get a feel for how they work. You can also do this at your leisure or after setting up the rest.
Looking at the various settings will help you understand how they work and where you need to go if you want to find a specific setting in the future. It also helps you discover new features you didn't know existed. There are no specific settings or menus we can recommend in this section, so feel free to choose and start. It is said that a smartphone is like an extension of yourself, so get to know your smartphone better.
Link your Android Phone to a Windows PC
One of the biggest benefits of using an iPhone with a Mac is how it all fits together. You can accept calls on your iPhone through your Mac, reply to iMessages directly from your Mac, and even copy something on your iPhone and paste it into your Mac. While Android doesn't have such a close relationship with Mac or Windows, you can do a lot of this by following a few simple steps. You'll be surprised to know that you can achieve something similar using the Your Phone app on Android phones and on Windows PCs.
For Windows, you can download the Your Phone Companion app from the Play Store and follow the onscreen instructions to pair your device with your Windows PC. After that, you can receive notifications from your phone to your PC, easily copy files, and share your clipboard. If you have a Samsung phone, the more features you get, the better the PC integration will be.
if you think we missed any of your favorite things to do with a new Android phone, then let us know by dropping a line in the comments below.