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.
❯❯ Through your Google account, you coordinate your new Android phone with whatever information you already have on the Internet. These details include your Gmail messages, contacts, Google Calendar appointments, photos, music, books, and other Google account details.
❯❯ 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.
If you’ve encrypted your phone’s data, you must 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.
❯❯ On a Samsung phone, you can press the Home button to unlock the device. The Home button is centered below the touchscreen.
❯❯ Removing the S Pen on a Samsung Galaxy Note unlocks the phone.
❯❯ The phone lets you answer or decline an incoming call without having to unlock the device. See Chapter 5 for more information on answering, declining, and ignoring incoming calls.
Working the screen lock
When you unlock your phone, you see the lock screen, illustrated on a variety of Android phones in Figure 2-1. The lock screen shows a screen lock, such as the standard Android swipe lock, illustrated in the figure.
FIGURE 2-1: Android phones’ lock screen varieties.
To work the Swipe lock, swipe the screen in one direction. Some phones may show a Lock icon, which you drag to unlock the phone. Onscreen animation may assist you with working 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. After swiping, you may see another, more secure screen lock. If so, 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 types of screen locks. The most common is the fingerprint lock. To unlock the phone, you tap on or slide your finger over the fingerprint-reading gizmo.
Other screen locks are available, including the Face Unlock and the Signature lock found on the Samsung Galaxy Note line of phones. For further details on screen locks and how to configure them, see Chapter 21.
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 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 in the center of Figure 2-1.
❯❯ When a secure screen lock is set, the phone isn’t actually unlocked when the lock screen app runs. To do anything else with the phone, you must eventually work the screen lock.
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.
Your Android phone can be home to your various online incarnations. This list includes your email accounts, online services, social networking, subscriptions, and 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.
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
