Android for dummies pdf free download

The Galaxy Note line of phones features a pointing device, in the form of a digital stylus called an S Pen. The most common type of cell phone earphones are the earbud style: You set the buds into your ears. Between the earbuds and the sharp, pointy thing, you might find a doodle on which a button sits. The button can be used to mute the phone or to start or stop the playback of music when the phone is in its music-playing mode.

You can also use the doodle button to answer the phone when it rings. A teensy hole on the doodle serves as a microphone. The mic allows you to wear the earphones and talk on the phone while keeping your hands free.

Some phones come with a set of earphones. If yours did not, you can purchase a set at any electronics store where the employees wear name tags.

Ensure that the headset features a microphone. Some headsets feature extra doodle buttons, such as Forward and Reverse buttons. Be sure to fully insert the earphone connector into the phone. You can also use a Bluetooth headset with your phone, to listen to a call or some music.

See Chapter 17 for more information on Bluetooth. Fold the earphones when you put them away, as opposed to wrapping them in a loop. Put the earbuds and connector in one hand, and then pull the wire straight out with the other hand. Fold the wire in half and then in half again. You can then put the earphones in your pocket or on a tabletop.

By folding the wires, you avoid creating something that looks like a wire ball of Christmas tree lights. Here are some of your choices: Phone case: Protect your phone by getting it a jacket, one that further expresses your individuality. Screen protectors: These clear plastic sheets adhere to the touchscreen, protecting it from scratches and other abuse.

Ensure that you get screen protectors designed specifically for your phone. Car mount: This device holds your Android phone so that you can easily see it while driving.

It makes for easier access, although these things are forbidden in some states. See Chapter 17 for information on using Bluetooth in your car for hands-free phone operations. MicroSD Card: When your phone supports this type of removable storage, consider buying this memory card. Some docks are simple cradles that prop up the phone for easy bedside viewing.

Others are more sophisticated, offering USB connectors and maybe even a real keyboard. Wireless charger: Not every phone can be charged wirelessly, but if yours can, definitely get a wireless charger. Simply set your phone on the pad or prop it up in the dock. A Home for Your Phone Homes built in the s and s often featured a special hole in the wall called a phone cubby.

You should treat your Android phone with similar reverence and respect. Toting your Android phone The compactness of the modern cell phone makes it perfect for a pocket or even the teensiest of party purses.

And its well-thought-out design means you can carry your phone in your pocket or handbag without fearing that something will accidentally turn it on, dial Mongolia, and run up a heck of a cell phone bill. Doing so may temporarily enable the touchscreen, which can hang up a call, mute the phone, or do any of a number of undesirable things.

You might accidentally sit on the phone, or it can fly out when you peel off your coat. The worst fate for any cell phone is to take a trip through the wash. Phones are as prone to being misplaced as are your car keys and glasses. Consistency is the key to finding your phone. Then again, your phone rings, so you can always have someone else call your cell phone to help you locate it. If available, a docking station makes a handsome, permanent location for your Android phone.

While working, I keep my phone next to my computer. Avoid putting your phone in direct sunlight; heat is bad news for any electronic gizmo. That introduction is still necessary and it requires some careful attention.

Hello, Phone Modern, technical gizmos lack an on—off switch. Instead, they feature a power button. This key is used in several ways, some of which may not be obvious or apparent. The setup process works more smoothly when you already have a Google, or Gmail, account.

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. 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.

You may have to press it longer than you think. Answer the questions presented. 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.

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. Tap the Finish button. The Finish button appears on the last screen of the setup procedure. From this point on, starting the phone works as described in the next section.

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. Additional information on connecting your phone to a Wi-Fi network is found in Chapter 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. 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. Instead, you lock and unlock it. 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.

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 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 Unlocking Android phones featuring the Swipe lock. 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 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. 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. 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. 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 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. Unlike on a computer, however, Android is a mobile device operating system, designed primarily for use in cell phones and tablets. 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:. 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. 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. 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. Tap Add Account. The Add Account item is illustrated in Figure , although it may appear as a plus sign, shown in the margin. Choose an account from the list. For example, to add a Facebook account, choose the Facebook app from the list. You may have to install a specific app before an account appears.

Chapter 16 covers installing new apps on your phone. 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.

You can continue adding accounts by repeating these steps. See Chapter 9 for specifics on adding email accounts to your Android phone. Chapter 11 covers social networking on your phone and offers advice on adding those types of accounts. This information includes contacts, Gmail, events, and other Googly account data.

As you add accounts to your phone, the information associated with those accounts is migrated to the device. You might also see media, such as photos, videos, and music transferred, if you use online sharing services to host the media. Goodbye, Phone You can dismiss your Android phone in several ways, only two of which involve using a steamroller or raging elephant. The other methods are covered in this section.

The touchscreen display turns off and the phone is locked. Your phone will spend most of its time locked. The phone still works while locked; it receives email and plays music and signals alerts and alarms.

Phone calls arrive. The call stays connected, but the display is disabled. Refer to Chapter 20 for information on setting the automatic lock timeout value. Tap the Power Off item. If a confirmation message appears, tap the OK button.

The phone turns itself off. Figure The Phone Options card. Calls received while the phone is off are routed instead to voice mail.

The bare minimum is the Power Off item. Decades ago, the most powerful computers had the most buttons, knobs, and dials. Those room-size computers that ran the census had hundreds of switches and controls.

Back then it would have been easy to assume that a powerful computer of the future would have thousands of switches and controls. The reality is far different. Today, smart devices like your Android phone are basically bereft of buttons. Despite its seemingly endless potential, your phone is a simple device. The touchscreen is the main control. Therefore, I present this chapter to help you get up to speed on how to operate that advanced gizmo, the Android cell phone.

After you clear that hurdle, understanding how your phone works becomes easier. Manipulating the touchscreen The touchscreen works in combination with one or two of your fingers. You can choose which fingers to use, or whether to be adventurous and try using the tip of your nose, but touch the touchscreen you must.

You might also see the terms touch or press. Double-tap: Touch the screen twice in the same location. A double-tap can be used to zoom in on an image or a map, but it can also zoom out.

Long-press: Tap part of the screen and hold down your finger. Long-press might also be referred to as tap and hold. Swipe: To swipe, tap your finger on one spot and then move your finger to another spot.

Swipes can go up, down, left, or right. This action often moves information on the touchscreen, similar to the way scrolling works on a computer. A swipe can be fast or slow. Drag: A combination of long-press and then swipe, the drag operation moves items on the screen. Start with the long press, then swipe while keeping your finger on the screen.

Lift your finger to complete the action. Pinch: A pinch involves two fingers, which start out separated and then are brought together. The pinch is used to zoom out on an image or a map. This move may also be called a pinch close. Spread: In the opposite of a pinch, you start with your fingers together and then spread them. The spread is used to zoom in. Rotate: Use two fingers to twist around a central point on the touchscreen, which has the effect of rotating an object on the screen.

Using the navigation icons Below the touchscreen dwells a series of icons. They can appear as part of the touchscreen itself, or on some phones they may be part of the bezel or even be physical buttons. These are the navigation icons, and they serve specific and uniform functions throughout the Android operating system. How these icons appear can vary. The most common variations are shown in Table This book uses the stock Android Lollipop icons, also shown in the table.

Recent: Tap the Recent icon to see the Overview, a list of recently opened or currently running apps. Swipe the list to view all the apps. To exit from the Overview, tap the Back icon. On Android phones without a Recent icon, long-press the Home icon to see the Overview.

Older Samsung phones may sport a Menu icon or button instead of the Recent icon. Tap this icon to display a pop-up menu from which you can choose actions. The three navigation icons may hide themselves when some apps run.

In most cases, the icons are still there but are invisible. Tap the screen to summon the navigation icons. For some full-screen apps and games, swipe the screen from top to bottom to see the icons. The Back navigation icon may change its orientation, as shown in the margin. Tap this icon to hide the onscreen keyboard, dismiss dictation, or perform other actions similar to using the Back navigation icon.

Setting the volume The Volume key is found on the side of the phone. Press the top part of the key to raise the volume. Press the bottom part to lower the volume. As you press the Volume key, a card appears on the touchscreen to illustrate the relative volume level, as shown in Figure Not every volume card looks like the one shown in Figure , although they all have a slider.

Additional controls let you set specific volumes; tap an icon on the card to view details. You can set the volume even when the phone is locked. See Chapter 20 for information on setting the volume for specific phone events by using the Settings app. The quick way to obey this command with your Android phone is to keep pressing the bottom part of the Volume key until the phone vibrates.

You might also find the Sound quick setting. Tap that icon to mute or vibrate the phone. When the phone is silenced or in Vibration mode, an appropriate status icon appears on the status bar. Shown in the margin is what a Vibration mode status icon might look like. You make the phone noisy again by reversing the directions in this section.

Changing the orientation Android phones feature a gizmo called an accelerometer. To demonstrate how the phone orients itself, rotate the device to the left or right. Most apps change their orientation to match the new orientation, such as the web browser app, shown in Figure Figure Vertical and horizontal orientations. The rotation feature may not work for all apps, especially games that present themselves in one orientation only. Also, the Home screen may not reorient itself on all phones.

The onscreen keyboard is more usable when the phone is in its horizontal orientation. See Chapter 4. Some phones feature a quick setting that locks the orientation. See Chapter 16 for more information on the Google Play Store. Knowing about the Home screen is an important part of understanding your Android phone.

To view the Home screen at any time, tap the Home navigation icon found at the bottom of the touchscreen. Some phones feature a physical Home button, which performs the same duties as the Home navigation icon. Several fun and interesting things appear on the Home screen. Status bar: The top of the Home screen is a thin, informative strip that I call the status bar.

It contains notification icons and status icons plus the current time. If the status bar disappears, a quick swipe from the top of the screen downward redisplays it.

Notifications: These icons come and go, depending on what happens in your digital life. For example, a new notification icon appears whenever you receive a new email message or have a pending appointment. App launcher icons: The meat of the meal on the Home screen plate are the app launcher icons. Tapping a launcher icon runs an app. Widgets: These teensy programs can display information as well as let you control the phone, manipulate a feature, access an app, or do something purely amusing.

Folders: Multiple apps can be stored in a folder. Tap the folder to see the app launcher icons inside. Tap a launcher to start that app. See Chapter 19 for more information on folders. Wallpaper: The background image you see on the Home screen is the wallpaper. Home screen page index: This series of dots helps you navigate between the various Home screen pages.

See the next section. Favorites tray: The lineup of launcher icons near the bottom of the screen is the favorites tray. It shows the same launchers at the bottom of every Home screen page.

Not every phone features a favorites tray. Phone app: You use the Phone app to make calls. Apps icon: Tap this icon to view the collection of apps and widgets available on your phone. Ensure that you recognize the names of the various parts of the Home screen. These terms are used throughout this book and in whatever other scant Android phone documentation exists. Directions for using the Home screen gizmos are found throughout this chapter. The Home screen is entirely customizable.

You can add and remove icons, add widgets and shortcuts, and even change wallpaper images. See Chapter 20 for more information. You can read more about live wallpaper in Chapter You may see numbers affixed to certain Home screen launcher icons.

Those numbers indicate pending actions, such as unread email messages, indicated by the icon shown in the margin. Switching Home screen pages The Home screen is more than what you see. To switch from one page to another, swipe the Home screen left or right. On some phones, the main Home screen page is shown by a House icon instead of a dot in the Home screen page index.

See Chapter 20 for information on managing home screen pages, adding new pages, and removing pages. The far left Home screen page on some phones is the Google Now app. See Chapter 15 for information on Google Now. Reviewing notifications Notifications appear as icons at the top left of the Home screen, as illustrated earlier, in Figure To review them, pull down the notifications drawer by dragging your finger from the top of the screen downward.

Two variations on the notifications drawer presentation are illustrated in Figure Peruse the notifications by swiping them up and down. To deal with a specific notification, tap it. What happens next depends on the notification, although typically the app that generated the notification runs and shows more details.

After a notification is chosen, it disappears. Or you can dismiss a notification by swiping it to the right or left. To dismiss all notifications, tap the Clear icon, as shown in the margin. To hide the notifications drawer, swipe the notifications drawer handle upward on the screen. Or, if you find this process frustrating and it can be , tap the Back navigation icon.

Some ongoing notifications cannot be dismissed. For example, notifications to update apps continue to appear, as do calendar reminders. See Chapter New notifications are heralded by a notification ringtone. Chapter 20 provides information on changing the sound. Controlling which types of notifications appear is covered in Chapter Accessing Quick Settings The Quick Settings appear as large buttons or icons atop the notifications drawer.

On some phones, such as the Samsung phone shown on the left in Figure , the Quick Settings appear all the time atop the navigation drawer.

Swipe the Quick Settings icons left or right to view the lot. Other phones require that you swipe the notifications drawer downward twice to see quick settings, as illustrated in Figure Figure Quick Settings drawer. Dismiss the Quick Actions drawer by touching the Back or Home navigation icons. As long as you have excellent touchscreen skills, you can also banish the Quick Actions drawer by swiping the screen from bottom to top. Some older Android phones may display the Quick Settings when you swipe the screen from top to bottom, starting at the right end of the status bar.

The Settings icon provides instant access to the Settings app, a popular place to visit as you learn about and configure your Android phone. Knowing how to deal with apps is vital to being a successful, happy Android phone user. Starting an app To start an app, tap its icon. The app starts. Apps can be started from the Home screen: Tap a launcher icon to start the associated app.

To leave an app, tap the Home navigation icon to return to the Home screen. You can keep tapping the Back navigation icon to back out of an app. Or you can tap the Recent navigation icon to switch to another running app.

You can directly stop apps that have run amok, as described in Chapter Wonderful widgets Like apps, widgets appear on the Home screen. To use a widget, tap it. What happens after that depends on the widget and what it does. For example, the YouTube widget lets you peruse videos. The Calendar widget shows a preview of your upcoming schedule.

A Twitter widget may display recent tweets. New widgets are obtained from the Google Play Store, just like apps. See Chapter 16 for information. Also see Chapter 19 for details on adding widgets to the Home screen. Finding an app in the Apps drawer The place where you find all apps installed on your Android phone is the Apps drawer. Even though you can find launcher icons app shortcuts on the Home screen, the Apps drawer is where you need to go to find everything. To view the Apps drawer, tap the Apps icon on the Home screen.

This icon has a different look to it, depending on your Android phone. Figure illustrates some variations on the Apps icon, though more varieties may exist. After you tap the Apps icon, you see the Apps drawer. Swipe through the pages left and right or up and down across the touchscreen. To run an app, tap its icon. The app starts, taking over the screen and doing whatever magical thing the app does. As you add new apps to your phone, they appear in the Apps drawer. See Chapter 16 for information on adding new apps.

Some phones allow you to create folders in the Apps drawer. These folders contain multiple apps, which helps keep things organized. To access apps in the folder, tap the Folder icon. The Apps drawer displays apps alphabetically.

On some phones, you can switch to a non-alphabetical viewing grid. For apps that you use all the time, consider creating launcher icons on the Home screen. Chapter 19 describes how. For the most part, they stay running. You can remove an app from the Overview by swiping it off the list. Removing an app from the Overview is pretty much the same thing as quitting an app. For Android phones without a Recent icon, long-press the Home navigation icon to see the Overview.

If so, just start it up again as you normally would. Common Android Icons In additional to the navigation icons, various other icons appear while you use your Android phone. These icons serve common functions in your apps as well as in the Android operating system. Table lists the most common icons and their functions. Action Displays a pop-up menu. This teensy icon appears in the lower right corner of a button or image, indicating that Bar actions commands are attached.

Adds or creates an item. Download [PDF] Jeopardy! Read Free Online by - Jennifer N. Download [PDF] Life 3. Read Free Online by - Handwriting Time. Turn your stress into success! Read Full Pages by - the pregnancy experts at Mayo Clinic. Read Free Online by - Jess Volinski. NET and. Todd Lombardo. Charles Russell Severance. Steven Agabegi. Kids Activities. Pages : Format : Pdf. Year : Edition : 1. Author : Dan Gookin. Chapter 2: The On-Off Chapter.

Chapter 3: Android Tour. Chapter 4: Type to Type, Text to Edit. Chapter 5: Telephone Stuff. Chapter 7: The Address Book. Chapter 8: Text Me. Chapter Web Browsing. Chapter Your Digital Photo Album. Chapter Music, Music, Music. Chapter Various and Sundry Apps. Chapter Google Play Shopping. Chapter Connect, Share, and Store. Chapter Apps and Widgets. Chapter Customize and Configure. Chapter Android Security.