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Welcome to
Android
B
Android
Editor in Chief
Dave Harfield
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Jon White, Andy Betts
Senior Art Editor
Dani Dixon
Design
Vicky McFarlane
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Android for Beginners Revised Edition 2012 Imagine Publishing Ltd
ISBN 978 1908955 074
Part of the
bookazine series
IMAGINEER
OF THE YEAR
DANIELLE DIXON
TEAM
OF THE YEAR
BOOKAZINES
Contents
38
Set a face
lock
58
Ultimate guide
8
Everything you
need to know
about Android
Setting up
24
26
28
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
40
114
Take
Widgets
overview
photos
Getting started
44
46
48
50
51
52
52
54
56
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
84
86
88
90
92
94
Set up Gmail
Configuring Mail
Organise your Gmail emails
Organise email in Mail
Using attachments in Gmail
Use attachments in Mail
Setting up your Calendar
Set Reminders in your
Calendar
Exploring YouTube
Copy songs to your
phone
Set a song as
your ringtone
Creating a
playlist
168
Boost
battery
145
Learn with
Android
60
Manage
widgets
No matter which
phone you use,
youll be able
to use all the
guides and
tutorials
in this
book
100
102
104
106
108
110
112
114
116
118
120
122
124
An overview of the
Google Play Store
Purchasing an app
Refund an app
Keep your Android
apps updated
Learn how to use
Google Play Books
Downloading an ebook
from Google Play
Overview of
Google Play Movies
Rent a Movie from
Google Play
Take your first photograph 138
Send a photo to a friend
Upload your photos to
Picasa
Record videos on your
phone
Share your videos with your 164
friends
Upload videos to YouTube
Essential apps
A complete guide
to the best apps on
Google Play
Troubleshooting
All your questions
answered and an
in-depth glossary
Android for Beginners
Ultimate guide
An introduction
to Android
Android is the most popular mobile operating
system in the world. Its time to find out why
ndroid is an open-source
mobile operating system that is
developed by Google. The nature
of open source means that any
phone or tablet manufacturer can
use the system as the main software for their
products. This has led Samsung, HTC and a host
of others to build Android phones in a variety of
styles. Some have hardware keyboards, some are
tiny and others pack in huge screens to deliver
the ultimate in mobile entertainment. At the core
though is Android and this means that no matter
what phone you own, you will still be able to use
every part of this book in relation to your device.
Android is competing well against iOS, Apples
mobile operating system, and now includes
almost all of the best iOS features. Messaging,
calendars, contacts and most of the core reasons
for buying a smartphone are similar and work in
the same way, as do most of the system settings.
Despite these similarities, Android is different
in lots of ways. It can be tweaked to make the
experience much more personal and widgets,
themes and many other third-party apps are
available to truly make an Android phone unique
to you. Because Google is pushing the platform
this brings added benefits such as free satellite
navigation and a tight integration with popular
services like Gmail and Google Calendar.
Android can be whatever you want it to be;
a basic smartphone that you use for a handful
of simple tasks or a powerhouse mobile
communication tool that will change your life.
Manufacturers tend
to overlay the Android
UI with their own
software. It looks different,
but works almost identically.
Google services are
built in by default
and Android is
designed to ensure tight
integration with them all.
Ultimate guide
READING
BROWSING
eBook reading
feels close to
reading a real book on
an Android device
10
First
How to turn an
Android phone on
Turning an Android phone
on may sound simple, but
there are some steps to
go through to make
it quick and smooth.
How to turn
an Android
phone off
Turning an Android
phone off can be
done both manually
or automatically;
which method is
used depends on
how long the phone
has been inactive.
steps
Follow an Android
on-screen tutorial
How to charge an
Android phone
A pattern lock
or password can
be set which you
need to enter
after you have
followed step
1. It only takes
a couple of
seconds to
complete.
In Settings, choose
Brightness. If you
tick the Automatic
brightness box, the
screen will adjust to
the ambient light.
If the tick is
removed you
can choose the exact
brightness you require
useful if you want to
save battery life.
In Settings
find the Date
& time option.
If you select
Automatic, the
phone will use
your mobile
network to
adjust the time.
To change the
volume for other
parts of the phone, go
to Settings and then
choose Sound. Now
tap Volume and you
can tweak individual
Media, Ringtone and
Alarm volume levels.
11
Ultimate guide
Google Play
FAQs
How do I access the
Google Play store?
12
Do I need an
account?
COMMUNICATION
PHOTOS
13
Ultimate guide
HTC
H
DIGITAL TEXT
HTC APPS
14
SOCIAL NETWORKS
FLIP TO SILENCE
HOME SCREEN
FOOTPRINTS
Footprints is one
example of an HTC-built
app that has gained a
popular following and
which works very well
WEATHER
MUSIC
You can
create
playlists
of your
top
tracks
OFFICE WORK
15
Ultimate guide
APPS
A carefully selected
range of apps has
been added to every
Samsung Android
smartphone and
tablet device
TOUCHWIZ
WIDGETS
16
ENTERTAINMENT
iPHONE BEATER?
The new Galaxy S III is a device that looks to give the iPhone a
real run for its money
SAMSUNGS TOP
UNIQUE FEATURES
MEDIA HUB
SUPERIOR SCREENS
TWEAKS
ALLSHARE
SWYPE
SWYPE is included on
Samsung Android products
and offers a unique method
of data entry. You can type
without your finger ever
leaving the screen and it
really is quick.
17
Ultimate guide
Motorola
M
otorola has taken a varied
approach to Android
development and released
some devices that are unique. The
Motorola Atrix is a prime example and
effectively turns an Android smartphone
into a laptop. It works by connecting
the phone to a single unit
keyboard and screen and
is leading the way
in converged
mobile
products which
could catch
on in the
future. In the
US the Atrix
has been
released in a
MOTOROLAS
TOP UNIQUE
FEATURES
MOTOBLUR
BACKING UP
XOOM
DROID
MOTOBLUR
MOTOBLUR is
great for social
people, but can get
busy when too many
icons are active
PRODUCTIVITY
18
The Droid
home screen
is a lesson
in simplicity
and contrasts
greatly with
MOTOBLUR
LIFE-PROOF
Sony
Ericsson
S
ony Ericsson now known solely as Sony
is the third biggest maker of Android
phones and tablets. The Xperia PLAY is the
first Android smartphone to combine a hardware
gaming control system with official PlayStation
games and effectively turns the device into an
original PlayStation. The Xperia arc is one of the
thinnest Android phones on the market and offers
a superior blend of hardware and software. BRAVIA
technology is used in some screens to produce
a vibrant visual experience and the addition of
carefully considered apps makes for a complete
set up that is squarely aimed at as many potential
Android users as possible.
MUSIC
HOME SCREEN
GAMES
Timescape
is a unified
solution that
brings all your
communication
with a person
to one place.
It covers every
possible form
of networking.
MAPS
ADVANCED
TINY PHONES
PHOTOGRAPHY The Xperia mini
Sonys pedigree
in the field of
photography shows
with the inclusion
of features such as
a face recognition
tool and a number
of other advanced
camera options.
range of Android
phones reaches
the limit of size
that can still be
considered a
smartphone. Ideal
for small hands
and those who
love portability.
REALITY
DISPLAY
MUSIC
Sony Ericsson
has used its
Walkman history
to good effect
by creating
one of the
most pleasing
music software
experiences on
Android to date.
19
Ultimate guide
KIDS
LG
PRADA
The recent
LG Prada 3.0
phone is not
only a great
phone, it
also includes
a variety of
new and
specialised
apps related
to Prada
themselves.
LG uses
NOVA
displays which are meant to be
brighter and clearer than other
mobile screens. Competition is
catching up though.
FRIENDLY INTERFACE
NOVA
20
3D
A NEW LOOK
LG tweaks many
aspects of Android
with its own
overlay and most
of its phones
include redesigned
keyboards and textmessaging apps.
HOME SCREENS
Facebook and
Twitter are built
in to the main
contacts app
which allows
profile images
and other
personal info to
be synchronised
automatically.
Other
devices
W
ORANGE
HUAWEI
ZTE
ZTE is a Chinese
telecommunications
manufacturer. After
expanding out of its home
nation, the company has
released a number of top
Android devices, including
the Racer and Blade. Its
handsets are also a popular
option on pay-as-you-go
contracts, so you dont
have to be tied
in to a long deal
or break the
bank buying
the handset.
Offering a
respectable
alternative to
market leaders,
theres no
doubt ZTE is
here for the
haul.
long haul
GAMES
21
Setting up
24
26
28
30
Set up Wi-Fi
Get online on the go
31
Setting up 3G
Turn your data connection on and off
32
33
34
35
36
Set a passcode
Protect your phone from intruders
37
38
40
22
24
Sync your
phone
34
Wallpaper
options
37
Pattern
locking
40
Organise
Android
Creating
folders is
an easy
task and
itll only
take a few
minutes to
start getting
things in
order
Android for Beginners
23
Setting up
Sync your
Android phone
Having a Google account is essential if you wish to make the most
of your Android phone, and you can sync between the two
Settings
24
02 Signing in
03 Communicating
04 Set up location
05 All done
06 Settings app
07 Syncing information
08 Syncing icon
09 Auto syncing
25
Setting up
Become familiar
with your settings
It may be a boring aspect of using Android, but by delving into
your settings you can ensure that your phone works for you
Settings
26
02 Call settings
04 Change ringtones
08 Privacy settings
09 Manage applications
27
Setting up
Getting the most from
the Android keyboard
We run through the basics of the Android keyboard, from
entering numbers and symbols to using predictive text
Keyboard
01 Entering text
28
03 Entering numbers
Androids
predictive text
functionality
Select a word
With each guess attempt Android will list
many potential words. They cant all fit
on the display, so simply scroll across the
screen to see more entries
29
Setting up
Set up Wi-Fi
Relying on your phone connection might serve you well, but
Wi-Fi can turn out to be the better option in some instances.
Plus, sometimes it might be your only option
Wi-Fi
01 Setting up
30
Setting up 3G
Learn how to toggle your phones mobile data connection,
which is useful if youre going abroad, or on a limited data tariff
3G
02 Network settings
03 Turn off 3G
31
Setting up
Change your
phones ringtone
Ringtone
32
02 Open Settings
These days, our phones are always with us, and fill many
roles that we used to need other devices for. One of the
most common is as an alarm clock
Alarm
33
Setting up
Change your wallpaper
Bored of your background image? Here are three quick steps to
change your wallpaper and breathe new life into your phone
Wallpaper
01 Get started
34
02 Three choices
Wallpapers
35
Setting up
Set a passcode
Setting a passcode is vital for any smartphone user and here
we will show you how to do it and why it is so important
System
Set up a passcode
36
System
01 The settings
37
Setting up
Set up a Face Unlock
Keep your phone private with this cool security
update as part of Ice Cream Sandwich
Settings
01 Settings
38
02 Security
03 Intro
Camera view
At the centre of the screen, the view from
your camera will appear, with the edges
shaded to show you where to place your
face within the image
Not recognised
If your phone doesnt recognise your
face, you will be transferred to the
pattern or pin screen for a second chance
of unlocking your phone
Emergency call
You can access your phones dial pad to
make emergency calls by tapping the
related icon that appears at the bottom
of the lock screen
Pattern
At the bottom of the view screen a
padlock may appear. This allows you to
skip to your secondary security check
which can be a pin code or a pattern, if
you dont want to use Face Unlock
Pattern Lock
04 Capture
05 Backup
39
Setting up
Customise your home
screen in ICS
The easiest ways to edit and manage your home screen, so all
your important apps and features are closer than ever
Home screen
01 Widgets
40
02 Add apps
03 Organise
Your Android
home screen
Widgets
Widgets are the shortcuts to
different programs on your phone.
You can add any app from your
menu to the home screen by
holding down on the icon
Manage
You can manage all the widgets
and apps on your home screen
by holding down on the app in
question and moving it around your
screen, or drag it to the trash icon if
you want to remove it
Wallpaper
This can be one of the Android stock
images or a photo from your gallery.
Tap and hold on the screen to bring up
the wallpaper menu
04 Wallpapers
Apps menu
This will take you to the screen
housing all your apps, as well as
providing you another route to
managing your home screen, via the
Settings icon
05 Live wallpapers
06 Multiple placements
41
Getting started
44
46
68
88
70
90
48
Set up Gmail
92
50
72
74
76
51
Mute a call
52
78
54
80
56
60
62
82
64
66
84
48
Make a
call
Using attachments in
Gmail
Use email attachments in
Android Mail
Creating a playlist
94
Android widgets
explained
Configuring Mail
58
Exploring YouTube
Watch funny cat videos and more
on your Android
86
62
Using the
web
80
Using
Gmail
84
Using
Calendar
43
Getting started
Adding and sharing
contact details
For all the versatility of the Android, theyre still phones and
phones need numbers to call. Thats where contacts come in
01 Load it up
44
02 Choosing to add
03 Name them
Managing
contacts
Updates
If you have Facebook or Twitter
accounts linked to your phone,
you will see updates from your
contacts just below their names
An overview of
the screen
Narrow down
The menu
Multiple numbers
06 Save it
45
Getting started
Get to know
the ICS
People app
Searching
Profile
Sorting
All your contacts are listed in
alphabetical order, although
you can change this through
the settings. If you have
several contacts under one
letter, then you can split
them into different groups, as
explained later in this article
Images
One of the clever things
associated with the ICS
People app is being able
to import pictures directly
from Facebook. This is a
great way of identifying your
contacts quickly, and makes
the whole application look a
little less bland
46
02 Regular contacts
03 Find a contact
04 Making contact
06 Favourites
07 Syncing accounts
Press the options menu in the bottomright of the app and select the Accounts
page. Youll now be able to add and
remove any accounts that youre currently
syncing with your contacts list.
47
Getting started
Making and receiving
calls with your Android
How to handle phone calls while using the touch
screen interface of an Android handset
Phone Dialler
48
02 A familiar setting
03 Dialling a number
How Android
displays incoming
phone calls
Caller ID
Manage your
favourite contacts
06 Add a contact
49
Getting started
Call a person in your
contacts list
A basic guide on how to locate a person from
within your phone book and then make a call
01 Open up Contacts
50
Mute a call
Phone
01 In-call features
03 Loudspeaker
51
Getting started
Composing and
sending a message
One of the most useful features of any phone is also the most
simple, so learning how to send messages is a necessary skill
Messages
Send an SMS
01 Select Messages
52
03 Choose a recipient
An SMS overview
Compose message
Group messages
Re-read
If you want to re-read an
ongoing chain of messages, or
reply to a message sent to you,
this is where you want to tap
Delete
Its rare on modern Android
devices to run out of space
because of messages, but all
the same it is possible to delete
messages to free up room
Settings
Use this option to customising
the message settings to suit
your needs, from text message
limits and delivery reports to the
language and message tone
06 Message options
53
Getting started
Managing
your messages
It isnt just about sending and receiving texts smart Android
users know exactly how to manage their messages
Messages
01 Open Messages
54
03 Forwarding messages
Message
management
Other options
Tapping on a message
received will bring up a list of
further options of what to do
with it, allowing forwarding,
deleting etc
An overview of managing
your messages
Access info
Managing
It isnt just messages from
others that can be managed
you can do the same with
messages you have sent by
tapping them on the screen
Menu options
04 Getting rid
55
Getting started
Keep updated via the
Android notification bar
Androids trademark feature provides a quick and simple
way of accessing new messages or updates
Notifications
56
02 Drag it down
The Android
notification bar
3G or Wi-Fi
When using a data connection
the icon in the top right of the
screen will display either a 3G or
Wi-Fi signal icon to show your
connection speed.
SMS Alerts
Text alerts by default appear as a
smiley face icon within a speech
bubble. Drag the notification bar
down and tap the update to go
straight to your new SMS.
06 Notified by audio
57
Getting started
Using widgets in Ice
Cream Sandwich
Widgets can add a new visual element to your home
screen, heres how to use them
01 Choose a screen
58
03 Choose a widget
The widget
screen
The widget menu has
plenty of options
Alphabetical order
The widget drawer lists all
widgets in alphabetical order,
making it a lot easier if youre
looking for a specific widget.
Integrated widgets
Any additional widgets that you
may download will automatically
be added to your list of widgets in
your drawer.
Size listings
Each widget has a size listing
next to it. Some apps have
multiple widgets and will
therefore differ in size. Make sure
you choose the correct one.
Recognisable apps
04 Long press
59
Getting started
Organise your widgets
Now we know how useful widgets are, lets look at how we can
install, remove and organise them in a way that suits us
60
03 Moving widgets
Our business
home screen
Calendar
Stock ticker
When you create your stock
ticker widget, you can pick
which companys performance
you want to check up on
Add widgets
04 Switching screens
05 Quick-adding widgets
61
Getting started
Using the internet
on your ICS device
The quality of mobile internet access has increased
rapidly recently. Heres how to get started with it
62
03 Type an address
The stock
browser options
Much more than
browsing the web
Share page
You can share your favourite
web pages with your contacts
through the Gmail client.
Creating bookmarks
Create a bookmark to save a web
page that you may want to visit at
a later date.
Find a phrase
Press the Find on Page option to
search for a particular phrase or
word in a large body of text.
Offline reading
Certain web pages and articles
can be saved for offline viewing,
meaning you can view them
without the need of a browser.
Viewing videos
04 Viewing sites
63
Getting started
Save web pages
with bookmarks
See how you can save web pages that you visit
on your Ice Cream Sandwich smartphone
Browser
64
03 Save to Bookmarks
Manage your
bookmarks
Saved pages
As well as bookmarks, you can
compile a list of Saved Pages
which you can look through on
a regular basis.
History
A list of all the pages youve
recently visited are saved in your
history tab. This can be erased in
the settings.
Loading times
Although bookmarked pages
take a lot of the hassle away, sites
with videos tend to take longer
to load.
Removing a bookmark
04 Where to save?
06 Manage bookmarks
65
Getting started
Choosing and using
a different browser
If the default browser isnt your thing, then simply try
another. Heres how to install a new browser
Dolphin Browser HD
66
02 Searching
05 The setup
06 Successfully installed
08 Closing it down
09 Uninstalling
67
Getting started
Using Google Search
The Google Search home screen widget is sometimes
overlooked, but its a pretty useful tool for searching local
and online content
68
03 Search suggestions
Results list
Once an item has been searched
for, a list of the closest/similar
matches found will be displayed
below. If you select an item it will
then take you to the web or an
internal application.
Switchable suggestions
Next to each search result (on
the right) you will find an arrow
which can be pressed to change
the original search request into
Googles alternative suggestion.
Location Services
Search Settings
The Search Settings box will
allow you to customise what
Google Search will use as search
items. This means you can search
your device for almost any
content (including apps).
06 Additional content
69
Getting started
Control your phone
by using your voice
Unlock the hidden potential of your Android
phone simply by telling it what to do
70
02 Start talking
03 What to say
Handy Voice
Search tools
Get directions
It can also be used to get
directions. Open Voice Search
and say Directions to followed
by a destination. Google Maps
will open automatically and
provide directions.
Make a call
Voice Search can also be used to
make phone calls without the
need for dialling beforehand.
Activate the function and say
call followed by a name in your
contacts list.
A voice-activated
calculator
04 Look on YouTube
06 Stay connected
71
Getting started
Set up Gmail
Gmail is a key part to your Android experience.
In this tutorial, we show you how to set this up
72
02 Gmail basics
03 Send a message
Settings option
The settings option can be
used to set up your email
account to your required taste
Message actions
Each message you send and
receive has a specific set of
actions that you can attach to
it. Use this menu to apply and
remove certain actions
04 Get notified
06 Adjusting sync
73
Getting started
Configuring Mail
If you dont want to use Gmail for your main email account, then
you can configure your existing email via the built-in Mail client
01 Set up
74
02 Manual set up
Getting to grips
with the interface
Most of the options are standard,
but companies like Samsung have
their own way of doing things
Intuitive interface
Samsung has streamlined the
default interface to be a lot more
user friendly. So rather than
selecting options by pressing
the Menu button, it uses tabs at
the top to jump straight to the
most common tasks
Setting Favourites
Similar to Gmail, emails will
have a star symbol next to the
message detail, so you can add
them to your Favourites folder
Email widget
04 Checking email
05 Signature/ notifications
From the inbox, select More/Account
Settings. Now, locate the Email
notification option, and adjust the
ringtone/vibrate option.
06 Additional accounts
75
Getting started
Organise your
Gmail emails
Over time, your emails will start to arrive in
numbers, so keeping them organised is a must!
Gmail
01 Threaded conversations
By default, multiple replies to your
emails are stacked neatly. Tapping on
the senders name will open/close the
message. Press Back to exit.
76
02 Adding a favourite
04 Viewing labels
05 Syncing labels
06 Mute emails
07 Report spam
08 Search emails
09 Switching accounts
77
Getting started
Organise email in Mail
With the default mail program supporting multiple POP3
and IMAP accounts the need for keeping your emails
organised becomes much more apparent
01 List by view
78
02 Favourites
03 Conversation
05 View folders
07 Search
08 Download attachments
09 Universal inbox
79
Getting started
Using attachments
in Gmail
Gmail
80
02 Kick-start Gmail
Subject
Give your email a title in the
usual way if youre attaching a
document to your mail its good
practice to let the recipient know
Auto-fill
As youre typing Gmail will search
your contacts for the same name
and automatically fill in the gaps,
saving you time
Menu
By pressing the options buutton
you can open up a menu which
outlines some basic options to
help you send the mail
Multiple files
04 Select an attachment
Discard
If you decide you want to delete
the message youre about to
send, or decide you want to
delete an attachment; you can
use the Discard option to get rid
of it.
81
Getting started
Use email attachments
in Android Mail
Master Androids default email application and send
documents to your work colleagues, friends or family
01 Open Mail
This guide assumes youre already setup and ready to go, so click on the Mail
icon in your application list (not to be
confused with Gmail).
82
Adding
attachments
in Mail
Recipient
Once youve added the name
of the recipient you can type in
the To box again to add further
recipients if youd like
Email body
Compose your email here as
usual. Our phone flags that were
writing from our mobile this is
useful since phone-typed mails
can appear slightly different
Paperclip
The attachment youve added
will appear next to the paperclip.
Like recipients, you can repeat
the process to add more files
Send
05 Ready to send
83
Getting started
Setting up
your Calendar
Never lose track of your work and social events
thanks to Androids built-in Calendar
National holidays are built in and colourcoded, so even notable events that you didnt
manually enter show up on your schedule.
The app can also sync with your Contacts
and place markers on their birthdays to
prevent you from forgetting them, and
reminders can also be set with an impressive
level of detail. For example, you can add
repetition if its the monthly board meeting,
and set reminders to appear as either a
notification or an email.
In short, if you take the time to set up your
Androids Calendar, the chances are that you
wont regret it, as being able to see whats
coming up in the timer ahead will stop any
surprises or last-minute dashes.
01 Options
84
02 Calendars Displayed
03 Preferences
Your Calendar
Home
Date
Tap the date at the top of your
calendar screen to change the
view to focus on different time
frames, ranging from a day view
to a month, or just the dates that
contain events
Options
From this icon you can change
all of the calendars preferences,
as well as choose which email
accounts you sync this app with.
Any events saved to them will be
added to this calendar
Add Event
Preferences
04 Reminders
05 View
06 Agenda
85
Getting started
Set Reminders in
your Calendar
Remind yourself of those important dates
with prompts from your smartphone
01 New Event
86
02 Details
03 Reminder Time
Making Sense
of Reminders
Repetition
If an event is recurring you
can adjust the frequency of it
by using this part of the event
creation menu
Type
This tab allows you to change
whether you receive the alert as
a notification on your phone or
as an email to the account youre
linking the event to
Account Syncing
Availability
04 Reminder Type
05 Preferences
06 Ringtone
87
Getting started
Exploring YouTube
Enjoy the wonderfully diverse world of YouTube for
Android, by checking out the wackiest and latest uploads
from its huge online community
YouTube
88
Hunting down
that video
Search
Tapping the magnifying glass at
the top will open your keyboard.
Enter in those important
keywords for YouTube to make
a match
Where to begin
searching for clips
Video length
YouTube logo
More info
Searching
04 Similar videos
06 Theres more!
89
Getting started
Music Hub Transferring music to your phone
Copy songs to
your phone
01 Music stores
Head into your Application menu and open Music Hub on the
Samsung. You can get a similar app from the Play Store by
searching for 7digital. Here you can download music to your phone.
04 Application transfer
02 Mass storage
Open the Settings option and select Wireless and Networks. Open
the USB utilities and select Connect Storage to PC. Connect your
device via USB. Now copy and paste files into the Media folder.
You can also import your iTunes library from Kies. Click on the
File menu and choose Import iTunes playlist to Library. After its
finished you can choose what you want to transfer.
From your other device, open up your music app and select the
track you want to transfer. Next press the Menu button and select
the option Share music via or Send. Choose Bluetooth from the list.
You can also transfer music via Bluetooth. Head to Settings and
go into Wireless and Network. Now select Bluetooth Settings
and turn on your Bluetooth. Place a tick next to Visible.
Songs can be copied from an email. Once you receive your file
via your mail client, select the email and scroll to the attachment.
Next to the attachment should be an option to save it.
91
Getting started
Set your favourite
song as a ringtone
Ringtones are another way of personalising your phone, and
can also prove useful for identifying individual contacts
Ringtones
92
02 Buy ringtones
03 Set ringtone
Ringdroid
custom ringtones
Timeline
To aid you with cutting the
songs, a timeline appears at
the top. After setting a start
and end point, press play in
order to hear the playback
between those two points
Zoom function
Install music
Save tracks
Saving your tracks allows you
to assign your custom track as a
ringtone, or by pressing the
drop-down tab you can assign a
song back to your music player,
Alarm or Notification
05 Assign to contact
06 Change settings
93
Getting started
Creating a playlist
Everything you need to know to make a totally
customised music playlist on your Android
Music
01 Starting out
94
03 Get scrolling
Your playlist
The key parts of creating
a custom playlist
Choose songs
This is where to touch in order to
start racking up those songs for
your dream playlist
Name playlist
Touching here makes the onscreen keyboard appear, letting
you name your playlist
Delete
Touching here helps you
quickly and effectively remove
any songs you added by mistake
Shortcuts
Menu
Pressing Menu at any point
opens up a few more options,
including the option to reorder
your songs in the playlist (see
Shortcuts boxout)
95
An overview of the
Google Play Store
An overview of Androids equivalent
to the App Store
100
Purchase
an app
Play Books
110 Overview of
96
136
Back up a
phone
104
Update
apps
126
Navigate
in Maps
132
Use
120
Record a
video
Google Play is
a burgeoning
and vibrant
shopping
experience
Android for Beginners
97
01 Home Page
98
02 Apps
Hit the Apps button to head to the appdedicated section of the Play Store. Here
youll find Staff Choices, games, featured
apps plus much more.
03 Books
Share
If you find something you think
others might like, you can share
it by tapping the Share icon and
choosing one of the options,
such as Google+ and Gmail.
Screenshots
You can swipe through the
various screenshots of an app to
get an impression of what its like.
Some also come with a trailer to
watch. Tap on any of the images
to open them full screen.
Buy
The price of an app appears in
blue in the header at the top
of the screen. Tap it to start a
purchase by opening the terms
and conditions screen.
Reviews
A complete record
04 Movies
05 Search
06 My Apps
99
Play Store
01 Go to the Store
100
02 Apps or Games?
03 Sections
Navigating the
Store
Search
The search function lets you
track down what you want, or
even type keywords in to help
you locate an app you didnt
know even existed
Sections
You can select the Staff Choices,
Editors Choice and Games
categories from the Play Store
home screen
Featured app
The main screen features a
prominent featured app that
regularly changes to tempt you
More options
05 Purchase
101
01 Find an app
102
Refunding
an app
Email
Make sure youre logged in to
your Google Play account else
the wrong list of apps will
be shown
Installed
All the apps youve previously
installed on your device will be
listed with the word Installed
next to them
Uninstall
Any app that youve previously
uninstalled will be listed with
their price next to them. This
is a good way to see if youve
refunded an app in time
04 Uninstall
App pages
As well as being a list of apps, this
page also works as a portal to
each individual apps page. Press
on one to see the apps details
05 Get confirmation
103
Developers dont sell you a program and wash their hands of it.
They continue to hone and refine their offerings
104
02 Allow notifications
Updates
explored
Notifications
Apps that can be updated will
also be shown in the notifications
bar. Tap on them to access those
apps quickly
Manual updates
Apps with new permissions
cannot be updated automatically.
These need to be updated one
at a time
All-in-one
04 Updating an app
Up to date
Your other installed apps are
listed below, labelled as Up
to date. You can access them
through a single tap
06 Almost there
105
106
The main
book interface
Contents
Using the contents option, you
can move between the various
chapters of the book if you dont
want to use the embedded
search or fast track slider
Display Options
The Display option is where
you can adjust the ebook view
according to your taste. This could
involve adjusting the backlight or
changing the font type or size
Automatic Bookmarks
06 Text-to-speech option
107
108
02 Book search
Browsing
for Books to
Download
My Books
Read Books on
your Computer
Account selection
If you press the Android menu
button and then pick Accounts
from the list, you can select which
Google account you want to use
with Google Play
06 Offline reading
109
01 Download Google
Play Movies
110
02 Security allowances
03 Interface basics
Google Play
Movies Interface
Personal videos
As well as rented movies, the
interface holds a record of all
your locally stored videos. You
can play them back by tapping
on the thumbnail picture
Change
Google accounts
Additional help
04 Configure streaming
warning
111
01 Pick a movie
112
02 Renting a movie
Manage
your Rentals
View/download your
rentals for offline use
Dynamic changes
Offline management
If storage space is getting low
on your device, bring up the
Android menu and then choose
the option Manage Offline to
remove the download. Note the
film can still be streamed
Alternative Viewing
Settings option
04 Download rental
113
Camera
explained
Looking at the various
camera options
Menu
There are many options you can
play with to make your images
sharper and better composed.
Go to Menu>Settings within the
Camera app
Anti-banding
114
Restore
If you get in a muddle and
need to go back to the original
settings, just tap Restore to
default settings
Quick snap
View image
Camera
01 Take a photo
02 White balance
03 Other settings
05 On-screen options
Open up the Camera app on your phone. Line up your shot and
tap the on-screen round button in the bottom right-hand corner
(with the camera in landscape) to take a photo.
You can also change the colour effect via Menu>Settings. There is
an option, too, for picture quality with the choices including super
fine, fine and normal. Picture size can also be altered.
As you size up your shot, if you tap down on the screen, you can
focus on various spots. Two interactive elements also show: a
zoom option and a slider to make the image lighter or darker.
Press the Menu button and you can play around with the settings.
They include the option to change the white balance, enabling
you to toggle between auto, incandescent, daylight and more.
You can view the last image you have taken by tapping on the
picture in the top right-hand corner of the app. This displays some
options including the ability to delete it, share or set as wallpaper.
115
Gallery
01 Open up Gallery
116
02 Select an image
Sending a
picture
Select
By pressing Select All or Deselect
All you can choose to send every
image on the screen or tell your
phone you want to start again
Choosing
Tap on each of the thumbnails
and a white arrow in a green box
will show. Tapping it again will
make it grey
Share
The Share icon is hidden beneath
the Menu icon. It calls up the
various options that are available
to you to send your picture to a
friend or family member
Options
Replace an image
05 Send an MMS
06 Bluetooth an image
117
Gallery
01 Select an image
118
03 Signing in
The uploading
process
Multiple
You can upload more than one
image. As you can see here, we
are uploading two but you can
share even more than that
Account
You are not restricted to just one
Google account. Your phone will
sync images to any number of
Google accounts that you may
have set up
Album
You can place images straight
into albums. Picasa syncs with
the web version so that the two
work hand-in-hand. Albums
created online will show here
Public album
04 Upload a photo
05 Process underway
06 A result
119
The video
interface
A look at how the
interface works
Image
The image in the corner
shows one of the previous
videos which you have
shot. If you tap it, the
video will play
120
Settings
All settings are accessed by pressing
the Menu button on your phone.
The settings menus are displayed
on the left-hand side of the screen
Toggle
Record
01 Familiarise yourself
02 Flash
03 White balance
04 Have fun
05 Time lapse
06 Video quality
The Camcorder app can be launched via the Camera app. There is
a slider on the right which lets you toggle between the two. Tap
the red Record button to start recording.
You also have the option to change the white balance. This will
depend on the lighting where youre shooting, but changing the
setting can produce a clearer picture.
There are a range of settings for you to play with by tapping the
on-screen settings option. Firstly, you can set the flash to On or
Off, depending on the time of day or brightness.
In Ice Cream Sandwich, there are a few fun effects you can add to
your images. There are a range of humorous face options, as well
as a choice of backgrounds.
121
01 Choose a video
122
03 Using Dropbox
Studying
the options
Videos
You can instantly tell the
difference between a video
and a photo by the arrow
symbol in the centre of films
Dropbox
You will have to install the free
app, Dropbox, on your phone
if you wish to take advantage
of this option
Tap
By tapping and holding on
a video, a green tick will
show. These denote the
videos you wish to share
Share options
04 Send an email
Share
Click the share button, and
Gallery will present you
with many ways to send
your video to a friend
05 Send as MMS
123
YouTube
124
02 Click Share
03 Log in to YouTube
Filling in the
YouTube form
Title
Choose an eye-catching title
that sums up your video but
is still quirky and interesting
enough to draw people in,
then write it in this box
Account
Using tags
04 Fill in details
Description
Tell potential viewers more
about your video by typing as
much information as you can
into this box. Its a great way for
people to make sense of what
they are watching
06 Ready to play
125
01 Turn on GPS
126
02 Choose a destination
03 Start navigating
Discover the
navigation screen
Next turn
Your next turn and the road
you are turning onto is
displayed along the top of the
screen, as a handy at-a-glance
visual indicator
Direction
Time
Route
Maps
05 My position
06 Street View
127
01 Places icon
128
02 Choose an option
03 Filtering results
Viewing the
Directions screen
Distance
The distance to the
destination, and the
estimated time it will take
for you to arrive there are
displayed just above the
search results. This is handy
for planning when you
should leave
Map view
Hit the Maps icon in the
top-right corner to view the
destination on a map, along
with your current position and
a line displaying your route
between the two
Finding ATMs
04 List of restaurants
Google Maps
Press the arrow icon to launch
straight into Google Maps
Navigation. This will give you
3D turn-by-turn directions
for driving and walking. Youll
need GPS turned on in order
to use this
05 Make a choice
06 Getting directions
129
Google Maps is not just designed for road use. You can load
up different types of maps depending on where you are
Google Maps
01 Viewing layers
130
02 Terrain view
03 Satellite view
With Google Maps you can see how much traffic there is on
your route, and how fast it is moving
Google Maps
01 Open Maps
02 Launch traffic
131
01 Sign in
132
02 Sync settings
Tweeting a
message
A look at the
tweet menu
Message to users
The @ sign in the toolbar
at the bottom allows you
to write your tweet and
then direct it at anyone
you are following
Enable location
The target icon uses the
phones GPS location data
while you are tweeting.
This adds geotagging
information and makes it
available under locationbased searches
Bring up edit
06 Tweet messages
133
01 Sign in
134
Your Facebook
profile
Search
Use the search function
to find friends and family
who you want to add as
a Facebook friend. You
can also use it to find a
specific page
Messages
News feed
Battery life
Chat
06 Update status
135
136
Backing up apps
Selecting apps
Schedules
04 Move to computer
Menu options
In the menu options you
can change the way the
app is displayed and sort
the list in to the order that
suits you best
Go to Application Manager/Backup
again. Select Backed up apps, choose
which apps to restore and click Install.
Ticking the top box will batch them all.
06 Relink updates
137
Essential apps
Essential
Apps
W
138
139
Essential apps
5 essential apps
01 Modern Combat 2:
Black Pegasus
02 Doodle Jump
04 Asphalt HD
Move by holding
Games
Touch-screen controls
140
Books and
reference
The internet has always been known as
the greatest encyclopaedia the world has
ever seen, with a tremendous amount of
accumulated knowledge being added
on a global level each and every day.
And with more app development, more
of this information is being made available
to mobile users in packaged forms that
enable users easy and controlled access.
Many thousands of books are gradually
being transferred to data to be accessed
via small devices such as smartphones
or specialist eReaders, while reference
material is now being sorted into more
manageable formats and under specialised
headers and websites. Apps play a critical
part in the new way information is being
disseminated. You will no longer have to
sift through data in a raw and unappealing
format as, through the apps interface, the
information can be presented in an intuitive
manner. Extra touches such as attractive
font design enable you to digest it more
thoroughly and more enjoyably.
5 essential apps
01 Kindle
02 Google Reader
Price Free Developer Google Inc.
03 Zenith
When finding the meaning of a word with Dictionary,
the synonyms for that same word are also revealed
04 Star Chart
05 Dictionary
141
Essential apps
Business
With the right apps installed on your
Android device, its possible to have your
own portable office in your pocket.
Theres a wealth of incredible programs
awaiting you in the Google Play store, many
free and packed with features. You can
open and edit Word files, Excel documents
and PowerPoint presentations, create and
view PDF files, access any documents stored
in the cloud and more all via the touch
screen on your smartphone. No longer do
you need to be tied to a desktop computer
5 essential apps
01 Documents To Go
or office. Using this clever software, the
amount of paper work youre likely to
generate is also cut down significantly.
But what if you need to access the office
computer while youre outside or travelling?
Youll be pleased to hear there are apps that
will enable you to remotely access any Mac
or PC as well weve covered all the bases.
But dont just take our word for it. Read
on to discover what we think are the five
top apps for business users and give them a
go yourself for a streamlined workflow.
02 QuickOffice Pro
03 Splashtop Remote
Desktop
05 Fish4Jobs
142
Comics
5 essential apps
01 Comics
02 Graphicly Comics
Price Free Developer Graphicly
03 Scott Pilgrim
04 Marvel Comics
Price Free Developer Marvel
You can read your comics in a number of ways
05 Robot 13
143
Essential apps
5 essential apps
The My info
panel in Skype
enables you to
set your current
status and bio
01 Skype
Tap the
contacts button
to see every
available contact
02 Opera Mini
Call any
number in the
world from the
Call screen
03 WhatsApp Messenger
Price Free Developer WhatsApp Inc.
04 eBuddy Messenger
Price Free Developer eBuddy
Edit your
Communication
It doesnt seem so long ago that we
could only talk over long distance via
the wizardry of landline calls. For the last
15 years, however, mobile phones have
revolutionised how we communicate and
only recently have apps added even more
features to our handheld devices. We can
now video call, send instant messages, files
and more all for free. Thanks to Googles
C2DM (push) technology we can also run
apps constantly in the background without
05 Google Chrome
Price Free Developer Google
144
Chrome is easy to
navigate and has a stylish
interface
Education
As mobile devices become more
integrated in classrooms, educators
and students are looking for new ways
to apply them to the learning process
because these devices can add new
dimension to the subjects. Applications
on all of these devices can help automate
Children and
adults alike
can learn from
almost anywhere
5 essential apps
01 HowStuffWorks
Price Free Developer Discovery
Communications
02 Factbook Ad-Free
Price 1.99/$2.99 Developer Urbian
05 TED
145
Essential apps
5 essential apps
01 Expense Manager
Price Free Developer BiShiNews
02 pFinance
Finance
146
04 PayPal
05 Google Finance
Price Free Developer Google
Improve your
health with apps
Making the most of these features to
improve your health is easy thanks to the
myriad apps available on the Google Play
store. Nearly all are free, so theres no excuse
not to download an app, put on your sports
shoes and get running (or whatever other
activity takes your interest).
Weve scoured the Market and rounded
up the five essential apps that can improve
your health and fitness. Youll find reviews of
a distance tracker, heartbeat monitor, calorie
counter and gym mentor here. With these
apps and a little determination, you could
be a whole new person in next to no time.
3D videos show you the correct workout technique
5 essential apps
01 Endomondo Sports
Tracker
Price Free Developer Endomondo
04 VirtuaGym Fitness
Home & Gym
Price Free Developer VirtuaGym
05 Cardio Trainer
Price Free Developer Noom
147
Essential apps
5 essential apps
01 Sleep as Android
Price Free Developer Petr Nlevka
02 DailyHoroscope
Price Free Developer Comitic
04 Earthquake
148
An interactive map is
included on Earthquake
Lifestyle
In the Lifestyle section of this guide
you will find programs that can both
affect and enhance your routine or
even change how you live your life,
whether that be within a practical,
environmental way or for rather more
frivolous reasons. Lifestyle apps are
often the most interesting and fun
because they normally group together
the most unusual and slightly bizarre
programs on the store such as spiritual
examinations within the psychic field
or even, it has to be said, the alcoholic
one. Youll also see various items such
as jokes and soap opera updates. These
applications will offer truly personal
services that follow you throughout the
day and offer bursts of entertainment
when convenient.
The key ingredients of lifestyle apps
are cool, current and compelling data.
They reflect the personal, attend to the
fickle and serve those user preferences
that can be viewed as fashionable.
Lifestyle apps
are cool and
current with
compelling data
5 essential apps
01 SketchBook Mobile
02 BBC iPlayer
03 Vimeo
04 YouTube
Switch to
landscape mode in
YouTube for a fullscreen view
149
Essential apps
5 essential apps
01 IMDb Movies & TV
Price Free Developer IMDb
02 Akinator
03 Backgrounds 10,000
Wallpapers
04 FoneJacker
05 Movies
150
Theres never an
excuse to be bored
with an Android
Entertainment
Theres never an excuse to be bored
when you have an Android device in
your pocket. Thats because theres a
nearly never-ending selection of fun apps
to be discovered in the Google Play store,
many available for free and more being
developed and brought out all the time.
Its possible to instantly check the cinema
times at your local screen without even
entering your location, and while were on
the subject of movies, you can read critic
and user reviews, watch trailers and see
how films are faring in the box office.
5 essential apps
Medical
01 BMI Calculator
Some programs
can enable
you to change
your lifestyle
03 NHS Direct
04 Medical Terminology
and Abbrev
Price 1.23/$1.99 Developer Simple Tree
151
Essential apps
Music
5 essential apps
01 Amazon MP3
Cloud Drive and Google Music. That means
you can upload your entire music collection
and listen to it at any time without taking
up precious space on your SD card. Theres
a wealth of other great abilities awaiting
you in the Google Play store, including apps
that help find music from your favourite
bands or apps that can recognise music
playing in the background. Weve rounded
up five essential music apps to help you get
you started in this area.
02 Winamp
04 SoundHound
05 TuneIn Radio
152
5 essential apps
Click on a
homepage
icon to
access the
full story
01 Pulse News
03 Guardian Anywhere
Price Free Developer Future Platforms
subject is
divided into
sub-headings
News &
magazines
Arguably, the combination of news
text along with the mobile platform
is a match made in heaven. In fact, the
concept of the 24-hour news world has
largely been forged around the mobile
phone. The smartphone has turned
news access on mobile platforms into
an accepted and increasingly specialist
medium which has encouraged mobile
magazines to take firm root in many
genres. It is little wonder then that you will
see newsstand publications offering free
04 BBC News
05 Pocket
153
Essential apps
Photography
The inclusion of photo-related apps
on your mobile phone is both an
understandable and, to be honest,
obvious move. After all, every smartphone
has a camera attached to it. Even the
lowest quality modern smartphones
have the ability to take pretty decent
photographs nowadays. Some of the
generally available photo apps utilise the
camera by attempting to enhance your
images subtly or enabling you to modify in
5 essential apps
01 QuickPic
02 Guardian Eyewitness
Price Free Developer Mainwave
03 Photoshop Express
Price Free Developer Adobe Systems
A useful
picture viewer
Thumbnail
previews can
include or
exclude folders
QuickPic is
04 PicSay
Management
includes rotate,
crop, share, set
wallpaper, slides
and sort
05 Instagram
Add a slice
of fun to your
image output
154
Personalisation
One of Androids strengths is its
personalisation features, enabling users to
tweak notification settings, add widgets
and more without any restrictions. Its
what sets Android devices apart from the
more locked-down operating systems such
as iOS and the PlayBook OS.
Browse the Google Play store and youll
discover apps that apply statistic widgets on
your home screen, add notification bubbles
that can be interacted with and display
amazing graphics in the background of
your home screen, as well as programs that
can give you access to literally millions of
ringtones and wallpapers for you to use.
All of these features can be downloaded
as apps most for free and you dont
need to hack or root your device to use
them youre largely free to customise
your Android device as you see fit. To help
you get started weve rounded up our five
favourite personalisation apps. Read on
to discover how you can customise your
device with amazing graphics, audio and
communication notifications.
The Pro version of Fancy Widget comes with
Customise your
Android device
as you see fit
5 essential apps
01 Fancy Widget
02 Notification Bubbles
Price Free Developer Commind AB
04 Symphony of Colors
Price Free Developer maxelus.net
05 Beautiful Widgets
155
Essential apps
5 essential apps
01 Evernote
02 Firefox
03 LauncherPro
04 Dropbox
05 Swiftkey X
156
Take a picture of a
landmark and discover
all about it
Its staggering
technology and
easy to use
Productivity
Android smartphones might have
relatively small screens, but that doesnt
mean they cant be used as productive
tools. The Google Play store is ripe with
apps that enable you to take notes and
sync them with any device in the world,
store photos, videos and documents in
the cloud, share them with friends and
browse the web with the same bookmarks
and passwords that you saved on your
desktop computer. Unbelievably, your
Android device can also take a photo of
any landmark, product or piece of art,
Shopping
5 essential apps
01 Amazon UK
02 eBay
Locate your
nearest store
03 vouchercode
Variations on
a product theme
are grouped
together
Reader ratings
are included for
each product
04 Out of Milk
Prices are
normally well
below high
street levels
on Amazon
A wide
variety of new
offers regularly
appear for you
05 H&M
157
Essential apps
5 essential apps
01 Facebook for Android
Price Free Developer Facebook
Social
02 Twitter
Select the
data you wish to
share from the
main menu
in Bump
03 Plume
The main
home screen
offers shortcuts to
every feature
of Facebook
A live stream
of photos
appears towards
the bottom of
the home screen
Tap on the
Notifications
bar to see any
Facebook updates
Discover
great
locations
nearby
04 Bump
05 Foursquare
158
Sports
Around 20 years ago following
your favourite sports team was
a challenge; you had to buy
newspapers, watch televisions
and listen to radios to get the right
results at the right time. How things
have changed. The sonic boom that
was the internet left our computer
screens and fell into our laps, and now
wherever you go, whatever your sport,
the Google Play store has an app that
means youre never more than a few
seconds away from up-to-the-second
information about your team or your
own athletic pursuits.
You used to have to count the
hours until your favourite sports team
took the field or court, and there was
precious little to do between games.
Fortunately, now there are apps that
help you while away the hours until
kick-off. There are tools for tracking
scores in football, cricket, golf, tennis
and even fencing, playing fantasy
sports games and much more.
5 essential apps
01 My Tracks
02 Sports Calendar
04 MMA Junkie
Each
adopted
sport
provides
new
updates in
SportsTap
05 SportsTap
159
Essential apps
Tools
5 essential apps
01 Google Translate
such as map of my current location,
and see the results spring into life on the
screen. Another great feature available to
all Android users is Flash support, enabling
you to watch videos online, play interactive
games and be annoyed by Flash adverts
(okay, perhaps we could do without that
last feature in retrospect).
Weve trawled the Google Play store to
bring you the top five app tools to enrich
your Android experience and your life in
general. Read on to discover some truly
mind-blowing programs.
Manage the files
on your SD card
without taking it out
of your device
Select your
country of origin
at the top right
of the Google
Translate screen
Now select
Results appear
below, and can
be hear aloud
by tapping the
audio button
Tap the
Conversation
Mode button at
the bottom of the
screen to talk
and respond
with audio
Those Flash
adverts will now
appear thanks to
Flash Player 10.3
Quickly see
all of the apps
available for you
to uninstall with
Uninstaller
03 Extended Controls
04 Uninstaller
05 ES File Explorer
Price Free Developer EStrongs Inc.
5 essential apps
01 TripIt
02 Maverick Pro
Transportation
What better method of accessing
information relating to transport than via
a mobile phone, and what better time
to do it than while you are on the move?
The two mediums are truly sympathetic
and both change their content regularly.
Transport-related apps have the ability to
access timetables, for example, in real-time.
As such, they can pick up late changes in
those timetables due to adverse weather
conditions or problems on the route. Some
A live departure
board from Rail Planner
161
Essential apps
Weather
Weve come to expect weather forecasts
to maybe not be absolutely accurate, but
at least to give us a general idea of whats
in store for the next day or so. When were
looking forward to an outdoor event, we
always check the forecasted conditions.
Luckily there are plenty of apps that will let
you check the weather at any time from
anywhere. Many of us also have lines of
work which benefit from regular weather
updates. As such, it is crucial to know the
weather forecast at the drop of a hat. The
weather app built in to Android phones is a
5 essential apps
01 The Weather Channel
simple, no-fluff, no-rubbish weather app. It
does its job well but any weather app can
give you the highs and lows for the day.
Often you might want more information
such as the humidity, wind speeds or
sunrise and sunset times and other data.
02 Weatherbug Elite
04 3D Digital Weather
Clock
Price Free Developer Factory Widgets
includes great
weather alerts
Maps provide
detailed information
in Rain Alarm Pro
162
Travel
5 essential apps
up to the side of the road to ask a stranger
directions is now a thing of the past. As is
carrying (and folding) a paper map.
Of course, theres a wealth of further
benefits to owning a smartphone. Thanks
to the myriad apps in the Google Play
store, you can see live flight details for any
commercial plane in the world, see your
seat on a plane map, view departures and
arrivals for any airport, navigate the worlds
streets in first-person and then see the
entire surface of the planet in 3D. Theres a
mind boggling array all accessed through
the device in your pocket.
Tap the Layers
button to see
businesses, photos,
Wikipedia entries
and more
By tapping My
Location, Google
Maps will zoom in
on your device
The Settings
button brings up a
suite of options
Toggle 3D
elevation, hardware
sensors and 3D
buildings on tablets
With an
Android
device its
impossible
to get lost
01 Google Earth
02 Street View on
Google Maps
03 Yell
05 FlightTrack
163
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
yourAndroid
E
smartphone
ven with all our
guides in this book,
you may come up
against a problem
that has you stumped. Here
weve looked at some of the
most common problems
across all Android devices
and provided you with the
all-important solutions.
164
Creating Android
wallpaper
Tap on Home to
get back to your
home screens and
swipe from side to side,
admiring the way your
new full resolution image
pans smoothly in the
background, creating a
nice 3D effect that will sit
on your phones screen.
165
Troubleshooting
FAQs What do I do if Im running
out of storage space?
How do I add
a word to the
Dictionary?
When typing away on the Android virtual
keyboard, youll have noticed the way
mistakes get auto-corrected as you go.
As a word is typed, a dictionary within
the phone is consulted and suggestions
offered for either auto-completing the
word or, if the phone thinks youve made
a mistake, for correcting the word. All great
if it knows the word you want. But what
about unusual names or places, what about
slang and technical words for your work?
For these, you need to know how to add
them to the built-in User Dictionary.
A dictionary within
the phone is consulted
and suggestions made
166
Adding a word
Tapping on an
application name,
with one tap you can
Uninstall it, Clear its
data (if you think its out
of control) or Move to
SD card if needed. Rinse
and repeat for any other
problem apps.
Can I upload
pictures to
Facebook?
Uploading a photo
to Facebook
Social networks
are gradually being
integrated into almost
all Android phones
Get installing!
167
Troubleshooting
10 steps
to better
battery life
A
02
Tidy up
01
Avoid 3G
168
03
Timeout
04
Brightness
On your Android
phones home screen,
press the Menu key
(or the button thats
usually marked with a
few short horizontal
lines) and then tap
on Settings and once
again on Display and
then one last time on
Brightness. Tick the
box that is marked
Automatic brightness
and tap OK. This will
a) save power overall
and b) avoid dazzling
you when you use the
phone at night.
06
Constant data
TIP:
08
Wallpaper
10
Power
control
05
Data hogs
07
Disable GPS
09
JuiceDefender
Look this utility up in
the Play Store, many
people swear by it. It
essentially automates
a lot of the advice in
this list, though it
does require a bit of
tech understanding
to really get to
grips with. Grab it
for a rainy Sunday
afternoon and
then give it a
try during the
course of your
usual working
week.
169
Troubleshooting
FAQs Is there any
reason why I
need widgets at all?
Replacing a
widget
Press Menu
on your home
screen and then
again on Manage
apps (again, this may
be buried in Settings
on some devices).
Scroll down to the
entry for Play Store.
Tap on it. Now tap
Force stop.
Restart the Store is
it fixed?
If not, then
repeat step 2
but this time tap on
Clear cache and
Clear data. Now
restart the phone
and try the Play Store
again. Hopefully it
should now
be okay.
170
LockMyApps in action
Download LockMyApps
and tap on Select Apps.
Now you can choose any
that you want to keep from
curious fingers, as shown
here. When done, tap on the
Back icon on your phone and
then on Start service.
When your
kids start
exploring the
phone and tap
on an application
that you have
locked, absolutely
nothing will
happen they
will simply get
returned to the
home screen,
unable to gain
access to it.
171
Troubleshooting
FAQs Do I need to install a
task manager?
172
Getting notified
of new email
Traditionally, you
would pull info from
a source
on the internet can be set up with push
functionality. Traditionally, youd pull
information from a source the idea of
push, as it sounds, is that the source pushes
the information to you immediately and
without you having to ask for it. Or even
remember to ask for it! On an Android
phone, push messages from online sources
and local messages from the programs
on your phone are all gathered in the
notifications bar, as shown here.
How do I know if
my phone needs
updating?
In the top
notifications
bar of the Android
interface, notice the
icons that appear as
events, installs, and
new push emails
happen, finish or
arrive, respectively.
Theyre all pushed
in that you dont
have to ask for any
of them.
When youre
ready to view
them (ie when it
is convenient for
you), swipe your
finger down from
the top of the
screen towards
the bottom. The
notifications curtain
will descend and
you can see far
more detail.
The About
phone
screen shows the
version of Android
that your phone
is currently on. To
check for updates,
tap on the top pane
System updates.
If there
is an
update
available,
as there is
here, tap
on the Update button and wait while it
downloads and installs. You wont lose
any data, dont worry!
173
Glossary
Your Android
Glossary
3G
App
Back button
Dock
Gestures
Browser
Gestures jargon:
Swipe
Hold your finger on the screen and swipe it to
move between screens.
Pinch and zoom
In the browser or Maps app, hold two fingers
together on the screen and spread them apart
to zoom in. Pinch them together to zoom out.
Tap and hold
Hold your finger on the screen and leave it
there. In some apps a menu will open with a
list of options. This is sometimes called a
long press.
Google account
Google Play
n The dock is located at the bottom of the home screen,
populated by app icons
Home screen
Lock screen
Google Maps
microSD card
microUSB connector
Notifications pane
OS
Home button
Search
Wi-Fi
n Google Maps is a free and very powerful satnav and local
search tool
Menu button
n Google Play gives you your pick of the latest apps, books
and movies
Widget
S
tri pe
al ci
of al
fer
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