Android Tips and Tricks

Guy Hart-Davis is coauthor of My Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and My HTC One, and the author of nearly one hundred computer books.

Introduction

1 Getting Up to Speed ........................................................................................................ 1
Identifying Your Device’s Android Version and its Skin ..................................15
  Understanding Android Version Numbers and Names ......................................16
  Finding Out Which Android Version Your Device Is Running ..................................16
  Establishing Whether Your Device Is Using a Skin ........................................17

Setting Different Volume Levels for Different Audio Sources...................................19

Managing Your Notifications...................................................................................20

Responding to a Notification ..............................................................................20

Turning the Notification Light On or Off ...............................................................22

Turning Off Notifications for an App ......................................................................22

Clearing Repeat Notifications .................................................................................22

Entering Text ...........................................................................................................24

Using the Keyboard and Spelling Correction .............................................................24

Entering Text Using a Hardware Keyboard.................................................................29

Entering Text Using Dictation...................................................................................31

Entering Emoji .............................................................................................................33

Using Alternative Keyboards ................................................................................33

Setting Up a Tablet for Multiple Users ...............................................................34

Creating a User Account .......................................................................................34

Creating a Restricted Profile ..................................................................................37

Switching Among User Accounts and Profiles .........................................................38

Deleting a User Account or Restricted Profile ..............................................................39

Understanding and Avoiding Problems ................................................................39

Getting the Best Battery Performance .....................................................................40

Identifying Power Hogs .................................................................................................40

Eking Out Battery Life ...............................................................................................43

Recharging Secrets.......................................................................................................45

Managing Files and Storage ..........................................................................................47

Adding an SD Card ....................................................................................................48

Choosing a File Manager ............................................................................................51

Checking Free Space and Seeing What’s Taking Up Space ......................................52

Recovering Space .........................................................................................................54

 

2 Syncing Your Device ............................................................................................. 59

Understanding Your Options for Syncing Your Device...............................................60

Choosing the Right Sync App ......................................................................................60

Getting and Installing Your Sync App ..........................................................................62

Installing a Sync App on Windows .......................................................................62

Choosing What Happens When You Connect Your Device to Windows ........................64

Installing Android File Transfer on OS X...................................................................65

Using Your Sync App ..............................................................................................67

Using Sync Apps on Windows .....................................................................................67

Using Android File Transfer on OS X.......................................................................70

Loading Files on Your Device ...........................................................................................71

Updating, Backing Up, and Restoring Your Device ..............................................72

Keeping Your Device Updated..................................................................................73

Backing Up Your Device ...........................................................................................76

Restoring Your Device ...................................................................................................79

Setting Up and Using Remote Lock and Wiping...............................................81

Setting Up Remote Find and Wiping .....................................................................82

Remotely Locking and Wiping Your Device..................................................83

 

3 Customizing Your Device ....................................................................... 87

Setting Up Your Home Screens ...............................................................................87

Adding and Removing Home Screens ................................................................88

Adding Apps to Your Home Screens ........................................................................89

Adding Widgets to Your Home Screens .................................................................89

Adding Web Addresses to Your Home Screens .....................................................91

Organizing Home Screen Items into Folders ..........................................................92

Adding Dropbox Folders to Your Home Screens ....................................................93

Repositioning Items on Your Home Screens ....................................................93

Removing Items from Your Home Screens..............................................................94

Rearranging Your Home Screens ...........................................................................94

Setting the Wallpaper ......................................................................................................94

Using a Different Launcher ..........................................................................................96

Choosing a Launcher ...................................................................................................97

Installing a Launcher ....................................................................................................99

Setting Your Default Launcher ............................................................................99

Switching Among Launchers ..................................................................................100

Changing Your Default Launcher .......................................................................100

Making No Launcher the Default.......................................................................101

Configuring Input Options......................................................................................102

Configuring the Lock Screen ......................................................................................105

Choosing the Best Locking Method ........................................................................105

Setting Up Locking on Your Device ..................................................................106

Putting Widgets on the Lock Screen ..............................................................107

Putting Your Owner Information on the Lock Screen .....................................108

Choosing Location Settings to Protect Your Privacy ......................................109

Encrypting Your Device ...................................................................................112

Encrypting the Data on Your Device ...............................................................113

Decrypting the Data on Your Device ...........................................................115

Performing a Hard Reset .........................................................................117

 

4 Connecting to Networks and Devices ............................................... 119

Using Airplane Mode .......................................................................................119

Taking Control of Cellular Connections.................................................................120

Displaying the Mobile Networks Screen .......................................................120

Enabling and Disabling Data and Roaming ................................................121

Choosing Between 3G and 4G Networks ..........................................................122

Configuring a New Access Point .......................................................................123

Connecting to a Different Carrier.....................................................................123

Keeping Within Your Data Plan .........................................................................124

Managing Your Wi-Fi Connections .................................................................128

Turning Wi-Fi On and Off ...............................................................................128

Connecting to Wi-Fi Networks ..............................................................130

Connecting to a Closed Network .......................................................131

Setting Up a Network Using WPS .................................................................132

Using Wi-Fi Direct ..............................................................................................133

Installing Digital Certificates .............................................................................135

Choosing Advanced Wi-Fi Settings ....................................................................137

Whitelisting Your Device on a Wi-Fi Network ....................................................139

Configuring IP Settings Manually .....................................................................140

Connecting Through a Proxy Server ..............................................................142

Improving Your Wi-Fi Connections ..............................................................144

Forgetting a Network .........................................................................................145

Sharing Your Device’s Internet Connection ......................................................146

Sharing the Internet Connection via USB Tethering ...................................................147

Sharing the Internet Connection via Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot ....................................148

Connecting Bluetooth Devices .........................................................................150

Pairing a Bluetooth Device with Your Android Device ..............................................150

Transferring Files to Another Device via Bluetooth ......................................................152

Sharing an Internet Connection via Bluetooth Tethering ................................153

Using VPNs .........................................................................................................155

Setting Up a VPN Connection ...........................................................................156

Connecting via the VPN .................................................................................157

 

5 Installing, Running, and Managing Apps ..................................................... 161

Evaluating Permissions When Installing Apps ....................................................161

Getting a Refund on an App .........................................................................................163

Configuring Your Play Store Account .......................................................................164

Sideloading Apps .........................................................................................................166

Installing a File Manager ..............................................................................................167

Getting the Package File for the App ................................................................167

Setting Android to Allow Apps from Unknown Sources ..........................................169

Sideloading the App ............................................................................................170

Running Apps .............................................................................................................170

Working with the Recent Apps Screen ..........................................................................171

Switching Apps with the Recent Apps Screen ..................................................................172

Closing an App from the Recent Apps Screen ..................................................................173

Opening the App Info Screen for an App ......................................................................173

Forcing an App to Stop .................................................................................................173

Clearing an App’s Cache, Data, or Defaults .........................................................174

Uninstalling Apps ..........................................................................................................174

Rebooting into Safe Mode .....................................................................................175

Resetting App Preferences .......................................................................................176

 

6 Taking Gmail to the Pro Level ................................................................................ 179

Setting Up Your Other Gmail Accounts ..............................................................................180

Configuring Your Gmail Accounts to Work Your Way ...........................................................181

Choosing General Settings ................................................................................................182

Configuring Account-Specific Settings ....................................................................................185

Triaging and Reading Your Messages ............................................................................192

Navigating Among Your Accounts and Labels .................................................................192

Working in the Conversation List .................................................................................192

Reading Your Messages .....................................................................................................195

Writing and Sending Messages ..........................................................................................196

Labeling and Archiving Your Messages..........................................................................198

Dealing with Problem Mail and Problem Senders .................................................................200

Searching for Messages ..............................................................................................201

Searching with Keywords...............................................................................................201

Searching with Advanced Search Operators ......................................................................201

Searching with Boolean Operators and Grouping ........................................................204

Setting Up 2-Step Verification ....................................................................................205

Setting Up 2-Step Verification Using a Computer .........................................................205

Setting Up 2-Step Verification Using an Android Device ........................................207

Logging In to Your Account with 2-Step Verification Enabled ..............................207

 

7 Becoming Expert with the Email App .............................................................. 209

Setting Up Your Non-Gmail Accounts.................................................................................210

Gathering the Information Needed to Set Up an Email Account .........................................210

Setting Up an Email Account .................................................................................................213

Setting Up Exchange Server Accounts ................................................................................220

Getting the Information Needed for Your Exchange Server Account ................................221

Entering Your Exchange Server Account Details.............................................................222

Deleting an Account from the Email App ................................................................227

Sending and Receiving Messages ........................................................................228

Creating and Sending a Message .............................................................................229

Receiving and Reading Messages ...............................................................................232

Replying to Messages and Forwarding Messages .........................................................235

Setting Up and Using Quick Responses ......................................................................236

Setting Up Your Quick Responses .............................................................................237

Using Your Quick Responses ...............................................................................238

Saving and Reopening Drafts ......................................................................................238

Navigating Your Mailboxes .............................................................................238

Choosing General Settings ...................................................................................240

Choosing Account-Specific Settings ......................................................................241

 

8 Browsing with Chrome .......................................................................... 245

Choosing Essential Chrome Settings .....................................................................246

Configuring Your Google Account .....................................................................247

Choosing Your Search Engine ..................................................................................250

Setting Up Autofill Forms ......................................................................................250

Working with the Save Passwords Feature .............................................................251

Choosing Privacy Settings and Clearing Browsing Data .........................................252

Choosing Accessibility Settings ...............................................................................254

Choosing Content Settings ................................................................................255

Managing Bandwidth and Preloading ..............................................................258

Browsing the Web with Chrome ........................................................................259

Navigating Among Web Pages ..............................................................................259

Managing and Switching Tabs ...............................................................................261

Making the Most of Bookmarks ............................................................................263

Returning to a Tab You Recently Closed ............................................................265

Viewing Your Chrome Tabs Open on Other Devices ........................................265

Returning to a Page You Visited Earlier .............................................................265

Browsing Incognito ............................................................................................266

Requesting a Desktop Site ...........................................................................267

Using Chrome to Mobile ...................................................................................268

Installing Chrome to Mobile on Your Computer ................................................268

Setting Up Your Mobile Device ........................................................................269

Sending Pages to Your Device .....................................................................269

 

9 Maximizing Your Productivity ................................................................ 271

Streamlining Your Life with Google Now............................................................272

Navigating and Customizing Google Now..............................................................272

Accessing Google Now from the Lock Screen ....................................................282

Working with Reminders in Google Now ..................................................................282

Navigating with Maps ...........................................................................................284

Making Sure You Know Essential Maps Moves ...................................................284

Saving Maps for Offline Use .........................................................................................287

Choosing Key Settings for Maps .................................................................................289

Managing Your Contacts .............................................................................................291

Adding a New Contact............................................................................................291

Displaying Only the Contacts You Want to See ....................................................292

Joining and Separating Contacts .........................................................................293

Importing and Exporting Contacts .......................................................................294

Mastering Your Schedule with Calendar ...................................................................295

Configuring the Calendar App ................................................................................296

Choosing Which Calendars to Display.....................................................................298

Controlling How the Calendar Appears ................................................................298

Creating Events ......................................................................................................299

Inviting Others to an Event ......................................................................................299

Dealing with Invitations ........................................................................................300

Sharing Your Google Calendars .............................................................................300

Transferring and Syncing Files with Google Drive ..............................................301

Setting Up Google Drive ....................................................................................301

Navigating Google Drive ............................................................................302

Configuring the Cache, Encryption, and Data Usage .....................................304

Creating a Folder ............................................................................................305

Adding Documents to Google Drive .....................................................................306

Keeping Documents on Your Device ..............................................................306

Printing Documents ..............................................................................................307

Printing to Local Printers .........................................................................................307

Print to an HP Printer Using the HP Print Service Plugin .........................................308

Printing to Cloud Printers ......................................................................................308

Printing on Your Existing Printer ....................................................................309

Using a Chromecast Device .................................................................................310

Setting Up a Chromecast with Your Android Device ......................................311

Casting Your Screen to the Chromecast Device ..................................................314

Playing Music to the Chromecast Device ..........................................................315

 

10 Making the Most of Phone and Messaging ................................................ 317

Becoming Expert with the Phone App ..............................................................317

Making Calls the Easy Way ....................................................................................318

Saving Time with the Call Log and History ...................................................320

Taking Calls—or Avoiding Them ........................................................................325

Configuring the Phone App to Work Your Way .............................................327

Setting Custom Ringtones for Important Callers ....................................334

Blocking and Screening Calls...........................................................................335

Setting a SIM Card Lock .....................................................................................336

Chatting, Talking, and Conferencing via Hangouts ...........................................338

Getting an Account ......................................................................................339

Getting Started with Hangouts ......................................................................339

Making Hangouts Comfortable for You ..................................................340

Configuring SMS in Hangouts ...................................................................343

Communicating via Hangouts .........................................................................345

 

11 Exploiting Camera, Photos, and Videos ......................................................... 353

Getting Great Photos with the Camera App ......................................................354

Opening the Camera App and Navigating Its Interface...........................................354

Accessing the Camera from the Lock Screen ........................................................356

Configuring the Camera App to Suit Your Needs .............................................357

Taking Regular Photos ...........................................................................................360

Taking Photo Sphere Photos ..........................................................................368

Taking Panorama Photos ..................................................................................369

Taking Photos with the Lens Blur Feature...............................................................369

Editing Your Photos ..................................................................................................372

Shooting Videos ....................................................................................................375

Capturing Screenshots ......................................................................................376

 

12 Enjoying Your Music Everywhere ........................................................................ 377

Understanding Your Options for Listening to Music on Your Device ................................378

Getting Your Music onto Your Device .....................................................................378

Understanding Which Music Formats Your Device Can Play ...........................................379

Getting Your CDs onto Your Android Device ......................................................................381

Transcoding Existing Files .......................................................................................385

Syncing Songs Directly with doubleTwist ................................................................386

Getting the Most Out of the Play Music App .................................................................387

Getting Started with Play Music .........................................................................387

Setting Up an Account...................................................................................................389

Syncing Your 20,000 Songs to Play Music ......................................................389

Buying Songs from the Play Store ..........................................................................391

Navigating the Play Music App ................................................................................392

Playing Songs ..........................................................................................................394

Downloading Songs ........................................................................................................396

Deleting Songs from Your Device and Your Library .....................................................397

Configuring the Play Music App .............................................................................398

Creating Playlists ........................................................................................................401

Improving Your Music with the Equalizer ................................................................403

Turning On the Equalizer ...................................................................................403

Creating a Custom Equalization ..............................................................................405

Using Other Music Apps ...................................................................................405

Three Apps for Identifying Music .........................................................................405

Three Streaming Services ....................................................................................406

 

13 Staying in Touch via Social Networking ........................................................ 407

Getting Serious with Facebook .......................................................................................407

Making the Right Decision When Logging In ....................................................................408

Getting and Configuring Facebook Messenger ...............................................................409

Making Facebook Work Your Way ..........................................................................415

Choosing Essential Privacy Settings .......................................................................417

Securing Your Facebook Account with Two-Factor Authentication ..............426

Using Multiple Facebook Accounts on the Same Device .......................................431

Removing Your Facebook Account from Your Device ................................................433

Making the Most of Twitter .........................................................................................434

Signing In to Twitter .................................................................................................434

Navigating the Twitter App .............................................................................................435

Configuring the Twitter App ..........................................................................................437

Securing Your Twitter Account with Login Verification.............................................442

Using Multiple Twitter Accounts ............................................................................445

 

14 Using Samsung TouchWiz ........................................................................... 447

Getting Up to Speed with TouchWiz Essentials ...................................................448

Using the Buttons in TouchWiz ..................................................................................448

Navigating the Home Screen....................................................................................449

Customizing Your Home Screen .........................................................................450

Using Gestures to Control Your Samsung Device ...............................................452

Customizing the Apps Screen .................................................................................453

Working with Quick Settings and Settings ..............................................................455

Using the Notifications Panel and the Quick Settings Bar .....................................455

Using the Quick Settings Panel .................................................................................457

Navigating the Settings App .................................................................................458

Using the Toolbox ................................................................................................460

Using Multi Window ..................................................................................................462

Understanding the Samsung Hub, S Apps, and Samsung Apps ...............................465

Using the Camera App’s Extra Features ........................................................................466

Mastering the Essentials of the Camera App .....................................................................467

Making the Most of the Camera Modes ........................................................................468

Setting the Camera to Take the Photos and Videos You Want .......................................469

Browsing with Samsung’s Internet Browser ....................................................................474

Grasping the Essentials of the Internet App .......................................................................474

Saving Pages and Reading Them Later .................................................................476

Returning to Web Pages with Bookmarks...................................................................476

Opening Multiple Windows and Navigating Among Them .................................477

Loading Your Favorite Pages onto the Quick Access Screen ................................478

Adding a Web Page Shortcut to Your Home Screen ...........................................479

Browsing Incognito .........................................................................................479

Syncing Open Pages Through a Samsung Account ...................................479

Sharing via S Beam ................................................................................479

Making the Most of the Galaxy Note’s S Pen ............................................480

Improving Performance by Turning Off TouchWiz Features ............................482

 

15 Using HTC Sense ..................................................................................... 485

Taking a Five-Minute Tour of the Essentials ................................................................485

Unlocking Your Phone........................................................................................486

Getting the Hang of the Soft Buttons .....................................................................486

Navigating the Long Screens ...............................................................................487

Navigating the Tabs ....................................................................................................487

Getting to Grips with the Three-Finger Gestures ...................................................488

Navigating and Customizing the Quick Settings Panel ............................................489

Setting Up the Lock Screen on Your HTC Phone ........................................................490

Making the Most of the Home Screen ..............................................................................492

Customizing HTC BlinkFeed .........................................................................................494

Putting What You Need on Your Home Screens ..............................................................496

Getting More Out of the Status Bar ............................................................................497

Navigating the Apps Screen .......................................................................................498

Sorting the Apps Your Way ........................................................................................498

Hiding the Apps You Don’t Want to See ............................................................500

Changing the Grid Size.........................................................................................500

Phoning and Gesticulating ..........................................................................................501

Getting Around the Phone App’s Five Tabs .......................................................501

Using Gestures When Your Phone Rings ............................................................502

Enjoying Music with the Sense Music App .................................................................503

Using the Camera’s Extra Features .........................................................................505

Shooting with the Camera App ............................................................................506

Configuring the Camera App to Take the Photos You Want ..................................507

Choosing Other Settings ..................................................................................510

Shooting Both Ways with Dual Capture Mode .........................................513

Bringing Scenes to Life with HTC Zoe .........................................................513

 

Index .............................................515