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
