Google Nexus 7 Tips and Tricks

[ChromeJob]

did you guys know that if you push the top button on the right hand side your screen will turn off??

Yep, it sleeps it. If you enable the "Lock screen on power switch" option in Settings | Security, it will lock it. I have a tutorial that demonstrates how this works.

Google Nexus 7 Tutorial: Adding security and privacy to your tablet - YouTube

 

[JustinMueller8810]

First off, I was JOKING.
Second, I appreciate the video with all the protection options, however I am personally not paranoid about someone getting into my tablet and i MUCH PREFER to not have a lock screen at all. Totally disabled it. I absolutely LOVE being able to touch the power button and be right there on my homescreen ready to go.

 

[ChromeJob]

First off, I was JOKING.

Without any smilies, how could we tell?

It's your choice naturally, protecting your data and preventing pranks, or not. At work, someone left his device unlocked, and someone in his office sent a silly meeting invite to the entire company. 5500 employees. Worldwide. :banghead: He and his entire office got a scolding.

... It depends on how you use your N7.

 

[Rich215]

Is this still possible now with the 4.1.2 JB update and new version of the play store?

I am not rooted, a while ago i saved the N7 guide as a pdf and side loaded it from my PC into a folder on my N7 that I setup and use/view with "ES File Explorer". So when now when I read the N7 guide on my N7.....I only have the option of reading it as a pdf file with 2 pdf readers.

I would like to use the "play books" reader in the N7 to read it, but I can not get the file to be saved with a "keep on device" from the menu button....its not shown there as an option at all. When I go to the playstore and click the "Read" button, the guide only opens with the wifi on and there does not seem to be a way to do anything else with the guide at this point.

Also when I am reading the guide as it is being used/read over the wifi.....when I hit the menu button for options...that menu only stays on the screen for a couple of seconds and disappears. I can only make it come back if I rotate the screen back and forth and hit it again. Is this a bug in the new OS update?

Thanks for any help.

Too late. http://forums.androidcentral.com/go...oogle-nexus-7-tips-tricks-10.html#post2213413

Here's a really neat trick, boys and girls:

1. Open up the Play Store app.
2. Click to Play Books.
3. Search for the Nexus 7 Guidebook (from Google).
4. Buy it. It's free.
5. Go to your home screen. Make sure there's a blank spot.
6. Open the All Apps view.
7. Click Widgets.
8. Find the Book widget.
9. Tap and hold it to add to the home screen.
10. Select the Nexus 7 Guidebook.
11. Now you don't have to go through this thread to learn basic operations, you can RTFM right from your Nexus 7's homescreen.

Isn't that neat?

EDIT: Oh, I also have it on video for those who don't like to read.

Google Nexus 7 tutorial: The "Missing Manual" and how to install it - YouTube

 

[ChromeJob]

Is this still possible now with the 4.1.2 JB update and new version of the play store?

I am not rooted, a while ago i saved the N7 guide as a pdf and side loaded it from my PC into a folder on my N7 that I setup and use/view with "ES File Explorer". So when now when I read the N7 guide on my N7.....I only have the option of reading it as a pdf file with 2 pdf readers.

I would like to use the "play books" reader in the N7 to read it, but I can not get the file to be saved with a "keep on device" from the menu button....its not shown there as an option at all. When I go to the playstore and click the "Read" button, the guide only opens with the wifi on and there does not seem to be a way to do anything else with the guide at this point.

Also when I am reading the guide as it is being used/read over the wifi.....when I hit the menu button for options...that menu only stays on the screen for a couple of seconds and disappears. I can only make it come back if I rotate the screen back and forth and hit it again. Is this a bug in the new OS update?

Thanks for any help.

Um... think you might need to delete cache and data from the Play Books app in Settings | Apps. It ain't right.

Didn't know you could download the book as a pdf....

 

[Vicky105]

Thanks for the tip .

 

[Amni]

thanks for the tip

 

[natehoy]

did you guys know that if you push the top button on the right hand side your screen will turn off??

This works less consistently after the latest update, by the way. When I pick it up, the button is now allowed to be at the lower left side, extreme left of the top, or extreme right of the bottom.

"You're holding it upside down"
"No, I'm not, the camera is SUPPOSED to be on the bottom! How else can people I'm videoconferencing with see my nose hair?"

 

[CompuDino]

EDITED to update - I have since found that what the other poster meant by ALL was not a link but to swipe so that screen (to right) which contains all the Apps will appear.

Gave this a quick look-see/try and didn't see Applications on the list that come up in Settings for me. Do you mean Apps? (which is on the list) I did try Apps but didn't see an All option. Just curious, have you rooted your Nexus? Maybe that could be the difference? I SO am on the path to zap 'bloatware' and appreciate all hints. Thanks!

 

[CompuDino]

(Sorry this may seem out of context, but I assumed that my Reply would place directly under the post I replied to - not so)

I do appreciate having a 'manual' available on my device, but though this manual seems 'hefty' at first glance its too Google oriented for my taste. And it reads like - well - a manual! You appear to be a retired type person (as am I) so are probably in a position to have time and patience to read this tome. I'd rather have a better and easier to use reference + faster tutorial (video) than this manual is. My hat is off to you for staying awake and taking in all the info in a manual! For those of us with neither patience or time, this thread seems a decent alternative plus I suspect will include what is NOT in the manual.

 

[CompuDino]

Fed up of system apps that you can't uninstall? Well you can disable them:

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBNNfPJIVtw[/YT]

MANY thanks for this very helpful video! I am now able to clear off some of the Apps that I consider 'bloatware' and without having to root the directory - yet.

One comment I will make, and I don't mean it as criticism, only feedback, is that while you are obviously quite knowledgeable and insightful about using these devices, I had to pause and replay some sequences several times before I was able to understand what you said/did. A prime example is when you went to 'all' from Apps in Settings. I looked and looked for an ALL link to click on (from Apps) but what I finally figured out was that to get TO 'all' (Apps) one needed to SWIPE from right to being this screen into view. This went so fast when you did it that I wasn't able to see what you did until I watched several times. Sorry if this seems like a rather overly basic request, but if you could be just a bit more demonstrative/verbal explanation of moves etc. and/or slow a touch too that would make these video SUPER!!! Thanks again.

 

[vgjfelix]

MANY thanks for this very helpful video! I am now able to clear off some of the Apps that I consider 'bloatware' and without having to root the directory - yet.

One comment I will make, and I don't mean it as criticism, only feedback, is that while you are obviously quite knowledgeable and insightful about using these devices, I had to pause and replay some sequences several times before I was able to understand what you said/did. A prime example is when you went to 'all' from Apps in Settings. I looked and looked for an ALL link to click on (from Apps) but what I finally figured out was that to get TO 'all' (Apps) one needed to SWIPE from right to being this screen into view. This went so fast when you did it that I wasn't able to see what you did until I watched several times. Sorry if this seems like a rather overly basic request, but if you could be just a bit more demonstrative/verbal explanation of moves etc. and/or slow a touch too that would make these video SUPER!!! Thanks again.

You're absolutely right on this point. I sometimes do go to fast. It's often a case of just getting the editing and narrating a little wrong so I have to squeeze things in. Hopefully as I make more videos I'll improve the overall quality of all aspects of this videos

vgjfelix

 

[ChromeJob]

(Sorry this may seem out of context, but I assumed that my Reply would place directly under the post I replied to - not so)

I do appreciate having a 'manual' available on my device, but though this manual seems 'hefty' at first glance its too Google oriented for my taste. And it reads like - well - a manual! You appear to be a retired type person (as am I) so are probably in a position to have time and patience to read this tome. I'd rather have a better and easier to use reference + faster tutorial (video) than this manual is. My hat is off to you for staying awake and taking in all the info in a manual! For those of us with neither patience or time, this thread seems a decent alternative plus I suspect will include what is NOT in the manual.

Hit the "quote" button rather than "reply" or "add reply" to make clear who you're responding to.

The Nexus7 Guidebook is a manual, covers much that the little quick start booklet won't and also explains the software. You dont have to read it though -- it can be searched at any opportunity if you mark it for offline access. Yes... there is a search function in Play Books. :thumbup:

 

[vgjfelix]

Here's a super quick video on 20 tips in 200 seconds:

 

[imlindai]

Only because a lot of people didn't know from ICS and it carried to Jelly Bean. If you want to disable an app that is hard coded into the OS.

SETTINGS > APPLICATIONS > ALL > [Click on the app you want]

As long as it isn't a core app required to run the OS, it will let you disable it. Added another half hour to my average battery life on my phone. Haven't gauged the Nexus 7 yet.

okay, so, I dont want the magazine app. I went to settings, etc. then i hit "force close" and a warning came up that it might misbehave. So I cancelled it. further suggestion, please.

 

[ChromeJob]

Disable it, or just don't use it? You can open it and hide/ remove the mags if you like.

 

[wtherrell]

Is this still possible now with the 4.1.2 JB update and new version of the play store?

I am not rooted, a while ago i saved the N7 guide as a pdf and side loaded it from my PC into a folder on my N7 that I setup and use/view with "ES File Explorer". So when now when I read the N7 guide on my N7.....I only have the option of reading it as a pdf file with 2 pdf readers.

I would like to use the "play books" reader in the N7 to read it, but I can not get the file to be saved with a "keep on device" from the menu button....its not shown there as an option at all. When I go to the playstore and click the "Read" button, the guide only opens with the wifi on and there does not seem to be a way to do anything else with the guide at this point.

Also when I am reading the guide as it is being used/read over the wifi.....when I hit the menu button for options...that menu only stays on the screen for a couple of seconds and disappears. I can only make it come back if I rotate the screen back and forth and hit it again. Is this a bug in the new OS update?

Thanks for any help.

My JB version is 4.1.2 and like you I could not find the "keep on device" entry in the menu while reading the book. I went to the homescreen "Library" icon which brought up tiles of my books. Since I was reading the manual at the time there was a stickpin icon on the tile. On this page, on the menu, the "keep on device" option now appeared and it worked

 

[pengler]

When using the clock if you run your finger across the screen slowly the clock turns to a blue digital clock.

 

[ChromeJob]

When using the clock if you run your finger across the screen slowly the clock turns to a blue digital clock.

Close. Tap and hold . If you tap to the low light mode, then tap and hold, you get the blue low light mode.

 

[Christianthomas1992]

Just a quick one, ordered a Nexus 7 on Friday, should be arriving today or tomorrow so I thought I'd spend a bit of time reading some of the features on it so I can open it and get going, just wanted to say thanks to everyone for posting the tips!