Getting Started with Android - Tips and Tricks

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Welcome!
If you are new to the Android Central Forums, Welcome! Don't hesitate to ask a question. Our Advisors, Moderators, and half-million Members will be quick to help. Here are our Guidelines and Android Dictionary.

World-wide, over over 50% of all smartphones are now Androids. Android has hundreds of amazing features, but how do you find them all? Plus with so many apps, how do you find the best ones? This Guide compiles over 500 tips and tricks to help you get the most from Android. Bookmark it as your quick reference. Here we go!

Transfer everything over
Here are special guides to help you transition from your old phone:
→ Apple User's Guide to Android
→ BlackBerry User's Guide to Android
→ Palm webOS User's Guide to Android
• Putting Music, Photos, Movies, Wallpaper and Documents on your phone
• Backup, Restore or Transfer Apps, Files, and Settings

Setup
• Settings
• Email - Gmail
• Messaging
• Phone
• Internet
• Contacts
• Applications

Customize
• Keyboards
• Notifications
• Live Wallpaper
• Folders
• Theming

Tips and Tricks
• Cut, Copy, Paste, and Share
• Search and Voice Search
• Extend Your Battery - Speed Up Your Phone
• Set Reoccuring Notifications and Put Notifications on Your Lockscreen
• Visual Voicemail
• Multitasking

This thread is for general topics. Please see the Android Forums for specific phones or rooting.

← Click the Getting Started button at the top of any page to come back here.

Overview
Android is a Google mobile Operating System (OS). There are over 700,000 new Android's activated a day and nearly 500,000 Applications for every need. There are dozens of Devices from Motorola, HTC, Samsung, LG, Acer, Asus, and Sony. If you see a word you don't know, see the Android Dictionary.

Choose your carrier. The Sensorly.com online maps shows the coverage levels found by users of their Sensorly app. Signal boosters like the Wilson Sleek are at Bestbuy and Amazon. For Sprint users: Get Your Spint EVP Discount, Upgrade Your Sprint Phone Every Year, and Get Great Reception at Home.

Choose your device. You can choose from small, medium, and large. You can opt for a physical keyboard, HD output, video chat, etc. Some phones are "free" but may require a 2-year contract totaling $2,000. Here is a Phone Comparison, and a Tablet Comparison. Note that phones such as the Nexus S line do not come with all of the features listed here.

Contacts, Facebook, Twitter, & LinkedIn Sync
Android integrates updates from Exchange, Facebook (except the Nexus S), Flickr, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other accounts into your Calendar and Contacts. As friends update their email addresses, birthdays, phone numbers, events, photos, and status, your phone is automatically updated.
• Set accounts to sync: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Accounts & Sync to add an account or change settings.
• Outlook Calendar Sync can keep your Google (Android) Calendar synced with your Outlook calendar.
• New contacts: Always save contacts as Contact Type Google NOT to Phone or they will not be backed up automatically.
• Save battery: Set Accounts to update less often to save battery. Tap Menu > Settings > Accounts & sync > {account}.
• Backup contacts: Tap Home > Contact (on HTC People) > Inport/Export > Export
• Show/Hide Contacts: Tap Contact (on HTC People) > Menu > View to turn on or off contacts,
• For LinkedIn, first download the app.
• Show Groups: Tap Contacts > Menu > Groups button to see only certain groups of contacts.

Activate your phone
Here is and article and video on setting up your phone. Here are recent "Everything you need to know" articles:
- EVO 4G - Epic 4G - Droid X - Droid 2

Keys
On/Off: Tap On/Off Key on top to turn screen on/off
- - Long Press On/Off (for 1 second) for Power off,

Silent Mode,

Vibrate Mode,

Airplane mode, etc.

Tap Home to leave an app. Tap the app again to come back where you left off.
- - Long Press Home (for 1 second) to see your most recently used apps. MoreRecent shows 15 apps.
- - Tap Home twice to see all of your home screens

Menu: For homescreen or app options and settings
- - To see all apps, tap Menu on Home screen > All Apps

Back ↰: Tap Back to back out of menus or an app

Search: Tap Search for a universal Search of apps and internet. If you phone does not have a Search button, try Long-press Menu.
- - Voice Search: Long Press Search (also for Voice Actions)

Android Basics
Every Android is a little different but here is the general layout. Notifications are in the top bar. Apps and Widgets are in the middle. Main buttons are at the bottom. Swipe left or right for more homescreens. You'll probably want your basic apps such as Contacts, Internet, Voicemail, Messages, and Mail on your center Homescreen.
• Find your apps: Tap your Apps icon and tap an app.
• Notifications: Email, call, text, and other Notifications appear in the top bar take up no screen space! Drag down to see them.
• Homescreens: Your main homescreen can have Folders for 320 apps. Another can be your Setup Control Panel.
• Multitasking: Long Press Home (Recent Apps in ICS) then tap a recent app - 2 taps! More on Multitasking later.
• Onscreen Keyboard: You have many keyboards and options to choose from. See the Keyboards section.
• Applications: There are over 400,000 apps. See the Applications for 100 of our favorites (and how to install them).
• Search: Tap

Search and just type whatever you want. Long-press Search to just talk instead.
• Cut & Paste: Just double tap something to Cut, Copy, Paste, and Share

Download an App or Widget

← Tap the Android Market icon to download applications or widgets. A widget is an app on a homescreen that might show your current weather, time, battery life, etc. Be warned, some may drain your battery. To see your apps, tap My Apps. Most are free. You can also upgrade your Email, Messaging, Keyboard, and other apps.

Make it your own
You can also customize almost everything.
• Add an App shortcut or widget: Long Press a blank spot. In Android 4.0 (ICS): Tap MyApps.
→ Remove an app shortcut or widget from a home screen: Long Press and drag to the trash can icon.
• Wallpaper: Tap a blank spot on a homescreen and tap Wallpaper (For more, see Wallpapers and Ringtones)
• Live Wallpaper: Animated wallpaper. Your background can snow or rain. The earth can spin and little robots dance.
• Keyboards - find a keyboard perfect for you.
• Theming: You can easily change just the icons or even change it all
• Notifications: Customize sounds, vibrations, and LED notifications
• Folders: Organize your apps into folders

Zoom
To Zoom In or Zoom Out just Pinch Out or Pinch In with two fingers on the screen.

Screenshots
Posting a screenshot with your question can really help others get you answers. In Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) press and hold Volume Down and then tap Power. Some Samsung phones let you Press and Hold Home and tap Power. Some HTC phones can take a screenshot with the Shoot Me app. Here is an app that works for many: No Root Screenshot It ($5) and a bit trickier but free way.

Other Resources
• The Android Central Blog and check in daily for the latest News, Reviews, Videos, Apps, and Device info
• How-to and Getting Started articles:
• Converting videos: Convert DVD's and other videos to mp4 or 3gp files that can play on your Android phone
• Rooting: Rooting let's you customize almost anything on your phone and run special apps.
• Tethering: Use your phone as a modem for you PC. PdaNet and EasyTether Lite are popular apps to tether without root.

• Uploading images to Facebook, Twitter, Picasa, etc.
• PCMagazin: ICS Hot new Android OS
• Introducing Android 4.0
• Guide To Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Android History

If this helped you, please click ↓

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Setup Tips and Tricks

Home Screen Settings
One of Android's greatest strengths is that it has settings for almost every possible feature and app. That can also be a lot of complexity but the Quick Settings app can put them in one place. Here are just a few main settings. Tap Home > Menu > Settings then...
? Personalize: Scenes, Wallpaper , ringtones
? Wireless: Set up your WiFi, Bluetooth, Hotspot, Tethering, etc. Turn WiFi Settings Network notification ON to automatically find WiFi hotspots.
? Sound: Has some of the Ringtones, Notifications, etc. (Quick Settings has almost all).
? Display: LED Notifications (except the Nexus S), brightness, timeout, etc.
? Search: Include: Web, Email, Calendar, Messages, Contact (on HTC, People), etc.
? Applications: Manage apps, Force stop, uninstall, etc.
? Applications > Development: Stay awake ON when charging or use Stay Awake Widget.
? System Updates: Firmware, Profile, PRL (available towers), and Phone software (Android version)
? Voice recognition settings > Personalized recognition ON so Google Voice can learn how you speak
? Wireless and network > Set up radios and turn ON/OFF: 4G, Bluetooth, WiFi, Airplane mode, etc.

Key Widgets
? Tiny Flashlight + LED puts a button on your screen to turn your LED into a powerful flashlight.
? Stay Awake Widget keeps the display on when charging but lets it still dim. No unlock needed on charger!

General Settings
? Turn off keyboard vibration to save battery: Menu > Settings > Sound & Display > Haptic feedback OFF
? Turn off animation to go faster: Menu > Settings > Display > Animation OFF

Calendar Settings

? Today Widget - Day and date in a 1x1 widget. ($1 Pro version has color options)
? Set to Month View: Tap Menu > More > Settings . Calendar view Settings > Start in > Month
? Reminder settings: Tap Menu > More > Settings . Reminder settings to set sounds and vibration.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/ge...-camera-led-notification-led.html#post1324063

Wallpaper
Wallpaper is the background image behind your homescreen icons and widgets. Also see Live Wallpaper.
? The Wallpapers, Ringtones, and Themes forum has thousands of Wallpapers to download.
? Wallpaper must be in one of these type of files: jpg, gif, png, or bmp.
? To set your Wallpaper, tap Home > Menu > Settings > Personalize > Home Wallpaper.

Lock Screen and Themes
? Simple Theming: Using Folder Organizer to "Theme" Home Screen Icons For Free
? Lock screen: Executive Assistant - Lists notifications on lock screen, tap the one you want.
? No Lock - Disables lock screen, phone opens fast. ? Widget Locker ($2)lets you customize it.

Set Alerts and Ringtones
To set ringtones and alerts:
? Quick Settings let's you adjust sounds all at once including Notifications: Tap Volume control or for Ringer for Phone ringer.
? Basic notification sound: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Sound > Notification.
? Phone ringtone: Tap Phone > Settings > Sound > Phone ringtone.
? Text Messaging: Tap Messages> Menu > Settings > Notification sound.
? Calendar: Tap Calendar > Menu > More > Settings > Reminder settings > Select ringtone.
? Gmail: Tap Gmail> Menu > More > Settings > Ringtone.
? Google Talk: Tap Google Talk Menu > Settings > Ringtone
? Facebook: Tap Facebook > Menu > Settings > Notification ringtone.
? Contact's ringtone: Tap Contacts (or People) > {contact name} > {choose a ringtone}
? Handcent: Tap Handcent> Menu > Settings > Notification settings > Notification sound.

Other Ringtones, Alerts, and Alarm Tips
? Zedge has nearly endless ringtone, wallpapers, and notification sounces you can download for free.
? Ringtone Maker can edit a song to 30 seconds or use Audacity+Lame on your PC then transfer to your phone.
? The Wallpapers, Ringtones, and Themes forum has links to thousands of free ringtones.
? Sound files can be mp3, wav, 3gp, ogg, mp4, or m4a.
? Sounds have to be in the right folder. Connect to your PC as a Disk Drive, create the subdirectories as needed, and copy.
_ ? Ringtones: /media/audio/ringtones
_ ? Text SMS Alerts: /media/audio/notifications
_ ? Alarm Alerts: /media/audio/alarms
_ ? If you are rooted, they may show up under /sdcard/media/audio/

Repeating Alert LED's and Tones
Many Phone, Email, Text, and Calendar apps will alert you only ONCE of new notifications. Fortunately, there are apps that will let you set repeating, customized sounds, vibrations, and LEDsfor missed calls, emails, and messages.
? Executive Assistant (free) Set repeating alerts for calls, texts, emails, etc. Option to put them on your lock screen! (No ad version, Details)
? Light Flow also lets you set repeating LED, vibrations, and sound notifications. (free, $1 Full)
? Reminder Pro ($2) is another option to set repeating notification sounds, vibration, and LEDs. Calls-only trial.

Flashlight Alerts uses the camera flash LED as your Notification LED for Calls, Texts, Email, Gmail, K-9, etc. Tutorial.
? If your phone lacks a Notification LED like the Nexus S, try NoLED as a workaround.
Tasker can automatically turn off notifications when you are at work, school, etc.
If you used an app like Executive Assistant, you will want to turn off the regular alarms. See below.

Set Up Your Own Control Panel

Using the Folders tips below, you can have up to 320 apps just two taps away on your main homescreen. Why not set another homescreen as your Settings Control Panel? This example features HTC widgets but other phones have similar widgets. There are also many widgets available in the Android Market like the free Curvefish

Brightness Level ? WiFi On-Off ? Bluetooth On-Off ? GPS On-Off ? Data (APN) On-Off widgets.

The example to the right is a second homescreen with a number of widgets and shortcuts that let you quickly see key settings and change them with just a tap. In the top Notification bar, the free Battery Status app (Enhanced colors $1) shows that the battery is at 100%. The Weather Channel says it is 32? and there is new mail. No widgets needed.

Across the top row of icons is Airplane, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS followed by 4G. When you have WiFi access, you can set everything else off to save battery. (Airplane OFF means that you can still get phone calls and texts.)

A Sound Profile widget like the one shown from HTC lets you set Normal, Silent, or Vibrate. Also consider the free Simple Sound Profile. To put a widget on a homescreen, long-press an open spot, tap Widget and pick one.

The free Quick Settings has controls for Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, 4G, and volume levels in one place. Spare Parts gives you instance access to many key settings. The JuiceDefender widget shows that it is extending battery life by 3.71 by automatically turning off radios when not in use. See Battery Life Tips and Tricks for more on this great app.

You can set up a WiFi shortcut to let you quickly log into a new WiFi or exclude an old one. The Battery Use shortcut shows what is taking your battery. The Language shortcut lets you set up Keyboards. To put a shortcut on a homescreen, long-press an open spot, tap Shortcut and pick one.

The free Curvefish Brightness Level lets you tap a preset brightness or set any brightness you like.

Upgrade Your microSD Card
Almost all Android devices come with a microSD card to store photos, music, data, files, and apps. A microSD card is about $50 for 32GB. less. Get a "Class 10" microSD for fast 10 MB/s speeds. The Galaxy S II and Droid Bionic. The App 2 SD app frees up space on your phone by moving apps to your SD card.

Connect the phone to your computer using a USB cable. Select Disk Drive Mode, typically by using the pull-down Notification menu at the top. Copy everything on the current microSD card to your PC. Otherwise you will lose files, music, photos, and data stored on your microSD card. Eject the phone from the PC using Windows Explorer. Dismount the microSD Card, Menu > Settings. Long-press the OFF button and turn the phone fully off.

Remove the microSD card (see your manual). Put in the new microSD card, but the battery back in, and turn it on. Use USB Disk Drive Mode to delete everything on the new microSD card if needed. Copy the files you saved on your PC to the new microSD card. Eject the phone.

 

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Cut, Copy, Paste, and Share

Android uses a very easy approach to cutting and pasting to move text, images and other content. For instance you might copy a great photo on a website and paste it into a text to a friend. Or you might copy a text message and paste it into an email or Share it on Facebook. Clipboard Extenders like aNdCLip - Free ($4 Ad Free) or Clipper - Free ($2) let you copy a stack of things to paste.

Cut and Paste While Typing
You can easily move text around while you are typing. On some phones, you many need to Tap Menu for Cut and Paste options. If you have a phone with a physical keyboard, you may need to press and hold Shift while you swipe you finger over the content to copy.
• Double Tap or Long-press to select a Word.
• To select more content: Drag the selection points to enclose the content you want.

If you are typing an email, text, etc., long press in the text box and you will get a number of options:
• Select All: to select everything in the text box
• Select text beginning with where the cursor is now: Just touch where the other end of the selection will be.
• Cut all: deletes everything in the text box and copies it to the clipboard
• Copy all: copies everything in the text box to the clipboard
• Paste: pastes whatever is in the clipboard

Cut and Paste Other Content
You can also copy text, photos and more from web pages, and other sources that are not in a text box. On some phones, you many need to Tap Menu for Cut and Paste options. If you have a phone with a physical keyboard, you may need to press and hold Shift while you swipe you finger over the content to copy.
• Double Tap or Long-press to select a Word.
• To select more content: Drag the selection points to enclose the content you want.
• Select text beginning with where the cursor is now: Just touch where the other end of the selection will be.
• Copy: Tap the Copy (icon to the left) to copy the text, photo, etc.

To paste this content that you have copied into an email, text, Facebook, etc., open the other app and Paste as described above. If your phone has a physical keyboard, press and hold the shift key and then drag your finger over the content to copy.

Search, Dictionary, and Translate
Cut and copy are just the beginning. See the magnifying glass

Search icon in the screenshot above? Click it for:
• Wikipedia Seach
• Google Dictionary
• Google Translate

Share Options
You can share a link to a YouTube Video, website, or an app in the Android Market, etc. via:
• Email
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Text message

Sharing Apps
• MyAppSharer - You can share a link to an app in the Android Market. MyAppSharer let's you email the actual app apk.
• Bump - Bump another Android or iPhone to share photos, contacts, or a link to an app in the Android Market.

 

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Multitasking

Android Multitasking
Android Multitasking is so easy you may not know you are Multitasking. It might go like this...
→ You are listening to tunes and start an Email. A Calendar pop-up says: "Get gift for bday party"
→ The store has it but the price is ridiculous. Use Barcode Scanner to see Best Buy has it on sale.
→ You hear a song & Shazam it to see who it is. You rip an MP3 of it from YouTube.
→ As you drive, you keep getting texts. You use Messaging speech to text to reply.
→ Best Buy tries to charge you full price. You show them their own in-store ad online.
→ You have voice mail. Use Visual Voicemail to hear the party is now at Olive Garden.
→ You get a Facebook that the party now starts at Olive Garden. You reply.
→ You use Voice Actions to say: "Navigate to Olive Garden"
→ At the party, video chat with a friend who's away.
→ Take photos & HD video & post on Facebook. You Bump your number to someone new.
→ Later, you go back to the email and say, "I'll send more tomorrow."

That's just an hour in your life. You email, text, browse, play, and chat all at the same time. You get email, text, calendar, and other Notifications. You can respond and and go right back where you left off in the other apps.

2 Tap Multitasking
With 2 taps you can switch back where you left off:
• Recent Apps: Long Press Home (for 1 second) > {App}.
• 16 Homescreen Apps: Tap Home > {App}.
• If you like a card interface, try Perfect Task Switcher, Visual Task Switcher, Wave Launcher, Itching Thumb

3 Taps to 256 Apps
You can put up to 16 Folders on your main homescreen with up to 16 apps in each folder. For details and setup, see Folders. With folders, up to 256 apps are just 3 taps away:
• Tap Home > {Folder} > {App}

Use Search to Open an App
With Search, you are never more than four taps away from any app, open or closed.
• Tap

Search then start typing the name of your app such as "ma" to bring up "Mail", "Maps", etc. Tap the one you want.
• Long Press

Search (for 1 second) then you can use Voice Search to just say the name of your app. Tap the one you want.

Managing Apps
To see the apps that are running, Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Running. While many apps are "running," fear not. Android makes apps that are not in use hibernate until you need them again. Tap an app then Force Stop if you know you will not be using it but be careful. Most apps are open for a reason.

Automatic Task Killers
Automatic Task Killers (ATK's) allow you to manually or automatically kill certain apps. The theory is that even a hibernating app may be taking some battery life. But Google says that they actuall hurt, not help. This article has a wealth of information and options.

Multitasking Notes For Nerds
If you are not a nerd, shield your eyes! If you are, you may have more questions about just how Android does "Multitasking." Your phone can't actually do more than one thing at a time. Android uses "time sharing" to make it seem like it is doing dozens of things at once. Apps and processes "save state" until needed again. This saves battery and is so fast that apps reopen right where you left off. THere is a very nerdy video in Multitasking the Android Way from Google. Honecomb's Recent Apps and Windows WM7.

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Internet Browser Tips and Tricks

General
• To see the Topbar Notifications or time while browsing: Tap Menu.
• There are many popular Browsers such as Dolphin or Opera that offer the basic features listed below and more.
• Long-press on the address bar as a site loads to share the site link.

Browser Menu
Tap Menu for these options:
• Back/Forward: Go back/forward a page.
• Add bookmark: Bookmarks the current site.
• Bookmarks: See and manage bookmarks.
• Windows: Open additional browser windows.
• More: brings up the More menu:
_ • Home: Go to your home page.
_ • Find on page: Find text on a page.
_ • Text selection: Allows copy, lookup, and share.
_ • Page info: Lets you display the information about the website.
_ • Downloads: See below.
_ • History: See below.
_ • Share: See below.

Downloads Menu
You can download photos, videos, documents, and applicaitons from the Internet. First make this setting:
• Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Applications and make sure that Unknown Sources is checked ON.
• To Save attachments (photo, etc.): Long-press attachment > Save to SD card.
• To see downloaded items: From the Internet Browser tap Menu > More > Downloads.
• Long press a downloaded item to open or delete it.

Bookmarks, Most Visited, and History Menu
Long press the Back key to bring up History and the menu below.
]History: Long press the Back key for the menu above.
_ • Add Bookmark: Tap the white star on the right of an item to bookmark it.
_ • Long Press a History Item: To open, share, bookmark, copy, or remove.
_ • Clear History: Tap Menu > Clear History

Bookmarks: Tap the Bookmarks icon in the menu above.
_ • Long Press a Bookmark: To open, edit, share, copy, create shortcut, or remove.
_ • Bookmarks Menu: Tap Menu for Sort, Delete, Edit, or change view.
_ • Delete undeletable bookmarks: Tap Menu > Bookmarks > {bookmark} > Menu > More > History >tap the yellow star.

Most Visited: Tap the heart icon in the menu above.
_ • Long Press an Item: To open, edit, share, copy, or remove.
_ • Most Visited Menu: Tap Menu to Clear All or change view.

Settings
Tap Menu > More > Settings for more options than you can imagine.
• Set Your Home Page: Default, Current page, or set page
• Mobile View: ON shows mobile version of a page if available
• Text Size: Set your font size
• Default zoom: Set your default zoom

Zoom
Even today, mobile versions of websites may be very limited. Android allows you to browse regular site with ease. When you zoom in to be able to better read text, Android "re-flows" and "word-wraps" the text so that nothing is cut off. Also note that there are not top or bottom notification bars taking precious screen space.

Downloading Apps From the Web
Before you can download applications from the Web, you must first enable downloading from the device settings:
• Tap Home > Menu > Settings >Applicaitons > Unknown sources {checked}

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Search, Voice Search, and Voice Actions

Android Search lets you find apps, people, email, music, messages, and more on your phone or the Internet. You can just type or say what you want but first you need the latest

Google Search and

Google Voice Search apps from the Android Market.

Search
Tap Search

Google Search and then start typing "ma" to find Mail, Maps, Mark, or Mary. Type "123 Main" to map that address or get directions. Say you want to listen to The Eagles. As you type it starts guessing what you want on your phone and Internet.

As you type Android starts predicting. Type more to narrow the search.​

? Press the

Microphone to use Voice Search instead (see below).

Tap the blue Google button to narrow your search. To see only music, tap Music (highlighted in orange below). It already shows The Eagles and guessed at similar music as well. Tap something to play it.

Search Options
To set what is included, tap

Search >

then the Settings icon at the top right. (In Ice Cream Sandwich, Tap Google > Menu > Search Settings > Google Search). Then check what you want included in searches including Web, Apps, Contacts, Music, etc.

Choose Searchable Items​

Voice Search

Since 2008, Voice Search has let you just talk as well. (Typing while driving is often illegal.) First, download Google Search and Google Voice Search from the Android Market if you haven't already. Then setup: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Voice Input & Output > Voice Recognizer > Personalized recognition ON so Google Voice can learn how you speak. To use: Tap Search then tap the

Microphone button (highlighted in yellow below).

Voice Actions
Vlingo and Voice Actions let you also say commands. Listen to how naturally he is speaking in the Introduction Video. Also see: Details and installation.

Long press

Search and clearly say your command or message such as:
- ? text Bill Byrne let's meet at 6 o'clock on fifth avenue outside the guggenheim museum (See screenshot below.)
- ? listen to Jimmy Buffet
- ? call John Chase at home
- ? email Ted McKee Confirming our meeting with John at 1 PM
- ? note to self Find paperwork for John
- ? navigate to Olive Garden in [town]
- ? go to wikipedia

Say "Period", "Question Mark" or "Exclamation Point" to put in punctuation. The words highlighted in blue are ones it was not sure about. Tap a blue word and it will give you other options. Speak slowly and clearly.

Vlingo
Many feel that Vlingo is even better. Vlingo converts your speech into text and commands such as "Text Joe: Leaving now" or "?What does poison ivy look like?? Vlingos learns how your speak as you use it. The SafeReader feature can read your texts and emails aloud to you. See the Use Vlingo for Expanded Voice Commands tutorial.

 

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Email Tricks and Tips

Email apps like K-9 Mail add many features beyond the stock email apps. Corporate users: check out Exchange Touchdown Trial (Full $20) or RoadSync Trial (Full $10). Here are some standard features. Not all Android phones have all features. See the Gmail section for those settings.

Notification Lights, Sounds and Vibration
• Basic notification sound: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Sound > Notification.
• Quick Settings let's you adjust sounds all at once including Notifications: Tap Volume control or for Ringer for Phone ringer.
• Executive Assistant or Light Flow lets you set repeating LED, vibrations, and sound notifications. (free, $1 Full)

Email Basics
Tap the Mail application icon to see a list of emails.
- • Reply: Tap an email to open it then Reply or Reply All.
- • Forward: Tap an email to open it then tap Menu > Forward.
- • Tap Menu to forward, delete, see conversation, or mark unread.
- • Long press an email item to open delete, reply, reply all, etc.
- • Font size, signature, etc.: Tap Menu > More > Settings > General Settings
- • Your default signature may be an ad. Why not change it to something like your name?
- • Save attachment (photo, etc.) Long-press attachment > Save to SD card.

Send & Receive Settings
To set Send & Receive Settings: Tap Menu > More > Settings > Send & Receive Settings
- • Set download frequency to be less often to save battery.
- • If your phone shares email with your office or home computer you probably want to set "Delete mail on server" to Off.
- • Always BBC me will send you a blind carbon copy.
- • Reply with original text lets others know what you are replying about.

Sending Email
- • Compose a new email: Tap Menu > Compose (highlighted in green below)
- • Add an attachment to an email you are composing: Tap Menu > Add attachment
- • Send your location as a Google Map link: Tap Menu > Add attachment > Location > Find on map > Done > Maps link
- • Add an email address to your contacts: press the email address and save it.
- • Press space twice to automatically place a period after the last typed letter.

Group Email
• You can send an email to a Gmail contact group: Tap Email > Menu > Compose > Tap the person icon next to the To field at the top then <Groups>.
• You can send an email to several people at once, just keep adding contacts in the To field.

Speech to Text
You can use voice to text to dictate your email: While composing, click the microphone icon on the onscreen keyboard. Say your message. When you are done you can edit as normal text. Keyboards like SwiftKey offer more Speech to Text options.

Delete
- • To delete one email, tap the email then tap Menu > Delete -or- • Long-press an email listing then tap delete
- • To delete multiple emails in a folder tap Menu > Delete > Check the emails > Delete
- • HTC Phones: To delete all emails in a folder tap Menu > Delete > Menu > Mark All > Delete

Sort and Search
- • Emails are sorted by most recent date first but you can sort them any way you like: Tap Menu > Sort
- • Search Email: While in Email tap Search -or- Home > Search and tap the blue G button for Email only.

Folders
- • To see Trash, Sent, Drafts, or Outbox folders: Tap Menu > Folders > chose a folder
- • To move emails to a different folder: Tap Menu > More > Move to > check emails to move > Move to

Trash
To save you from accidentally deleting an email, deleted emails are actually just moved to the Trash folder.
- • To delete all emails in a folder tap Menu > Delete > Menu > Mark All > Delete

Other Email Tips and Tricks
• Executive Assistant and Light Flow let you set repeating LED, vibrations, and sound notifications for email, text, etc.
• Also see: Add a Second Gmail Account, Push multiple email accounts to Gmail, Configuring Yahoo Mail
• Gmail Signature: Tap Menu > More > Settings > Signature.

 

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Phone Tips and Tricks

While other phone apps are available on the Android Market, here are some features in the standard Phone app on most Android phones.

Make a Call any Way You Like
You have a lot of ways to make a call.
• Press the Phone icon and type the number.
• Tap the Contact (or People) icon and tap a person and then tap the phone number you want to dial.
• From the Web, an Email, or a text message, just tap the phone number and press Call.

Notification Lights, Sounds and Vibration
• Phone ringtone: Tap Phone > Settings > Sound > Phone ringtone.
• Quick Settings let's you adjust sounds all at once including Notifications: Tap Volume control or for Ringer for Phone ringer.
• Executive Assistant or Light Flow lets you set repeating LED, vibrations, and sound notifications.

Phone Basics
Tap the Phone application icon for a dialpad and your phone history.
• Start typing a name or number using the keypad to look it up and call.
• Long press a phone history item to View, Edit, Send text, Add ot Favorite, or Delete.
• Tap Menu for Contact (or People), Call History, Speed Dial, Phone Settings, and Tips.

Voice Dial
Once you try Voice Dialing, it is hard to go back to typing numbers or names again.
• Tap the Voice Dial app or long press

Search
• Say something like: "Call John Doe on Mobile" - "Call Voicemail" - "Dial "800-555-1234" - "Redial"

Visual Voicemail
See: Visual Voicemail

Speed Dial
• Almost all Android phones but the Nexus and Nexus S have speed dial. Speed dial let's you long press a number on the phone dial pad to dial a contact.
• To set up a Speed dial: Tap Home > Phone > Menu . Speed dial > Add new. Choose a contact phone and assign a Speed dial number.
• To call using Speed dial: Tap Home > Phone and long press their assigned number. You can have up to nine speed dial numbers.
• Apps like Go Contacts & TouchPal Dialer can let you have speed Dial on a Nexus S.

Smart Dial
• Most Androids let you "T9" Smart Dial by typing a name such as Brown as: 2 for B, 7 for R to see names beginning "Br".
• Most also let you the first few numbers to see a list of numbers For instance typing "202456" will find 202-456-1414.
• Go Contacts (free) lets you dial the middle of a name or number. For 202-456-1414, you can dial "456" or "1414". (Reveiw)
• TouchPal Dialer (free) lets you dial their initals for instance dial 2 for B, 6 for O for Barack Obama. (Review)
• Go Contacts & TouchPal Dialer can seach contacts for "Pen" for contacts on Pennsylvania Ave or "Wash" for Washington.
• Dialer One (free) is another popular dialer/comtacts app but lacks some of the features above. (Review)
• The Nexus S lacks Smart Dial. Apps like Go Contacts & TouchPal Dialer can let you have Smart Dial on a Nexus S.

Speed Dial Favorites Widgets
- • Picture Speed Dial Widgets show several contact photos on-screen and you can define each to call, text, or email the person.
- • You phone may have a Speed Dial Widget or consider: Folder Organizer (free), Go Contacts (iPhone theme), MeContacts, or QDial.

Rejecting a Call and Sending a Text Message
Say you need to tell a caller that you can't take their call right now. Your Android phone can automatically send a default text message to the caller! First, set up your default text message by tapping Phone > Menu > Phone Settings > Edit default message. You might enter a generic message like, "Can't talk now." and press OK.

Now when you can't take the call you can automatically send that text:
- • When the phone rings, tap menu > Send Message

Set a special ringtone for a contact
• Tap Home > All Apps > Contact (or People) > {contact} > {Ringtone}

Send Certain People Staight to Voicemail
You can choose certain people to always go straight to voicemail. The caller hears one ring while you do not hear a ring, just a missed or voicemail alert. Here is how to setup someone for "Send to voicemail".
• Tap Contact (or People) > {contact name} > Send to voicemail

Other Phone Tips and Tricks
• Force Roam only - Use Roam Control
• Executive Assistant and Light Flow let you set repeating LED, vibrations, and sound notifications for missed calls, etc.

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Messaging Tips and Tricks

You can set your Messages app to work just the way you like plus it has dozens of great features. While dozens of messaging Apps like HandCent SMS and ChompSMS add even more features, here are some common features.

Notification Lights, Sounds and Vibration
• Text Messaging sounds: Tap Messages> Menu > Settings > Notification sound.
• Quick Settings let's you adjust sounds all at once including Notifications: Tap Volume control or for Ringer for Phone ringer.
• Executive Assistant or Light Flow lets you set repeating LED, vibrations, and sound notifications.

Send a text
To open the Messages app, press the Messages icon or Tap Home > Menu > All Apps > Messages.
• To start a new conversation, Tap New Message and type their name or tap the Contacts icon to find a contact.
• To cut, copy and paste, long press on the text you have typed. See: Cut, Copy, Paste, and Share.
• If you type over 160 character, your message will split into two automatically (except the Nexus S).

Receive a message
When you get a text, a Notification will appear and your Notification LED will flash (except the Nexus S).
• Drap down the Notification bar and tap the notification. See Notifications.

Messaging Basics
Tap the Messages application icon to see a list of text message "conversations." While looking at the list of conversations...
• Long press a message for Message Options incuding View, Delete, Reply, Forward, Call or Open Contact. (If you forward, you will be able to edit the content.)

• From the message listing, Tap Menu to Delete, Compose, see Drafts, or change Settings.
• Tap a message to Reply to or tap New message. While composing your message...
• Tap the Attach button (highlighted in green below) to attach music, videos, or documents.
• Save attachment (photo, etc.) Long-press attachment > Save to SD card.

• Tap the Send (highlighted in blue) button when you are ready to send.
• A counter (highlighted in yellow) shows how many characters you have used for this message.
• While composing your message, Tap Menu for Quick text and other options.

Text Sending Tricks
• Compose a text: Tap Menu > Compose
• Add an attachment: Tap Menu > Attachment (Paperclip)
• Text Delivery Confirmation - Menu > Settings to a notification icon
• Add to your contacts: press their photo and tap the People icon.
• Press space twice to automatically place a period after the last typed letter on many keyboards.

Group Text
• You can send a text to a Gmail contact group: Tap The person icon next to the To field at the top then <Groups>.
• You can send an email to several people at once, just keep adding contacts in the To field.
• Group Texting (like a texting conference call or group chat) can be done with an app like GroupMe,

Quick Text
Your phone may have preset Quick Text messages to make texting faster.
• To insert a Quick Text while typing a text, Tap Menu > Quick Text and choose your text.
• To edit the list of Quick Text, tap Menu > Edit and tap the Quick Text to edit.

General Settings
• To set notification, vibrate, etc. in the Messages app: Tap Menu > Settings

Keep Your Messages Cleaned Out To Keep Your Phone Running Well
If you have too many messages stored on your phone, your Messages app and your whole phone may become sluggish as it constantly sorts through them all. You can set the Messages app to automatically delete old messages. Tap Menu > Settings > Delete Old Message ON and set your Text Message Limit to 100 messages per conversation or whatever you like. Some set this to 0 so that there are no old messages to be found.

Manually Delete Messages
• To delete one message, long press then tap delete
• To lock a message so that it is not deleted, press for 1 second > Lock
• To delete all messages in a conversation, tap Menu > Delete > OK

Speech to Text
You can use voice to text to dictate your email: While composing, click the microphone icon on the onscreen keyboard. Say your message. When you are done you can edit as normal text. Keyboards like SwiftKey offer more Speech to Text options.

Forward
To forward a message, long-press the message and Tap Forward. Enter the recipient, add your note and edit the content as needed, and tap the Send icon.

More Information
To see more informaiton about the message, long-press the message and Tap View message details. The phone number and date and time sent will be displayed.

Drafts
• To see Drafts: Tap Menu > Drafts

Other Messaging Tips and Tricks
• Get Executive Assistant for repeating text, missed call, calendar, and email reminders. Sets LED and vibration patterns too.

 

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Visual Voicemail

Note that some phones like the Nexus S do not have Visual Voicemail.​

Voicemail Basics
Your Voicemail icon should be on your main homescreen. If not, press and hold in an empty space then tap Appications and then Voicemail. Now you are never more than two taps away from Voicemail: Tap Home > Voicemail.

Tap your Voicemail icon. The first time you use Voicemail, you need to Personalize your passcode, name, and greeting.

A Voicemail waiting icon will show in the top status bar if you have unheard messages.

Visual Voicemail
Most Android phones come with Visual Voicemail. Visual Voicemail shows you the persons photo from your contacts when you play their message. In addition, most Android phones will also update the contacts photo to show their latest Facebook photo. If yours did not, try Visual Voicemail, YouMail, or HulloMail. Each is a little different but the HTC EVO example below will give the typical features.

Playing a Visual Voicemail message is like playing a song.
• Tap Play [►] or Pause [ ll ] to start and stop playback.
• Move the slider to the part you want to hear again.
• Call Back: Tap the Phone icon
• Delete: Tap the trash can
• Tap Menu for more options:
_ • Tap Lock to prevent deleting this message accidentally.
_ • Text Back: Tap Text Message
_ • Voicemail Back:Tap Reply
_ • Voicemail Forwarding: Tap Forward to send this voicemail as an email wav file attachment
• Save: Email the wav file to yourself. Open the email and Save to SDcard.

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Android Folder Tips and Tricks

So Many Apps - So Little Time!
You may have hundreds of the 300,000+ Android apps. But if you can only have 16 apps on each homescreen, what do you do? Android's built-in Folders feature lets you:
• Group apps by folders such as Games, Media, Utilities, Websites, etc.
• Up to 16 folders can be placed on each page along side apps and widgets.
• Up to 16 apps can be viewable in each folder for a total of 256 apps per screen!

Folders
Android's built-in folders are limited and slow to set up. (You might want to skip to the FolderOrganizer section coming up next.) To set up a new Android Folder, press an empty spot on a Homescreen for 1 second and tap Folder then New Folder. Now tap the new Folder icon and press on the Folder Topbar for 1 second and Rename the folder to whatever you like.

To add apps to an Android Folder, you first need to create an app icon on screen for each app that will go into the folder. Press an empty spot on the homescreen for 1 second and tap Application and choose your first app. Now drag the app into the folder. Repeat for each app. Apps in a folder cannot be manually sorted.

Ouch! There has to be an easier way! How can you rearrange your apps in a folder? How do you change your icons and labels? FolderOrganizer to the rescue...

Folder Organizer
There are a number of great folder apps like App Folders for $1, Folder Organizer (free) takes folders to a whole new level.
• Have up to 24 or even 30 apps on one screen.
• Shortcuts let you change icons and label text for each app.
• FolderOrganizer also lets you re-arange the order of the apps in each folder.
• Now you can have 5x6 or 5x6 icons per screen without rooting.

The homescreen example showns Bookmarks, Tools, Media, MyMedia, Reference, Productivity, and Games folders. Also note that Folder Organize Shortcuts allowed the People and Internet Icons to be changed.

Tap the Tools icon and the Tools Folder pops up as shown below. It is easy to get started with FolderOrganizer. Tap Labels to see the standard label names. (A Folder is called a "Label.") Tap a Label's drop down arrow ▼ on the right in this example to rename "Android" to "Media".

Now comes the fun part. To assign your apps into the different folders tap Apps and then for each app tap it's drop-down arrow ▼ then Labels (highlighted in orange below). Then check the Label it goes in, in this case "Productivity" (highlighted in green below).

Unlabeled apps go into Other Apps. To put a folder link on a screen, press an empty spot for 1 second > Widget > FolderOrganizer Label > {label name}. It is the same process to add small, medium, large, and full-screen widgets.

Put More Icons On Screen
Some Android phones have screens as small as 3.5" so Android only allows 4 rows by 4 columns (4x4) or 16 icons per screen. Today's larger screens can easily display more icons. Folder Organizer (free)lets you put a fullscreen widget on a homescreen that allows 4x6 or 5x6 icons totaling 24 or 30 icons! You can also turn off Show Text to remove the icon names giving you 4x7 or even 5x7 icons per screen!

The FolderOrganizer How-To and Getting Started Guides have more on how to change icon labels, rearrange icons, setup shortcuts, and the other widget sizes. Most of the custom icons are from Icon Pack - Tenuis. Here the black wallpaper. Have fun!

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100 Applications You've Got To Try!

Popular Android app stores:

The Android Market has 300,000+ apps and Many top apps are free but the top paid versions are often well worth a few dollars.

The Amazon Appstore offers apps at discount prices including a free "App of the Day".

Getjar offers 30+ paid apps for free each day, also mature content.

Android Market

Android Market: Tap the Market App icon
- • Search for an app: Tap

Search for the app or keyword.
- • Install an app: Tap the app you want, tap Install and follow the instructions.
- • Stuck downloads: If a download "hangs up" Tap the app > Cancel, then tap Install again.
- • Settings: Tap Menu > Setup and set Notifications to "Notify Me".
- • My Apps: To see your apps, tap Menu > My Apps.
- -• Auto update: To set one of your apps to auto update, Tap the App > Allow automatic updates/
- • Uninstall an app: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Applications > Manage applications. Tap the app then Uninstall.
- • Reinstall free apps you have uninstalled just as you did the first time.
- • Reinstall paid apps for free: Tap Market > Menu > My Apps, scroll down & reinstall.

Apps Tips and Tricks
• Put an App on a homescreen: Tap MyApps > tap your app.
• Move an App icon: Long press until it is highlighted then drag it.
• Remove an App icon from a Homescreen: Long press the icon until it is highlighted and slide it down to "Remove."
• You can Install an app from Android Market website to your Android device.
• The AppBrain app lets you Backup free apps and more options for sorting, filtering, and finding apps.

Detailed Instructions
Here are tutorials:
• How to install Android apps
• How to uninstall Android apps
• Keep your apps up to date
• Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Applications > Unknown Sources ON. Details: Allow app installs from 'unknown sources

Key Apps
Also see the most popular free and paid apps.

Google Search and

Google Voice Search must be installed for searches to work properly.
• Flashlight: Turn your camera LED into a flashlight: Tiny Flashlight, Droidlight, TeslaLED, or Search Light
• Notifications: Executive Assistant puts notifications on lock screen. Set repeating alerts for missed calls, emails, texts, etc.

Brightness Level lets you tap a preset brightness or set any brightness you like.
• Email: K-9 Mail add many features. Corporate users: check out Exchange Touchdown Trial (Full $20) or RoadSync Trial (Full $10).
• Messaging: Consider HandCent SMS or • ChompSMS to replace the messaging app
• Browsers: Consider great options like Dolphin or • Opera
• Calendars: For extra features & Sync, try Jorte-free (Review)• Business Calendar Free ($6 Full) (Review, Developer), or • Smooth Calendar.
• IM: Apps like Trillian • Nimbuzz • Meebo combine AOL, Google, Yahoo, Twitter, ICQ, and other IM chat into one place.
• Lock screen: No Lock - Disables lock screen, phone opens fast. • Widget Locker ($2) lets you customize it.
• Themes: ADW.Launcher (Tutorial, $3 full), LauncherPro ($3 full), GO Launcher ($0): change icons & layout. Simple Theming

Backup: MyBackup Pro ($5) - Automatically backup messages, contacts, bookmarks, homescreens, alarms, dictionary, etc. Trial.
• Facebook: Friendcaster (free, $5: no ads) or Haxsync for ICS expand sync for Facebook notifications, events, contacts, photos, etc.

Folders: Folder Organizer (free) - Sets up folders, change icons, and increase from 4x4 icons to 4x6 or even 5x6. See: Folders

• Settings: Quick Settings – Sound, Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, 4G, controls in one place. Tap area to go to settings.
• Notes: Evernote syncs notes, photos, to-do's, etc. from your phone, PC, laptop, tablet, etc. ColorNote is a simple alternative.

Tools
• Folder Organizer can let you set up a Tools folder with your favorite tools and settings.
• ASTRO File Manager: Install, run edit, & backup apps, view txt/images/zip, etc. • AndExplorer - Like Astro, preferred by many.

App 2 SD (free, Pro $2) Frees up space on your phone by moving apps to your SD card.

Flashlight Alerts uses the camera flash LED as your Notification LED for Calls, Texts, Email, Gmail, K-9, etc. Tutorial.
• Silent Boot – No annoying song when you reboot (restart) your phone.
• Spare Parts – Turn off animations to speed up and more.
• TrafficStats (free, $2 full) - Shows what apps are using the Internet. You will be surprised.
• Wheres My Droid - Force phone to ring or send a Google Maps location.
• Advanced Task Killer – See what apps are running. Set Menu > Settings > Auto Kill > Disable.
• HistoryEraser – Delete history in Browser and Apps.
• GPS Status & Toolbox (free, $3 upgrade) - Reset your GPS so it locks on more quickly.
• No Root Screenshot It ($5) Takes screenshots without root or use the hard but free way: Screenshots
• Android Commander runs on your PC to copy files to/from your phone using USB & SDK without being in DiskDrive mode.
• Clipboard Extenders: aNdCLip - Free ($4 Ad Free) or • Clipper - Free ($2) let you copy a stack of things to paste.
• Battery Charged Silencer - To silence Samsung phones that beep in the night when they are fully charged.
• MyAppSharer - Instead of sharing an app link, MyAppSharer let's you email the actual app file.
• Tasker - Automate everything: Turn things on/off based on time, location, etc. Sample profiles.

Save Battery
See the Extend Your Battery - Speed Up Your Phone for details on how to:

Battery Status (free, Upgraded $1) puts your real Battery % in Your Status Bar.
• Screebl (free, $2 upgraded) Keeps display on when you are using it. Website

Battery Left Widget - Learns how you use your phone-estimates battery time left (over 30 hours!).
• SystemPanel ($3, Free) See what apps take your battery and kill them.
• Watchdog shows what apps are taking your power and alerts you to problems.
• Network TrafficStats Lite (free, $2 no ads) shows what apps are using the Internet.
• Quick Settings lets you manage your radios all in one place.
• JuiceDefender (free) automatically turns off radios not in use. Ultimate ($7) adds key features. Android Central Review.

Keyboards

SwiftKey - Learns how you think and predicts your words saving keystrokes. $4. Free 30-day Trial.
• Swype - Swipe your finger over the keys instead of typing. World texting speed record
• Better Keyboard - Great if you are new. Set "Show touch points" ON. $3.
• ThickButtons - The next keys most likely to be pressed get wider.
• Scrybe - another word prediction keyboard but not as advanced as Swiftkey.

Productivity Tools
• Vlingo - Voice commands like "Text Joe: Leaving now" or "“What does poison ivy look like?” Tutorial and examples.
• Voice Search - This is what Voice Actions is actually called. For 2.2 or higher.
• Voice Actions - To just say something like "Text James Will be there in 15 minutes"
• Documents To Go: (Free) View Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint files. (Full: $14.99)
• Talk To Me - Listens to one language and says it in another!
• Photoshop - Edit photos and image files on your phone.
• Sensorly - Maps your and other user 4G and 3G coverage
• Street View on Google Maps : Amazing add-on
• HistoryEraser - Erases past searches stored all over your phone.
• Compass - Never get lost!

Gmail - Requried for Android sync.
• Scan2PDF - Turns your phone into a spy camera

Reference
You can use Folder Organizer to set up your own Reference folder with dozens of your sources.
• Merriam-Websters Dictionary - Full Collegiate version with synonyms, antonyms, usage, and origins. Free!
• Wikipedia: Wikidroid let's you include Wikipedia in your search results. Also see Wapedia.
• Instant Heart Rate - Actually tells you your heart rate.
• White & Yellow Pages : Voice Search, dial or save to contacts.
• Dial Zero v1.04 - Secret customer service 800 numbers for over 600 companies.
• Google Maps - the flagship mobile version is always on Android first.
• Google Goggles - identifies places, products, books, barcodes, and translates text in a photo. Solce Sudoku puzzels.
• FlightStats : Is the flight on time?
• Realtor or Zillow - See real estate listings around you with inside photos and details.
• RealCalc Scientific Calculator - Like an HP. It has it all. Easy to use.
• Speedtest - How fast is your 3G, 4G, or WiFi?
• Elements - Periodic Table
• Carrr Matey - Finds your car
• Georeader - Historic and intersting landmarks are read to you as you pass them.
• Antennas - Shows you where the cell tower is that you are using.

Communications
• Google Voice - Make cheap international calls, send texts for free, read voicemail transcripts, and more.
• Go Contacts lets you dial a middle part of a name or number. For 202-456-1414, you can dial "456" or "1414".
• TouchPal Dialer lets you dial their initals for instance dial 2 for B, 6 for O for Barack Obama.
• Go Contacts & TouchPal Dialer can seach contacts for "Pen" for contacts on Pennsylvania Ave or "Wash" for Washington.

Camera Apps
• Vignette ($4, free demo) has great features and is rightfully a top app.
• HDR Camera (free, $4 full) Combines 3 automatic shots at different exposures for amazing color & contrast.
• Action Snaps (free) can shot a burst of shots.
• Camera Zoom FX ($4) is a great camera with lots of free attachment.
• Fast Camera ($2) claims to be the fastest camera app.
• Adobe Photoshop Express (free) adds endless effects.

Media
• Video Players: Vital Player (Free, Pro $4), Vplayer (Full: $5), & MoboPlayer add formats. mVideoPlayer is great - adds no formats.
• Music Players: PowerAMP (Trial) (Full:$5) • Google Music (free) • Winamp (free) • Meridian (free) (Full:$4) • TuneWiki (free)

Google Music lets you upload your music to the Cloud and then play with the Google Music app.
• TuneIn (Pro) for almost all local AM/FM stations. Also try Pandora, Slacker, and iheartradio.
• Shazam – Listens to a song and tells you title & artist, watch the YouTube Video, or download the MP3.

Barcode Scanner Scans barcodes and gives you links. Is something cheaper online? Review.
• eReaders: • Kindle • NOOK A million free books
• Talking King James Bible : Other versions are $5
• Zedge Ringtones & Wallpapers
• DIRECTV : Set programs to record.

Multimedia
• Amazon MP3 - Offers almost ever song available anywhere.
• MP3 Music Download has nearly every song as well...for free.
- • YouTube Down–loader – Save YouTube videos or as MP3’s for free.
• Rescan Media finds music and photos copied from your PC by forcing Android to do a media scan.
• Skype and ooVoo give you free unlimited video calls over WiFi, 3G and 4G.
• Discovery Channel - huge selection of videos from all their channels.
• TV.com - lots of free video content especially from CBS.
• IMDb - Internet Movie Database also photos, trailers, clips, etc.
• Fandango - Find what is playing near you, buy tickets, see clips.
• RedBox - Check your local Redboxes
• Google Sky Map - Astronomy made fun
• Layar - Sees through walls
• Tuner - gStrings - Now your phone tunes your guitar.
• Flash Player 10.1 - Opens up so much Internet content others miss.

Games
You can use Folder Organizer to set up your own Game Center folder with dozens of your favorite games.
• 15n Puzzle Game • Backgammon • Battleship • Dots & Boxes • Hearts
• Slide Puzzle • Solitaire • Spades • Texas Hold'em Poker
• Angry Birds the game everyone plays.

Fun
• Smart Measure - Measures distance to objects.
• Instant Heart Rate - It works!
• Scanner Radio - Local police and fire scanner.
• LED Show 1.2.2 - Great scrolling marquee for messages across a room.
• Bump - Bump another Android or iPhone to share photos, contacts, or a link to an app in the Android Market.
• Skype - free calls over 3G or WiFi.
• WiMax Notifier - uses the secret "other" LED at the top of an EVO.

Toggles
Toggles are simple widgets that lets you change settings without going through menus. This Stay Awake Widget can keep your display on whenever your phone is charging. To put your Power Control Widgets on a homescreen, long-press an empty spot, then tap Widgets > Power Settings. Popular free Toggles include the Curvefish Brightness Level, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS widgets but there are many others.

Widgets
Beware: some widgets can drain your battery!
• Tajm - The amazing clock widget in words instead of numbers →

The Weather Channel - Puts the temperature in the Notification bar.
• Speed Dial Widget: Folder Organizer (free), Go Contacts (iPhone theme), MeContacts, or QDial.
• Battery Left Widget - Estimates battery time left.

• Today Widget - Day and date in a 1x1 widget. ($1 Pro version has color options)
• Curvefish (free):

Brightness Level • WiFi On-Off • Bluetooth On-Off • GPS On-Off • Data (APN) On-Off
• Quick Settings – Controls for Bluetooth, GPS, 3G, 4G, and all the volume levels in one place.
• Fancy Widgets (free trial) is an amazing set ($3 unlocked) • Beautiful Widgets ($3) are also amazing.
• Tiny Flashlight + LED turns your camera flash LED into a powerful flashlight.
• Micro Clock Widget 1x1 gives you a great analog clock.
• Airplane mode widget - Switched 2G, 3G, WiFi, and Bluetooth on/off all at once.

News
You can use Folder Organizer to set up your own Newsstand folder with dozens of your news sources.
• Android Central - Limited version of Android Central. Use http://m.androidcentral.com/ instead.
• Engadget - great app with all their content.
• XDA-Developers - Limited content. Haven for the nerdiest of the nerds.
• Tapatalk Forum App (Pro) - views most forums. $3. Trial version.
• AP Mobile • Newspapers • USA TODAY • CNET • Weather Channel

Shopping
• Amazon.com - unfortunately very limit.
• eBay - search, buy, and sell.
• Zillow Real Estate - As you drive past a home for sale, see price, inside photos, etc.
• REALTOR.com - Find nearby homes for sale.

Cloud Storage
Cloud Storage let's you store files on the Internet for access on your PC and Android devices. Here are a few free options:

Dropbox stores up to 2GB (referral link for 2.25GB) for free. Open with the Dropbox app. More GB are available.
• Google Music lets you upload your music to the Cloud and then play with the Google Music app.
• Google Docs can store your doc, xls, and ppt files to the Cloud for use by the Google Docs app.

Tethering
Tethering uses your phone as a cellular modem. Carrier tethering plans cost of $20+ a month. Tethering apps are a one-time app purchase that carriers often say is illegal. See Android 101: Tethering.
• PdaNet (free) gives USB and Bluetooth access, but not to secure sites (https). The $16 version is unlimited. Website. Tutorial.
• EasyTether Lite is free USB only access but not to secure sites (https). Review. The $10 version is unlimited. Website.
• Wireless Tether for Root Users turns your phone into a WiFi hotspot and is free. • Or try Barnacle.

Requires Root
See How to tell if your phone is rooted but if you don't know if you are rooted, you probably aren't.
• Temporary root with apps like z4root or VISIONary may work on your phone but do not let you change ROMS or try SuperOneClick.
• AdFree : Ads disappear from apps and Internet. Second best reason to root.
• Titanium Backup plus the $6 Pro Key and BusyBox : "Freeze" unused apps without uninstalling. Backup to SDcard.
• Android Commander runs on your PC to copy files to/from your phone using USB & SDK without being in DiskDrive mode.
• MetaMorph Pro - Theme, patch, and mod your phone. Advanced users only. Guide.
• NinjaMorph - Modify apk's right from your phone without ever hooking up a PC. Experts only.
• Wireless Tether for Root Users - Free

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Keyboards

Keyboard Basics
• The spell checker suggests corrections as you type. Keyboards like SwiftKey suggest the next word.
• Calibrate your onscreen keyboard: Tap Menu Settings Language & keyboard Touch input Text input Calibration tool
• Tap the Space key twice to add a period after a word and capitalize the next letter typed in most keyboards.
• The keyboard should come up automatically when you tap into a text input area on screen.
• Holding down the menu key will bring up your keyboard.

Good Vibrations Are Bad For Batteries
By default, many Android phones vibrate giving "haptic feedback" as you type. This is one of the tips to help save your battery life:
• Menu Settings Language & keyboard Touch input Text input Vibrate when typing OFF
• From these menus you can also set keyclick sounds, spell correction, and more.

Changing Keyboards
AppBrain has 750 listings for "keyboard" in almost every flavor and language. Different keyboards may be better for different tasks and you can have several installed. Also see Android Central's Keyboard Roundup and Android 101: How to change keyboards. If your phone is sluggish after changing keyboards, reboot: Press and hold the power button, tap Power off, then turn it back on.

Setup Keyboards
You must enable each keyboard you install: Tap Home Menu Settings Keyboard & Language and then check each keyboard. To change keyboards as you type: Long-press in the text area, tap Input method then the keyboard you want to use. Here is a video. This is also where you can change the settings for the keyboard.

SwiftKey
Android Market Rating: 4.55
Remainder of Word Predictions: YES
Next Word Prediction: YES
Speech to Text: YES
Predictions keep improving: YES

Physical keyboards help you type more. Predictive keyboards like SwiftKey help you type less. They learn how you think and suggest words you will most likely say next. Voice Actions trys to prevent typing.
• What's faster than typing? Not typing. SwiftKey predicts your next word before you even start to type it.
• It learns how you think making better suggestions all the time, sometimes better than the word than you were thinking.
• It may be illegal for you to text while driving. SwiftKey also offers speech to text so you can talk instead of typing. $4. Free trial.

SwiftKey Settings: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Language & keyboard > SwiftKey X
• Advanced > Spacebar will...: "Always insert a space" gives 3 real predictions. Warning: Defaults to Insert a prediction.
• Advanced > Keyboard feedback: To customize keypress vibrations.
• Advanced > Quick ".": If on, press space twice to get a period. You probably want this off.
• Theme > Theme: To select Light, Dark, or Neon Theme.
• Theme > Arrow keys: To add arrow keys to the keyboard.

Swype
Android Market Rating: Not in the market.
Remainder of Word Predictions: YES
Next Word Prediction: NO
Speech to Text: YES
Predictions keep improving: YES

With Swype you don't type. You swipe your finger over the keys instead of tapping them. How good is Swype? Swype set the world texting speed record.

• Swype is not available at this time except on certain phones like the Droid X, Epic, and Touch 3G.

• A secret to Swype is that it is an excellent keyboard for regualr typing too with great predictions as shown above.

• Tap the blue arrow for another set of predicted words. Speech to Text is very good.

Better Keyboard
Android Market Rating: 4.13
Remainder of Word Predictions: YES
Next Word Prediction: NO
Speech to Text: YES
Predictions keep improving: YES

Better Keyboard is a great keyboard for a new user because it can show where you tapped as blue dots on the keys.

?€? Your accuracy will improve quickly.

• Better Keyboard offers multiple languages and is customizable.

• Better Keyboard gives you many predictions with even more by pressing the ?–? button (in orange above).

• Predictions are only for the remainder of the word, not the next word. $3. No free trial.

ThickButtons
Android Market Rating: 3.64
Remainder of Word Predictions: YES
Next Word Prediction: NO
Speech to Text: YES
Predictions keep improving: YES


ThickButtons looks like a normal keyboard until you start typing.

• The keys most likely to come next become thicker and word predictions appear.

• Press the ?–? button (in orange above) to see more predictions.

• Note that predicted words are only shown once you start typing the word.

• Speech recognition is very good. Free.

If this helped you, please click ?†“

?†“​

 

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Status Bar Notifications

When you get an email, text, or other event occurs, most Android flash a Notification LED, sound an alert, vibrate, and a Notification will appear in the Status bar at the top. Drag the Notification Status Bar down from the top (swipe down) to see them all. They will stay visible until you tap one or drag the Notifications back up from the bottom (swipe up) to close it. If you don't want to look at your notifications right now, they will not take up any screen at all. Every Android phone is a little different but the Notification icons below are typical.

• Tap the Notification bar to see the date.
• Executive Assistant lets you respond to notifications from the lock screen and set repeating alerts.
• When a notification comes in, a message will briefly appear at the top in the Notification Status Bar.
• Drag the Notifications Status bar down to see all pending Notifications
• If your phone does not have a notification LED, check out NoLED or BLN Control.

You can clear all of the Notifications at once or look at them one at a time. You can also press and hold the Notifications Status bar to see the time in the upper left corner.
- • Tap Clear to clear all Notifications.
- • Tap the one you want to see. Now it is removed from your Notification Status Bar.
Click to see the Sample Notification Icons and Sample Status Icons.

Set Notification Sounds and Vibrations
• Basic notification sound: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Sound > Notification.
• Phone ringtone: Tap Phone > Settings > Sound > Phone ringtone.
• Text Messaging: Tap Messages> Menu > Settings > Notification sound.
• Calendar: Tap Calendar > Menu > More > Settings > Reminder settings > Select ringtone.
• Gmail: Tap Gmail> Menu > More > Settings > Ringtone.
• Google Talk: Tap Google Talk Menu > Settings > Ringtone
• Facebook: Tap Facebook > Menu > Settings > Notification ringtone.
• Contact's ringtone: Tap Contacts (or People) > {contact name} > {choose a ringtone}
• Handcent: Tap Handcent> Menu > Settings > Notification settings > Notification sound.

Repeating Alert LED's and Tones
Many Phone, Email, Text, and Calendar apps will alert you only ONCE of new notifications. Fortunately, there are apps that will let you set repeating, customized sounds, vibrations, and LEDsfor missed calls, emails, and messages.
• Executive Assistant (free) Set repeating alerts for calls, texts, emails, etc. Option to put them on your lock screen! (No ad version, Details)
• Reminder Pro ($2) is another option to set repeating notification sounds, vibration, and LEDs. Calls-only trial.
• Light Flow also lets you set repeating LED, vibrations, and sound notifications. (free, $1 Full)

Flashlight Alerts uses the camera flash LED as your Notification LED for Calls, Texts, Email, Gmail, K-9, etc. Tutorial.
• If your phone lacks a Notification LED like the Nexus S, try NoLED as a workaround.
If you used an app like Executive Assistant, you will want to turn off the regular alarms. See below.
• Tasker can automatically turn off notification sounds when you are at work, school, etc.

Executive Assistant
The Executive Assistant app puts your email, texts, missed calls, calendar, tasks, Twitter, and Facebook on your lock screen or widgets. You can tap on a text notification to instantly reply without going into your messaging app. Plus you can put widgets or apps right on the lock screen. For instance you can have the Camera app always ready.

Plus Executive Assistant offers reoccuring LED, Vibration, and Sound notifications for missed calls, emails, texts, calendar, Facebook, and Twitter notifications.

See the Executive Assistant tips for more.

 

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Live Wallpaper

Wallpaper
Wallpaper is the background image behind your homescreen icons and widgets. Note:
• The Wallpapers, Ringtones, and Themes forum has thousands of Wallpapers to download.
• Wallpaper must be in one of these type of files: jpg, gif, png, or bmp.
• To set your Wallpaper, tap Home > Menu > Settings > Personalize > Home Wallpaper.

Live Wallpaper
Live Wallpaper is animated. The Earth rotates, grasses wave, clouds billow, thunder storms, fish swim, snow swirls, raindrops slide down your screen, and robots fly. Live Wallpaper responds when you touch it or move your phone.

More Random Tips and Tricks
• Camera: To auto focus on a spot simply touch that spot. When the square turns green that selected area is in focus.
• Folders: Speed Dials with FolderOrganizer: Long press an empty homescreen spot > Shortcut > Folder Organizer Item > Direct Call > Choose a contact.
• Folders: Speed Texts with Folder Organizer (free): Long press an empty homescreen spot > Shortcut > Folder Organizer Item > Direct Text > Choose a contact.
• Apps in Notification Bar with Folder Organizer: Menu > Preferences > Show items in notification ON > Labels with item in toolbox . {folder of icons to put in Notifications}
• Import Contacts from your old phone

 

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Extend Your Battery - Speed Up Your Phone

Your Android is a fire-breathing beast with a big bright screen and running a dozen radios. That takes a lot of power. Apps and widgets can also slow you down and steal your power. Your Android phone battery should be able to last at least through 10 hours of steady use if you know the tricks.

Power Management Basics
Do this simple test. Check your Battery level: tap Home > Menu > Settings > About phone > Status for Battery level % (or get the Battery Status app to have the % in the status bar). Press Power to turn off the display and take it off any charger. Check again in an hour. If the Battery level has gone down by more than 1%, something is taking your power. There are a number of basic steps you can take to help manage power that may also speed up your phone.

Reboot Your Phone
• If battery life has dropped or your phone is running slow, try a reboot: Long-press Power > Tap Power Off. Turn back on.
• Occasional reboots can help keep rogue apps from taking battery life.

Batteries and Chargers
• 100% may not really be 100%. Charge to 100%. Remove from charger. Plug back in. The charge light may go back on!
• USB charging is slow because the current is cut in half. Use good wall chargers. • Get a good car charger or car kit.
• Consider an Extended Battery. External batteries are another option (Monoprice, Quick Settings • Curvefish Widgets • Free Power Widgets
• JuiceDefender (Free) saves your battery by automatically turning off radios.
- • JuicePlotter (free) Adds history • UltimateJuice ($7) for full features.

Enhance Your GPS
Turn on GPS when needed: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Location and security.
• Turn Use wireless networks ON, Use GPS satellites ON, and Use sensor aiding ON.
• GPS takes a lot of power especially when navigating. Turn OFF when not needed.
Periodically reset GPS data and download fresh data for faster GPS fix & to save battery.
• Install GPS Status & Toolbox (free, $3 upgrade) and open app to see your GPS accuracy
• Tap Menu > Tools > Manage A-GPS state and tap Reset then tap Download.
• Test your GPS: Tap Menu > Settings > Show time to GPS fix

Key Apps

Battery Status (free, Upgraded $1) puts your real Battery % in Your Status Bar.
• Stay Awake Widget keeps display on when charging but dimmed. No unlock needed!
• Screebl (free, $2 upgraded) Keeps display on when you are using it. Website

Battery Left Widget - Learns how you use your phone-estimates battery time left (over 30 hours!).
• SystemPanel ($3, Free) See what apps take your battery and kill them.
• Watchdog shows what apps are taking your power and alerts you to problems.
• Network TrafficStats Lite (free, $2 no ads) shows what apps are using the Internet.
• Quick Settings lets you manage your radios all in one place.
• JuiceDefender (free) automatically turns off radios not in use. Ultimate ($7) adds key features. Android Central Review.

Screen Brightness & Timeout
• Set Brightness to Automatic or low: Tap Home > Settings > Display > Brightness
• The free Curvefish Brightness Level lets you instantly tap a preset brightness or set any brightness you like.
• Set a short Display time-out: Tap Home > Settings > Display > Screen Timeout, 1 min or less.

No Live Wallpaper
• Use a dark non-Live wallpaper: Tap Home > Wallpaper > Wallpapers. Live Wallpaper is always on. (How to add wallpaper)
• Dark blue, green, red, purple, black or dark wallpapers offer high contrast to allow a lower brightness setting.
• Turn animations off: Tap Home > Settings > Display > Animation > No animation

Turn off your motor
Haptic feedback (vibration) powers a motor in the phone to make it shake.
• Turn off key vibration: Tap Home > Settings > Sound > Vibrate Feedback OFF
• Turn off keyboard vibration: Tap Home > Settings > Language & keyboard > {keyboard settings}

App Basics
• Streaming music, movies, games, navigation, Maps, chat, social media, and other apps reduce your battery life.
• Widgets may be stealing your power. Remove ones you don't use: Long-press widget and drag down to trash.
• Update your apps. Upgrades often fix power issues: Tap Market > Menu > My Apps > Update all
• Facebook: Sync with Facebook less often: Tap Facebook > Back >Menu > Settings > Refresh interval > 4 hours
• Email: If you use regular email, reduce syncing: Tap Email > Menu > Settings > Email check frequency > 1 hour or longer.
• Email: Don't hoard emails. Delete old message to make Email load faster and save power.
• Texts: Don't hoard text messages: Tap Messaging > Menu > Settings > Text message limit to 100 messages per conversation.

See what apps are taking your power
• SystemPanel ($3) See & kill apps that take your battery. Free version.
• Watchdog is also great and will notify you of apps taking a lot of power.
• Network TrafficStats Lite (free, $2 no ads) shows what apps are using the Internet.

Browser
Turn off Flash to make pages load faster and use less power. Often flash content is ads. Tap something if you want to see it.
• Set plug-ins like Adobe Flash to On demand: Tap Browser > Menu > Settings > Enable plug-ins > On demand.

Clear your memory
If your have too little RAM available your phone struggles to keep swapping. Keep at least 80 MB of Available Space.
• Check your Available Space: Tap Menu > Settings > Storage and check the Device memory Available space.
• Move apps to the SD card: Tap the App then tap Move to SD card (unless it's a widget you use)

Apps 2 SD and Advanced SD Card Manager easily move apps to your microSD.

Find the Battery Sucker
If your battery doesn't last long even when the phone is not is use with 4G, Bluetooth, and GPS off, no Life Wallpaper, and a reboot, let's find out why:
1. Turn off Background data and Auto-sync: Tap Home > Menu > Accounts and sync > Auto-sync OFF, Background data OFF
2. Turn Airplane mode On: Tap Home > Menu > Wireless and network > Airplane mode ON.
3. Note the Battery Status % or tap Home > Menu > Settings > About phone > Status for Battery level %.
4. Turn the display off. Unplug from charger.

5. In 20 minutes, check the battery level again (step 3 above).
• If the battery level dropped over 1%, you have a bad app or widget.
→→ Have you added any widgets? Try removing them for now: Long-press the widget and drag it down to the trash.
→→ Tap Home > Menu > Applications > Running Services. Tap one you installed. Stop it. Test again until you find the bad app.
• If your Battery % dropped less than 1% in 20 minutes, check for poor signal strength:
→→ Turn Airplane mode Off: Tap Home > Menu > Wireless and network > Airplane mode OFF. Turn the display off.

6. In another 20 minutes, check the battery level again.
• If the battery level dropped over 1%, it may be due to Roaming or poor signal (1-3 bars):
→→ Try Roaming off: Tap Home > Menu > Wireless and network > Roaming > Roaming mode > Sprint only.
→→ Tell your carrier (Sprint: ask for a free Airave for your Home). In your car, consider the Wilson Sleek (SystemPanel app and tap Menu > Settings > Monitoring enabled. Let it watch your typical usage for several hours. Then from SystemPanel, Tap Menu > Monitor > History > Plot > Top Apps. Now you can see what is using your battery. "System" should be taking most of your battery. The free version is limited.

JuiceDefender
The free JuiceDefender app saves your battery by automatically turning off radios when not in use but it is limited. Juice Defender Ultimate is well worth the $7 adding many key features as explained by Android Central:
• Turn off WiFi when you are not near your WiFi hotspots, like your home
• Turn off 1x/3G//4G when WiFi is available.
• Turn off 1x/3G/4G/WiFi and set to silent mode overnight so you (and everyone else) can sleep.
• Use the "Balanced" presets if you are new to this or "Customize" if you are an expert.
• JuicePlotter is a free add-on that charts battery usage.

SetCPU
Users who have rooted can use programs like SetCPU (more info & How to use) to set profiles to give more power when you need it and save battery when possible as in this example

See Also
• Keep your charge on -- how to improve battery life
• Lifehacker: How to Get Better Battery Life from Your Android Phone
• Complete Guide to Maximizing Your Android Phone’s Battery Life
• PC Magazine: Improve Your Android Phone's Battery Life
• WikiHow: How to Make Your Cell Phone Battery Last Longer
• JuiceDefender - Reclaim your battery

 

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Gmail Tips and Tricks

You need a Gmail account (Help) for your phone to sync contacts and calendar. This is also where Android Market order confirmations will go.
It is easy to transfer your old phone contacts to Gmail. The simple way is to use Google Sync (Help) to sync your old BlackBerry, iPhone, Nokia, or Windows phone to your Gmail account. The Google Gmail app can do amazing things if you just know the tricks...

Gmail Basics
Tap the Gmail application icon to see a list of you emails.
• Tap Menu to Refresh, Compose, see Accounts, Label, or Search. Tap More for Settings and Help.
• Tap Help for the Gmail Help online
• Long press an email item to Read, Archive, Mute, Mark read, Delete, Add star, etc.
• Tap an email to open it then Reply or Reply All.

General Settings
To change your font size, signature, etc.: Tap Menu > More > Settings > General Settings
• Gmail Signature: Tap Menu > More > Settings > Signature. Your default signature may be an ad!
• Notification Lights, Sounds and Vibration: Tap Gmail> Menu > More > Settings > Ringtone.

Receive Settings
To set Receive Settings: Tap Menu > More > Settings > Receive Settings
- • You can make your download frequency less often to save battery.

Email Sending Tricks
- • Compose a new email: Tap Menu > Compose
- • Add an attachment to an email you are composing: Tap Menu > Attach
- • Add a Carbon Copy/Blind Carbon Copy: Tap Menu > Add Cc/Bcc
- • Add an email address to your contacts: press the email address and save it.
- • Press space twice to automatically place a period after the last typed letter.

Speech to Text
You can use voice to text to dictate your email: While composing, click the microphone icon on the onscreen keyboard. Say your message. When you are done you can edit as normal text.

Delete
• To delete one email, tap the email then tap Delete -or- • Long-press an email listing then tap delete
• To delete multiple emails in a tap the check boxes in front of the email to delete then tap Delete.
• To permanent delete email in the trash, to Gmail Trash and check items and Delete forever.

Other Gmail Tips and Tricks
• Also see: Add a Second Gmail Account
• Using Gmail as your own personal push mail server

If this helped you, please click ↓

↓​

 

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Putting Music, Photos, Movies, and Documents on your phone

Transfer a DVD to Your Phone
You can have dozens of movies on your microSD card with you any time! You need a program to remove the copy protection (DRM) and then a way to convert a DVD or Blueray to your phone.
1. Install a automatic copy protection removal program like DVD43 or AnyDVD on your PC.
2. Use these Instructions to convert to your phone's resolution. (Set DVD's to 720x480.)

Video Players
• Your stock video palyer may not play your video format but video players in the Android Market probably can.
• Vital Player (Free, Pro $4), Vplayer (Full: $5), & MoboPlayer add many formats. mVideoPlayer is great but adds no formats.

Copy your Music, Photos, and Wallpaper to your Android phone
If you do not use iTunes, it is easy to copy photos, music, or other files to your phone:
1. Connect your phone to your PC with your USB cable.
2. Swipe down the top notifications bar.
3. Tap Just Charging or USB connected, etc. Tap Disk Drive or Connect USB, etc.
4. When your phone pops up on your PC as a new USB drive, go into file explorer. If you have a microSD card and internal memory, your phone might show up as two different drives, for instance F: and G:.
5. In windows, right-click Start the click Explore.
6. Create "Photos", "Music", "Wallpaper", or "Documents" folder on your phone if you need to.
7. Drag and drop files or folders to your phone. Use subdirectories to create albums under artist names.
8. When done, right click on the phone drive letter and click "Eject" & disconnect.
9. Reboot the phone so that it will find the new files: Long-press Power to turn off then long-press Power to turn back on.

Other tips
• You might keep your photos in folders like this: /Photos/2012-Spring
• You might keep your music in folders by album: /Music/The Beatles/White Album
• There are also great apps like Winamp (free) DoubleTwist ($5) that let you sync music or photos wirelessly.
• Google Music can let you upload your music to the cloud and then play with the Google Music app.
• To install wallpaper you copied over: Tap Home > Menu > Wallpaper > Gallery > Gallery and select your wallpaper.

Cloud Storage
Cloud Storage let's you store music and photos on the Internet for access on your PC and Android devices. Here are a few free options:

Dropbox stores up to 2GB (referral link for 2.25GB) for free. Open with the Dropbox app. More GB are available.
• Google Music lets you upload your music to the Cloud and then play with the Google Music app.
• Google Docs can store your doc, xls, and ppt files to the Cloud for use by the Google Docs app.

Google Docs
The Google Docs app for Android lets you view, edit, and create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations that are stored in a free Google Docs account. These files are then available on your PC or Mac, and most other mobile devices. (Help, Overivew).
Microsoft Office files can be automatically synced to Google Docs with the free Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office plugin. You need need an app like Quickoffice Pro to edit Office files. Native Google Docs files can be edited directly from Google Docs. (Engadget Review)

If you use iTunes
One downside to iTunes is that you cannot easily copy or backup files and you may be limited to the number of devices that can play your own music files. See How-To: Sync music and videos from your computer (aka iTunes).

 

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Contact Tips and Tricks

Your Android device can have countless contacts, called People in Android 4.0. When you email, text, or call, you access these same contacts. Your main place for contacts is your Gmail Contacts but you can also automatically sync and backup with Facebook and other sources. You can easily update contacts and see just the ones you want. Everything you can do to create, delete, edit, and group contacts can also be done from your PC by going to http://mail.google.com/. The instructions below are all for using your phone unless otherwise notes.

Critical Contact Setting!
Always save all contacts to Google! If you save them to your phone, they are not backed up and will not transfer to a new phone. From Contacts, tap Menu > More > Settings > Save new contacts to > Google.

Export Contacts
You normally should never need to export contacts from your Android but if you saved contacts to Phone instead of Google on your previous Android, you will need to export them manually. To export contacts from an Android, open Contacts then tap Menu > Import/Export >OK. Your contacts will be saved as 0000X.vcf in the main directory of your phone. Connect your phone to your PC with a USB cable and copy this file to your desktop on your PC. Now follow the import steps below to import the vcf file to Gmail.

Import Contacts
You can transfer your old phone contacts to Gmail from your old iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm, or Windows phone. You can use Google Sync (Help) for your old BlackBerry, iPhone, Nokia, or Windows phone. You can forward your emails to Gmail or use Gmail sync Outlook.

Gmail Sync
Your Gmail contacts will automatically sync to your Android phone. Contacts you create as Google contacts on one phone will also be available on all other Android devices and on your PC. Contacts saved as "Phone" contacts are not backed up automatically.

Sync with other Accounts
Android integrates updates from Exchange, Facebook (except the Nexus S), Flickr, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other accounts into your Calendar and Contacts. As friends update their email addresses, birthdays, phone numbers, events, photos, and status, your phone is automatically updated.

Create a Contact in Android
Tap Contacts (sometimes called People) and then the + sign at the top. Fill in the First and Last names, full phone number, email or whatever. Tap Save.

Find a Contact
• In the Contacts app, Tap Search and start typing the beginning of their first name or last name.
• From a homescreen, Tap Search >

Tap the blue Google button & narrow your search to Contacts and start typing.

Edit a Contact
You can Add or Edit Contacts from your Android phone but if you are doing a lot of cleanup it can be faster to use Gmail on a PC.
• To edit Contacts in Gmail on a PC: Click Contacts to clean up spelling, add or delete contacts, etc.
• To edit Contacts in Android, Tap Contacts, select the contact then tap Menu > Edit.

Contact Groups
If you only want to see a certain group of contacts, that is easily done on most Android phones (except the Nexus S). This is also great if you routinely send emails or text to a group, consider setting up an Android Contact Group.
• To create a group in Android, Tap Contacts > Groups icon > Add group (except with the Nexus S)
• To manage a group in Android, Tap Contacts > Groups icon > {Group} > Menu Add or Delete Member (except with the Nexus S)
• Show just members of a Group: Tap Contacts > Menu > Groups icon > {Group} to see only certain groups of contacts.
• Create a Contact group in Gmail on a PC: Click Contacts then New Group and then choose contacts for the group.
• Manage a Contact group in Gmail on a PC: Click on a Contact click the Groups drop-down.

Send Certain People Staight to Voicemail
You can choose certain people to always go straight to voicemail. The caller hears one ring while you do not hear a ring, just a missed or voicemail alert. Here is how to setup someone for "Send to voicemail".
• Tap Contact (or People) > {contact name} > Send to voicemail

Set a special ringtone for a contact
• Tap Home > All Apps > Contact (or People) > {contact} > {Ringtone}

Linking Contacts
Android automatically links together the same names from Gmail, Facebook, and other sources.
• Link Android Contacts: In Contacts select a contact then Tap Menu > Link and select the contacts to link.
• To Un-Link Android Contacts: In Contacts select the contact then Tap Menu > Link and tap the link to break it.
• Note that Jen, JJ, Jenni, Jenny, or Jenifer Aniston will not automatically link to Jennifer Aniston.

Merge Duplicate Contacts
• If you end up with duplicate Gmail contacts, merge them together:
- - Use your PC to go to http://mail.google.com/ and log in. Click Contact then click More then Find and Merge duplicates.
• Contacts may not automatically link to your Facebook or Twitter contacts if the spelling is different. To join manually:
- - On your phone: Tap Contacts (People) and long-press the contact then Join contact. Select the contact to be joined.

Other Contact Tips
• Set accounts to sync: Tap Home > Menu > Settings > Accounts & Sync to add an account or change settings.
• Backup all contacts: Tap Home > Contact (People) > Inport/Export > Export
• Show/Hide Contacts: Tap Contact (on HTC People) > Menu > View to turn on or off Facebook, LinkedIN or other contacts.

Replace your Contacts App

The Android Market has a number of Contacts apps that can be used in palce of your stock Contacts app to give added features.
• Go Contacts & TouchPal Dialer can search contacts for "Pen" for contacts on Pennsylvania Ave or "Wash" for Washington.
• Go Contacts lets you dial a middle part of a name or number. For 202-456-1414, you can dial "456" or "1414".
• TouchPal Dialer lets you dial their initals for instance dial 2 for B, 6 for O for Barack Obama.

 

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Backup, Restore or Transfer Your Android Device

Gmail is Key
Android syncs Gmail, calendar, and contacts with your Gmail account. If you don't yet have a Gmail account, click the Gmail app on your phone or go to http://mail.google.com/ on your PC to set up your account.

Transfer to Android
Here are special guides to help you transition from your old phone:
• Apple iPhone
• BlackBerry
• Palm webOS

You can also sync BlackBerry, Apple, Nokia/Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Other mobile device or Outlook contacts and calendars with your Android. If you update a contact or calendar on one device, it will update the others. Here is more on Google Sync (Help) and how to transfer your old phone contacts to Gmail.

Backup, Backup, Backup!
You may lose your phone, replace it, or need to restore ("wipe") your phone so it is important to make regular backups. Google only backs up Google Contacts and Calendar and Paid apps. If you know the tricks, you can also back up free Apps, Settings, Data, Photos, Music, Wallpaper, Call log, Bookmarks, Texts, Ringtones, Home Screens, Alarms, Dictionary, and more.

Import Android Phone Contacts
If you always save contacts as "Google Contacts", skip this section.
Always save contacts as "Google Contact" so that they are automatically backed up to Gmail. Contacts stored as "Phone Contacts" are not backed up.
• Tap Contacts (or People) > tap Menu > More > Settings > Save new contacts to > Google.
If you saved contacts as Phone Contacts, you need to manually import them to Gmail to transfer to a new device:
1. Tap Home > Contacts (or People) > Import/Export > Export > Phone.
2. Note where the vcf file name and target location. It might be "/sdcard/pcsc_pcsc_0001.vcf"
3. Transfer the vcf file from you phone to your PC with your USB cable.
4. Import the vcf file you have created into Google Contacts on your computer.

Automatically Backup and Restore App Settings
If your phone allows it, set it to automatically backup settings:
• Tap Menu > Settings > Search for "privacy". Tap Privacy then check "Back up my settings" and "Automatic restore".

Backup and Reinstall All Apps
Google does not backup free apps but AppBrain can automatically reinstall ALL apps on any device with the same Google Account.
• Install the AppBrain and Fast Web Installer apps on the Android Device to back up.
• On your computer, go to appbrain.com. Click Sign in, sign in with Google, and tap My Apps to make sure it has you app list saved.
• To Reinstall: Open AppBrain on the new device and tap Manage Your Apps > My Lists, and tap your list then Add all apps.
• Amazon Appstore apps are automatically available to any devices with the same Amazon Appstore login!

Backup With MyBackup Pro

Apps like MyBackup Pro ($5) or the 30-day trial version can automatically backup your Applications, Photos, Contacts, Call log, Browser Bookmarks, Texts, Calendar, System Settings, Home Screens (including shortcut positions), Alarms, Dictionary, Playlists, and more to your microSD card or online. If you are rooted, it will also backup Apps settings and data.
1. Open MyBackup Pro or the 30-day trial version
2. Tap Backup > Applications & Media > either Local (microSD card) or Online (cloud servers) - local is much faster.
3. Tap the check-box in front of App and tap Ok. This may take a while if you have a lot of apps.
4. Tap Backup > Data > either Local (microSD card) or Online (cloud servers) again.
5. Tap Check All then tap Ok. This may be a lot of data to back up so it may take a while.
Your apps, texts, settings, and more are now on your microSD card and ready to be backed up to your PC. Click Schedule from the MyBackup Pro main screen to schedule regular backups. Or, if you are fully rooted and are certain you will root again, you can use Titanium Backup with the $6 Pro Key and BusyBox.

Backup Android Files To Your PC
You can backup your music, photos, videos, and other files from your Android to your PC.
• First follow the steps above to copy data from the phone to the SD card so those files will also back up.
• For more detailed instructions with screenshots,see: Copy files to your storage card in Windows
1. Connect your Android device to your PC with your USB cable and swipe down the top notifications bar.
2. Click on Just Charging and change to Disk Drive. It may take a while for the PC to find the phone.
3. When your Android device pops up on your PC as a USB drive, go into file explorer (In Windows, right-click Start the click Explore).
4. Create a New Subdirectory named "PhoneBackup". If you previously backed up to this subdirectory, delete the old files out first.
5. Select all files on the Android device (Drive G or H?) by clicking on the phone's drive then click Edit > Select All then Edit > Copy
6. Click on the Phone Backup folder and then click Edit > Paste. This make take a while.
7. When done, right click on the phone drive letter and click "Eject" & disconnect the phone.

Restore or Transfer PC Files to your Android
To restore the backup files from your PC to an Android Device:
1. Connect your Android device to your PC with your USB cable and swipe down the top notifications bar.
2. Click on Just Charging and change to Disk Drive. It takes a while for your PC to find the phone.
3. When your Android device pops up on your PC as a USB drive, go into file explorer (In Windows, right-click Start the click Explore).
4. Click on your Phone Backup subdirectory and then click Edit > Select All then Edit > Copy
5. Click on the Android device (Drive G or H?) and then click Edit > Paste. This make take a while.
6. When done, right click on the phone drive letter and click "Eject" & disconnect the phone.

Cloud Storage
Cloud Storage let's you store files on the Internet for access on your PC and Android devices and is important if your phone lacks a microSD card. Here are a few free cloud storage options.

Dropbox stores up to 2GB (referral link for 2.25GB) for free. Open with the Dropbox app. More GB are available.
• Google Music lets you upload your music to the Cloud and then play with the Google Music app.
• Google Docs can store your doc, xls, and ppt files to the Cloud for use by the Google Docs app.

Managing and Opening Files• ASTRO File Manager: Install, run edit, & backup apps, view txt/images/zip, etc. Like Windows Explorer.
• AndExplorer - Like Astro, preferred by many.
• Documents To Go: (Free) View Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint files. (Edit: $14.99)

Apps 2 SD - Move app to the SD card. Frees up space on your phone. Advanced SD Card Manager lets you move a list of apps.
• Android Commander runs on your PC and let's you copy files to/from your phone using USB & SDK without being in DiskDrive mode.

Also see: Copy & Sync Music, Photos, and documents to your phone