Can't set up new android - help

[Starhorsepax]

I did not want this. This is WHY I did not want this .

My tracfone was 2g and phased out and all the replacements are Android. So I got the Android. The one that wants me to sign in to google. But will not LET me sign in to google because it rejects email password.

Please someone convince me not to hate google Android for this stupidity. I do NOT have 2 step verification on since I never had a smart phone before (or wanted one). It's got allow less secure apps to connect.

And most important, the email and password work FINE in a web browser. It even works fine with the Mac mail.

Is there no way to set up this infernal thing? I see no excuse for a company to have a phone set up for all this google stuff and then have google not let it to connect.

Pardon my outrage but I've been at it for hours and I am really really disgusted. And I haven't even tried to figure out how to get the data from old phone to new one yet because I'm already too frustrated to think straight.

 

[Javier P]

Welcome to the forums. We'll try to figure out what the problem is. Just a couple of questions. What phone do you have? Is it a new phone or you bought it second hand? The email account you mentioned is a Gmail account, right?

Do you get any specific error when signing in? The right steps will depend on all this information and, don't worry, if nothing works you can always create a new Gmail account to start the phone and later on add your existing one.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to the forums. I agree with Javier...if you are new to Android, there is no compelling reason to use a fresh GMail since there is nothing connected to one you may have or the new one you create.

 

[kramer5150]

Are you using the Gmail app that came bundled with the Android OS and phone? It should be 100% universal, the password used logging in on the web is the same PW used on the Gmail app. I have never had a problem with that aspect... even when I was using Gmail app on an iPhone 5C. Is your phone capitalizing password characters? Gmail passwords are case sensitive... IIRC.

I know you're PO'd... but sit back take a deep breath and understand the other half of what's going on here. You mention MAC mail... I am assuming your computer of choice like me is an Apple Macbook. Basically apple is screwing users like us... NOT ANDROID, and most definitely not your carrier. Apple does not want us to plug ANY Android device into their eco-system, and they make it painfully cumbersome and unreliable for those who try. Android phones quite simply are unrecognized when you plug them into the MAC USB port. There are work arounds like Android File transfer... but of course Apple does everything it can to block it. It won't sync data or contacts, it wont backup anything.... or do anything other than a manual drag/drop. And that's on a GOOD day when Apple OSx does not freeze and lock up the Mac. Its NOT Android, or AFT... Its APPLE Doing this to Mac / Android users like you and I, in their attempt to get us to use iPhones. As a kind of work around I use Google Drive to transfer files across a cloud storage network. That's not ideal either, but at least its reliable (so long as I have wifi or cellular access).

I finally got fed up enough to buy an HP laptop 2 days ago. I was looking at Chromebooks, but I opted for a more powerful solution. Enough was enough... THANK YOU APPLE (sarcasm).

Good Luck though... and welcome to AC, there are some GREAT members here who hopefully can help you out.

 

[Starhorsepax]

It's a 'new' (or should be) LG Sunrise replacement from Tracfone because my not smart phone was 2G and being phased out. After several deep breaths, It's worse. Of course being woken by random phone text from strangers never makes me happy (never happened before and its not a new number.) Someone suggested trying the gmail login, not the main set up so I tried it and it worked and connected me to google play. (Why does it ask me through main set up if it doesn't work?)

Now Its driving me nuts. It imported contacts I do not want. I have people texting me I don't know. I can't find a do not sync switch, or how to disconnect ONLY from mail. And apparently emailing someone just once is enough to convince it the person must be a contact. Can someone tell me how to kill gmail without the google play store killed? (Though I hope I won't need it any more.) I never stored contacts on my email address. I stored them on the phone or the address book, never gmail.

Also I am quite certain it turned the wifi back ON after I had turned it off too! Pretty sure it isn't some app I downloaded. I only downloaded the ones that needed no permissions with few exceptions. (Primary importance: avast antivirus). However it also downloaded whatever 'updates' it pleased whenever I turned it on for whatever was preloaded (when I needed bandwidth elsewhere of course.) So does anyone know how to prevent 'update whenever wifi is on?' and how to make it not decide to just turn it on when it feels like it? Or for that matter do not randomly turn on wifi uninvited? It looks like it has to be google doing it as I did not add anything that would but they added a bunch of stuff uninvited with permission - everything.

And by the way as far as I'm concerned they are all tyrants. My PC with Windows 10 auto downloads updates over DSL and steals all bandwidth during work and play. Had to yank ethernet cord since 'metered connection' setting only worked to prevent it if it was on wifi. Macbook? Didn't download but now occasionally pops up random 'update to El Capitan' with no 'out' except to open app store. Having serious hangs since recent Mavericks update (pretty much forced by everyone since the old OS was not supported in Chrome, Safari had died years ago and Firefox also sent a notice.) Google? I refuse to download Google Drive because I do not want it stealing bandwidth with the auto sync. I just go thru web browser. And Android, my first smart phone..whose bright idea to kill file transfer with USB? I had to download an app for my mac (and I'm still looking for the PC version) just to add wallpaper and mp3 (both of which were on the 'not smart' phone that was smart enough to use normal file transfer).

(Oh and I'd have responded sooner but the thread notification landed in spam. Thanks so much yahoo. It's definitely been that kind of week.)

 

[kramer5150]

I am not sure how to terminate gmail, yet still leave play store active... Let others respond on that.

To set your app update preferences:
Play Store => 3 lines at the top left => Settings => Auto update apps => Pick the one that suits you best.

As I said above, its Apples idea to kill Android file transfers via US cable. Apple does not want to promote android phones plugged into macbooks... they want you to use an iPhone with the macbook.

 

[Starhorsepax]

I can't get it to show up on Windows PC either with file transfer. I tried.

 

[kramer5150]

Oh one more thing, there's an overall system setting to turn on or off auto-sync function. I have mine set to ON in this image, but I don't always leave it that way. I usually turn it off. Its in the top pull down shade menu.

I am a Total windows noob here. Been on a Mac for the last 7 years. So this Win-10 machine is still very new to me. I just plugged my phone in and Win-10 detected it automatically (its the VS990 item at the bottom). I can see both my internal memory and SD card.

 

[Golfdriver97]

The wifi always on could be under settings>location, or settings>wifi>menu>advanced. I'm on a quick break at work, and will try to remember to come back to the other aspects of your question later.