{"id":98500,"date":"2018-04-26T17:07:28","date_gmt":"2018-04-26T17:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=98500"},"modified":"2025-07-01T23:31:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T06:31:26","slug":"got-a-new-android-phone-heres-what-to-do-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/got-a-new-android-phone-heres-what-to-do-first\/","title":{"rendered":"Got a new Android phone? Here’s what to do first"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s nothing quite as satisfying as breaking in that new Android phone fresh out of the box. But after you\u2019ve stuck on a case and screen protector, what should you do next? Follow these handy tips to protect your phone and customize it for your daily life.<\/p>\n

Got a new Android phone? Here’s what to do first<\/h2>\n

General setup tips<\/h3>\n

When you\u2019re first setting up your new phone, make sure you enable a screen lock or passcode<\/strong> to protect your phone. This can be either a passcode or a fingerprint, depending on what you\u2019re comfortable with. Locking your phone will help protect your data. You can also set up remote wiping<\/strong>, which will render the phone useless if it is lost or stolen. Since many apps have your banking information, remotely wiping your phone in case of theft will help protect you if you can\u2019t get it back.<\/p>\n

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After the phone is secure, run all updates required<\/strong>. A new model phone will have fewer updates than an older model. This can take some time, so leave the phone plugged in since updates can drain the battery quickly. Also make sure you run these updates on WiFi, not your data plan.<\/p>\n

Now that your phone is up-to-date, you can disable any bloatware you don\u2019t find useful and uninstall or disable unused apps. Android does have a habit of installing apps that you can\u2019t delete, but when you disable them, you prevent them from receiving updates and clogging your phone\u2019s memory. Checking on your apps and eliminating ones you’re not using should be a part of your regular phone maintenance<\/strong>. When you remove old apps, you help extend the life of your phone and keep your phone\u2019s memory clear.<\/p>\n

Notifications and permissions<\/h3>\n

Part of the installation process is deciding how many notifications you want to receive. Apps tend to default to excessive notifications, so by adjusting how many you want to receive, you can reduce how often your phone goes off.<\/p>\n

Set up app permissions<\/h3>\n

Many self-care blogs will tell you to put your phone down a few hours before bed to ensure the blue light doesn\u2019t disrupt your sleep patterns. But it can be hard to put down your phone, can’t it? On new Android devices, you can activate a blue light filter that will turn your phone\u2019s light from cool to warm<\/strong> as it gets closer to sunset. Not only is this easier on your eyes, but it keeps the light dimmer if you check your phone in the middle of the night. It will automatically click back to cool light in the morning, and it even adjusts day length as the seasons change. On Pixel phones, this setting is called Night Mode; on Samsung devices it’s called the Blue Light Filter.<\/p>\n

Connect your email<\/h3>\n

Adding personal and work emails can help you keep in touch. If you use a Gmail account, you can also connect the entire suite of Google Apps and link your documents, email, social media, and more.<\/p>\n

Link peripherals<\/h3>\n

If you use Bluetooth headphones, speakers or other devices, you\u2019ll want to test your phone\u2019s connectivity with each one. Connect and disconnect from each device to make sure there are no issues with sound quality and the connection.<\/p>\n

Organizing apps<\/h3>\n

If you have a ton of apps, you may want to plan on setting up folders to minimize how many different home pages you have. Folders are easy to group or ungroup thanks to Android\u2019s intuitive features. Simply drag one app over another one and it will automatically prompt you to create a folder.<\/p>\n

Apps<\/h3>\n

Once you\u2019re done with the basics, you\u2019re ready to start downloading apps. If you transferred your old phone\u2019s content to your new phone, your old apps should be there and ready to use. There are several other app types that are very efficient to use and can help you make the most out of your phone.<\/p>\n

Prime Photos<\/h4>\n

If your phone has bricked in the past, then you know how frustrating it is to realize you\u2019ve lost potentially thousands of photos. But if you\u2019re an Amazon Prime member, one of their many benefits is free photo storage and backup. You can adjust the settings, but left on its own, it will automatically back up your photos to your Amazon account, where you can sort, group or delete them. When you switch phones, all you have to do is download the Prime Photos app<\/a> again and your old photos will sync.<\/p>\n

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\r\n Prime Photos from Amazon<\/span>\r\n Download Free<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Google Voice<\/h4>\n

Google Voice<\/a> lets you set up how you want to receive and make calls by giving you a custom number that you can use to connect multiple devices. You can also send free texts and enjoy low-cost international calls. Voicemails are also automatically translated.<\/p>\n

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Banking\u00a0and savings apps<\/h4>\n

Managing your money from your phone has never been easier than today. A slew of banking, investing and savings apps offer competitive rates and let you quickly deposit checks, transfer money and round up your purchases.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ally Bank, for example, offers high-yield savings, CDs, funds and checking all from the app or online. Savings apps like Acorns round your purchases up to the next dollar and invest the money. Mint also helps you manage your budget by categorizing all of your purchases and letting you know when you\u2019re overspending. With your phone at your fingertips, managing your money, stocks and more is simple and quick.<\/p>\n

SwiftKey Keyboard<\/h4>\n

If you prefer to text instead of talk, then the SwiftKey Keyboard<\/a> can help you text even faster. Rather than typing with two thumbs, SwiftKey lets you swipe your letters with one finger and release when you have completed the word. It will then automatically space over and let you start the next word. As you type, it learns your common phrases and preferred\u00a0spellings. There are also themes you can add to customize your phone.<\/p>\n

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\r\n \"SwiftKey\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n SwiftKey Keyboard<\/span>\r\n Download Free<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Pocket<\/h4>\n

If you keep finding interesting articles online, but forget to save them or don\u2019t have time to read them, then Pocket<\/a> is for you. It lets you save articles from social media, Chrome, Twitter and others and syncs it all to Pocket. Then you can read and share on your own time. It even works offline.<\/p>\n

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Pandora or Spotify<\/h4>\n

Gone are the days where you had to decide which three songs you could fit on your phone. With streaming music apps like Pandora<\/a> and Spotify<\/a>, you can bring a whole world of music with you without clogging up your phone\u2019s storage. Some albums can be downloaded if you are worried about data usage.<\/p>\n

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\r\n \"Pandora\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n Pandora Radio<\/span>\r\n Download Free<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n \"Spotify\r\n <\/div>\r\n
\r\n Spotify Music<\/span>\r\n Download Free<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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WTForecast<\/h4>\n

If you like your weather with a side of profanity, this is the weather app for you. Not only will WTForecast<\/a> update your forecast image with cute animations, but it will describe the weather \u2026 vividly. There is also a profanity-free option (pictured here, just in case there are kids looking over your shoulder).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Avast Mobile Security<\/h3>\n

Avast<\/a> is a free antivirus app that protects your phone from malware. This is especially useful if your phone is set to automatically connect to free Wi-Fi where possible. It can even help you manage social media and block unwanted calls.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Games<\/h3>\n

Android-based games are getting better and better, especially on the newer, faster devices. If you like puzzles, there are plenty. Strategy and racing games are also popular. And new game designers are even designing some that take full advantage of the handheld phone for an immersive AI experience.<\/p>\n

Whatever your preference, when browsing for games, make sure to read reviews to see if the game is safe. Google does a great job of clearing out suspicious apps, but you can protect yourself but not downloading apps that require excessive permissions or have bad reviews. Doing so can help protect your phone and ensure you get the most life out of it for your money.<\/p>\n

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Secure Messaging Apps<\/p>\r\n

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Telegram<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n

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Line<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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Signal<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n \r\n

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Confide<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s nothing quite as satisfying as breaking in that new Android phone fresh out of the box. But after you\u2019ve stuck on a case and screen protector, what should you do next? Follow these handy tips to protect your phone and customize it for your daily life. Got a new Android phone? Here’s what to … Continue reading “Got a new Android phone? Here’s what to do first”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2040,"featured_media":95670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":0},"categories":[],"tags":[],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-98500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2040"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98500"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":328034,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98500\/revisions\/328034"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98500"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=98500"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=98500"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=98500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}