How to set up your new Android phone
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Do you have one of ourfavorite foldable phones? Or a newbudget Android phone? Irrespective of how many phones you have used so far, nothing beats the joy of setting up a new phone. You might dread the initial setup process. However, if done right, you can have your phone set up and ready to use within a few minutes. Here’s how to set up your new Android phone.
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What to know before setting up your new Android phone
Before you start using your new phone, it’s important to back upyour current Android phone. The process can vary depending on the phone you have and the OS it runs on. If you’re migrating from iPhone to Android, use theGoogle Data Restore Toolto transfer your data.
Android’s built-in backup tool covers the basics, such as contacts, call history, SMS, apps, and device settings. Alternatively, you canback up your SMS messages on Androidusing one of the many third-party apps. UseGoogle Photos to back up your photos and videosand easily access them from any platform. Also, remember toback up your WhatsApp chats.
As for music, many of us subscribe to online streaming platforms such as Spotify and YouTube Music. You don’t need to worry about anything here. And before moving to a new phone, keep offline backup files in a safe location that only you can access.
The basic setup process of a new Android phone is mostly the same, irrespective of the device manufacturer. You must have aGoogle accountto access the Play Store and other Google services, though you can continue without it if you want. Internet access is also required through Wi-Fi or mobile data for downloading OS or app updates, but this can be bypassed during the setup process if it isn’t available.
How to set up your new Google Pixel smartphone
The steps outlined in this guide to set up an Android phone are for aGoogle Pixel 7running Android 14. The screens may have slight variations on other devices and older Android versions. However, the setup options should be similar, if not identical.
If you restored your device using a Google One backup, those saved apps are installed from the Google Play Store. AFinish Pixel setupnotification appears on your Pixel if you skipped through the initial setup screen. This is a quick way to turn on Pixel-exclusive features you might have missed.
How to set up your new phone on Samsung, OnePlus, and other smartphone brands
There’s a chance Google didn’t make your new Android phone. For a Samsung, OnePlus, or Xiaomi phone, you may see additional screens and options during the setup process than you get on a Pixel. They could range from a user account for automatically signing in to the first-party apps to slyly getting you to agree to show ads on the device.
As a general rule of thumb, you can skip anything optional without worrying about it breaking something on your phone. And be wary of the pre-checked (often promotional) options that brands like Samsung and Xiaomi may slip in (as highlighted in the included screenshots).
Samsung device setup with One UI
OnePlus device setup with OxygenOS
Xiaomi device setup with MIUI
Update your apps on the Google Play Store
After wrapping up the initial setup process, you may have dozens of app updates waiting to be installed from the Google Play Store. They’ll likely update automatically. However, updating them immediately instead of waiting is recommended.
Since many preinstalled apps are often outdated on a new device, keeping them up-to-date ensures they run at optimal performance with minimal issues. To see if you have available app updates for your device, do the following:
If your phone was already installing the latest app updates, aCancel allbutton appears on the Play Store instead.
Install the latest system update
Most Android manufacturers regularly roll out new security patches for their devices to enhance security and fix reported bugs. This helps maintain overall device stability. You should automatically receive the newest system update after setting up your Android phone, but manually checking is always an option to be sure.
To see if a new update is waiting to be installed, go toSettings>System>System update. If available, it’s possible to start the download immediately and install the update when desired. Since Pixel phones feature seamless updates, they install the update in the background when the device is not in use. This can take a bit of time but doesn’t interrupt your workflow. On other phones, a restart is required to start the installation process.
Grab the newest Google Play system update
Besides the latest app and OS update, you must ensure your new phone runs the latest Google Play system build. This is an important OS component, allowing Google to roll out new features or security fixes to all Android devices at once. Google Play system updates are automatically installed in the background, but you might have to download them in some cases.
Easily set up your new Android phone
Setting up a new Android smartphone has become a lot easier than before. While the number of steps has increased, they are more streamlined. This ensures that by the end of the setup, your phone is ready for use with all your important data synced and apps installed in the background.
After you set up your new Android phone, check out thebest Android appsyou should try. And then check out some of ourfavorite Android tips and trickseveryone should know.
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