Whether you’ve been a long-time Android user or this is your first Android phone, getting a new phone is always exciting.
You’re probably wondering where I should start. What are the first things to do when you get a new Android phone?
Before powering on your phone and downloading a bunch of apps, take your time to check out your new device. Peel off any plastic that covers the phone. Go through the package and see what comes with it.
Some Android phones come with disassembly tools, so be careful not to throw anything away if you want to change the battery or remove the SIM card.
Get a Google Account
The very first thing you need to do after powering your phone is to set up your Google Account. It’s, without a doubt, one of the most important things to do when you get a new Android Phone. If you don’t have one, go ahead and create one, it’s free.
Your Google account is essential to set up your new Android phone because it connects you with all Google services, including installing apps from the Play Store.
If you have owned an Android phone before, it’s even better. After you activate your Google account, your phone will connect to the Play Store and restore all the apps, emails, contacts, and calendars you had on the old phone. How handy is that!
Some manufacturers and carriers will ask you to create another account to use their services. You don’t have to, but if you want to, that’s fine. You can skip that option because with your Google account, you should be all set.
Enable Google Assistant
Get Google Assistant set up right away. Google Assistant was previously available only on Google Pixel phones, but now it’s available on all Android phones running Android 5.0 or higher. It’s also available for iPhones running iOS 9.3 or later.
Google Assistant is one of the best virtual assistants out there, if not the best. It’s incredibly useful and comes with tons of features. Enabling Google Assistant is simple.
- Press the home button on your Android phone or say, “Okay, Google.”
- Tap Continue on the “Meet your personal Google Assistant” screen.
- Then, tap Yes, I’m in on the next screen to allow permissions.
To configure your voice, you’ll be prompted to repeat Okay Google three times, and you’re set.
Bloatware
The next thing you need to do is disable bloatware. Android phones usually come with multiple pre-installed Apps from manufacturers and carriers.
It’s annoying because you can’t get rid of them unless you root your Android phone or install a custom ROM. However, you can disable them. To do that, go to the app settings and disable them from the available options.
When you do so, you prevent them from auto-updating. You might see a warning message about not enabling or deleting the built-in app, but don’t panic—you’ll be fine.
Android phone makers understand that bloatware can negatively affect the user experience and ship their phones with as little bloatware as possible.
The Samsung Galaxy used to come with over 50 pre-installed apps, but now it has around 30. It’s still bad, though, but they’ve improved a lot.
Some Android phones, like the Essential Phone PH-1, even come with zero bloatware. Clean software means a good user experience.
Security
Secure your Phone is probably one of the most important things to do when you get a new Android Phone.
We store all kinds of sensitive information on our phones, so make sure you keep that information safe by setting up security measures.
Years ago, we only had a few options to lock our phones (PIN, pattern, password). Nowadays, however, Android phones come with new layers of security, such as fingerprint readers and iris scanners.
If you own one of the latest Android flagships, your phone probably gives you different options to lock it, so feel free to use the more convenient ones.
Your Android phone comes with an Autofill password feature that makes it easy to store and manage all your passwords in one place.
If you want a dedicated app to keep your password secure, check our top picks for the best password manager apps.
Find My Device
Android Device Manager hasn’t received a major update since 2015. With its last update in May, Google renamed it “Find My Device.”
It makes more sense now because most people didn’t even know what Android Device Manager was for.
The idea remains the same: it gives you multiple options to locate, lockdown, ring, or wipe your device remotely. To use the app, go to the Play Store and install the Find My Device app.
Once you have it downloaded, log in with your Google Account and grant the App access to your location. After that, you should be fine.
Set Up Device and Photos Backup
Your photos and videos will use most of your device storage. Losing all those memories would definitely be a pain. It will be a good idea to have a backup.
With Google Photos, you have everything under control. It will back up everything to the cloud, so if anything happens to your phone, you have all your important stuff backed up.
Bonus: Regardless of how cautious you are with your new device, you’ll eventually drop it. To avoid that, invest in a durable case.
Yes, the case may make your phone look less stylish. However, if you want to protect your phone, you should buy a durable case.
