Welcome to Ask Jerry, the place we discuss any and all of the questions you may need in regards to the good issues in your life. I’m Jerry, and I’ve spent the higher a part of my life working with tech. I’ve a background in engineering and R&D and have been overlaying Android and Google for the previous 15 years.
Ask Jerry
Ask Jerry is a column the place we reply your burning Android/tech questions with the assistance of long-time Android Central editor Jerry Hildenbrand.
I’m additionally actually good at researching information about every little thing — that is a giant a part of our job right here at Android Central — and I like to assist individuals (one other large a part of our job!). If you might have questions on your tech, I’d love to discuss them.
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I look ahead to listening to from you!
Why are new Android phones so difficult to set up?
Anonymous writes:
I simply bought my mom a new cellphone and she or he is not very tech savvy. She’s having problem getting every little thing set up the way in which she is used to and it looks as if primary settings are unfold in every single place.
Why are issues like this? Is there a selected motive?
Thanks!
Hi anon! This is a good query that reminds us that not everyone seems to be an entire Android nerd who is aware of precisely the place to look and what to do when it comes to altering cellphone settings. All of us began out this fashion.
I’ll additionally inform you a secret — I’ve used lots of of various Android phones due to my job right here and have been utilizing Android since day one. I dread establishing a new cellphone as a result of digging by means of settings is tedious and time-consuming. It’s not nearly “expertise” with Android.
In basic, having a ton of settings is an efficient factor. I like issues a sure manner, so do you, and so does your mother — there is a good likelihood that what all of us like is completely different. The finest manner to let every of us set issues up how we like is to escape every little thing right into a setting.
The unhealthy a part of that is precisely what you point out, and lots of of settings unfold over completely different classes could also be a mandatory evil, however that does not change how a lot of a ache it may be!
This is amplified as a result of every producer does every little thing otherwise when it comes to these settings pages. Samsung is completely different from Google, Google is completely different from Motorola, Motorola is completely different from OnePlus and so on. In addition, each new model of Android appears to transfer issues round, too.
This is not completed to drive customers loopy although. Each cellphone producer thinks how they do it’s one of the best ways and need to create the very best person expertise attainable, even when it comes to setting every little thing up.
This may very well be “fastened” by making settings one thing that cellphone makers cannot change, solely including extras to cowl particular {hardware} utilized in a cellphone. Nobody ought to need this although! Part of what makes Android nice is how every cellphone maker could make it higher, and the way Google is sensible sufficient to let it occur.
Something that may very well be completed higher, and ought to be in my view, is backing up all of your settings by means of a software provided by every cellphone producer. When you commerce in your Galaxy S21 for a new Galaxy S24, try to be in a position to log into your Samsung account, wait a couple of minutes, and have every little thing set up the identical manner it was.
This virtually occurs now for a lot of Android cellphone manufacturers. Some settings are saved to your Samsung or Google account, for instance, so your new Galaxy cellphone or Pixel cellphone can do issues routinely if you happen to select. Apps like Samsung’s Smart Switch make the method of transferring your information straightforward, even when they do not cowl every little thing.
You’ll discover the choice while you add your account at first of the setup course of, offering that you’ve got chosen to again up issues out of your outdated cellphone within the first place. If you are not doing this now, it is one thing you need to begin — humorous sufficient, you may discover the way in which to begin within the settings of your cellphone.
How to get began together with your new Android cellphone
Until some firm finds a manner to again up every little thing for us, I’ll inform you one of the best ways I’ve discovered to get every little thing to your (or your mother’s) liking: Start on the high.
Set apart an hour, open the settings utility, and faucet the primary entry to see what’s inside. If you are unsure what a change will do, it is best to skip it and be particularly cautious when it comes to your community settings. There, a superb coverage is the outdated “if it ain’t broke, do not repair it” routine.
For every little thing else, it is fairly straightforward to change issues to one thing you may need, like display screen timeout or utilizing gestures as a substitute of buttons. You would possibly even discover one thing you want higher than the way it was in your outdated cellphone!
Finally, keep in mind, Google has the reply. If you come throughout one thing that you do not perceive, simply Google it. If the reply about what it’s appears to be complicated, keep in mind the unique setting so you’ll be able to return or simply skip it utterly.