How To Get Started With An Android Tablet

This article will teach you how to get started with an Android tablet . This process includes things like learning about the tablet’s buttons and terminology, going online, and downloading programs. Please note that the Android operating system may vary slightly depending on who made the tablet, which means that you may see slightly different options than those listed here when using your tablet.

Index of contents

Table of Contents

Learning the basics

Get familiar with common Android terminology . Some terms that will help you include the following:

Home screen – The screen the tablet opens to when unlocked.
Lock screen: the screen on which the tablet opens when the screen is on, but locked.
Application: a program. Applications are mobile versions of computer programs, websites, and services.
App drawer: the area where all the apps on your tablet are stored. The App Drawer icon resembles a grid of dots and is usually located at the bottom of the home screen.
Long press: action used to move applications or open the menu from a shortcut. Hold down something to hold it down.
Dock – The row of appsat the bottom of the home screen. You can customize the Dock to contain the applications you use frequently.
Shadow – A notification banner that you can drop down from the top of the screen. The Shade generally has shortcuts to frequently used settings, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
OK Google: the Android version of Siri. You can say “OK, Google” to open this voice assistant, at which point you can ask questions (eg, “Where is the closest Starbucks?”) Or give commands (eg, “Send a email Sally “).
Settings: an application (usually in the form of a gear) that contains all the preferences, options and configuration details of your tablet. If you want to change an aspect of your tablet, the answer is probably in Settings.

Check the buttons on your Android tablet

While most of what you do with your tabletwill happen on screen, there are a few physical buttons to be aware of:
Volume: The two buttons on the left side of the tablet control the volume. The upper button generally increases the volume, while the lower button generally reduces it.
Lock – This button is usually on the top or right side of the tablet. Pressing it will turn off the screen and “lock” the tablet, meaning you will have to swipeon the home screen (and enter a passcode if configured) to reopen your tablet.
Back: This button is usually in the lower left or right corner of the tablet. Tapping it will go back one page.
Home: The Home button is usually located at the bottomcenter of the tablet. This button will take you back to the home screen when pressed, allowing you to exit applications and menus.
Multitask: This button is usually in the lower-rightor lower-left corner of the tablet. Pressing it will bring up a list of apps that are currently open, allowing you to sort and close them if necessary.
Turn off your Android. Press and hold the lock button on the top or side of Android, then tap Power off in the pop-up menuthat appears. Your Android will start to shut down.
You may need to tap OFF when prompted to confirm this decision.
Turn your Android back on. Press the Lock button to start turning on your tablet.
You may need to press and holdthe lock button for this to work on some tablets.
Unlock your Android. Swipe from left to right across the home screen. This will open your tablet, allowing you to start using it.
Configure your Androidif necessary. If you are asked to complete the setup process (especially for a new tablet), please do so. Typically this involves setting a display language and location, setting a passcode, entering your Google account information , and more.

Connect to the internet

Swipe down from the top of the screen. Doing so opens the notification screen, which also has a list of shortcuts to common settings like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Press and hold Wi-FiImage titled Android7wifi.png. It’s usually at the top left of the menu. This will take you to your Android’s Wi-Fi settings.
Slide the gray “Wi-Fi” switch Image titled Android7switchoff.png. Image titled Android7systemswitchon2.png will turn on, enabling Wi-Fi.
If the switch is green or blue instead of gray, skip this step.
Touch a network name. Find the name of the Wi-Fi network you want to connect to.
Enter the network password if prompted. If you are using a home networkand you did not set a password, you will likely find it on the bottom or back of the router.
If the network has no password, it will connect automatically after tapping the network name
Tap Connect. It’s in the lower-right cornerof the screen. As long as the password you entered is correct, your Android will connect to the network.
Return to the home screen. Press the Home button to do so. Now that you are connected to Wi-Fi, you can continue adding your Google account.
If you already added your Google accountto your tablet during the setup process, you can proceed to the App Download section.

Sign in to a Google account

Make sure you have a Google account. This is an account that you log into with a Google email address (usually Gmail).

If you don’t have a Google account, create one before continuing.
Open the app drawer. Tap the grid of dots at the bottom of the home screen to do so. This will display a list of the apps that are currently on your Android tablet.
Every new Android comes with various applications installed.
On some Samsung Galaxy tablets, you can open the app drawer by swiping up from the bottom of the tablet screen.
Open the Android Settings Image titled Android7settingsapp.png. Tap on the gear-shaped app icon to do so.
In newer versions of the Android operating system, this icon resembles a white gear on a blue or purple background.
Scroll down and tap Accounts. You’ll find this option near the bottom of the Settings page.
Search your Google account. On the Accounts page, look for your Google account, as you may have already signed in without remembering it. If you don’t see your Google account here, continue to the next step.
If your Google account is already here, you can go to the Applications Download section.
Tap Add account. It’s near the top of the page.
Tap Google. You should be near the top of the page. Doing so will open a text field for your email address and password.
Enter your Google account information. Enter your email address and password attached, then tap SIGN IN (or similar).
You may first have to tap Existing Account before you can enter your information.
Follow the additional instructionson the screen. Depending on your Android, you may be asked to enter payment information and / or sign up for Google+ here. If so, you can follow the onscreen prompts or you can touch SKIP or REJECT somewhere on the screen to skip this section.
Check your Google account. Once you have logged in, you will see a window that shows the information that your tablet is using from your Google account. This will include things like contacts, photos, and files.
Return to the home screen. With your Google account signed in, you can now download apps to your tablet.

Application download

Open the app drawer. It’s at the bottom of the home screen.
Open the image titled Androidgoogleplay.png Google Play Store app. You’ll find this multi-colored triangle app icon somewhere in the App Panel.
Touch the search bar. It’s at the top of the screen.
Enter the name of an application. Enter the name of an application (for example, “Facebook”) that you want to search for.
You can also type in asearch term (eg “map”) if you don’t have a specific application in mind.
Tap Search or ↵ You’ll find one (or both) of these on the tablet keyboard. Doing so will search the Play Store for apps that match your search term.
You can also touch the name of the application in the drop-down menu below the search bar.
If you see the name of an app with the app iconon the left, tapping that result will take you directly to that app’s page.
Select an app. Touch an app you want to download. This will open the application page.
Skip this step if you went directly to the application page.
Tap INSTALL. It’s a green buttonon the right side of the app’s name.
If the app isn’t free, tap the app’s price instead.
Touch ACCEPT when prompted. This will cause the application to start downloading.
Wait for your application to download. Once the app finishes downloading, you’ll see a green OPEN button appear instead of the INSTALL button.
You can tap OPENto open the app immediately, or you can tap the app icon on one of the tablet’s home screen pages to open it from there.
Return to the home screen. You may have noticed an app or two that you don’t want to have on your tablet; If so, you can proceed to the Uninstalling Applications section.
If you don’t want to uninstall any apps, go to the Organize apps section.

Uninstall apps

Open the app drawer. It’s at the bottom of the screen.
Open Settings Image titled Android7settingsapp.png. Tap the Settings appicon to do so.
Touch Apps & notifications. It’s near the top of the menu on most tablets. This will open a list of your currently installed apps.
Find the app you want to remove. Scroll through the list of installed appsuntil you find the one you want to remove from your tablet.
You may need to tap See all appsor app info on this page to find the app you want to remove.
Tap on the app. Doing so will open your page.
Tap UNINSTALL. It’s at the top of the app page.
If the app you want to remove is a manufacturer-installed app, you won’t be able to remove it. Instead, tap DISABLE here to hide the app.
Touch Accept or UNINSTALL when prompted. This will confirm your decision and remove the app from your tablet.
Return to the home screen. If the app you removed was on the home screen, it will now disappear.