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The

Android
Volume 4

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Android
device

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Welcome to

The

Android
Android is the most popular mobile operating system in the world, and
with good reason. It has a user-friendly interface and includes a host of
incredible apps enabling everything from day-to-day tasks to gripping
entertainment. Android is easily customisable, too, which is partly
why its so popular with top smartphone and tablet manufacturers
like Samsung, Sony, HTC and more. But whichever device youre using,
this revised edition of The Android Book is the ideal guide for learning
how to get more out of all the key apps, from the basic utilities to
Play Music, Chromecast and beyond. Follow the tutorials in this book
to learn how to optimise Android to suit your needs, and get greater
functionality out of your smartphone or tablet. Once youve picked up
the essentials of Android, youll never look back. Lets get started.

Welcome to

The

Android
Imagine Publishing Ltd
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 +44 (0) 1202 586200
Website: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk
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Aaron Asadi
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Ross Andrews
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Greg Whitaker
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David Lewis
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James Sheppard
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Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the
post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this bookazine may
be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are
recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the bookazine has
endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change.
This bookazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
The Android Book 2014 Imagine Publishing Ltd

Part of the

bookazine series

Contents
28
Phone
30
30
30
31
31

10

32
Messaging

droid
n
A
y
r
e
Ev estion
qu ered
answ

20
Settings
22
22
22
23
23
24
24
25

Personalise your device in Settings


Make your device energy-efficient
Activate the Multi window
Assign device gestures and
languages
Navigate Device Manager
Control app permissions
Manage Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
and NFC tools
Manage your email and
app accounts

40
6 The Android Book

Make and receive calls with ease


Set up speed dialling on your phone
Change default ringtone
Work with multiple calls
Set up call forwarding

34
34
34
35
35

26
Android
Device
Manager
27 Launch Android Device Manager
27 Call and ring your device remotely
27 Lock or erase your device

Use Play Games to


compete online

Send and receive messages


Search for specific messages
Delete any text message
Attach different files to messages
Send group text messages

36
Google Play
38
38
38
39
39

Purchase an app
Get your money back on an app
Tell other users what you think
Manage your apps and what they do
Update to keep apps in shape

40
Play Movies
& TV
41 Find a show and choose to buy
41 Share the details of a film you like
41 Rent a movie or a TV show

48
42
Play Music
43
43
43
44
44
44
45
45

Search for new music and find offers


Share songs in Play Music instantly
Buy songs from Play Music
Start a trial or new subscription
Stream music directly to your device
View smart suggestions
Stream a personalised radio channel
Synchronising across devices

46
Play Books

52
Music Player
53 Listen to your music with ease
53 Create an all-new playlist
53 Explore the extra functions

54
Video Player

49 Challenge friends to an online game


49 Share activity with Google+ contacts
49 Create a Cloud Save for a game

50
Google Play
Newsstand
51 Browse the Store for mags and news
51 Share a magazine with your friends
51 Take out a new subscription

66
66
66
67
67
68
68
69

56
Internet
58
58
58
59
59

Learn to use the Internet app interface


Open and close tabs
Clear browser search history
Use Google search
Bookmark webpages

60
Chrome
62
62
62
63
63

Browse with Chrome


Go incognito
Clear your search history
Sync Chrome
Download and share files

Set up an account using the Email app


Create a signature to use automatically
Attach photos and media
Manage multiple email account types
Customise and format emails
Organise your messages
Create an email account with Gmail
Manage messages with labels

70
Google
Calendar

55 Play your videos


55 Play on your home screen
55 Edit and share movie clips

47 Search and buy a book in Play Books


47 Add books to your personal wishlist
47 Read books how you want

48
Play Games

64
Email & Gmail

72
72
72
73
73

Create a calendar event


Share calendar events with others
Delete or edit an event
Find an event location with Maps
Email a reply to an event

74
Google Maps
76
76
76
77
77

Search for locations in Google Maps


Favourite a location in Google Maps
View map traffic information
Change Google Maps view interface
Post and share a location

74

Play Music offers a vast library that can be accessed with ease
The Android Book 7

Contents
86
YouTube

88
88
88
89
89

86

Search for and watch videos


Subscribe to videos
Like or dislike a video
Make and edit playlists
Share videos with friends

102
Instagram

104
104
104
105
105

90
Camera
92
92
92
93
93
94
94
95
96
96
97

78
Google Earth
80
80
80
81
81

Explore the world with Google Earth


Share any location immediately
Change the image quality
Change layers and view location data
View landmarks in 3D

82
Chromecast
84
84
84
85
85

Set up and use your Chromecast


Manage a cloud account on your TV
Cast a YouTube video
Stream media files from your phone
View photos on your TV

8 The Android Book

Shoot photos on an Android device


Swap between front and rear cameras
Use camera flash modes
Add in-camera effects when shooting
Shoot a panorama
Use different shooting modes
New and improved shooting modes
Download extra modes
Control your shot with manual mode
Modify your cameras quick settings
Record an HD video in the
Camera app

98
Google
Photos
100
100
100
101
101

Edit, tone and improve your images


Share on Google+ and social media
Quickly create an online album
Make a movie from your photos
Use images on your device

Edit your photos


Share your images in a feed
Access account settings
View images and add likes
Use Instagrams Direct function

106
Paper Artist
107 Take creative photos
107 Share with friends
107 Extra creative touches

108
Facebook
110
110
110
111
111

Sign up and log into Facebook


Check in no matter where you are
Use Facebooks widget
Edit your profile when changes occur
Start a new Facebook chat

112
Google+
114
114
114
115
115

Set up Google+
View content streams
Like a Google+ post
Manage your circles
Create a new Google+ post

98

134
Dropbox

132
116
Hangouts
117 Start a video call to a friend
117 Start a chat with numerous friends
117 Alter Hangout settings

118
ChatON
119 Chat with buddies on other devices
119 Update and personalise your profile
119 Draw and send animessages

124
Google Drive
126
126
126
127
127

128
Quickoffice

120
Skype
122
122
122
123
123

Create and edit your Skype profile


Add a friend to your list of contacts
Set your status and mood
Make video calls to your contacts
Call mobile and landlines

Google Now learns


your preferences
and gives you
information

Create and upload a Drive document


Buy storage space for Google Drive
Delete a file from Drive
Format your Google Drive documents
Manage files on Google Drive

130
130
130
131
131

Open an existing file in Quickoffice


Create a document in Quickoffice
Alter document settings
Create spreadsheets and presentations
Share docs by email and Drive

132
Google Keep
133
133
133

136
136
136
137
137

Upload, view and share files


Upload media
Auto-upload photos
Play music from Dropbox
Export files from Dropbox

138
Google Now
139
139
139
140
140
140
141
141

Start using Google Now


View important places
Edit Google Now settings
Initiate a voice search on Google Now
Recommendations based on searches
Use new voice commands
Send an email with your voice
Use your voice to open an app

142
Google
Translate
143
143
143

Enter text for translation


Using your Phrasebook
Start a conversation

128

Create notes
Sync reminders with Google Now
Integrate with Google Drive

The Android Book 9

Every Android question answered

Every Android
question
answered
If you are new to your Android device or are in need of
inspiration on how to get the most out of it, then we have got all
of the answers. Read on to become at one with your device

f you are new to smartphones and


tablets, they can be slightly daunting
to begin with. With a home screen
festooned with colourful icons and various
notifications and alerts hitting you in the
face, it can be hard to know where to begin
and, indeed, how to start commanding your
device in the first place. Even if you have had
your Android phone or tablet for a while
and think you know your way around it,
there will always be new things you discover
it can do in order to make your home, work
and social lives easier to manage.
The purpose of this feature is to scoop up
all of the most frequently asked questions
posed by newcomers and seasoned device
users alike and answer them, so you can
go from novice to touch-screen veteran in
no time at all. We will start off simple by

We will then explore the various uses for


your device, such as staying in touch with
other people, using it to help you get from
one place to another, how you can employ
the device to organise your life and how
you can use it to work effectively remotely.
And once you are accustomed to all of that,
we will then demonstrate how you can kick
back and relax with your smartphone or
tablet. Remember, although your Android
device can aid and assist you in any area of
life, it really comes into its own as a portable
entertainment system and, as such, you can
read books, listen to music and watch videos
on it. And then there are the games!
The Google Play Store is your ultimate
online supermarket that you can use to
shop for media and games. By setting up a
Google account, you can browse for apps

Your Android device comes into its own


as a portable entertainment system
introducing you to some of your devices
more basic functions and capabilities such
as how to encrypt your important data
and how to set up restrictions so that no
one may access it. Here well also explain
what many of the common features, such
as location services, mean and provide
essential tips on how you can squeeze more
life out of your devices battery.

10 The Android Book

quickly and easily, pay for them with the


minimum amount of fuss and then get using
them within a minute or so.
And the real joy of the Play Store is that
thousands of really great apps including
all of the ones that we have featured are
completely free. So read on and discover
more of what your Android device can do
for you.

Every Android question answered

The Android Book 11

Every Android question answered

Use your
Android device
Are you new to your Android device? Then lets get you started

What are the gesture features?


Gestures are what you use to control your
Android device and they range from simple
finger swipes to pressing your fingers on the
screen and spreading them to zoom in.
Ultimately, all touch-screen devices are
geared towards usability and so the gestures
that you use to command your device
instantly feel natural and comfortable. Simple
gestures include swiping your finger left,
right, up or down across the screen to scroll
through pages or windows, whereas simply
tapping on app icons or settings will open
them up in an instant.
If you are reading webpages or books
then you can also press two fingers down
on the screen pinched and then draw your
fingers apart to zoom in. Simply reverse the

action to zoom back out again. As you will


undoubtedly be using your device a lot and
touch the screen constantly, it is important
to keep it free from dirt and grease so as not
to impair the response of the touch-screen
interface, so clean it with recommended
products regularly.
Android devices also cater for the visually
impaired, hard of hearing and people who are
less able-bodied than others. By launching
the Settings app and then going to the
Accessibility section, you will find a range of
sections and options designed to make the
device easier to use for everyone.
Dont forget that you can also purchase
accessories, such as Bluetooth keyboards, to
make your device work better for you.

Ultimately, all touch-screen devices are


geared towards usability
What are location services?

How do I add files to devices?

What is the wake-up command?

These are services provided by your Android


device for third-party apps that rely on your
current location. Your device will use a range
of factors to determine your position, including
GPS satellites and wireless networks, and you
will need to grant individual apps permission
to use your location when installing and
launching them for the first time. You can
check out your location services settings in
your main Settings app. There you will be able
to move a slider to instantly deny all location
services-based apps access to your location
and determine which location sources are
used in determining your position. You will find
that a lot of apps will ask to use your location,
so make sure you read up on the implications
and the reasons before installing and loading
the apps on your device.

Some Android manufacturers supply their own


syncing software, such as Samsung Kies, which
allows you to transfer files to your device when
plugged in to a PC or Mac via USB but you
should also be able to view and add files via
Windows Explorer or Mac OS X Finder.

Your Android device will go to sleep after


a preset period of inactivity, but you can
instantly wake it up by pressing the Home
button. You will then be prompted to either
swipe right to unlock your device or enter a
password if you have restrictions in place.

12 The Android Book

Every Android question answered


How do I enable text-to-speech?

How do I reset my device?

This feature can be found under the


Accessibility section in the Android Settings
app, but it really needs to be more prominent
as it is actually rather useful especially if you
want your device to, say, read a book to you
while you are busy doing other things. Tap
on the Text-to-Speech options and you will
be able to choose a preferred TTS engine,
determine the speech rate and, by clicking on
the cog icon to the right of each TTS engine,
download and install voice data so that you
can select a different voice to read your text
out aloud.

If you need to erase your Android device and reset it to


the default factory settings perhaps if you are selling
it then go to the Settings app and tap on the Backup
and Restore option, which is listed under the Personal
section. Here you can back up your data and perform a
factory data reset. If you go for the latter then all of your
apps, account details and files will be erased from the
Android device.

Can I amend the icons in my devices


notification panel?
Launch your Settings app and then tap on the Display
option, which is situated under the Device section. Once
there, tap on Notification panel and here you can select
brightness adjustment to be included in the notification
panel (by ticking the box) and see which other icons are
in it. To determine the order of the included icons, simply
press and hold on one and then drag it into place.
Right: You have freedom to decide which icons
appear in your notification panel

How can I save my battery?


How do I change the indicator?
By default, the remaining battery power of
your Android device is displayed by a batteryshaped icon at the top of the screen. But you
can change this to a percentage indicator by
going to Settings>Display and then tapping
on the Display battery percentage box.

Can I set restrictions?


There are many steps you can take to secure
your device, the most obvious being to
password-protect it. Go to Settings>Security
and then tap on the Security option in the
Personal section. Now tap on Encrypt device
and you will be able to select a means of
locking the screen. The level of security is
mentioned alongside each method, but the
most effective is the good old traditional
password, so set one in place.

If you have lots of apps open on your


device then they will invariably have an
impact on its battery life. In fact, for a
detailed rundown of which apps are using
how much power, go to Settings>Data
Usage and youll be able to see which apps
are currently running and close them down
if you want to save some energy. You can
also tap on an app and then tap the Menu
button to Restrict background data.
There are also various settings that you
can tweak to increase your Android devices
battery life. Start by turning off Bluetooth
and Wi-Fi when not in use and disable
any location services that arent needed,
as most apps using this function will
periodically query the GPS satellites
for your current location. You can
also reduce the brightness of
the screen as well as the
backlight time and
turn off any animated
wallpapers that you
may be using.
The other big
energy saver to
keep in mind is
not to wait until

your battery is completely depleted before


charging your device. If you repeatedly let
your devices power drain down to nothing
before conducting a full recharge, then over
time the storage capacity of the battery
will be reduced. With these energy-saving
tips in mind, you should be able to squeeze
even more mileage out of your trusty
Android device.

Above: You can monitor the


battery usage of running
apps in Settings

The Android Book 13

Every Android question answered

Keep in touch
How to use your Android device to stay in the social loop
Can I have conference calls on
my Android device?
If you have an Android handset then you
can use the Add Call and Merge options to
conference-call on your phone. If you are using
a tablet then Googles Hangouts service allows
you to conduct a live video call with up to ten
friends at once. By creating a Hangout party,
you can input the names, email addresses
or numbers of the people you wish to add
and then send out an invite to all parties to
connect. You can also add more people once
your party is up and running, so nobody needs
to be left out of the social loop.

Is there a way to video-chat?


Yes both Samsungs ChatON and Googles Hangouts
apps enable you to video-conference with friends,
family and colleagues. You can also download other
apps, such as Skype from the Google Play Store; just
set yourself up with a free account and you can talk
face-to-face at no cost.

How do I change my message display?


Open your ChatON messaging app and then press
the Menu button. Now go to Settings and tap on
Chat room settings. The next screen will allow you
to change your message-bubble style as well as the
background that they appear on.

Can I set up a call reject message?


Most Android handsets come with a reject call with
message feature, but if you feel that the default
message is somewhat cold then you can go to
Calls>Call Settings>Set Reject Messages to type your
own message to fire off to the caller.

Can I use Hangouts with friends


on other devices?
Absolutely. Hangouts works on computers,
Android and Apple devices, so you can
connect with everyone and no one gets left
out. You will be able to download the app for
whatever device you are using and then log in
and use it as a universal service. If you are using
a computer, simply log into Google+ and you
will be able to connect with friends using
mobile devices and vice versa.

14 The Android Book

Can I transfer my contacts


between multiple
Android devices?
You can transfer contacts,
calendar entries, bookmarked
web pages and more, all
by tweaking your Google
accounts syncing options via
the Android Settings app. To
complete syncing between
devices, the same Google
account must be running on
all of the Android devices
that you want to share
information between.
To sync your contacts, go
into the Accounts section
of the Settings app on the
Android device where your
contacts are stored, and then
select your Google account.

This will open a menu that


presents several options for
managing what information is
synced to the account.
Select to sync contacts
via this menu, and then sign
into your Google account on
another device. You should
be greeted by a notification
informing you that the
contacts from your main
device have been synced to
the new phone or tablet via
your Google account.
Now, whenever you get
a new Android device, you
can add all your contacts
quickly and easily.

Every Android question answered

On the go
Need to get to a certain place? Then let your Android device lead the way

Can I get traffic


information?

If youre planning on making a journey then an Android


device can lead you every step of the way, including
informing you of any possible traffic delays in reaching your
destination, thanks to its built-in Google Search app. After
you launch this you may see the option to Get Google
Now (if you havent already opted in). Google Now provides
an at-a-glance service on all the things that are important in
your life. From sports results to the current weather, Google
has everything sorted in one place when you need it.
Tap on the magic wand icon in the bottom-right corner
and you will be able to customise Google Now to suit your
needs. Choose Places and select a home and work location
and one of the cards that Google Now provides will be
your route to work, along with the current traffic and any
possible delays. You can also add traffic as a layer in Google
Maps. To do this, tap the icon in the top-left corner and
then tap on Traffic. This will layer the heavily congested
areas of traffic onto your map so that you can instantly see
the places you need to avoid on your journey.

Can I get directions to my


destination?

You can also


see traffic
in Google
Maps

Left: Get at-a-glance


traffic info thanks to the
useful Google Now service

Can I find translations?


Google Translate, which comes pre-installed
on many Android devices, handles the task
of translating foreign languages admirably
well. You can use this app to enter words and
phrases that you want translated into other
tongues, with 80 languages supported. You
can also use Androids voice functions to speak
phrases that you want the app to translate,
and it even works offline, so you can make
the most of it when youre on the move
definitely handy when travelling abroad.

Going places with Google Maps is easy. Simply


tap on the arrow icon next to the search field
and then enter the to and from locations into
the fields provided. You can then choose your
mode of transport and get an instant route
mapped out for you. If you then tap on the
time box, you can get turn-by-turn directions
or go one step further and turn your Android
device into a satnav system by tapping on
Start for full audio commands.

How do I find local Wi-Fi?


There are free apps on hand to help you out
with this. Go to the Google Play Store and
download an app called Wi-Fi Finder and it
will plot all of the public Wi-Fi hotspots in your
area and present them on a map so that you
can find the nearest. You can also use this app
to scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks so that you
can find out which has the strongest signal
before connecting. Its a useful app that is very
easy to use on your travels.

The Android Book 15

Every Android question answered

Organise your life


How to use your Android device to stay on top and personalise it to suit your needs

How can I keep track


of my events and
appointments?
You can use your Android devices built-in Calendar app
for this purpose. This app enables you to create calendar
events and alerts which can then be synced across
Android devices to help keep you fully up to date with
what is going on in your life.
To get started, tap on the + icon in the top-right
corner of the interface to create an entry, give your event
a title and then set the start and end time for your event.
You can then go on to set locations, reminders and
descriptions if you should so wish. If the event is regularly
occurring, such as a weekly briefing meeting, then you
can set the frequency and Calendar will give you regular
reminders. There are also plenty of other apps available
from the Google Play Store to help organise your life,
including Schedule Planner and PlannerS, both of which
are free to download and use.

How do I set an alarm?


You can use your Clock app to set yourself an alarm or
reminder, although you need to create a calendar event for
the latter. For simpler alarms that are quicker to set up, go to
the Google Play Store and look at apps such as Alarm Clock
and Timely Alarm Clock to meet your requirements. There
are plenty of free solutions available.

How can I organise my apps?


Your apps can be easily applied to your various
home screens to make them easier to access.
Go to your Apps section, press and hold on an
app and then drag it where you want it. You
can also create and name folders to add apps
to by long-pressing an app icon and dragging
your finger up to the Create Folder option.

How can I manage my Wi-Fi services?


Go to your Settings app and then tap on the Wi-Fi section.
Now press the Menu button and choose the Advanced
settings and here you will be able to select whether Wi-Fi
is kept on during sleep (to the detriment of your battery
power) and set time frames as to when your device can and
cant connect to the network.

Can I manage my camera shortcuts?


Can I create quick notes?
Note-taking apps are numerous, but some of
the simplest and most efficient are Evernote
(which allows you to add any sort of note,
including photos and audio) and Googles
Keep app both are free to download.

16 The Android Book

The Camera app on your Android device comes with


numerous Quick Settings to enable you to carry out certain
tasks. If you would like to change these settings to perform
different features, tap the Menu button while in the Camera
app and then choose the Edit quick settings option. You
can then switch the features that appear in your quick
settings (accessible by tapping the cog icon).

Every Android question answered

Manage your work


You can also use your Android device for the serious stuff!
How can I work on my device?

Can I print from my device?

The Polaris Office app comes pre-installed on


the latest Android devices and this provides all
of the tools you need to create and edit Word,
Excel and PowerPoint documents, as well as
upload them to the cloud to work on later
using a different device.
The Kingsoft Office app is a very good
free alternative that also lets you create and
edit typical Microsoft format docs, as well as
memos. By opting to create a new document
in either app, you will be prompted to select
the type from Word, Excel and PowerPoint
and each option comes with all of the tools
and features you need to format text, insert
pictures and import data from other apps. You
can then select where you would like to save
the documents and whether to encrypt them
for added security.

You can download Googles Cloud Print app


from the Google Play Store for free for this
purpose. To use it, you must first set your
printer up for cloud printing by going to
www.google.co.uk/cloudprint/learn/ and
once it is all set up, the Cloud Print app will
automatically scan and find your registered
printers and allow you to print out your
essential documents wirelessly.
To start printing, simply tap on the printer
icon in the top-right corner and you will be
able to select your files from various locations,
including Dropbox. You can also set various
print options from within the app after
choosing what you want to print, including
colour, the size of the document and how
many copies you need. Once done, tap the
arrow icon to start the job.

How can I protect


my device from
malicious viruses?
One of the most efficient apps for virus
prevention is Lookout Security & Antivirus.
Free to download from the Google Play
Store, this provides essential protection
for your tablet or smartphone against
malware, viruses, loss and theft.
You can register a free account after
launching the app and then your device
will be scanned for existing suspect
files. Whats more, Lookout mode will
be automatically activated, allowing you
to go to lookout.com and log into your
account to track the location of your
device if it gets lost or stolen, as well as go
through various alarm and deactivation
procedures to prevent your important
data falling into enemy hands. You can
also upgrade the app, at a price, to include
even more features to ensure your device
stays threat-free.
Left: The Lookout
app helps to protect
your device

What is the easiest way to share


my files?
Thanks to the advent of cloud computing,
there is no shortage of options to store and
distribute your documents, including services
such as Dropbox and Google Drive. By creating
free accounts, you will be provided with
several gigabytes of free cloud storage space
that you can use to upload and share files.
Using the respective apps, you can organise
whats in your cloud storage and set certain
documents and ascertain who can access it.
As these two services are among the most
popular, most people have access to them
and so they prove an effective means of
getting your files out to your work colleagues
to collaborate on and update before theyre
saved back to your cloud.

The Android Book 17

Every Android question answered

Be entertained
Welcome to the real bread and butter of what your device can do for you

Can I read books on my


Android device?
Reading is one of the many reasons why
tablet devices exist as a means to read,
carry your entire book collection around
with you at all times and save the trees! The
Play Books app lets you browse the Google
Play Store for digital editions, also known as
eBooks, and then purchase and download
them to read through the app. All the latest
fiction and non-fiction books are available
on the Store, which is constantly updated,
while there is a vast back catalogue of
titles for you to search through as well. All
tastes are catered for, whether youre after a
groundbreaking literary classic or the latest
blood-pumping crime thriller.

Once youve downloaded a book,


you have full freedom over the reading
conditions, including font size, brightness
and page theme. Your books and settings
are synced across your devices, and Play
Books will remember the page that you
were on when you last stopped reading, so
that you can pick up exactly where you left
off the next time you pick up your device.
Some great alternatives to Play Books
include the Kindle, Kobo and Audible apps
that boast similar features and a staggering
amount of choice on what books you can
obtain. You need never flick through a
paperback again.

Above: The slider at the bottom of the Play Books interface


allows you to easily flick through pages and chapters

Is there a way to control my


music outside of the app?

Can I take a screenshot on my


Android device?

How do I subscribe to
magazines?

As soon as you start playing music on your


Android device, you are free to leave Play
Music and start using other apps. If you then
wish to stop the music or skip tracks, swipe
down from the top right of the screen to
access your notification panel and you can do
it from there.

There are many reasons you might want to


take a screenshot on your phone or tablet
perhaps to show off a high score or situation
from a game youve been playing, or maybe
you want to share a particular frame from a
favourite movie with Facebook friends. The
good news is, its very easily done on modern
Android devices. Each has a slightly different
mechanism for taking a screenshot, but mostly
this involves holding down two buttons
together for a few seconds (home and volume
down, or home and power for example).
Screenshots can then be viewed and edited
in either the native Gallery or Google
Photos app.

The Play Newsstand app works along the


same lines as the Play Books app, in that you
can browse the store for magazines which
you then download an app for on your device.
Through this app you can buy individual issues
or take out a subscription to get every new
edition delivered automatically to your device.

Can I view websites offline?


You can save any webpage to read later when
you may lack an internet connection. To do
this, simply navigate to the page in the Internet
app and then tap the Menu button. Select the
Save for offline reading option and you can
continue reading regardless of where you are.

Left: Once you start reading on


your tablet, youll never go back
to the printed page

18 The Android Book

Every Android question answered


Can I play multiplayer games?

Can I use my device to keep fit?

You can compete against your friends, both


directly or on the high-score leaderboards
across thousands of games. If you go to the
Google Play Store, it has its own dedicated
Games section to help you find and choose
games to download and play.

From workout apps that come packed with


workout routines and instructional videos
to apps that allow you to track your running
routes, distance covered and your overall
progress towards your fitness goals, the
Google Play Store is packed full of free fitness
apps. The RunKeeper app is a good all-round
fitness app as you can enter your statistics,
set it to run, and the distance that you cover
will be monitored and stored. You can tailor
the workouts to suit your needs and it also
supports a wide range of activities.

Can I add fun effects to my photos?


Can I listen to the radio?
Play Music All Access allows you to create
personalised artist radio, and the free TuneIn
Radio app allows you to search for stations and
tune in. Both apps come with home-screen
widgets for easy access.

Can I watch TV?


Each major station has its own catchup
viewing portal app to watch on-demand TV
and the brilliant TVCatchup app lets you watch
live TV on your Android device for free and
features most of the Freeview channels.

Having fun experimenting with your photos


is made possible by built-in apps and
thousands of others that are available to
download from the Google Play Store. Most
of them provide loads of filters and effects
to apply to your pictures.
The quickest way to get started with
image editing is to open the image you
wish to edit in your Gallery app and then
tap on the Edit icon in the top-right corner
(if you have chosen an image from another
source then you will need to download it
to your device first, which you can do by
tapping the Download icon). You can now
select which app you wish to launch to
carry out the edits. Or you can use Google
Photos, which comes as standard on
many newer Android devices, and
offers plenty of filters and editing
options, including the AutoAwesome function for applying
a range of automatic edits to
certain kinds of images. Plus,
Google Photos integrates
completely with Google+
for easy uploading and
sharing with friends.
If you have more
serious editing needs

then the Photo Editor app (which you may


need to download from the Play Store) lets
you crop, resize, adjust the colours and add
a more conventional set of filters to your
image, which you can then save and upload
to your various social networks to show off
your skills.

Right: Make your pictures


perfect by applying all
manner of outlandish
filters and effects

The Android Book 19

Settings

4FUUJOHT

If youd like to have a custom background or create a Wi-Fi hotspot, in the Settings app you can
modify, customise and change almost every single aspect of your device

8IBUJUDBOEP

t'VMMZDVTUPNJTF
Decide your devices style

t'BOUBTUJDUPPMT
Multitask with multi-screen

t2VJDLTFUUJOHT
Access your settings fast

Set up your Android device easily


Find a host of amazing tools for your device, all within its Settings app
Androids Settings app
Wi-Fi hotspot so you can connect a device
tools, the Settings app is here to provide you
The Settings app is a perfect starting point
when getting to know your Android device.
It may seem strange to consider your devices
settings as an app, but thats exactly what it
is. In fact, within the Android Settings app
are a series of important tools which are
unavailable anywhere else on your device. So
its important to explore within the Settings
app to see what is available. Most of the big
features to be found there are connectivity
ones, which include the ability to set up a

20 The Android Book

such as a laptop to your Android device, and


use the phone/tablets available data plan to
give internet access to the third-party device.
The Settings app also has a host of NFC and
file transfer tools (Fig1) which, once enabled,
dont require much more attention. Since
most apps have their own NFC tools included,
NFC does not have its own standalone app
on most Android phones. Simply switch NFC
on, then find another device to interact with.
Of course, beyond the advanced connectivity

with everything you need to set up your


Android device exactly how you want it to be,
giving you ultimate control.

Device settings tabs


The Settings app can be accessed through
the apps drawer of your device or, on some
devices (such as the Samsung Galaxy S4),
from the Menu button to the left of the
Home button. Settings on your Android
device are broken down into four tabs, each

Settings

Fig 1: The Settings app includes a host of different file-sharing tools


such as Android Beam, NFC, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth

Fig 2: The Talk Back tool is one of many accessibility options that
makes navigating on an Android device possible for any user

with their own collection of subcategories.


First you have the Connections tab, which
covers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and any other
connectivity settings. Secondly you have
My Device, which is where youll find all of
the customisable tools to manage how your
device looks, sounds and behaves. This tab
also includes Motions and Gestures settings as
well as accessibility options that offer the Talk
Back tool (Fig 2), which speaks your actions
as you perform them on your device. Next
up is your Accounts tab. In this section you
will manage all of your syncable accounts
like Google, Facebook, WhatsApp and any
other app accounts available. Here youll also
be able to set up cloud storage options with
various services such as Dropbox and Google.
Finally, under the More tab youll find a series
of tools to manage your device including the
Application Manager, which can uninstall and
modify your apps.

amount of power to run, as well as manage


storage usage, breaking down stored files
into different categories which you can then
manage individually (Fig 3). Another great
tool available on many devices is the quick
settings buttons. These can be found in your
notification window. Quick settings work as a
fast way to turn settings on and off on your
device. For example, say youve just hopped
into the car and want to enable Driving mode.
You can simply access your notification panel
and tap to activate it. This is especially useful
when you want to activate a tool which when
left on all the time would be a drain on your
battery. Each available quick setting is linked
to a more advanced settings window, which
can be managed separately. All of the available
settings have been built in such a way so as to
be able to cater to you and the way in which
you want to use your device. These tools
include Air Gestures and Smart Scroll, which
tracks the movement of your eyes to scroll in
windows, as well as the lock-screen widgets
and shortcuts function, which lets you place
shortcuts to your apps on the lock screen.
Follow along with these step-by-step tutorials
to find out about all of the great tools available
to you in your devices Settings app.

Settings made for you


Your Settings app isnt just for managing your
device: its also a great way to monitor its
activity. Through the Device Manager options
youll be able to keep an eye on battery usage,
finding out which apps and tools use the most

Fig 3: Tap on any type of storage to view more details on it and


uninstall items that are currently taking up space on your device

Wake-up
commands

Set up a wake-up shortcut


To quickly access an app from your lock
screen using your voice, go to the My
Device settings and tap on Lock Screen.
Tap on Set wake-up command, then
select Wake-up function 1. Choose a
command, such as Open Camera. Now
tap the microphone icon and speak the
verbal command you want to use as your
wake-up command four times. Return to
the lock-screen menu and check Wake
up in lock screen. Now, when your device
is locked, you can prompt the command
you just set up with your voice.

The Android Book 21

Settings

Using the Android Settings app


Using the Android Settings app youll learn how to modify every part of your device

Personalise your device in Settings

1: Settings app

2: Lock screen

3: Set up display

4: LED settings

5: Sound tools

From your home screen


open the Apps window.
Tap on the Settings app.

Tap My Device. Tap Lock


Screen. Tap Screen Lock to
turn on lock mode.

In My Device, tap Display


to adjust fonts, brightness
and wallpapers.

In My Device, select LED


Indicator to manage your
LED notifications.

From the Sound settings,


adjust all notification
tones on your device.

Make your device energy-efficient

Activate the
Multi window

1: Power saving mode

2: Power settings

In My Device settings, under the Personalisation


heading, tap Power Saving mode.

Choose the options you want deactivated


when youve entered Power Saving mode.

1: Display settings

3: Auto Brightness

4: Quick settings

2: Go multi-window

Drag from the top of the screen to open the


notification panel. Switch on Auto Brightness.

Scroll the quick settings in the notification


panel. Tap Power Saving to activate it.

Open an app. Tap on the white tab, then


drag an app into the running one.

22 The Android Book

In your Display settings, switch on Multi


window. A small tab will appear.

Settings
Assign device gestures and languages

Navigate Device
Manager

1: Access Device Manager


In the Settings app, tap More, then scroll
down to the Device Manager heading.

1: Gesture setup

2: Gyroscope setup

3: Gesture menu

In the Settings app, tap on


My Device. Tap on Motions
and Gestures under the Input
and control subheading. Tap
on Gyroscope Calibration.

Place your device on top of a


flat surface and tap Calibrate.
Once calibrated, return to the
Motions and Gestures menu.
Tap on Air Gestures.

Switch on gestures at the top


of the Air Gestures menu.
Long-press on any gesture
to view a visual tutorial as to
how the gesture works.

2: Application Manager
Open Application Manager. Review
memory and RAM at the base of the list.

3: Free up your memory


In the All list, tap on an app. Free up
space by clearing its cache and data.

4: More settings

5: Language input

6: Keyboard input

Tap the on switch to activate


a gesture. Each gesture has
its own submenu of settings
depending on the action that
the gesture performs.

Back in My Device, tap on


Language and Input, found
under the Input and control
subheading. Tap Language to
change the device language.

In Language and Input, tap


the settings icon next to a
keyboard input language,
keyboard navigation options
and voice type tools.

Long-press on any gesture to view a


visual tutorial as to how the gesture works

4: Check Battery usage


In Device Manager, tap on Battery to see
which apps are using the most power.

The Android Book 23

Settings
Control app
permissions

Manage Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC tools

1: Device permissions
In the More tab of your device settings,
locate the Permissions subheading.

1: Connections

2: Wi-Fi settings

3: Use Bluetooth

Device connections come


in two categories: Network
connections (Wi-Fi, data
usage) and Connect and
Share (NFC, file transfers).

Tap Wi-Fi. Tap on an available


Wi-Fi connection and input
a password if necessary to
connect to it. Tap Scan to
search for new connections.

In the Bluetooth menu, turn


it on. Available devices will
be displayed. Check the box
next to your device to make it
visible for pairing.

4: Check your data

5: More networks

6: Activate NFC

In Data Usage, check the Set


mobile data limit box. You
can then use the red bar on
the chart to set up your limit
to cut off data use.

In Network Connections, tap


More Networks. You can turn
on Flight mode to disable call
and messaging functions, as
well as data usage.

Under Connect and Share,


switch on NFC and Android
Beam (or S Beam on
Samsungs). These transfer
files between two devices.

2: Location services
Tap Location Services. Turn on Access to
my location and Use GPS satellites.

3: GPS usage within apps


With Location Services turned on, apps
can use your position when running.

4: Security permissions
Under the Permissions subheading, tap
Security for more permission options.

24 The Android Book

Turn on Flight mode to disable call and


messaging functions and data usage

Settings
Manage your email and app accounts

1: My Accounts

2: App accounts

3: Sync settings

4: Remove account

My Accounts has its own heading


within the Settings app. Tap on it.
Under My Accounts you can view
all accounts that are currently
synced with your device.

Some apps (such as Facebook or


Twitter) have their own accounts,
which will be added to your
account list. Tap on an apps name
to view an accounts details.

Tap on your Google account from


the list. Tap on the email address
linked to the account. In this
menu you can manage your sync
options for the account.

Within your sync options you


can tap on Remove account to
delete the account and all of its
stored information (such as your
contacts) from your device.

5: Back up account

6: Add an account

With accounts like Google, you


can back up your stored data
(contacts, messages) to the
server by tapping Back Up in the
Account Settings screen.

At the base of the My Accounts


list, tap Add Account. You can
only add accounts through apps
on your device. Tap an app name,
then add your login details.

Tethering
In More Networks,
tap on Tethering
and portable
hotspot to show
this menu

Hotspot
Switch on this
option to turn
your device into a
Wi-Fi hotspot for
otherdevices

Connect
You can also grant
access to your
devices internet
connection by USB
orBluetooth

The Android Book 25

Android Device Manager

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.BOBHFS

Ensure you know where your device is and keep data on it secure using the Device Manager

What it can do:

t'JOEZPVSEFWJDF
View the location on a map

t.BLFJUSJOH
Remotely call the device

t,FFQJUTFDVSF
Lock the device or erase data

Track your device if it gets lost


If your Android phone or tablet goes missing, now you can find, ring, lock or erase it
Just like Apple introduced the Find My Phone
feature for the iPhone, so has Google with
the Android Device Manager. This is both a
web service and available as an app. Now,
clearly, installing it on a device that is then
stolen wont help at all, but if you have more
than one Android device, then you can use
it to find the others. The alternative is to use
the web-based service at www.google.com/
android/devicemanager which can track all
your devices. The advantage of the app-based
version is that it can be used while you are

26 The Android Book

out and about and makes it easier on a phone


to track either another phone or a tablet. To
fully access the features of the service, though,
you need to have turned some things on
in the Settings on your device. Open the
Settings app and tap Security. Tap on Device
Administrators. In here is the option to Allow
Android Device Manager to lock or erase a
lost device. Tick this so it is on. The alternative
is to go to the Google Settings app, which
is different; tap on Android Device Manager
at the bottom of the list and put in a tick for

Remotely locate this device and also for Allow


remote lock and factory reset if you havent
accessed it via Settings. They are the same
thing, so ticking or unticking in one setting
will change it in the other as well. When
selecting a remote Erase, you are warned of
the consequences of this action. Also, if the
target device is currently offline, the Erase
will be performed as soon as it comes online
again. This has the side effect of also disabling
Android Device Manager on the target device,
so you wont be able to find it again.

Android Device Manager

Finding your device


How to locate and manage lost or stolen Android devices

Lock or erase
your device

Launch Android Device Manager

1: Select the Lock option


Go to Android Device Manager and
select the device. Then tap on Lock.

1: Download the app

2: Sign in

3: Locate devices

Go to the Play Store and tap


on the search field. Enter
Android Device Manager
and download it.

Run the app and tap on


Accept. Then type in your
Android password and tap on
Sign in.

Once signed in, the app


will find any other Android
devices registered to your
Google account.

2: Enter the password


Type in a new password and the
confirmation, which will lock the device.

Call and ring your device remotely

3: Add a message
Add an optional message for the locked
device, such as a contact number.

1: Select the device

2: Call or ring device

3: Its ringing for you

Tap on the down arrow next


to the first device to show all
of them. Select an alternative
device if needed.

You can call an Android


phone or make a tablet ring.
Tap on the appropriate call or
ring icon.

After a confirmation notice,


the respective device will
start ringing or a call will be
made to it.

4: Erase all the data


To erase everything on the lost device,
tap on Erase, then Erase again.

The Android Book 27

Phone

Phone

Use your Android device to perfect the art of mobile calling using a variety of advanced and
more obvious features to keep in touch with those most important to you

What it can do:

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A logical and easy screen

t4QFFEEJBMMJOH
Call people with one tap

t.VMUJQMFTFUUJOHT
Make the phone your own

Call anyone in any way you like


Smart features, intuitive calling and excellent call quality are the hallmarks of Android
A real experience
point you can input a PIN number and you can hold any name in the contacts listing and
The voice-calling experience on an Android
device is as clean, efficient and as easy to use
as you could hope for. The main calling screen
is dominated by easy-to-tap buttons and the
learning curve is surprisingly short. Tapping the
Menu icon will bring up a selection of extra
options when you are dialling a number (Fig1)
and from here you can access all manner of
call types instantly. If you want to dial into
a company conference call, there are quick
options to add a pause or a wait, at which

28 The Android Book

also quickly add the number you are calling


as a new contact. As you type in the number,
it will be listed against the relevant contact if
it has already been saved in your contacts list
and you can even dial names by tapping the
keys which correspond to the letters within
each icon. For example, to dial your fictional
friend Kevin you would tap 53846 and the
software works out all of the contacts that
have names which potentially correspond to
your input sequence. You can also press and

then undertake one more tap to initiate a call.


The Phone capabilities of your device interact
perfectly with many other functions.

Not just voice


Voice calling used to be so simple and it still
is, but you also have many other options
available to you if you want to save money
when calling abroad or even locally. Press
the Menu key when viewing the main calling
screen, choose Settings and then scroll down

Phone

Fig 1: The main call screen is intuitive and takes no time at all to
understand. Extra options are also easily accessible

Fig 2: Internet calling is an inexpensive and flexible method of


making contact with anyone and Android has you covered here

to the very bottom where you will see a


section called Internet call settings. Tap Use
Internet calling and you will be offered three
options (Fig2) you will need to decide
which suits the services you use the best, but
choosing Ask for every call will likely save
you the most money. You can add multiple
accounts to your Android device and then
decide which one to use at the time, but
remember that some services also offer apps
which can streamline the internet calling and
management process much better. A valid
internet connection will be needed to use
this type of calling and it is advisable to also
consider any data limits that are present on
your current tariff. Internet calling is efficient
in terms of data usage, but it can still eat up
lots of your plan if you use it all of the time.
The trick is to use the most useful and costeffective type of calling at the righttime.

but once you have set it all up you will have


a solution that works the way you want every
single day. If you go to Settings in the Phone
app and then select Call, you will be rewarded
with a huge list of potential changes that can
be made. Tap Ringtones and keypad tones to
quickly change the tone to any that
is already loaded on the device and to deal
with vibrations. You can choose various
vibrations which will eventually feel familiar
and if you assign them to known contacts,
you will start to understand who is calling
without even looking at the screen. The Call
alerts function lets you dive deeper and
manage the tones you receive during calls
(Fig 3), which can be useful for alerting you
to what is happening while you are talking.
There is also a checkbox at the bottom of the
list in Call alerts that you can clear to ensure
that no alerts are sounded while you are
talking, which may be preferred. The more
you look, the more settings you will find and
navigating to My call sound will highlight just
how complete the Phone app is. Here you can
change the sound to either suit your mood
or the setting you usually frequent. Choices
range from Soft to Clear and really do make
a noticeable difference.

Use your ears


You will likely expect to be able to customise
the main ringtone on any phone, but with an
Android device the options go way beyond
this. Following a quick look through all of
the settings available, it is easy to become
bewildered by the sheer amount of choice,

Fig 3: There are multiple settings available to let you customise the
notification experience so that it works just for you

Clever features
Advanced Phone settings
In the Phone app Settings menu, there
are some extremely clever features which
are worth exploring. The Answering and
ending calls options, for example, lets
you manage how your calls are answered
and ended. You can choose to answer
calls by pressing the home key, using
voice commands or by waving your hand
over the device and you can tick the
checkbox to instantly end a call simply
by pressing the power key on the side of
your device. Your phone, your rules.

The Android Book 29

Phone

Manage calls and texts with touch


An Android phone is an advanced modern communications tool with all the features you need

Make and receive calls with ease

1: Find the Phone

2: The old way

3: Contacts appear

4: Take a call

5: In-call menu

Locate and tap the Phone


icon to see a familiar
keypad screen.

Tap each number and


then tap the green
handset button to call out.

As you type, tappable


matching contacts will
appear for efficiency.

When calls come in, the


screen will change. Slide
to answer or reject.

During the call, useful


in-call options will be
available to use.

Set up speed dialling on your phone

Change default
ringtone

1: The Menu key

2: Choose a list item

Tap the Menu key while in the main phone


screen and select Speed dial setting.

Tap any list item, representing each of the


dialling numbers, and select a contact to use.

1: The settings

3: It is complete

4: Tap and hold

2: Tap and preview

You will now see the contact detail assigned to


the box. The speed dial is now complete.

Tap and hold the number in the dialling screen


and it will start the call straight away.

Tap each tone to hear it and then tap OK


when you have selected one.

30 The Android Book

Go to Settings>Sound and tap


Ringtone to see a list of tones.

Phone
Work with multiple calls

Set up call
forwarding

1: The forward settings


Tap the menu icon, choose
Settings>More settings>Call forwarding.

1: Call on call

2: Two options

3: Two calls

When you are on a call and


another comes in, the answer
screen will appear with an
audible notification. Swipe to
answer it.

Two options will appear on


screen. You can either put the
first call on hold or end it and
take the new one. Put it on
hold to manage both.

Youll see both calls displayed


on the main screen and some
new options appear. Tap
the Merge button to start a
conference call.

2: Voice or video
The next screen will give you two
options. Choose the Voice call option.

3: Various options
You can now choose when to forward
calls by selecting a specific option.

4: Conferencing

5: Extra options

6: End a call

A conference call is now live


with new options to end the
call or to add another caller
to the conference. Press the
Menu key for more.

Now tap the Manage


conference call option to
decide how to manage the
ongoing call. Its all very
simple to do.

You can now end a call with


one of the parties by tapping
the red End button. The
options are limited, but offer
everything you should need.

You can either put the first call on hold or


end it and take the new one

4: Select a number
The final step is to add a number to
forward calls to. Then tap Enable.

The Android Book 31

Messaging

Messaging
Messaging on an Android device can involve much more than merely sending and receiving
texts. You can set up text templates, add attachments and much more

What it can do:

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Send photos and videos

t3FBMJTUJDDIBUT
Enjoy a real conversation

t.FTTBHFSFQPSUJOH
Manage and read reports

Message anyone from anywhere


Take your text messaging to a whole new level with your advanced and trusty Android device
Real-time conversations
you like. Go to Settings and at the top you will
approach will prove useful and make every
Text messaging is no longer about merely
sending and receiving messages because it
can be a useful tool for building relationships
and keeping long conversations on track.
Once you send a message, it will be shown
in a full-screen when tapped. As soon as a
reply arrives, this will be placed below your
first message in a different colour and so on
as the chat progresses (Fig 1). Every message
and conversation is obviously laid out, but you
can make the interface truly personal to you if

32 The Android Book

see a Display section. Here you can adjust the


speech bubbles to take different shapes and
also different colours, and the choice is varied
enough for any taste. You can then select the
Background style option and choose from a
variety of colours and textures, which makes
more difference to the interface than you
may at first imagine. Finally, you can choose
to change the text size with the volume
key by ticking one box and because every
conversation is naturally different, this simple

conversation look clearer in the future. There is


no doubt that text messaging can be fun on
any Android device.

Dealing with spam


Spam is a curse that has slowly started to
infiltrate the world of text messaging and is
one which can be highly inconvenient and
somewhat annoying. The way texts work
means that you are almost always likely to
view any message that comes in, but there is

Messaging

Fig 1: Your conversations with each recipient are preserved in


threads to ensure that the meaning of each text is never lost

Fig 2: You can block specific contacts as spam numbers and also
quickly add recipients from first-time messages you receive

a very simple way to deal with this problem


once and for all. When you receive a spam
text message, view it and tap the Menu key.
You will be presented with a series of options
(Fig2), of which Register as spam number
is one of the most useful. This option is not
always presented straight away and so you
may need to scroll down to see it. Once
you select it, you will not receive any more
messages from that number and so you need
no longer be hassled by the company or
person sending the spam. This simple trick
can also be used for people who you no
longer want to be contacted by and is about
as efficient a solution as you could hope for. If
you change your mind in the future, you can
bring up the menu in the same message and
select Unregister as spam number to start
receiving text messages from that contact in
the future. That is the end of your text spam.

message (SMS) settings; the first, Delivery


reports, lets you request confirmation that a
new text message has been sent successfully.
If it has, it will be shown in the notification
centre almost as soon as it has been sent
(Fig3). This of course offers peace of mind
and a simple confirmation that your message
got through, which can be crucial in business.
When you scroll further down the settings,
you will see Text message (MMS) settings
where you can also request delivery reports
for any files or photos that you have attached
to texts. On top of this there is a Read reports
option which will advise you once the sent
message has been read. This is especially
useful because some MMS messages cannot
be read because the recipients phone is not
capable of viewing them or their account
may not be enabled for MMS despite this
facility, we would still advise checking with
the recipient first to make sure all of your
messages can get through. There are many
other messaging settings available and it is
advisable to check them all out to see if some
quick changes will provide huge dividends in
the long run. Messaging limits, auto-retrieve
and push messages can be extremely useful
changes to make for many Android users.

Message reporting
Text messaging on an Android device is, of
course, extremely useful and beneficial when
keeping in contact with friends, but you
can also use it in a more serious way, such
as for work, if you want to. In the Message
settings you will see some options under Text

Fig 3: Delivery and read reports are automatically available in the


notification panel and can be tweaked to your specific needs

Text templates
Speed up your messaging
When composing a new message, you
can press the Menu key and then select
Add text. Now choose Text templates,
where you can automatically include any
from a set of common phrases to greatly
speed up your message creation. If you
open the Message settings, an option
will be available called Text templates as
well, but you can also tap the + symbol
at the top to create your own templates
to cover a variety of situations. Its quick
and easy.

The Android Book 33

Messaging

Keep in touch with your contacts


Send, receive and manage all of your text messages efficiently and in style every day

Send and receive messages

1: Messaging icon

2: Use a contact

3: Its delivered

4: Notifications

5: Tap to view

Tap the top-right icon


in Messages to start
composing a new text.

Start to type a contact,


select their name. Add
content and send.

Pull down the


notifications bar to view a
delivery or read receipt.

New text messages will


be displayed at the top of
the home screen.

Simply tap the notification


to read the message and
full conversation.

Search for specific messages

Delete any
text message

1: Magnifying glass

2: Search matches

Press the Menu key and then tap the Search


option with a magnifying glass next to it.

As you type, matches will appear, which could


be contacts or words held within messages.

1: Delete a thread

3: Every result

4: Tap to view

2: Delete a message

Every result will be shown for you to select and


can be derived from many conversations.

Tap any result and you will be taken to the


conversation the search result is held within.

In the conversation view, hold any


message and select Delete Message.

34 The Android Book

For chats, hold your finger down on the


main list and tap Delete thread.

Messaging
Attach different files to messages

Send group
text messages

1: Multiple recipients
Add a recipient as normal and select
them. They will be shown at the top.

1: A new message

2: The paperclip

3: Set a default

Create a new message as you


would any other, by selecting
a contact and then adding
text in the main screen. Dont
send the message yet.

Tap the paper-clip icon and


you will be shown a table of
apps that support compatible
attachments. Make your
choice to proceed further.

You will likely be prompted


to choose a default app, but
if you send different types
of attachments, tap the Just
once option when asked.

2: Simple contact labels


Keep adding recipients until all of the
relevant contacts have been included.

3: Add the new message


Complete the message as you normally
do and send it with a single tap.

4: Choose a file

5: The thumbnail

6: Message sent

You can now search for the


file you want to attach. It will
greatly speed the process up
if you already know roughly
where the file is.

Once you have selected


the attachment, youll see a
thumbnail in the message
body to confirm you have
selected the correct one.

The attachment will show up


in the conversation view once
received and can be tapped
to open it in Messages or in a
relevant compatible app.

You will be shown a table of apps that


support compatible attachments

4: Group message sent


The group message will be displayed
with the recipients listed at the top.

The Android Book 35

Google Play

(PPHMF1MBZ

Discover how to get the best out of this one-stop entertainment shop on your Android device
and realise the potential of thousands of games, songs, apps and much more

8IBUJUDBOEP

t"QQTGPSFWFSZPOF
A huge selection to browse

t3FDPNNFOEBUJPOT
Based on purchases

t#PPLTBOE/FXTTUBOE
Find great reading material

Stay entertained with Google Play


With the Play Store app on your device, you can rest assured that youll never be bored again
Simplistic and intuitive
Movies & TV, Music, Books and Newsstand.
This can either be a specific name, for example
The Google Play Store app is a great feature
of any Android device. It always has what you
want and when you want it. Whether youre
after an addictive game to pass the time
waiting for the bus, an app to manage your
finances or you simply want to kick back with a
classic film, Google Play has it all.
As soon as you load the app, its main screen
presents you with numerous options. At the
top there are the categories of the Play Store
that can be explored, such as Apps, Games,

36 The Android Book

Below this you can swipe down to see all kinds


of other goodies available to you. This can
include special sales (Fig 1), recommended
purchases, all-new Google Play features and
top-rated media. You can tap on each of these
sections to see further exciting items or tap an
app to find out more about it.
If youve got something more specific in
mind, head to the very top of the interface and
tap the magnifying glass icon. This opens up a
search bar, so type in what youre looking for.

X-Men, or a generic term such as racing


game. Google Play will come up with a list of
suggestions as you type, and tapping on one
of these will take you directly to the app, song,
album or whatever youre after right away.

Helpful menus
If you want to return to the main screen at any
time, tap the Play Store shopping bag icon
at the top left. This will call up a short list of
options (Fig 2), the first of which is Store home,

Google Play

Fig 1: In the main menu youll see some great deals on


entertainment as well as recommended purchases tailored for you

Fig 2: Youll never get lost in the Play Stores entertainment jungle
again, as long as you use this little menu to take you to key places

to take you back to the main screen. Beneath


this are a few other options that can greatly
enhance your Google Play experience. Tap on
My apps to see a list of everything youve ever
downloaded from Google Play.
While browsing the Play Store, you can add
items to your wishlist, which can be found
under the same Play Store menu. You can use
this list to store up a treasure trove of apps,
music, movies and everything else in one
place, so its there for you when youre ready
to come back and purchase it later. To add
something to your wishlist, tap the bookmark
icon (a ribbon with a +) on the items page.
The last option at the bottom of the Play
Store menu is Redeem. If youre lucky enough
to have received a Google Play gift voucher,
select this option and type in the Gift Card &
Promotional Code. Your Google account will
be credited with the gift vouchers value.

name at the top. This takes you to your Google


Play homepage (Fig 3). You can see a list of the
things you have rated recently, and there is
also a link to your Google+ homepage.
Sometimes, as apps update and evolve, your
opinion of an app may change. If youve rated
an app on Google Play, you can easily change
it. Find the app and then scroll down to the
Rate section and tap the Edit button. Then just
add in your newest thoughts about the app
and give it a star rating, then press Save.
Another great thing about Googles syncedup nature is that your payment details are held
safely within Google Wallet, which alongside
use in the Play Store can be used for a whole
lot more. If youve never made a payment in
the Play Store before and you want to buy a
paid app, youll need to type in a few payment
details first, including card details, registered
address and other essential information. This
will then be stored in Google Wallet and ready
for you to purchase anything from Play Store
at the tap of a finger. To turn on password
control, just in case your Android device falls
into the wrong hands (or a childs), just hit the
Menu button and tick the box in Settings. Your
password will be the one you use for your
Google login.

A social experience
Your Play Store activity is instantly shareable
with your Google+ profile. If you use the Play
Store to rate and review the apps that you use,
these are all public and can be published to
your Google+ page. To view all your activity,
tap the Play Store menu and then tap on your

Fig 3: Google lets you share your opinions of apps, games, music
and more so you can have a truly social entertainment experience

Share purchases
You can tell the world
Every so often youll come across
something thats so great, it would be
criminal to keep it to yourself. For times
such as these, enter the Share button.
This icon looks like three small dots
joined together and is found at the top
right-hand corner of a specific app, TV or
movie page. Once tapped it will present
you with a whole list of sharing options.
Simply tap on your preferred sharing
method and then tell the world about
your Google Play find!

The Android Book 37

Google Play

Shop away on Google Play


Browse collections, find freebies, grab a bargain and discover all the entertainment you need

Purchase an app

1: Install the app

2: Permissions

3: Payment details

4: Watch progress

5: Time to enjoy

Peruse an apps info and if


you like it, tap the Install/
Price button at the top.

An app permissions box


will pop up with the apps
small print. Tap Accept.

Add your details and tap


Save (you only need to do
this once). Then tap Buy.

Watch the progress bar as


your app downloads and
installs on your device.

Once its downloaded, tap


Open. This will launch the
app straight away. Enjoy!

Get your money back on an app

Tell other users


what you think

1: Go to My Apps

2: Locate the app

Hit the top-left Play Store icon, then select the


My Apps option from the menu choices.

Scroll down the list of apps installed and tap


the one that you want to remove and refund.

1: Track down the app

3: Get a refund

4: Confirm and uninstall

2: Rate away!

Tap the Refund button you only have 15


minutes from the time of purchase to do this.

Tap Yes. If you miss the 15-minute window, you


can uninstall but wont get your money back.

Rate it and type a review. Reviews are


public and linked to your Google+ profile.

38 The Android Book

In My Apps, find an app to rate. Scroll


down and tap the stars. Hit OK.

Google Play
Manage your apps and what they do

Update to keep
apps in shape

1: Individual updates
In My Apps>Installed, youll see apps that
need updating. Tap one, then hit Update.

1: Installed apps

2: See every app

3: Reinstall an app

Tap the top-left icon and then


My Apps. Select the Installed
tab at the top. This shows the
apps that are currently stored
on your device.

The All tab shows every app


youve ever downloaded,
even ones youve uninstalled.
Refunded apps wont show
up here, however.

Uninstalled apps have a X at


top-right corner. To reinstall,
tap the app then the Install
button. Tap the X to remove
an app from My Apps.

2: Watch it happen
Accept the permissions and youll see
the progress bar. Once ready, tap Open.

3: Do a job lot
Tap the Update All button at the top to
update all apps in need of attention.

4: Notifications

5: Manage widgets

6: Manage content

In My Apps, hit the Menu


button, then tap Settings. At
the top of the Settings menu,
use the checkbox to turn app
notifications on or off.

In Settings, you can opt to


automatically add homescreen widgets when you
download a new app. These
run on your home screen.

In Settings, you can control


the kind of app content
shown on Google Play. Select
from the checkbox options
and then tap on OK.

Automatically add home-screen widgets


when you download a new app

4: Set auto updates


In Settings, tap Auto-update apps to
select the method of automatic update.

The Android Book 39

Play Movies & TV

1MBZ.PWJFT
& TV

Buy or rent the latest movies and TV shows to watch on your Android device

What it can do:

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The latest films and shows

t4IBSFBTIPX
Let friends know about it

t#VZPSSFOU
Watch now or buy to keep

Search, rent, buy and watch


How to rent a TV show or movie and watch it on your device, or buy a show to keep forever
If you like to watch films or catch up with your
favourite TV shows on your device, the Play
Movies & TV app is the place to head for. Tap
on this and a screen of recommendations will
appear, along with a search engine and a link
to the Play Movies shop. Tap on the Search
icon and enter the name of what you are
looking for. Everything that vaguely responds
to the title will be listed, starting with the best
hits first. These are highlighted while showing
each category so to see the full list of hits,
tap on the red square where it says there are

40 The Android Book

more to look at. To select any show or movie,


simply tap on it to see the renting or viewing
options. If you want to see whether there are
any books, music, magazines or apps related
to the show you are searching for, tap on the
heading for Movies and TV. This produces a
search filter that allows you to see all results, or
ones for specific categories.
To navigate around the app when you have
downloaded some content, tap the icon next
to Watch Now. This produces a slide-out menu
covering My Movies, My TV Shows, On Device

and another link to the Shop. Tap on any of the


categories to see a show that has been rented,
bought or downloaded. Then tap on the
listing for the show to see the details about it.
There are usually links to other shows that are
related to this one. Otherwise, tap on Play to
watch it. Note that this will automatically rotate
the screen to landscape view to play the video
you cant watch in portrait orientation. Some
shows can be streamed, but if the network
isnt fast enough you can download it instead
by tapping on the Pin icon.

Play Movies & TV

Watch a movie or show


Search for a movie or show to watch, rent, buy or share

Rent a movie
or a TV show

Find a show and choose to buy

1: Find the show you want


Tap on the Search icon and type in what
you are looking for. Tap on More.

1: Find the show

2: Select a film

3: Make a purchase

Tap on the Search icon


and type what it is you
are looking for. Tap on the
magnifying glass.

Tap on the film (or show) you


are interested in. There are
options to rate and review
the film or watch the preview.

Tap on Buy to see the


options. Select HD or
standard definition and then
tap on Buy.

2: Select the movie


Scroll up and down and tap on the
show or film you want to rent out.

Share the details of a film you like

3: Select a rental option


Tap on the options for Rent. This will be
HD or SD, with prices for each.

1: Share a favourite

2: Select a service

3: Notify with email

Tap on a film or TV show to


see the details and then tap
on the Share icon located at
the top right.

Select from the connection,


social media and email
options with which to share
the film/shows details.

Having tapped on the Email


option, enter the recipients
address and personalise
the message.

4: Pay through the Store


Tap on the quality option then on the
Rent icon to pay through Google Play.

The Android Book 41

Play Music

Play Music
Play Music offers a huge library of tracks and albums, many special deals and excellent sound
quality throughout. It also lets you organise your entire music library

What it can do:

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Sale items are very common

t#FIJOEUIFNVTJD
Read bios and song details

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Preview any song you like

Discover new music anywhere


Find music, purchase tracks and enjoy previews no matter where you are. Its always with you
Play Music offers a huge library of tracks which
can be accessed with ease. Simply tap the
Menu key at the top of the screen and select
Genres to break down the listings to show
music that you are more likely to be interested
in, then scroll through the most popular tracks.
When you tap on any album, you will see a
track listing which then enables you to make
quick purchases by simply tapping the price.
If you tap to the left-hand side of the track,
you can also listen to a preview to ensure that
the purchase will be worthwhile. Once your

42 The Android Book

account is set up, you can make any new


purchase in a second without having to enter
payment details every time and the entire
process is built for speed and ease of use.
Selecting My wishlist from the menu icon lets
you see all of the music you are intending to
buy and you can add new tracks by tapping
the bookmark icon at the top. This allows
you to keep a record of what you expect
to buy in the future and if a particular track
impresses, sharing only takes a couple of taps
to complete. The main screen often shows

special deals, of which some are extremely


good value, and if you prefer you can meander
through the store at any time in an attempt
to discover potential new music that you will
enjoy. The top songs and top album lists are
prominent, to let you know what is popular
at the current time, and throughout the
experience touch is used effectively to let you
navigate all of the tracks on offer. Play Music
is the ultimate pocket music library and one
that interacts perfectly with the songs already
loaded on your device.

Play Music

Use a virtual music store


Play and purchase any music track from a library of millions

Buy songs from


Play Music

Search for new music and find offers

1: Set up an account
Make sure that your payment
information is set up in the Play Store.

1: Find the shop

2: Select a genre

3: Play free samples

Tap the menu icon in the Play


Music app and then select
the Shop option from the
drop-down list.

Now tap the menu icon


again and choose a particular
musical genre that you are
interested in.

A selected part of each track


can be played by simply
tapping the track number
next to it.

2: Tap the price tag


Tap the price tag next to any song to
initiate the purchasing process.

Share songs in Play Music instantly

3: Confirm your purchase


Now tap Buy in the pop-up panel to
confirm and start the download.

1: The sharing icon

2: Choose a method

3: Share single tracks

When viewing any music in


the Store, you can tap the
sharing icon at the top to
share an entire album.

You can now choose how


exactly you want to share.
Make your choice and select
a contact.

Hold your finger down on


any track to bring up the
sharing panel. Now select
your method.

4: Buy a whole album


Tapping the orange price tag at the top
will let you buy a whole album.

The Android Book 43

Play Music

Download and stream new music


Use Play Music All Access to discover new music and artists, with millions of tracks and radio

Start a trial or new subscription

1: Getting started

2: Select All Access

3: Payment

4: Start the service

5: Start listening

Launch the Play Music


app and tap on the menu,
top left. Tap on Settings.

Tap on Try All Access and


then on Try it FREE. Tap
on the down arrow.

Tap on Payment options


to check, change or add
credit or debit cards.

Tap Subscribe. Then type


in your Google password
and tap on Confirm.

Once the payment is


verified, you can tap on
Get started to begin.

Stream music directly to your device

View smart
suggestions

1: Ready to explore

2: Select a song

Launch the app and tap on the menu, top left.


Select Explore to see the welcome message.

Scroll down to the Top Songs and tap on 20


More. Tap on a song you want to listen to.

1: Music tracks for you

3: Play the track

4: More control options

2: Play those new songs

The song will now start streaming. Use play,


pause and back/skip buttons to navigate.

Tap the thumbnail on the left to go full screen


and reveal repeat and shuffle options.

Tap on a suggested album and selected


songs or go through the entire album.

44 The Android Book

Tap Explore, Recommended, then 19


More to expand the suggested list.

Play Music
Stream a personalised radio channel

Synchronising
across devices

1: Go to the Settings
Keep your music library synchronised
across devices by going to Settings.

1: Select source

2: Create a channel

3: Select matches

Tap the top left menu and


select Radio. From the Radio
drop-down menu, select All
music rather than On device,
to get more variety.

Tap on the + sign to create


a new radio channel. Enter
the name of an artist, song,
album or genre of music. For
example, type in classic rock.

Results show a best match,


then genre stations, specific
artists, matching albums and
songs that fit the search term.
Tap on any to play.

2: Select the account


Scroll down to the Accounts section and
tap on the entry for Google itself.

3: Select your account


All your accounts are listed. Tap on the
main one, or the one with Play Music.

4: Get more choices

5: Swipe control

6: Advanced options

Tap on 4 More to get more


choices on any category. Tap
on the music list icon to see
the tracks that are coming up.
Tap on it again to go back.

If you dont like something on


the upcoming track list, swipe
sideways to remove it. Swipe
the menu down to minimise
and show a station list view.

Tap the Menu icon, top right,


to clear or save the music
queue, add to your library
and playlists, or go to the
songs album or artist.

Create a new radio channel based on an


artist, song, album or genre of music

4: Turn syncing to on
Go down the Settings to Google Play
Music. Ensure that this is ticked to sync.

The Android Book 45

Play Books

Play Books
Read your books anywhere and buy new titles no matter what you are doing. You can even
make each book look exactly as you want it to for prolonged reading stints

What it can do:

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The book library is huge

t$PWFSTBOEUFYU
The books feel very real

t.BLFJUZPVSPXO
Use many display options

Read brand new books anywhere


Carry a huge library of books with you to access whenever you have some spare time
eBooks are extremely convenient and with
Google Play Books you have a world of fiction
and non-fiction available to you. If you select
the menu option within the Play Books app,
you will see a Shop item which, when tapped,
will take you to the main online library. Here
you can navigate through genres by selecting
Categories at the top, or view the most
popular books in the Top Selling list. The New
Arrivals sections are always kept up to date
and if there is a new release you are interested
in, you will likely be able to buy it immediately.

46 The Android Book

Free samples can be accessed for every


book by tapping the Free Sample button
in the listing, at which point it will be
downloaded to your device. Purchasing is
actually very similar: tap the price tag, confirm
and the book will be loaded onto your device
straight away. Each book will be stored with
the full cover on show for ease of reference
and when you start to read, the experience
gets even better. When viewing any book,
tap the Menu key and you will be offered the
opportunity to change the size and type of

the font, the theme and even the justification.


An eBook will never truly replace the feel of a
traditional paper book, but if you take time to
make it work for you the experience will still
feel extremely positive. In the Settings option
you can select to use the volume keys to turn
pages on most devices and even ask for the
books to be read aloud, which is handy when
driving. Your reading position in the book will
be stored to resume from it later and you can
even do this on other devices that use Play
Books. Its time to start reading.

Play Books

Understand Play Books


Dive into a world of pocketable reading when on the move

Read books
how you want

Search and buy a book in Play Books

1: Access your library


While in Play Books, tap the Menu key
and select My Library.

1: Find by genre

2: A detailed search

3: Buy a new book

Tap on the Shop books


option and then tap the
Categories tab at the top to
view books by genre.

The magnifying glass at


the top lets you search by
book title or author. It makes
suggestions as you type.

When viewing a book, tap


the price tag to purchase
it immediately. It will now
download to your device.

2: Cover to cover
All of your books will be shown, ready
for you to read straight away.

Add books to your personal wishlist

3: The display options


In the page view, use the Menu key to
bring up the display options.

1: The wishlist icon

2: Find your wishlist

3: Access the wishlist

While viewing a book, tap


the bookmark icon at the top.
A confirmation will appear,
saying Adding to wishlist.

Now tap the Menu key and


then select My wishlist from
the options that show up in
the list.

When you access your


wishlist, it will show your
wanted items in the whole
Play Store and not just books.

4: Make your choices


Play around with fonts and themes until
you are happy with the result.

The Android Book 47

Play Games

Play Games
Connect to your friends and play multiplayer games over the internet with them. Compete
against them and everyone else with achievements and leaderboards

What it can do:

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Challenge friends to a game

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Compare accomplishments

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Compete with folks globally

Play games online on the go


To compete against your friends in online multiplayer games, you need to use Play Games
While you can play plenty of games without
having to use Play Games, if you want to play
with your friends in online games then this
is the Google app that you need to use. You
can either start off from the app and look for
games and send requests to friends, or dive
right in to your favourite game and when
accessing the multiplayer component it will
automatically connect to the Play Games app
to make the connections. In many regards,
this is the Google equivalent of Apples Game
Center. Going into the app first, though, has a

48 The Android Book

number of advantages, starting with the ability


to add friends. You can then challenge anyone
on your friends list to a game. In the Featured
games section are a few suggestions, but tap
on See More and you get the full game list
which includes featured, popular and, most
importantly, popular multiplayer. Download
ones from here and then they will be added
to the My Games section. On the menu, top
left, tap and select My Games. There are three
tabs: the first for all games, the second for
recently accessed games and the last one for

games that are installed on the device. From


the main menu, if you tap on My Activity then
your recently played games are listed and
theres a link to the Google+ profile. The next
option from the main menu is to see a players
list. This covers active players you have played
against and others you may know, which are
usually your contacts or people you have
chatted with previously. Tap on any of the
players to see the results of any recent games,
go to their Google+ profile and if they are
Circles friends they will be listed as such.

Play Games

Sign into Play Games


Invite your friends and compete in multiplayer action games

Create a Cloud
Save for a game

Challenge friends to an online game

1: Log into Google+ first


For any of these multiplayer functions
you must be logged into Google+.

1: Add notifications

2: Sign into Google+

3: Send request

Select Settings from the


menu. Tap on Who can send
notifications and tag as many
as possible.

Run a multiplayer game and


select the online option.
Then tap on Confirm to sign
intoGoogle+.

Select your choice of player


from your Google+ Circles,
then tap on Play to send a
game request.

2: Save to Cloud option


Any game supporting Cloud Load and
Save will have an icon to tap on.

Share activity with Google+ contacts

3: Load or save a file


Tapping on the icon creates the option
to save the game position or load it.

1: Go to leaderboard

2: Share activity

3: Select recipients

In the game youre playing,


tap on the Leaderboard to
see your ranking among
friends and the public.

Tap on Share on Google+


and if necessary, edit the
message that is being
displayed or sent.

Tap on the down arrow


alongside To and select who
the message is broadcast to.
Then tap on Share.

4: Set for storage


Once the Cloud Save is activated, it is
sent into a queue to be uploaded.

The Android Book 49

Play Newsstand

(PPHMF1MBZ
/FXTTUBOE

Browse a wide range of magazines, share with friends and check out the latest news stories

What it can do:

t#SPXTFUIFTUPSF
Look through the shelves

t3FBEOFXTTUPSJFT
Get news from the web

t.BLFJUZPVST
Subscribe to a magazine

Read news, subscribe to magazines


Search the Play Store for your favourite titles from within the Newsstand app
Google Play Newsstand is a new app that
replaces Play Magazines and Google Currents
by blending them together. It makes it easier
to find and subscribe to magazines and mixes
in suggested content from around the web
based on what youve been reading. The more
you read with the app, the smarter it gets and
the more suggestions it can make.
The first section is called Read Now and this
contains suggested stories and subscribed
news feeds. Tap on Read Now to see the other
section headers, which include My News, My

50 The Android Book

Magazines, Bookmarks and Explore. Tap on


Explore to see links to the Play Store, Featured
news items, or sections of content such as
entertainment, arts and photography, news
and politics. Tap on one of these to see a
choice of magazines or website to check out.
To configure what news stories get sent to
Newsstand, tap on My News. Preset sources
can be removed if you wish. Or tap on Explore
and go find new ones and add them to your
news feed. The news is split into sections to
make it easier to find the kind of stories you

want. Tap on Entertainment, for example, to


see a range of stories. Tap on a story to read
it. Scroll down to the very bottom of the story
to see the source and put a tick next to it to
get stories from there in My News, or untick
the box to remove them. What you really
want to do, though, is find some magazines
to subscribe to, or check out individual issues.
The My Magazines section has an initial link
to the Play Store, but once you tap on Got It,
it wont appear again. Instead, go down to
Explore and use the link there.

Play Newsstand

Search for magazines


Find titles and add them to your personal reading platform

Take out a new


subscription

Browse the Store for mags and news

1: Find the magazine first


Browse and locate the magazine youre
interested in and perhaps buy an issue.

1: Finding the Store

2: Use categories

3: Check out a title

Tap on the main menu and


then select Explore. The first
link that comes up is for the
Store. Tap it.

Now tap on Categories on


the top menu to see a list of
them on the left. Tap on a
section to view.

Tap on one of the magazines


displayed to read about it,
how others rate it and what
are similar titles.

2: Subscribe to the mag


Tap on Subscribe and choose whether
to pay monthly or for the year.

Share a magazine with your friends

3: Fill out your address


You may need to enter your postal
address as well. Tap Continue.

1: Find a magazine

2: Select the service

3: Send message

Once you have found a


magazine that you want to
tell friends about, scroll down
and tap on the Share icon.

There are a number of


services that can be used to
share the link with. Select one
of them.

Add a personal comment and


fill out the receiving address,
then send the message to
share the news.

4: Confirm the subscription


Tap on Subscribe to authorise the
payment using your Play account details.

The Android Book 51

Music Player

Music Player

This Android app has everything you need to listen to your favourite
tunes on the go. Stylish, simplistic and intuitive, your device has never sounded so good

What it can do:

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All your music, ready to go

t.BOBHFZPVSNVTJD
Organise songs, albums etc

t1MBZJOUIFCBDLHSPVOE
Use an app while listening

Listen to songs, albums and playlists


Music Player will help you maximise your personal soundtrack
The Music Player app on your Android has the
power to provide you with hours of listening
goodness. Super-easy to use, it gets rid of
all the fluff and organises the tracks on your
device into simple, easy-to-navigate categories
so you can find what you want with the swipe
of a finger. To flick through your music library,
use the tabs of Songs, Albums, Artists and
Playlists at the top. To see where each of your
songs is stored on your device, tap Folders.
If one music library is just not enough,
turn on Nearby Devices to pilfer the musical

52 The Android Book

contents of other devices that are on your


Wi-Fi network. You cant keep the tracks, but
you can play them while you and the other
device are on the same network. However, if a
song is just too good to keep to yourself, you
can also send it to friends using Bluetooth. If
you really love a song, you can make it your
ringtone. Hit the Options button and tap Set
As. You can then set it as your overall ringtone,
assign it to a contact or set it as your alarm.
If you arent sure what you want to listen
to, this isnt a problem. Just turn on Music

Square in the Music Player Settings: hit the


Options button>Settings>Music Menu, then
tick the Music Square box. Go to the Music
Square tab and tap a square on the grid. Music
Square analyses the songs in your library and
creates a playlist based on your mood. You can
change the categories from Years (as in old or
new songs) to Tempo (joyful, exciting, calm,
passionate). Every time you add new music to
your device, to ensure Music Square includes
this in its playlist selection, tap the Menu
button and then hit Library Update.

Music Player

Play favourite tunes


Treat your ears to the finest aural delights using Music Player

Explore the
extra functions

Listen to your music with ease

1: Share your music


Tap Menu and Scan for nearby devices
on your Wi-Fi network. Play their music.

1: Browse categories

2: Pick a tune to play

3: Know the controls

Choose from Songs, Playlists,


Albums and Artists tabs.
Swipe through to find
something you fancy.

Tap an album or artist to


show the tracks, then tap on
a track to begin playback.
Youll see the player appear.

The skip forward/backwards


and play/pause buttons are
at the bottom. You can also
shuffle and repeat.

2: Use Music Square


Drag your finger over squares and Music
Square selects songs by their tempo.

Create an all-new playlist

3: Tweak your sound


Tap Menu>Settings>SoundAlive to alter
the levels of your sound.

1: Set up your folder

2: Give it a title

3: Add music

Head to the Playlist tab in


Music Player and then tap
the Menu button. Select the
Create playlist option.

Next you need to name your


playlist so you can recognise
the music within. Then tap
OK to select music.

Browse the folders of artists


and albums etc and tick the
boxes to add a tune, or tap
Select All. Then tap Done.

4: Thumbnail view
On the Albums tab, tap Menu then
Thumbnail view to see album artwork.

The Android Book 53

Video Player

Video Player
This great app is the premier destination for watching, editing, organising and sharing all of
your clips and movies as you capture your life with your Android devices camera

What it can do:

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File and rename your videos

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Play back videos seamlessly

t5SJNBOEFEJU
Chop and change your films

Watch video clips on your device


Video Player is always busy safeguarding your videos so they can be watched, edited and shared
The Video Player app on your Android device
is the perfect tool for managing all the clips
you shoot on it. When you open the app youll
see all of your clips lined up either in a list of
as thumbnails. You can also sort clips by title,
date, size or type. At the top of the list youll
see a large Last played window, which shows
you the video played previously in case you
want to go back to it. Theres also a search
bar at the top of Video Players main screen
particularly useful if youre a bit of a Spielberg
in the making and shoot hours of footage.

54 The Android Book

Another great thing about video playback


within this app is that you can select Chapter
Preview via the Menu button. This shows
you a list of still-image chapters throughout
the movie, so if youre looking for a particular
part but want to save yourself the bother of
skipping through the entire playback, this is a
great tool to use.
You can also capture still images within your
videos. When the clip is playing, tap anywhere
on the screen to call up the controls, then turn
your eyes to the very top of the interface. A tap

on the small camera icon there will capture a


still shot of the scene in the clip. If you pause
the clip, two small arrows appear either side
of this icon, allowing you to skip through the
video frame-by-frame.
If youre watching a film and dont want to
be hindered by the video control popping up
if you accidentally tap the screen, just hit your
devices screen-lock button. A small padlock
icon will appear in the top-right corner of the
playback window to let you know that it is
locked. To unlock, simply tap this icon.

Video Player

Sort, edit, watch videos


A few tricks to get the very best from your captured footage

Edit and share


movie clips

Play your videos

1: Trim down your video


Open a video and then tap the Menu
button, then select the Trim option.

1: Open Video Player

2: Watch your clip

3: Grab the controls

Open the app and youll see


all of your recorded videos
listed. Select a video to play
by tapping it.

The video playback will open


and play your video in fullscreen. Watch it in portrait or
landscape orientation.

Tap anywhere to call up the


basic controls of play/pause
and a progress bar to watch
the length of your clip.

2: Cut frames to length


Use the markers to set start and end
points. Tap the play icon to preview.

Play on your home screen

3: Name and save clip


Your clip will be saved as a separate file,
so type a name and Save.

1: Play a video

2: Begin pop-up play

3: Move and resize

Open up a video and play.


Tap to call up the controls
and then tap the icon in the
bottom-right corner.

This icon opens your video


in a small window on your
home screen, so you can use
other apps while watching it.

Tap and drag to move the


video window. To resize it,
use pinch gestures to enlarge
or scale down.

4: Share your movie!


Play a clip. Tap Menu>Share Via and
choose a method to share the video.

The Android Book 55

Internet

Internet

Naturally, your Android device can connect to the internet and with Androids easy-to-use and
intuitive built-in web browser, youll soon get the hang of it

What it can do:

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Find webpages and info

t.BOBHFCPPLNBSLT
Keep favourite sites handy

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Send webpages to contacts

Connect to the web for instant info


Navigate the online world with a no-nonsense browser thats simple to learn and use
Learn basic features
this useful app close to hand, by dragging it
flip through multiple pages at once. By default,
The Internet app is a built-in feature on your
Android device and the place to head to when
you need to look up information online, read
news stories directly from webpages and find
anything you need on the world wide web.
The icon sits in your app drawer and is one of
the collection of applications that is included
as standard on Android devices. Since one of
the main draws of owning a smartphone or
tablet is to be able to do just about everything
you can on your computer, its wise to keep

56 The Android Book

onto one of your home screens (Fig 1). The


apps main interface follows the standard
layout of most browsers, with a search bar at
the top and space to browse results below.
The most basic use of the app is to type in
a word or phrase in the top bar and then hit
the search icon to locate relevant webpages
in Google Search. However, the clever app
can do much more than this basic task and
its real value lies in the way it lets you save
bookmarks, keep pages for offline reading and

this is the browser that will be used when you


open up any links from your email or social
media sites.

Flip through and save pages


The Internet app, like most browsers, works
on a system of tabs or new pages, enabling
you to hold the results from multiple searches
at one time. This particular browser has the
unique feature of allowing you to swipe
through your open tabs and catch a glimpse

Internet

Fig 1: Keep the Internet application close to hand by dragging it


from the app drawer onto one of your home screens

Fig 2: Swipe between tabs, each of which shows you a handy


preview of the webpage currently contained in it

of what is on each one, which saves you the


trouble of opening the page to view it. You
can open a new tab in a few different ways.
The first is to the tap the Menu button on the
bottom of your device and then select the
New Window option at the top. You can also
tap the small box next to the main search
input and then tap the + icon that appears
at the top of the screen. This small box is
the same option to tap to flip through your
open windows. The small number inside it
indicates how many tabs you have open. To
flip through, tap the box once and then simply
slide your finger to the right to see a glimpse
of whats on your open pages (Fig 2). To open
a page, tap once. To save a page to come
back to later, tap the small starred icon at the
top of the page. Its a good idea to organise
your bookmarked pages and this is covered in
more depth in a tutorial here.

by hitting the Menu button on the bottom


of your device and then selecting the Print
function. Youll need to plug your device in, if
it has a cable, or be connected to a wireless
printer to get it to work. The Find in page
feature is another that youll find in the same
menu. Essentially a search within a search,
the option allows you to locate any word or
phrase within a page in a matter of seconds
(Fig 3). Most webpages are optimised for
viewing on a device such as your Android
phone or tablet. This means when you open
it in the browser, it will fit the dimensions
of your screen and be easy to browse. If, for
any reason, you need to view the original
webpage, simply tap the Menu button again
and tick the option that offers you the Desktop
view. Remember to untick the option to go
back to the optimised page. The last feature
to mention, but certainly not the least this app
has to offer, is the Download folder. When
you save anything from a webpage, such as
a PDF of a restaurant menu or a downloaded
photo, it gets stored in the Downloads
location, again in the menu options. Open it
up to take another look at any documents, but
remember to clear it periodically to keep the
app free from clutter.

Practical features
Androids Internet app is so packed with
features and options, its difficult to keep
track of its versatility, but some of the lesser
mentioned functions are the most practical
ones. You can easily print off any webpage
or document you are viewing in the browser

Fig 3: Search for a word or phrase in any webpage using the Find in
page tool in the main menu options

Tweak settings
Change display options
Head to the settings menu, via the
main menu options, to customise how
a webpage displays on your device.
Navigate to the Accessibility menu and
choose how big or small you would
like the text to come up, as well as how
colours display. Inverted screen rendering
is an interesting option to try. It turns
webpages into inverted black and white,
which might seem strange but can
improve the legibility of text if you find
the screen difficult to read.

The Android Book 57

Internet

Internet functions and features


Learn how to navigate the Internet browser and make the most out of the app

Learn to use the Internet app interface

1: Launch app

2: Tap and type

3: View results

4: Share a page

5: Save an image

Open the Internet app


by locating it in the app
drawer and tapping once.

Tap the top search bar


once and type a word or
phrase. Tap the Go key.

Scroll through the list of


results by swiping your
finger up or down.

Tap the Menu option and


choose Share to send a
webpage to anyone.

Long-press any image in


a webpage to save it to
your device.

Open and close tabs

Clear browser
search history

1: Open a new tab

2: Tap to close

Tap the Menu button and select the New


window option to open a tab.

Tap the small box next to the search area once,


then tap the small red icon to close a tab.

1: Open History tab

3: Swipe to view tabs

4: View number of tabs

2: Tap to clear

Swipe your finger to the right to scroll through


a preview of open tabs.

The number in the white box next to the


search area shows how many tabs are open.

Tap the Menu button once and then


select Clear history to erase it.

58 The Android Book

Tap the bookmark icon at the top right


and then tap the History tab.

Internet
Use Google search

Bookmark
webpages

1: Open a webpage
Type a search into the top bar and open
up a new webpage.

1: Integral Google

2: Browse images

3: View other media

The Google search engine is


integrated into the Internet
app, so when you search
you can use all the Google
functions as standard.

To see image results on any


of your searches, tap the
Image tab at the top of the
Google results page and then
tap again to open.

Similarly, you can choose to


view only results that are a
certain medium, like videos,
or options such as news
andshopping.

2: Tap bookmark option


Tap the starred icon at the top right to
open bookmark options.

3: Add bookmark
Tap Add bookmark, then give the page
any name you want and save.

4: Sign in to account

5: Link to features

6: Tweak search term

Scroll down to the bottom


of a results page to sign into
your account and access
options such as Mail and
Drive in a browser format.

Once signed in, you can


access other features, like
your calendar, by tapping the
Google icon and pulling out
the side tab.

To alter or change your search


term, you can click directly in
the Google search bar and
type, rather than in the main
app search bar.

When you search, you can use all the


Google functions as standard

4: Organise bookmarks
Use the menu option to create folders
for bookmarks and rearrange them.

The Android Book 59

Chrome

Chrome

Link your Google account to the Chrome app and you can then browse the web using the
same bookmarks and settings you use on all your other devices

What it can do:

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Search for webpages

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Search for text in a page

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Switch between open pages

Search the web on the move


Launch Google Chrome to search for information and browse webpages on your device
Search with Chrome
the screen and large window in which to scroll menu (Fig 1). The back arrow will take you to
Google Chrome is a web browser that remains
a popular choice for desktop internet searches
and for use on mobile devices running the
Android OS. While the app comes preloaded
on newer Android devices, you can also search
for it on the Play Store if you havent got it.
The interface is a condensed version of the
desktop site and youll find all the functions
youd expect tucked neatly away into the
app. When you launch the app, youll see the
standard layout of a search bar at the top of

60 The Android Book

results and open webpages. The gestures


used in Chrome are similar to almost every
Android application. Swipe up or down to
scroll a page and depending on what site
youre on, you can also swipe left or right to
search through pages.
All the options associated with Chrome
can be accessed by tapping the Menu button
on your Android device. This menu also has
options to navigate within a tab by using
the two arrows that sit right at the top of the

a previous page or set of results, while the


forward arrow will take you to the next one
youve searched.

Customise Chrome
Most webpages are built in a full desktop
version as well as an enhanced version
designed specifically for viewing on mobile
devices. Because the dimensions of your
smartphone or tablet screen are much smaller
than your PC or Mac monitor, the enhanced

Chrome

Fig 1: Navigate back and forth inside a tab using the arrows on the
main menu, accessed by tapping the Menu button

Fig 2: Change the appearance of webpages by setting the


Accessibility options in the Settings menu

version makes sure that no details get lost and


that you can still read everything on a page. To
change the way a page displays, head into the
Accessibility settings, which are a submenu
of the main Settings options that can be
accessed through the main menu. Here you
can change the size of the text displayed
(Fig2), making it easier to read if youre visually
impaired or if the size of screen makes the
writing appear too small. Use the slider to scale
the text and check the preview to see how big
or small it will be displayed.
You can also check the option to zoom into
any webpages even if the site tries to block
this action. To zoom in and out, use the same
gestures you would on any other application
on your Android device. To zoom in, start with
your fingers together on a screen and pull
slowly apart. To zoom out, do the opposite
starting with your fingers apart and pinching
them together.

Google account and sync your searches and


actions with those that you perform on your
desktop or on other devices. When you save
a bookmark on your device, you can view this
bookmark on your desktop computer too.
The first time you use Chrome, you will be
asked to sign into your account. As soon as
youve signed in once, the Chrome app will
remember you and your search history.
The integrated nature of Google products
means that youll always be offered
suggestions and searches based on what is
learned about your preferences. If you prefer
to keep your account a little bit private then
open the Privacy setting from the main
Settings menu and customise what you
are offered. The options you can choose to
uncheck include having URL suggestions
made to you related to what you search for
often, as well as suggestions when you make
an error typing in a web address. Usage
reports are another option you may want to
untick if you prefer not to share too much.
Its a good idea to clear your browsing data,
including cookies and passwords periodically.
There is an option to do this directly in the
Privacy menu or you can follow the simple
steps in the tutorial here.

Pick your search engine


Google is the default search engine for
Chrome, but it isnt the only option. If you
prefer Yahoo! or Bing, you can choose to use
either of these instead (Fig 3). The beauty of
using Google is that you can sign into your

Fig 3: Google is the default search engine on Chrome, but you can
choose to switch it to Bing or Yahoo!

Use bookmarks
Save your favourite pages
Creating bookmarks is a good way to
save time if you often go back to the
same webpages and sites. From any
page, open the menu options and then
tap the star icon to create a bookmark.
You can give your bookmark a name and
assign it to a category, such as mobile or
desktop bookmarks, or you can create
your own category. To view bookmarks,
go back to menu options and select
Bookmarks. Browse until you find the
page you want and then tap to open.

The Android Book 61

Chrome

Browse the web with Chrome


Learn how to connect to the internet and perform searches using multiple tabs

Browse with Chrome

1: Launch app

2: Type to search

3: Click on results

4: Open new tab

5: View tabs

Locate the application in


your app drawer and tap
once to open.

Type a search term into


the top box and tap Go to
get results.

Swipe down to scroll


results and tap once to
open up a webpage.

Tap the Menu button and


select the option to open
a new tab.

Tap the icon with a


number on it to view tabs
or open a new one.

Go incognito

Clear your
search history

1: View menu options

2: Tap the open tab

Tap the Menu button to bring up options


including New incognito tab; tap it.

Going incognito means that any pages visited


wont be recorded in your history.

1: Open history

3: Browse as usual

4: Tap to close

2: Clear items

Browse as normal, knowing that cookies and


other data will not be stored on your device.

Close an incognito tab by tapping the number


icon, then the X at the top right of the tab.

Tap the X next to each item to clear, or


tap Clear browsing data to delete it all.

62 The Android Book

From the main menu, tap the History


option to view all searches by date.

Chrome
Sync Chrome

Download and
share files

1: Download a PDF
Click a PDF in search results or a page
and confirm you want to download.

1: Sign into Chrome

2: Choose account

3: Sync settings

Open the Settings menu


for the app and locate the
bottom option that allows
you to sign into Chrome. Tap
once to open.

If you have multiple Google


accounts, choose which one
you want to associate with
Chrome and then sign in with
your password for it.

Once signed in, your account


will show up at the top of the
Settings menu. Tap once to
see account details and then
tap Sync to view options.

2: View downloads
Tap the Download folder in your app
drawer to see all your downloaded files.

3: Tap to share
Tap the Share icon here to send the PDF
or file via email or message services.

4: Sync selection

5: Switch sync off

6: Disconnect

Choose which elements


of your Google account
you want to sync with the
Chrome app, or tick the Sync
everything option.

If you dont want anything


synced, then use the slider at
the top to switch the feature
off. You can turn it on again at
any time.

To disconnect your Google


account or switch to a
different one, tap the option
at the bottom of your
account information.

Choose which elements of your Google


account you want to sync with Chrome

4: Share a webpage
You can share a webpage from the main
menu: tap Share and choose a method.

The Android Book 63

Email & Gmail

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Discover how to set up new accounts in both the main email apps on your Android device

What it can do:

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Sync an existing account

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Add photos, music & video

t4JHOJUZPVSTFMG
Add that personal touch

Write, send and receive emails


How to use the email programs with your existing or new accounts, including Google Mail
Getting started with email
when you get home. Setting up a webmail
but then may require an account password,
The Android Email app has the advantage that
it can not only access web-based email like
Yahoo! Mail, but also from an internet service
provider/domain supplier or an Exchange
server which large companies use. You can
create the same email address you use at
home, to work on your device, and set it to
sync settings with the server. So, if you read
and delete an email on your device while
youre out, itll be removed from the server
and not downloaded onto your computer

64 The Android Book

account in the Email app is as easy as entering


the email address and password. All you then
need to do is select the various sync and
checking options, add a name for the account
and youre ready to go. A webmail account
has extra features like being able to customise
folders and saving important emails.
A POP3 email account with your ISP/
domain supplier at home may require more
information, though. It starts with adding the
email address and password as before (Fig 1),

POP3 mail address and other details. Youll


need to have them all handy before you start,
but your ISP/domain supplier should have
provided them when you first signed up.

Writing and sending


Once the account is set up, tap on the pencil
icon to write a new email (Fig 2). Type the
address of the person it is for in the To field,
and CC a copy to other interested parties by
tapping on +cc/bc as well. Send a copy to

Email & Gmail

Fig 1: Many different types of email account can be set up, from
web-based mail to ISP-hosted POP3 and Google Gmail itself

Fig 2: There are numerous handy editing functions, from contacts


and image attachments to formatting

yourself by tapping +Me. As a shortcut to this


process, you can use your Contacts stored
on your device. Tap the face icon to open
Contacts and from there you can tap on a
person to select them as the recipient. Fill in
the Subject matter as ones with a blank field
can often be treated as spam.
Now youre ready to write the email. Tap
in the message body area, but if you have
something standard or quick to say, tap on the
T+ icon. This contains a list of quick responses,
such as For your information, Thank you for
your email and Please remind me later. Select
any response by tapping on it to have that
text inserted into the body of the message.
Theres a range of font sizes available, up to
36px, so tap on 12px and decide which to
use. Other formatting options include bold,
italics, underscored and highlighted with a
background colour of your choice.

Quick Responses (Fig 3) contains all the text


messages that are accessible when tapping
the T+ icon. Here you can edit the messages to
change the wording or replace with ones you
use. Tap on Cancel to change your mind or on
Done to save any changes. If you like to know
when a new email has arrived, tap on the
Email notifications box so the status bar will
let you know. Theres also a range of ringtones
that can be used to announce the new mail
arriving. Tap on the ringtone to see all the
options, select which one to use, then tap on
Done to save. These are general preferences
that apply to all accounts, but for specific ones,
tap on the account name itself.
Under the account preferences you can
change the name displayed, so you could
use a company name rather than your own.
If you dont want emails to have a signature,
it can be turned off. By default, an incoming
message will have the images turned off this
is to save space on your device. If you want
to have them on by default, tick the Show
Images box. On the theme of data usage, look
at the options here. Most devices are normally
set to download only 50kB of messages, which
excludes large attachments, but this can be
increased in size and to include them.

Manage your account


If you tap the Menu button and select
Settings, there are numerous ways to
configure the Email app. These start with
General preferences, where you can
change the header of emails to who they
are from rather than the subject matter.

Fig 3: Edit the Quick Responses so that they use the text that you
want for frequently used phrases and automatic replies

Auto Advance
Speed up navigation
If you get a lot of email that has to be
deleted, moved or sorted into folders,
the default function of going back to
the email list isnt ideal. Instead, go into
Settings and then General Preferences
and tap on Auto Advance. There are
three options here, the default being
Message List. The other options are to
automatically go to the next message in
the email list for whatever folder you are
in, or to the previous one. Select one to
speed things up.

The Android Book 65

Email & Gmail

Set up your email accounts


Discover how to create, write, format, schedule and organise emails using Email and Gmail

Set up an account using the Email app

1: Add account

2: Enter password

3: Account type

4: Incoming server

5: Outgoing

Run the Email app for the


first time and type in your
email address.

Type in the password. You


can make it visible while
typing if required.

Tap on Next and then


select the type of email
account you are using.

For a POP3 account, you


will need to enter the
incoming server settings.

Enter the settings for the


outgoing mail server, then
configure the details.

Create a signature to use automatically

Attach photos
and media

1: Go to the options

2: Reveal the text

Run Email and tap on the Menu button. Select


Settings then tap on the account to use.

Under the entry for Common Settings, tap on


Signature to reveal the default text to replace.

1: Create an email

3: Enter your own words

4: Turn the setting on

2: Select attachment

Tap backspace to remove the preset text, type


in your own signature message and tap OK.

The text will update to show your signature.


Simply move the slider to On to activate.

Select the image to use, then the resize


option. Tap Done to attach, then Send.

66 The Android Book

Tap the paper-clip icon and then select


the media type, or Files app.

Email & Gmail


Manage multiple email account types

Customise and
format emails

1: Insert an image in mail


Start a new mail and then add visual
interest by inserting a photo inside it.

1: Add new accounts

2: Two accounts

3: Default sender

Once a mail account is set up,


add others, then manage the
results. Firstly, go to Settings
and tap on Add account to
add the new account.

Both accounts now appear


on the email address bar. Tap
on it to show both. To swap
between them, simply tap on
the other account name.

Tap the Menu button and


select Settings. Tap on your
main account. Put a tick in the
Default account box to send
email from it by default.

2: Select the image to use


Tap on the picture icon with a + sign
and use the Gallery to select it.

3: Highlight words
Double-tap a word to select then use
the highlighter to make it stand out.

4: Set priorities

5: Check priority

6: Combine inboxes

Go to Settings>General
Preferences and tap Priority
Senders. Add people who
you want to keep tabs on
with a custom inbox.

To check the Priority Inbox,


tap the accounts menu and
select Priority sender inbox.
Also, tag emails with stars to
view in their own folder.

To see all mail from both


accounts, tap on the email
selection box and choose
Combined view. To go back,
simply pick an account again.

Use the Combined view option to see all


mail from both accounts

4: Make it bigger
Mark out a whole sentence, then tap on
the 12px icon. Select a larger size.

The Android Book 67

Email & Gmail


Organise your
messages

Create an email account with Gmail

1: Mark spam and move


Put a tick in the box of any emails to get
rid of, then tap on the Move icon.

1: Add the account

2: Enter the details

3: To the inbox

Launch the Gmail app and


then tap the + sign to add an
account. You can either create
a completely new account or
add an existing one.

You can use the same


account on multiple Android
devices, helping to sync Play
Store purchases. Add your
email and password.

Read the help messages and


skip the Google+ option if
you want. Tap on the close
gadget, then tap on Done to
go to the inbox.

4: Reading emails

5: Forwarding emails

6: Write new mail

To read an email, tap on the


message body. Tap the down
arrow to show the sender
details. Tap the back arrow to
reply to it, then Send.

Tap the forward arrow to


forward the email, or the
double back arrow to reply to
all selected messages. Include
others by tapping +cc/bcc.

Tap the Mail icon to create a


new email. Add the recipient
address and fill the subject
and message body before
tapping on Send to transmit.

2: Move to Spam folder


Select the Spam folder to immediately
move them there and block in future.

3: Delete messages
Tick all the emails that you dont want to
keep, then tap on the trash-can icon.

4: Create new folders


Tap on the Menu button and select
Create folder. Move important mail to it.

68 The Android Book

Use the same account on multiple Android


devices to sync Play Store purchases

Email & Gmail


Manage messages with labels

1: Label an email

2: Add a label

3: View the folder

4: View labelled mail

Labels can be added to emails to


help categorise them. They are
then available in the All Mail folder
and the folder relating to the
label. Open an email.

Tap on the label icon, top right,


and select from the range of
labels to add to the email. You can
add more than one, then tap on
OK to apply or Cancel to quit.

Tap on the side menu icon at


the top left and scroll down the
list to the bottom to see all the
labels. Tap on the Work folder, or
whichever one you just labelled.

In here are all the emails that have


been labelled with the Work label.
Tap on an email to read it. Also,
there is now a remove label icon
in the top row.

5: Manage labels

6: Multiple labels

While in the Work folder, tap


on the Menu button and select
Manage labels. Here you can
select labels to synchronise across
all devices and get notifications.

Save time by labelling lots of


emails at once. Tap on the square
coloured icons, rather than the
body text, to make multiple
selections, then tap on Label.

Labelling
Add labels to
emails so they can
be categorised and
stored in folders

Folders
Change the folder
an email is stored
in by selecting a
new one

Images
Set images to be
always on from
trusted senders to
save yourself time

The Android Book 69

Google Calendar

(PPHMF
$BMFOEBS

Discover how you can use your Android devices default Google Calendar app to manage your
life, schedule events and keep others in the loop

What it can do:

t.VMUJQMFWJFXT
View by Day, Week or Month

t$SFBUFFWFOUT
Schedule and share them

t.BQTJOUFHSBUJPO
Get directions to meetings

Organise your life with Calendar


Ensure that important dates are not forgotten by using Googles versatile personal assistant
Manage your life
easy to use. A simple interface is set to Day
search for specific items, hide/display the
Its human nature to forget important dates,
despite the fact that personal organiser apps
exist on every mobile device. Part of the
problem is feeling disinclined to employ the
relevant app it needs to be straightforward
to use with the minimum of effort. Step
forward Google Calendar.
This should be a default app on your
Android device (if not then you can download
it for free from the Google Play Store) and by
far the best thing about it is that its incredibly

70 The Android Book

view by default, but you can change this by


tapping on the Day option on the top menu
bar and then choosing an alternate view such
as Week or Month (Fig 1). A fourth option,
Agenda, neatly organises and displays your
day via the appointments you have set up.
Elsewhere in the interface you can tap on the
Today option to jump straight to the current
day (handy if scheduling events in advance),
tap the + icon to start creating a new event,
and hit the Menu icon to refresh your calendar,

controls and access the settings screen for the


app and all the accounts associated with it.

Scheduling events
There are two ways to schedule events in
Google Calendar. You can either tap on the
+ icon on the top menu bar or tap on a time
frame within your calendar. Either method
will bring up a New Event window wherein
you can add details, such the as event
name, the start and end times, and add the

Google Calendar

Fig 1: You can choose to view your calendar by Day, Week, Month
or Agenda using a simple drop-down menu

Fig 2: Invite people to attend your events and they will be instantly
shared, without you having to do anything else

When you invite a guest, the event will


appear in their Google Calendar
email addresses of people you would like
to invite. To do this, tap on the Guests field
and start entering email addresses. If the
people are listed in your contacts then their
email addresses will automatically appear for
selection as you type them (Fig 2). When you
invite a guest, the event will automatically
appear in their Google Calendar and they
will be able to tap on the event to display the
details and respond as to whether they intend
to attend or not. All this happens seamlessly
without you having to fire off individual or
group emails from other apps. As Google
Calendar is linked to your Google account,
this app is linked to other Google apps to
carry out specific services behind the scenes,
one example being Gmail and another being
Maps, as you will soon discover.

The time and place


When creating events, ensure that you enter
a location and try to be as specific as possible,
right down to the postcode. The reason for

this is that Google Calendar is linked to Google


Maps and if a location has been specified it
will become underlined, allowing the recipient
to tap on it in Google Calendar. This in turn
will automatically launch Google Maps with
the address already entered in the search field
so that the app jumps straight to the location
as soon as it is launched. Now, within Google
Maps, the recipient can get directions to the
location, see what it looks like in Street View to
aid navigation, plot a route and even specify
the mode of transport to get a detailed
journey breakdown and travel time.
If you find that you are running late for a
scheduled event, you can bring up the event
details box by tapping on it and then choose
the Email guests option. This will provide a
list of quick responses that you can tap on to
email everyone else who is attending (Fig 3).
You can edit these quick response messages
by going to General Settings (tap on the Menu
icon in the top-right corner of the interface) to
suit your individual needs.

Fig 3: Quick response emails can be fired out quickly and easily if
you are running late for an event!

Alter settings
Tweak them to your needs
By tapping the Menu icon in the topright corner of the screen and choosing
Settings, you can edit your personal
calendars by tapping on your email
address, or tweak the general settings for
the app. The latter option enables you to
determine when the week starts and the
time zone. You can also set notifications
and edit the quick response emails that
you send out from within the app these
are handy for letting other parties know if
you are running late and suchlike.

The Android Book 71

Google Calendar

Creating and sharing events


How to use Google Calendar to schedule meetings and invite other people to attend

Create a calendar event

1: Press and hold

2: Alternatively

3: Select calendar

4: Fill in details

5: Create event

To create a new event


quickly, long-press on an
hour and tap New Event.

You can also tap the +


icon at the top of the
screen. Either way is fine.

Ensure the right calendar


is selected at the top of
the New Event window.

Fill in details such as the


event name, location and
the start and end times.

When happy with your


details, tap the Done
button at the top right.

Share calendar events with others

Delete or edit
an event

1: Tap on Guests

2: Add addresses

When creating an event, tap on the Guests


field about halfway down the window.

Add email addresses into the field. If they are in


your contacts they will appear for selection.

1: Tap on event

3: Tap Done

4: Event sent

2: Edit or delete

When you have finished adding details, tap on


the Done button in the top-right corner.

The event will appear in the calendar of your


intended recipients, whereby they can confirm.

Tap the pen icon at the top to edit the


event, or the trash can to delete it.

72 The Android Book

Tap on the event in your Day view and a


details window will then appear.

Google Calendar
Find an event location with Maps

Email a reply to
an event

1: Tap on event
Tap on the event to open the details
box, then tap the Email guests option.

1: Open details

2: Tap on location

3: See map

Calendar is linked to Google


Maps so if a location is given
for the meeting, you can
easily find it. Start by tapping
on the event to open it.

The location will be listed


under the start and end
times. If it is a specific
location, it will be underlined;
tap on this link.

Google Maps will launch


and take you straight to the
location. Tap on the address
of the location in the window
at the top of the screen.

2: Choose a quick response


Here you can tap a quick response email
or choose to write your own.

3: Select client
Choose an email client to complete the
action and send the email as normal.

4: Save location

5: Get directions

6: Follow the route

Tap on the star icon to save


the address and then you can
pay a visit to the Street View
function to see exactly where
it is you are going.

Tap on the journey time to


the location and Maps will
plan out a route for you to
take. You can specify your
mode of transport here.

Tap on the journey time


box again and you can get
turn-by-turn directions. Tap
on Start to get the directions
dictated like a satnav device.

Google Maps will launch and take you


straight to the event location

4: Individual emails
If you wish to email individuals in a list,
tap on their picture and tap on Email.

The Android Book 73

Google Maps

Google Maps
With the Google Maps app youll never get lost again. Navigate the world, locate your favourite
bars and restaurants, and get directions anywhere with the number-one maps app

What it can do:

t%JTDPWFSSPVUFT
Bike, car or bus to places

t%(PPHMF&BSUI
Delve into landmarks in 3D

t5SFLUIFQMBOFU
Tour a city in Street View

Never get lost with Google Maps


Google Maps provides you with a detailed and immersive map of the world on your device
Find your way easily
apps. A great way to get started with Google
on the map, which you can tap on for more
Google Maps is one of the most used apps
available on Android. You can literally navigate
the world from your device using the app, as
well as find all kinds of great locations, points
of interest and landmarks. The app combines
your devices GPS function as well as a Wi-Fi or
data connection to find your location, navigate
you from point to point and let you browse
the entire planet with the swipe of your finger.
The Google Maps app is also linked to Google
Earth, as well as being implemented in other

74 The Android Book

Maps is to set up a Home point for yourself.


Opening the Google Maps app, tap on your
devices Menu button, then tap Settings. Tap
Edit Home or Edit Work. Now you can input
your home or work postcode and Google
Maps will remember it for you. This will come
in really useful when you are trying to get
directions from your home or work location,
or share these locations with another person.
Once a home location has been set up in
Google Maps, a small house icon will appear

options. If you type Home into the search


tool, youll be taken to your home location
automatically (Fig 1).

Profile and privacy


Google Maps covers pretty much every corner
of the globe, displaying road systems and the
geography of locations. If you have a Google
account, all of your Google Maps information
will be synced across any device that you
log in with, making your favourite locations

Google Maps

Fig 1: Setting up a home location can be useful since it can be


utilised when in other apps that feature a Google Maps function

Fig 2: The more location settings that youve enabled, the more
options Google Maps will be able to offer you when using the app

available from anywhere. In Google Maps, tap


on the person icon at the top right, next to the
search tool, to view your profile information.
Here youll be able to see any reviews that you
have completed on locations stored within
Google Maps, as well as view your saved
places and recently accessed places. Its worth
taking the time to set up your Google Maps
account properly, to save you time in the long
run when accessing locations you visit a lot
within the app. If privacy is a concern to you
when using an app that tracks your current
location, open up the apps settings and tap
on Google Location settings. Here you can
switch off location reporting and location
history (Fig 2). Location reporting syncs your
visited locations with other Google products,
enhancing your Google experience. In Settings
you can access a rundown of your map history.

tools that Google Maps does, but its a


fantastic tool for exploring the planet in
a satellite view. Through Google Earth you
will be able to access more detailed
information for places and businesses, as well
as connect to Wikipedia entries on specific
locations. There is even a setting to switch
on access to Panoramio photos of locations
(Fig 3). When browsing through Google
Earth a series of recommended locations will
appear at the bottom of the interface. These
locations are specific to the country that youre
browsing in and are great for getting to know
a place that you might be thinking about
visiting, using photos and videos to give you a
true idea of an area.
Navigating both Google Earth and Google
Maps is easy. In terms of touch commands, all
you have to do is swipe to navigate across the
map and pinch inwards or outwards to zoom.
To rotate the map, press down on the screen
with two fingers, then rotate them either
clockwise or anticlockwise. If you find yourself
getting lost as to which way is north, just tap
on the compass icon to set yourself straight
again. Check out the following tutorials to find
out about all of the amazing navigational tools
Google Maps has to offer.

Explore Google Earth


Tap on the menu icon, which is poking out
at the bottom left of the app, to display all of
your Google Maps options. Tap Google Earth
to run Google Earth on your device. Google
Earth is a more advanced map app that comes
pre-installed on all Android devices. Google
Earth doesnt provide the same navigation

Fig 3: Tap on the Polaroid icon to go to the Panoramio.com site,


where you can view more images of places from Google Maps

In-app map tool


Google Maps in other apps
Thousands of apps utilise Google Maps
to offer users map-based tools. As an
example, the NatWest banking app can
pinpoint cash machines and branch
locations through the use of a layering
function that can be applied to maps.
Most apps that use a map function also
include the GPS button, allowing you to
locate yourself on the map. Google Maps
can be used in apps to help you find a
lost device, locate ingredients for recipes
or find out your friends whereabouts.

The Android Book 75

Google Maps

Travel the world on your device


Find out how to get directions, save your favourite locations and more using Google Maps

Search for locations in Google Maps

1: Device setup

2: GPS settings

3: Search the map

4: Search results

5: Find location

On the home screen tap


the Menu button. Tap
Settings, then tap More.

Tap Location Services.


Switch on the Location,
GPS and Wi-Fi options.

Close the settings panel


and open Google Maps.
Tap on the search box.

Start typing a location;


Google will provide you
with suggestions.

Tap on a suggestion or
tap on the search icon to
go to the location.

Favourite a location in Google Maps

View map traffic


information

1: Find a location

2: Tap and hold

Search for and find a location in Google Maps


that you want to add to your favourites list.

You can also long-press anywhere on the map


to move the red pin to that particular point.

1: Google Maps menu

3: Save a place

4: Star locations

2: Traffic overlay

Tap once on the red pointer to reveal the


information panel of that location. Tap on Save.

Once a location is saved to your Favourites, a


star will appear at that point on the map.

Tap Traffic. The map will now display


colour-coded traffic information.

76 The Android Book

In Google Maps, tap on the menu icon


found at the bottom left of the app.

Google Maps
Change Google Maps view interface

Post and
share a location

1: Find a map location


In Google Maps, find and pinpoint a
location on the map youd like to share.

1: Satellite mode

2: Map overlays

3: Google Earth

Open the menu bar. Tap


on Satellite to change the
map view to satellite mode.
Satellite mode will take longer
to load than map view.

Open the menu bar. Tap on


Traffic, Public Transport or
Cycling to view different map
overlays displaying the routes
for each option.

In the menu bar, tap Google


Earth. In Google Earth, some
buildings will be shown in 3D,
giving you a realistic sense of
scale for them.

2: Show location details


Tap on the location name at the bottom
of the screen to display its details.

3: Choose to share via


Tap on Share. Choose from the list of
available sharing functions and apps.

4: Access layers

5: Street View

6: Navigate a map

Tap the menu icon in the


top-left corner of the app.
Here you can switch on and
off different layers, which will
help speed up loading time.

In Google Earth, tap and drag


on the person icon to switch
on Street View. Roads that
can be seen in Street View
will be highlighted in blue.

Swipe across the screen to


look around in Street View.
Double-tap to move forward
to the next image along the
highlighted yellow line.

In Google Earth, some buildings will be


shown in 3D, giving you a sense of scale

4: Add a location link


A link to the location will be pasted into
the app that youre sharing from.

The Android Book 77

Google Earth

Google Earth
Explore the world and understand every location and landmark within it from the palm of your
hand. Google Earth, and our advice, will have you up and running in minutes

What it can do:

t4UVOOJOHNBQT
Map quality is incredible

t:PVSMPDBUJPO
Always see your location

t6TFGVMMBZFST
Use layers to find places

Search the world from your pocket


View realistic representations of any landmark or location simply by tapping and searching
Historic and new data
an overlay detailing unusual views or specialist
Remember the extras that are easily available
Google Earth is not just designed to show you
the world in its current form there is a lot of
useful historical information also available with
a couple of taps. Tap the Menu key and you
will see a section at the bottom called More
Maps. When you select Earth Gallery, you will
be presented with a set of thumbnails (Fig 1),
each with a description below it showing you
what it contains. When you select one, you will
be given a completely different view of the
world, which could be from the past or even

78 The Android Book

stats. Despite the fact that Google Earth is


primarily designed to give you location-based
information that is as timely as possible, the
extras that are included can prove useful for
research, homework and many other tasks. In
the left-hand column you will also see sections
to navigate or you can simply browse using
the arrows in the top-right corner. There are
more than 700 options here which will give
you everything you need and potentially
more information than you could ever require.

and Google Earth will be more useful than


ever to you and beneficial for many tasks.

Knowledge is power
Google Earth includes a number of layers
which directly interact with the locations
you are viewing and we have detailed how
to select these in a related tutorial. However,
if you take some time to explore each layer,
you may be surprised at what is on offer.
The Wikipedia layer adds simple markers

Google Earth

Fig 1: The galleries offer a chance to see the world as it was and are
highly informative and educational

Fig 2: Wikipedia is just one example of where extra detail is


available for any location you are currently viewing on screen

to landmarks and specific locations; when


a marker is tapped, you will be presented
with a detailed description and history of the
location in question (Fig 2). This potentially
makes the entire system more useful than
using standalone apps for this kind of task and
brings together much of your fact-finding into
the one solution. If you enable the Places and
Panoramic Photos layers, you will also be able
to tap markers to see a full-screen image taken
by a user. Some of these images can add a lot
of realism and familiarity to any map-based
location and make you feel as if you are almost
visiting the place in person. Be careful not
to overuse every layer and feature on offer,
though, because this can easily crowd the
maps and make them unreadable. Know what
you are looking for, enable the features and
enjoy the stunning realism.

nothing will happen at all; but if you tap and


hold and then drag him to the location you
are currently viewing, everything changes
immediately. You will see a ground-level
view (Fig 3) that can look obscured in some
locations. Moving your fingers around the
screen will still move the entire display and
this comes into its own when you move the
man to 3D buildings. The detail is incredible
and you will be able to see buildings,
landmarks and locations in their most accurate
representations and consequently be able to
understand what makes them so special. To
navigate away from ground level again you
need to tap the Exit Ground Level option in
the top right-hand corner and then you can
continue exploring as before.
Away from the ground-level feature, simply
zooming in to certain areas, such as major
cities like New York, will produce stunningly
realistic imagery and you can choose to set
the image quality to high if need be. As you
move your finger around the screen, the
buildings will appear, but remember that using
the high quality setting on some devices can
cause slowdowns in the app and even in the
general usage of the device while Google
Earth is running.

Time for a quick walk


It would be easy to think of Google Earth as
a mapping tool, but it offers so much more
when it comes to seeing what a place far
away is really like. You will notice a small
yellow man in the main map screen in most
views, but it is very easy to overlook him and
presume that he is a static icon. Tap him and

Fig 3: The ground-level option offers the most realistic and


compelling view of the area you are looking at in Google Earth

Find a business
Locate local services
The search mechanism in Google
Earth can be used for anything. You do
not need to just look for places you
can input businesses or even types of
service such as Pub or Pizza to receive
markers showing the ones that are
closest to you. When you tap a marker,
you will see full contact details and even
reviews so that you can decide whether
a trip out is worth your effort. It is yet
another beneficial use for the highly
comprehensive Google Earth.

The Android Book 79

Google Earth

Use the Google Earth features


Understand how to make the most out of every advanced Google Earth feature in seconds

Explore the world with Google Earth

1: Zooming in

2: Spin around

3: A real view

4: So much detail

5: Local landmarks

Pinch outwards on the


main screen to zoom in to
the map on display.

Spin your fingers either


way to change the map
display orientation.

Hold two fingers down


and pull downwards to tilt
the main map view.

Tap the top-left menu


icon to manage all of the
viewing options.

Pull up the bottom


black icon to see local
landmarks in more detail.

Share any location immediately

Change the
image quality

1: Find a location

2: Sharing methods

When viewing a location, tap the Menu key


and then select Share from the pop-up list.

Now select the method you want to use to


share the screenshot of the chosen location.

1: Go to settings

3: Send the object

4: Its been shared

2: Make your choice

Add details of the recipient, a description, and


then click Send to share the location.

The recipient can now tap the screenshot to


see all of the location information they need.

Now choose your preferred quality.


High may slow down your device.

80 The Android Book

Open Settings from the menu and then


select the Image Quality option.

Google Earth
Change layers and view location data

View landmarks
in 3D

1: Select the 3D option


In the Layers menu, select 3D Buildings
and then tap the map to proceed.

1: The layer menu

2: See the layer

3: Extra detail

Tap the top-left menu icon


to be shown a complete
selection of available layers.
Select the Places one for the
purposes of this tutorial.

A series of indicators will


appear over the map screen.
There is little indication of
what they are until you select
them. Choose one and tap.

You will see a new screen


appear with a lot of relevant
information about the
specific location. Photos,
videos and text are included.

2: Find a landmark
Tap the magnifying glass at the top and
search for a landmark to view.

3: An unusual shade
3D objects are coloured differently and
will look quite unusual at first.

4: A busy screen

5: Under the sea

6: Navigation

As you start to select more


layers, the map screen will
become busier. Be careful not
to choose unnecessary layers
that you do not need.

You can even select the


Ocean layer to see detailed
information for the part of the
sea you are currently viewing.
Labels are shown as well.

The Roads layer will offer an


accurate representation of
major and minor roads, with
names, and will prove useful
for basic navigation.

Tap the top-left menu icon to be shown a


complete selection of available layers

4: Time to explore
Zoom in and pan to see incredible levels
of detail. Its like actually being there.

The Android Book 81

Chromecast

Chromecast

Start using Googles Chromecast device to wirelessly stream movies, music, documents and
more from your smartphone on to your TV in a matter of seconds

What it can do:

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Cast any YouTube video.

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Look at your best images

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Browse the web on your TV

Stream easily with Chromecast


The Chromecast cuts out all the wires and makes streaming a whole lot easier to complete
The setting up process
network for the Chromecast. The next step
Chromecast and Wi-Fi connection at the
Setting up the Chromecast is a really simple
task that is done solely through the official
Chromecast app available from the Google
Play store. The app itself is free and is
compatible with nearly all Android devices.
Before you start setting up your Chromecast
its important that both your phones Wi-Fi and
your homes router is turned on, or else youll
find that neither device will connect. After
plugging the Chromecast into your TVs HDMI
port, the app will begin scanning your Wi-Fi

82 The Android Book

will be to set a name for your Chromecast.


Youll find that your Chromecast name will be
needed for access to certain apps, so make
sure its something you can remember. The
name can be changed from the Devices
tab (Fig 1) within the Chromecast app. After
naming the Chromecast, you should find the
set up phase complete. To double check that
its all working okay, go to the HDMI channel
on your TV, where you should now find a
colourful background, with the name of your

bottom right of the screen. If all appears as it


should, you can now start streaming.

Explore streaming options


Now that your Chromecast is set up, youll
want to explore the various streaming options
at your disposal. As youd expect from any
Google product, all of their official Google
apps are compatible with Chromecast. For
example, users can stream movies from
their phone to the TV with Google Play

Chromecast

Fig 1: By going through the stages set out in the official Chromecast
app, the setting up process should take just a few minutes

Fig 2: There are some fantastic third-party apps available for


Chromecast that can help you stream a variety of content

Movies, or listen to their favourite playlists


and anything in their library with Google
Play Music. Whenever you use an official
Google app, simply keep an eye out for the
Cast icon at the top of it to indicate that the
content is compatible. Dig a little deeper
on the Play store and youll find a wide
variety of third party apps also available for
streaming purposes. AllCast is a fantastic app
for streaming any locally stored media from
your phone on to your TV and LocalCast is a
great way of getting your favourite images
on the big screen (Fig 2). If youre struggling
to find Chromecast-compatible apps, then
you should download the Cast Store app. This
contains every Chromecast app that has been
released on to the Google Play store; including
everything from games to media servers. You
might be surprised with what you can find
through the app.

your Wi-Fi network, itll provide you with a


selection of quick troubleshooting tips to help
fix the problem (Fig 3). If these instructions
dont fix your problem, then you might
consider putting the Chromecast into a
different HDMI port on your TV, which should
fix the issue for you. The other area in which
users may experience some problems is with
streaming quality. If youre finding that your
stream is stuttering and constantly freezing,
a simple restart of your router might do the
trick, but youll need to Cast your content
across to your TV again after the restart. If not,
then youll want to go into the apps settings
menu that youre streaming from. Nearly all
Chromecast-compatible apps will have an
option for you to lower the quality of the
stream to cater for poor internet connections.
If problems with your stream still persist, then
youll want to make sure that you currently
arent downloading, uploading or performing
any other function on your phone that uses
a lot of bandwidth. For the most part, users
wont find any problems when setting up and
using the Chromecast, but when a problem
does arise, use the above tips or head over to
the official Chromecast forums where you can
find guides to other issues users have faced.

Fix Chromecast problems


As with most products, from time to time
youll find certain issues appear that need
to be fixed. Although rare, you may have
some initial problems with connecting the
Chromecast to your Wi-Fi network. If the
official Chromecast app cannot connect to

Fig 3: The Chromecast app has some simple troubleshooting


instructions you can follow to try and fix any issues you have

Playback controls
Take control of your stream
Once youve started a stream, by pressing
on the Cast icon within the app you can
now access a range of playback controls
(depending on the app in question).
For Google Play Music, users will have
access to a simple volume toggle, which
directly controls the TV volume. On
the other hand, the YouTube app also
offers volume control, but users can also
choose to lower the video quality if the
stream is stuttering a little. Each app
offers different things.

The Android Book 83

Chromecast

Start streaming with Chromecast


Check out the following tutorials that showcase some of the best Chromecast-compatible apps

Set up and use your Chromecast

1: Select Devices

2: Wi-Fi scanning

3: Did it work?

4: Set a new name

5: Download apps

Select the Devices


tab from within the
Chromecast apps menu.

It will now scan your Wi-Fi


network and connect to
the Chromecast.

If the scan worked, your


device will now appear on
your device.

Press on the Chromecast


picture to set a new
personal name for it.

Now go to the Play store


to download Chromecastcompatible apps.

Manage a cloud account on your TV

Cast a
YouTube video

1: Download AllCast

2: Select files

Download and install the AllCast app. Select


the Google Drive option from the side menu.

Choose the cloud files you want to send over


to your TV and then confirm your choices.

1: Select a video

3: Choose Chromecast

4: Start streaming

2: Start to Cast

The app will scan for compatible streaming


options. Choose your Chromecast from the list.

Allow AllCast access to Google Drive on the


next screen, your streamed content will show.

Press the Cast icon at the top and wait


for the video to appear on your TV.

84 The Android Book

Open up a video contained within the


YouTube app and wait for it to play.

Chromecast
Stream media files from your phone

View photos on
your TV

1: Open Gallery app


Open either the Photos or Gallery app,
depending on the phone youre using.

1: Open LocalCast

2: Select audio files

3: Or choose video

Open up the LocalCast app


and press on the menu icon
so the side menu appears.
Scroll down until you reach
the Library tab at the bottom.

First you want to try casting


some of the locally stored
audio files on your device.
Select Music from the Library
and search for some tunes.

You may want to select


a video. Go through the
Library tab again, select video
and then the DCIM option
provided at the top.

2: Select image
Open up an image, or select a full album
from the list provided to you.

3: Start the stream


Press on the Cast icon at the top of the
app to start streaming the image.

4: Casting icon

5: Check settings

6: Adjust volume

Once youve chosen what file


you want to cast, press on the
Cast icon at the bottom-right
of the app and wait for the
content to show.

Scroll to the bottom of the


side menu within LocalCast
and open the Settings menu.
You can change streaming
options for better casting.

If youve issues with the


sound being streamed
through your phone, select
Volume Assignment and
choose HDMI Out.

Press on the Cast icon at the bottom-right


and wait for the content to show

4: View recent history


Go to the Recent tab to see images of
what youve Cast across.

The Android Book 85

YouTube

YouTube

Search for and watch all your favourite videos with the app version of the biggest video sharing
platform on the internet

What it can do:

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View videos on your phone

t4VCTDSJCFUPDIBOOFMT
Get alerts for new videos

t4IBSFWJEFPT
Send videos to friends

Watch videos with the YouTube app


The YouTube app is easy to navigate and lets you access content wherever you are
Watch videos
using a tablet, or a phone with a large screen,
then tapping the play icon. Otherwise, you can
YouTube, by far the largest video-sharing
platform on the internet, needs no
introduction. The immensely popular site
ingests hundreds of thousands of videos every
single day and no matter what your interests
are, youll find something thatll entertain and
inform you.
The YouTube app available for Android
devices is a simplified version of the web
platform and perfect to use while you travel or
when you cant access your computer. If youre

86 The Android Book

it may even be a preferable way to watch and


share videos. YouTube comes as standard on
most Android devices, but if you dont have
it installed then download it for free from the
Google Play Store (Fig 1).
As with any app, YouTube can be launched
from your Android app drawer by tapping the
icon once. When opening the app for the first
time, youll be presented with some of the
most popular videos of the day. You can watch
these instantly by tapping on the name and

perform a basic search by tapping the search


icon or browse videos by category.

Working with accounts


YouTube, like most Google products, is
now linked to your Google accounts. When
opening the app for the first time, you will be
asked to sign into your account. While you
dont have to do this to watch videos and
perform basic searches, it is necessary if you
want to engage with the community, like

YouTube

Fig 1: YouTube comes as standard on newer Android devices, but


you can download it from the Play store, too

Fig 2: View and clear your video history by navigating to the History
tab. YouTube will make suggestions based on your viewing history

videos, add them to a favourites list (or playlist)


and leave comments. If youre uploading
videos yourself, its also necessary to create a
channel and tell other viewers about yourself.
You only have to sign in once. After you do,
the app will remember you and open up on
your account every time. Each time you watch
a video, YouTube will remember it and build
up a History of your searches (Fig 2). Based
on the types of videos you are watching,
YouTube will make recommendations. This is
a great feature if you need a little inspiration,
but can also work against you if you watched
something you didnt particularly enjoy and
are recommended similar options. You can
clear your History by tapping the Menu icon
when on the History page and selecting
Clear. Any playlists you created will also be
associated with your account and available for
you to watch wherever you are.

save you some data. From any screen in the


YouTube app, tap the Settings option and
then tap Preloading (Fig 3). This feature allows
you to preload any videos that are in your
Subscriptions or Watch Later list when youre
connected to Wi-Fi, which means youll use
less data when you watch them on the move.
Because the videos will essentially download
onto your device, they will take up space,
so be sure to have enough available before
ticking the options. You can also choose to
preload only one or the other option rather
than both, to save you some storage space.
Other Settings options which warrant
taking a look at include General settings and
Connect TVs. In the General settings menu
you can choose to play videos at high quality
as standard and also adjust the size of the
caption text. If youre an uploader of videos
rather than just a viewer, you can also specify
over which data connection you allow your
uploads to process. The Connected TVs menu
allows you to firstly connect and then manage
any televisions you might use to watch videos
from. You will, of course, need the right cables
to make the connection, but once done youll
enjoy the benefit of seeing all your favourite
videos on a bigger screen.

Preloading and other features


Videos are characteristically large files and
watching a lot of content on the move can
really eat into your data allowance. Therefore
its always best to connect to Wi-Fi when
its available, but for the occasions when
it isnt possible, YouTube has an option to

Fig 3: Choose to preload videos to your device to save on data


usage when youre on the move and working off 3G/4G

Report a video
Flag inappropriate content
YouTube has millions of users uploading
content every day and very little capacity
to check each one. There are guidelines
that govern what type of content is
allowed on the site and users can report
anything unsuitable. To report a video,
tap the flag icon in the main video area,
then choose the reason. Reporting a
video is serious, so be sure that the
content really is against the community
rules before flagging up, rather than just
against your taste in content.

The Android Book 87

YouTube

Play and share YouTube videos


Personalise your YouTube experience by learning the features and functions of the app

Search for and watch videos

1: Category list

2: Tap to select

3: Use search bar

4: Tap to play

5: Suggestions

Tap the YouTube icon to


pull out a menu listing
video categories.

To view videos in a
category, tap it once and
scroll the results.

Perform a keywordspecific search by typing


in the search bar.

Tap the video once to


open, then tap the play
option; tap again to pause.

Based on your history,


youll see suggestions for
more videos of interest.

Subscribe to videos

Like or dislike
a video

1: Search channels

2: Tap to subscribe

YouTube videos are on channels that you can


subscribe to. Search for a channel you like.

Tap the red button to subscribe to the channel.


Tap it again to unsubscribe.

1: Like a video

3: View subscriptions

4: Scroll video list

2: Dislike a video

Pull out the left menu and scroll down to see


all the channels youre subscribed to.

All videos on subscribed channels are available


in a stream when you tap the red button.

To dislike a video, tap the thumbs-down.


You can also leave a comment below.

88 The Android Book

After watching a video, like it by tapping


the thumbs-up icon underneath it.

YouTube
Make and edit playlists

Share videos
with friends

1: Locate share icon


The Share icon is positioned at the top
right of each video (the middle icon).

1: Add a video

2: Create a playlist

3: Give it a name

Building up playlists is a good


way to keep content to watch
later. Search for a video and
then tap the small icon next
to it and choose Add to.

If you have no current


playlists, you will be invited to
create one. Select the New
playlist option from the popup menu.

Name your playlist, then tick


if you want it be private or
public. If its public itll be
associated with your Google
account and seen by others.

2: Tap to share
Tap the Share icon once and choose
which app to use to share the video.

3: Share via email


If sharing via Gmail, add in a recipient or
a number of recipients and tap Send.

4: View playlists

5: Play all videos

6: Remove a video

Navigate back to the main


YouTube pull-out menu and
tap the Playlists option. Here
you can view all your playlists
and their videos.

Set yourself up for a video


marathon by tapping the
small icon next to a playlist
and selecting Play all. Its
videos will play back-to-back.

Tap the playlist to view videos


within it. Again, tap the icon
next to a video, then choose
Remove to delete it from that
playlist. Or move it or share it.

Building up playlists is a good way to


keep content to watch later

4: Share playlist items


To share videos from within a playlist,
tap the icon next to a video, then Share.

The Android Book 89

Camera

Camera
Capture memories, shoot a breathtaking panorama, snap a family portrait or make a home
movie. Let out your creative side with Androids Camera app

What it can do:

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Snap high-quality images

t6UJMJTFTQFDJBMFGGFDUT
Change the look of a shot

t.BLF)%NPWJFT
Record high-quality video

Take perfect photos on your phone


With a built-in flash, shooting modes and two cameras, you can shoot anything
Shoot photos in style
Camera app comes with an abundance of
exposure to changing your cameras ISO. On
One of the most used tools of any Android
smartphone or tablet has got to be the
camera. Whether youre taking a self-portrait
using a front-facing camera or capturing an
epic sunset with a rear-facing one, there is
so much to see and do with built-in cameras
that youll never run out of interesting ways
to shoot your subjects. Many cameras have a
built-in flash, although front-facing cameras
can only rely on the brightness of your devices
screen to illuminate the subject. The native

90 The Android Book

different tools, functions and settings to help


you get the best possible shots from your
camera. These include the focal point box that
will flash green when your shot is in focus, as
well as a variety of different in-camera effects
that can be added before shooting (Fig 1). All
of these settings can be turned on and off as
you like, allowing you to let the camera run
in a fully automatic mode. Alternatively, you
can take control of every single aspect of the
shooting process, from setting up the perfect

top of shooting photos youll be able to switch


to capturing high-quality video, all with the
Android Camera app.

Setting up your camera


An important consideration before you start
shooting photos and capturing videos is the
quality settings. The size of your images and
video clips will determine how quickly your
storage gets filled up. Of course, youll always
be able to continuously back up your files onto

Camera

Fig 1: Adding any of the effects included in the Camera app can
help create a unique style and look to your photos

Fig 2: The quality of an image will depend on what you want to do


with it. If you plan to edit the photo, keep the quality high

a computer. Tap on the Settings drop-down


icon, then tap on the Settings cog again.
Under the Photo subheading, tap Photo size
to change the size of your shot images (Fig2);
keep in mind that the lower the size, the lower
the quality. Tap the Video icon to do the same
for your video clips. Tap on the Settings cog
for general settings. Here youll find the wellhidden timer function, which allows you to
set up a delay before a photo is taken, as well
as being able to turn on Review mode. When
review mode is on any photo that you take will
instantly be shown to you in the Gallery app.
When turned off youll still be presented with
a thumbnail image of your shot in the top left
corner of the frame that you can tap on to
view. In the general settings youll also be able
to activate voice controls, file names and your
photo location information settings.

image combining the shadows, mid-tones and


highlights of each one (Fig 3). In the Camera
app, when tapping on the Settings icon, youll
find a collection of quick settings tools that
will come in very handy. On top of being
able to choose a flash type, you can select
a recording mode when shooting video, as
well as switch on Auto night detection. This
mode will activate smart stabilisation when
taking night-time shots. The shutter speed of
your camera must be slowed down to allow
for as much light as possible to enter the shot
when shooting in a dark location; this means
the photo takes longer to be captured, so
any shake that occurs when the shot is being
made might add a slight blurring effect to
the finished image. Stabilisation mode tries
to counter this helping you to get sharp
and well-illuminated shots at night-time. Its
worth switching this mode off when youre
not shooting at night. When shooting, below
the Settings cog youll see a number which
represents how many more photos can be
taken in relation to your devices storage
capacity. If youre a budding photographer
or just want to get some quick snaps on your
phone, there are enough functions in the
Camera app to get some really amazing shots.

Shoot modes and tools


The Camera app comes with a series of
different modes depending on what youre
trying to shoot. For high-speed subjects
youve got Sports mode or, if you want a
perfectly exposed image, try HDR which
takes three separate images all at different
exposes and mixes them to create a single

Fig 3: The HDR tool is one of many shooting modes that helps you
to get the best possible results out of your camera

Using GPS tags


GPS location information
Tap the Menu button and open the
Settings. Tap the Settings cog and tap
GPS tag. Switch this option on. With
GPS tagging, photos will include location
information, which will be included when
theyre shared with other people. The
GPS tagging tool can only work when
you have a data network connection
and GPS is turned on. Keep in mind that
posting images with GPS information will
make it possible to find out exactly where
your photographs have been taken.

The Android Book 91

Camera

Shoot, store and share photos


Learn just how easy it is to become a pro Android photographer when using the Camera app

Shoot photos on an Android device

1: The Camera app

2: Digital zoom

3: Auto focusing

4: Manual focus

5: The focus box

Open the app drawer,


then find and open the
Camera app.

In the Camera app, your


volume buttons operate
the zoom function.

The camera will focus on


the subject in the centre
box of the frame.

Tap on a specific area


within the frame to focus
specifically on it.

Once the focus has been


found, tap on the camera
icon to take a snap.

Swap between front and rear cameras

Use camera
flash modes

1: The rear camera

2: Swap the camera

By default the Camera app will shoot through


the rear camera, making use of the auto flash.

Tap the swap camera icon at the top left of


the screen to turn on the front-facing camera.

1: Flash settings

3: Dual camera mode

4: Frame placement

2: Select a flash

On certain devices, use the dual camera tool


(under Modes) to use both cameras.

Tap on the frame holding the second camera


view to reposition and resize it to your liking.

Choose between On, Off or Auto. Tap


an option, setting it until changed.

92 The Android Book

With the rear camera turned on, tap the


Settings icon. Tap the flash icon.

Camera
Add in-camera effects when shooting

Shoot a
panorama

1: Select Panorama mode


Tap on Mode. Swipe through the list of
different modes and select Panorama.

1: Effects list

2: Add vignette

3: Colour effects

In shooting mode, tap the


Settings cog and then choose
the Effects option to display
a collection of in-camera
shooting effects.

Tap Vignette to add a faint


black border around your
shot. The Vintage effect
will do the same as well as
affecting saturation.

Effects such as Greyscale,


Sepia and Turquoise will
apply a specific tone of colour
to your shots. Greyscale
shoots in black and white.

2: Shoot panorama
Tap the camera button, then slowly pan
the camera to the left or the right.

3: Use panorama guide


Use the preview bar as you turn to make
sure that youre shooting straight.

4: Stylised shot

5: Fisheye lens

6: Apply effects

The Cartoon, Moody, Rugged


and Oil Pastel options are
stylistic special effects which
can completely change the
look of a shot.

The Fisheye lens effect will


apply a bulging look to shots,
adding a circular frame as if
theyve been taken with a real
fisheye lens.

Tap an effects thumbnail


to preview it in-camera.
Once happy, take a photo.
Remember, effects can also
be added after taking a shot.

Stylistic special effects can completely


change the look of a shot

4: Process the panorama


Once youve done a full rotation or
pressed stop, the shot will be processed.

The Android Book 93

Camera
Use different
shooting modes

New and improved shooting modes

1: View shooting modes


Tap Mode, then all of the available
modes will be listed on the screen.

1: Mode updates

2: Sound & Shot

3: Record audio

Not all Android devices offer


the most up-to-date shooting
modes, so you may find
some variations as to the
modes that are available.

Tap Mode. Scroll the mode


list until you get to Sound &
shot mode (if available) to
activate it. Tap the camera
button when ready.

In Sound & shot mode, nine


seconds of audio will be
recorded after the photo is
taken. In the Gallery, tap the
music icon to play the audio.

4: Add some drama

5: Animated photo

6: Show movement

In Drama mode, your device


will shoot several seconds of
footage then stitch together
the variations of movement
within a still image.

Select Animated photo. Make


sure your shot has some
moving elements to it, then
tap the camera icon to shoot
several frames.

In the image preview, scrub


the moving parts of the
image with your finger. Tap
Save. View your animated
shot in the Gallery app.

2: Auto shooting mode


The default mode is Auto, which
decides the best mode for the shot.

3: Facial enhancements
Beauty face mode will fix imperfections
on skin tones when shooting people.

4: Select shooting mode


Tap on a mode to switch it on. Each has
its own shooting requirements.

94 The Android Book

In Sound & shot mode, nine seconds of


audio will be recorded

Camera
Download extra modes for your Camera app

1: Tap Mode

2: Scroll to Download

3: Browse content

4: Download modes

While in the Camera app, tap on


the Mode button in the lower-left
corner of the screen to display all
of the modes that are currently
available on the device.

Now scroll right down to the


bottom of the list and you will see
an option called Download. Tap
on this to be taken to the Galaxy
Store app.

All of the available modes will be


listed. You can tap on one to read
more about it and the various
exciting new features it brings to
your Galaxy device.

If you wish to add one of the new


modes to your existing array, tap
on the Download button and it
will be installed on your device.
They are small files to download.

5: Select new mode

6: Manage modes

When the new mode has


downloaded, go back to your
Camera app and tap on Mode.
The new mode should now have
been added to the list.

By tapping the Manage Modes


option at the bottom of the
modes list, you can select which
modes will be displayed in the list
by ticking and unticking them.

Settings
Tap here to view all
settings and select
quick settings to
appear at the top of
the interface

Modes
Tap this icon to view
all of the available
shooting modes that
you can use

Video mode
Tap this icon to
instantly start
shooting HD video
on your device

The Android Book 95

Camera
Control your shot with manual mode

1: ISO settings

2: White balance

3: Exposure value

4: Add guidelines

While in the Camera app, tap on


the Settings cog and then tap
ISO to manually input an amount,
increasing the brightness and
grain of a shot.

Tap the Settings icon, then tap


White balance. From the list,
select a white balance that is
appropriate for the lighting
conditions that youre shooting in.

Tap Exposure value to manually


set the exposure of a shot. This
is useful when your shot has
different exposures within it, such
as when shooting a horizon.

Tap Grid Lines, then turn them


on. Now when you shoot, a
grid overlay will appear, helping
you compose your shots, using
techniques like the rule of thirds.

Modify your cameras quick settings

1: Quick settings

2: Add settings

3: Reset settings

4: Volume buttons

While in the Camera app, tap the


Settings cog. A grid displaying all
of the available quick settings will
appear, as well as the ones that
are set up.

Drag a quick setting from the


grid up to one of the three quick
settings that has a blue box
around it. When it turns blue, let
go to place the new setting.

Add your preferred quick settings.


Settings that you moved will be
added to the quick settings grid.
Tap Reset to restore settings to
their default setup.

In Settings you can assign


commands to your phones
volume key. Tap the Volume Key
option in the settings grid and
assign a command.

96 The Android Book

Camera
Record an HD video in the Camera app
Aspect
When shooting in
16:9 mode, videos
will be shot at a
wider aspect ratio

Square
In 4:3 a square
effect is added,
placing borders
around the shot

1: Shoot a video

2: Recording mode

Tap on the video-camera icon at


the bottom of the screen to enter
video mode. The Camera app
will automatically start shooting
video. Tap stop to finish recording.

Tap the Settings icon. Tap the filmreel icon to change the recording
mode. Limit for MMS will create a
low-quality video that is easier to
share via MMS and email.

3: Change speed

4: Video options

5: Video storage

6: Video editing

Tap Slow or Fast motion. A new


option will appear below the
recording mode icon; tap it to
change the speed of motion.
Audio is not recorded.

Various video options can be


found in the settings grid. You can
adjust the size of your videos and
to enable stabilisation the latter
may cause a warping effect.

Within the settings grid is an


option called Storage Location. If
you have a memory card in your
device, it may be worth recording
footage to that to save space.

Once youve shot a video, tap on


the clip thumbnail in the top-left
corner. Tap Trim in the options bar
to edit the duration of your clip.
Tap Done when finished.

Pixels
The pixel ratio will
define the quality
of an image and its
file size

The Android Book 97

Google Photos

(PPHMF1IPUPT

Enhance your photos with cool and retro filters and frames to make them look better, back
them up for safekeeping, then share them, create an album and even a montage

What it can do:

t$SFBUJWFGJMUFST
Give an image style and tone

t6TFZPVSJNBHF
Set the photo as wallpaper

t$SFBUFNPWJFTIPXT
Combine pics, video & music

Make your images look better


Improve then back up and share your photos and videos, or create a new film from them
Navigate around the app
Tap on the Google Photos app to get started.
Be aware that as with all things Google
now, theres significant Google+ integration,
whether you want it or not. The main Photos
menu splits into two tabs covering Camera
and Highlights. Whats under the Camera
heading, though, is actually all your camera
and imported images in folders. Under the
heading you will see both shown, with one
image having a Folders tag on it. Tap on this
to browse through the entire Android device
for images. Along the top of the screen are

98 The Android Book

three icons covering creating a film, searching


for specific images and a small menu covering
Settings and basic operations like signing out,
sending feedback and finding Help. On the
left, theres the main menu (Fig 1), right next
to the Photos icon; this shows which account
is using the app, then has entries for Google+,
Photos, Albums, Auto-Awesome, Videos,
Photos of you and the delete bin. Obviously,
tapping on Photos from this menu now
doesnt do anything, but if you are in any of
those other apps listed, tapping Photos brings
you back here. Tap the down arrow next to the

account name and then on Select Google+


page to choose a different one.

Make photos look better


Tap on Folders and browse to the category
you want to look in. Tap on the More icon to
go directly into it to look around. Tap on an
image to select it and you then have a number
of functions to access relating to it. The image
editing option is the paintbrush, bottom
left. There are three functions here, starting
with Rotate. The Crop option has some basic
options: theres Free mode where a grid can

Google Photos

Fig 1: Navigate to other image-related apps as well as Google+


from the main menu. You can always tap Photos to return

Fig 2: Each filter has extra versions for variety and you can increase
or decrease the strength of effect, brightness and saturation

be dragged into any shape. Tap on the tick


icon to initiate the crop. Or theres a Square
option and one to return back to the original
layout. Of course, the real fun is in the Filters
section and here there are options for filters or
frames. There are nine filters to choose from;
tap on one to select it. Now, tap and hold on
the screen and drag up or down to use a popup menu to select from Strength, Brightness
and Saturation and more (Fig 2). Tap and drag
left and right to decrease and increase the
function that you just selected. Also, look at
the filter box itself. It will have a number of
small dots in it. Each one represents a different
version. Tap on it to change to the next option.

also do a little nifty object removal if you


have more than one photo of the same place.
There are also Auto-Awesome movies and
these can be created directly from within the
Photos app. Tap on the clapperboard icon on
the top row and browse to the folders where
your images and videos are stored that you
want to include in the movie. Tap the tick sign
next to a folder name to include everything
in that folder or go into it and select media
individually. You can also tap on the stretch
icon and zoom in to a particular part of an
image to use. When you have made your
selection, tap on Select to go to the editing
element (Fig 3). Here you can swipe left and
right on the screen to select from categories
such as natural, 8mm film, action, cinema,
documentary, extreme, festival, glamour,
lo-fi, memory lane, modern pop, punk,
showtime, silver screen, the great outdoors,
urban landscape and vintage. Each one has
a different colour style and some effects and
has a different way of transitioning from one
screen to another. Tap on the music icon to
select a different style of music; the pencil to
add a title or remove images/movies from the
running order. Tap on Save to output the film
in 480p or 720p quality.

Create a slideshow
From the main photos menu there are options
to turn on the automatic backup of images
to Google cloud storage. While this acts as a
safety net in case they get deleted elsewhere,
it also brings into play the Google AutoAwesome feature, which works when you
either upload images to Google+ or use the
backup feature. It checks to see what content
has been uploaded and then can make HDR
or panoramic images, merge group images
into one photo, combine action shots and

Fig 3: Create basic slideshow movies from your photos and video
clips, then add music and a title and upload to Google+ or share

Frame it
Add the finishing touches
Want to add the perfect finish to your
edited image? Go to the paintbrush icon
and select Filters, then Frames. There are
plenty to choose from, including round,
worn, instant, filed, clean, easel, modern,
scratchy, dark, curved and scraped,
scratchy and film stock. As with the filters,
each frame has some variations. Just tap
on the frame icon to see the next one.
Also, they have a frame width parameter.
Slide left and right on the image to adjust
the size of the frame.

The Android Book 99

Google Photos

Apply filters, borders and tweaks


Use tap controls to add effects, create movies to share on Google+ and upload to social media

Edit, tone and improve your images

1: Go to Edit mode

2: Crop to shape

3: Apply filters

4: Adjust effect

5: Finish and save

Select a photo to enhance


and tap on the paintbrush
icon to start editing.

Tap on the Crop tool and


use this to trim wasted
space around the image.

Tap on Filters and select a


filter. Tap again to choose
a different version.

Tap and hold on the


image to select a variable.
Slide sideways to increase.

Tap the tick icon when


youre done. Then tap on
Save to apply effects.

Share on Google+ and social media

Quickly create
an online album

1: Find the image

2: Start the sharing

Navigate through the folders to find the image


that you want to share, then tap on it to load.

Tap the Share icon, bottom middle, to bring up


all the services and options.

1: Select entire folder

3: Share with Google+

4: Fill out the title

2: Create new album

Tap on Google+ and then the down arrow by


To. Select Public so everyone can see it.

Add a title for the album, fill in a description


and maybe add more photos. Then tap Share.

Select Google+. Enter viewing option,


text and album name, then tap Share.

100 The Android Book

Tap on a folder to open it, then tap each


image to select all of them. Tap Share.

Google Photos
Make a movie from your photos

Use images on
your device

1: Select an image to use


From the Photos screen, go through the
folders and tap the image to use.

1: Find the images

2: Select ones to use

3: Build the movie

From the main Photos screen,


tap on the clapperboard
icon on the top row. Then
navigate through the folders
to the location of the images.

Tap images to select them to


use in the movie. Also, tap on
the stretch icon to go to an
image and then zoom in to
the part you want to show.

Tap on Select when finished,


to start building the movie.
Tap and slide left and right on
the image to select a different
colour and transition style.

2: Make it a profile photo


Tap the Menu icon and select Set as.
The first option is as a Profile Photo.

3: Make it the wallpaper


Tap on More and there are options for
contact photo and types of wallpaper.

4: Increase the time

5: Add some music

6: Edit and save

Tap on the timer icon, top


right, to bring up the length
of the movie. Use the Short
and Long shortcuts or tap
and drag the timer manually.

Tap on the music icon to


select from the various styles
of accompanying tune. Listen
to the previews, then tap on
the back icon, top left.

The pencil icon lets you add a


title and remove any images
by sliding them off. Then tap
on Save and select SD or HD
to output the movie.

Slide left and right on the image to select


a different colour and transition style

4: Watch a slideshow
Or tap Menu and select Slideshow. All
images in that folder are displayed.

The Android Book 101

Instagram

Instagram

Discover how you can make any throw-away


picture look like a stunning work of art and upload it to a thriving and friendly social network

What it can do:

t&EJUJNBHFT
Make any photo look perfect

t4IBSFJNBHFT
Upload favourite pictures

t&YQMPSFQJDUVSFT
See what others have posted

Edit and share your perfect pictures


Introducing the friendly social network that is mad about photos
Join the creative community from a wide range of sources such as cloud
If you enjoy taking photos, then the Instagram
app is a fast, beautiful and fun way to share
your pictures with friends and family, along
with other people all over the world if you
want. Packed with features, this free app
offers convenient mobile access to what is a
sprawling social network devoted to casual
snappers, with a friendly and welcoming
community. Since Instagram is all about
photos, it allows you to take new pictures
quickly and easily in-app, or import photos

102 The Android Book

drives like Dropbox, transforming your Android


device into a handy editing suite to work
some Instagram magic on your images before
sharing them.
Whats good about Instagram is that the
app includes a wide range of free customdesigned filters that you can apply to your
captured images to make them look amazing
(Fig 1). You can also use tilt-shift blur effects to
breathe new life into your photos to transform
everyday moments into stunning works of art

that youll want to show off which is where


Instagram really comes into its own. After
setting up an account, you can then connect
Instagram to your other social networking
sites, including Twitter and Facebook, and find
and follow friends and family who also use the
Instagram app or web service.

Exploring Instagram
Through Instagram you can also browse the
photographic work of other users and choose
to like or comment on their pictures and

Instagram

Fig 1: Use Instagrams built-in editing tools to make your pictures


look instantly more eye-catching

follow them, in much the same way that you


would through Twitter, so that every time they
upload an image, youll be notified about it.
The Explore tab in Instagrams main menu
bar features a selection of recent uploads
from various users, or you can tap on the
magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner
to search for specific users or tags.
Whenever you see an eye-catching image,
tap on it to open it and then you can scroll
down to see two icons that allow you to like
and add comments to the picture. You can
also double-tap on the main image itself to
quickly like a picture.
If the admiration you hold for an image
is so great that you feel compelled to start
following the user in the hope that they snap
and upload similar gems, then tap on the
uploaders username to see more of their
recent work. On this screen you can also see
how many followers the person has, how
many people they in turn are following and
opt to follow them yourself by tapping the
blue Follow button (Fig 2).

Fig 2: Marvel at the work of others and then opt to follow them to
get their updates relayed to your Instagram Home screen

More places
The layout of the Instagram app is such that
everything is broken down into neat little
sections, accessible via the buttons at the
bottom of the interface. Obviously, we have
already touched on some of these features, so
lets just clear up the others. The first button,
Home, displays all of your recent uploads as
well as those posted by the people whom you
follow. You can also add likes and comments
to images displayed here by scrolling down
and tapping the corresponding button.
The next two buttons allow you to explore
Instagram and take a new picture in-app
respectively, but the next icon (the heart in
the speech bubble) represents all Instagram
news that is applicable to you. This includes
notifications of when other users like or
comment on your uploaded images, when
you have gained a new follower and when
friends from your other social networks have
joined Instagram so that you can instantly
jump to their profile page and start following
them (Fig 3).

Fig 3: Receive notifications about all of the recent activity relating


to your Instagram account

Your Photo Map


Display the locations of
your images on a map
By tapping the pin icon on your profile
page, you will bring up Instagrams Photo
Map, which makes the locations of where
your uploaded pictures were taken visible
on a map. Simply select which images
you wish to add by placing or removing
the ticks on them and then press Done
when you are finished. This map is visible
to everyone, so make sure you are okay
with divulging potentially sensitive
information about your movements.

Through Instagram you can also browse


the photographic work of other users
The Android Book 103

Instagram

Snap, edit and share your images


How to use Instagrams intuitive interface to get your images out there

Edit your photos

1: Take a picture

2: Apply a filter

3: Adjust the shift

4: Sharpen image

5: Activating Lux

Tap on the camera icon in


Instagram to take a new
shot in-app.

Scroll through the filters at


the bottom and tap one
to preview it.

Tap the droplet to adjust


the camera shift. Choose
linear (-) or radial (o) shift.

With shift selected, drag


to sharpen a selected
portion of the image.

Tap the sun icon to autoadjust the colour levels.


Tap again to revert.

Share your images in a feed

Access account
settings

1: Tap the arrow

2: Add a caption

When you have finished editing your image,


tap the arrow icon in the top-right corner.

On the following screen, add a caption, tag


people and add locations to your photo.

1: Go to profile

3: Tap to share

4: On display

2: Your options

When you have finished adding details to your


picture, tap the tick icon at the top right.

Your photo will then appear in your Instagram


feed and be visible to your followers.

The screen will show various preferences


and options relating to your account.

104 The Android Book

Tap on your profile tab from the row of


options and then hit the Menu icon.

Instagram
View images and add likes

Use Instagrams
Direct function

1: Take a picture
Take a picture through Instagram and
on the Share To screen, tap Direct.

1: Go explore

2: Tap an image

3: Add a like

Tap on the Explore tab,


represented by the star icon
on the main menu bar. This
will display a selection of
recent uploads.

Tap on the thumbnail to


open the image or video
and then scroll down to the
bottom of the screen. Here
you will see two icons.

Tap the heart-shaped icon to


like the uploaded image or
video. You can also doubletap on the image to add an
instant like.

2: Add a caption
Type in a caption for your image and
then browse suggested recipients.

3: Tick recipients
Place a tick next to the person or people
you want to share the image with

4: Add a comment

5: Report comments

6: Search Instagram

Tap the speech bubble icon


and you can type your own
comments and then post
them to the uploaders wall.
Tap on Send when done.

If you think a comment is


spam or abusive, tap the pen
icon, then the red ! next to
the offending comment and
select a reason for reporting.

You can also search Instagram


for users and tags by tapping
on the magnifying glass icon
in the top-right corner of the
main Explore tab window.

Tap the heart-shaped icon to like the


uploaded image or video

4: Send image
When happy, tap the green tick icon in
the top-right corner to send the image.

The Android Book 105

Paper Artist

Paper Artist
Using this app, the only limits that apply are those of your own imagination. With in-app
photography, vibrant filter options and drawing tools, its ideal for any budding artist

What it can do:

t*OBQQQJDUVSFT
Snap photos with fun filters

t$SFBUJWFFEJUJOH
Play with art styles

t#PSEFSTHBMPSF
Add impact to creations

Paint and shoot with Paper Artist


Unleash you inner artist with this image-editing app and apply fun filters, frames and doodles
Paper Artist is ideal for image-editing novices.
Its bright, colourful and fresh with a simple
structure yet produces some great artwork.
As soon as the app loads, you can use the
preset image to start playing with art styles
and experimenting with filters. Some art styles
let you draw over them with your finger or
stylus to reveal a completely different look
hiding underneath great if youre looking
to recreate a colour-splash look. The art styles
called Newsprint, Dreamy, Oil Painting and
Comic Book work best for this effect.

106 The Android Book

To load up your own photo to work on, tap


the top-left icon. This takes you to the Gallery
app where you can scroll through to find an
image, then tap it to open it in Paper Artist. If
youre keen to take an image in-app and see
the filters working in real-time to preview your
shot, just hit the camera icon and experience
Paper Artists own camera interface. Here you
can zoom in and out using the + and icons
or the slider, operate the flash, switch cameras
to take a self-portrait, or tap the top-right
arrow to return to the apps main screen.

If you need help at any time, tap the small


arrow at the right of the interface. On the
tab that opens, hit the ? icon and youll see
labels pop up all over the screen to show you
whats what youll never get confused over
which button does what function ever again.
Similarly, if youd like a bit more info about the
app, just tap the i icon to be shown the apps
website and email links. On this same tab are
the undo and redo buttons; turn to these if
you want to go back through the steps of your
edit, or simply undo a mistake or start again.

Paper Artist

Add arty textures


Dive into a world of painterly effects and artistic flair

Extra creative
touches

Take creative photos

1: Use the art style selector


Many art styles let you paint over the
filter to show a different effect beneath!

1: Select camera

2: Play with filters

3: Camera options

Open the app and tap the


camera icon. Explore camera
functions at the top and hit
the shutter at the bottom.

Swipe through the different


filters at the bottom; tap to
apply and see how they look
before taking the shot.

Use + and to zoom, the


lightning icon for the flash
and the camera icon on the
right to take a self-portrait.

2: Using the paintbrush


Tap the brush icon to select differentsized brushes for painting in the effects.

Share with friends

3: Add a funky border


The border icon (top) opens a gallery;
tap to apply a border to your image.

1: Save your creation

2: Sharing options

3: Type a message

When done editing, tap the


Save icon, which looks like
an arrow inside a circle to the
right of the top bar.

Hit the Share icon in the topright corner to call up a list


of all sharing methods. Here
weve gone for Gmail.

Youll be taken to your


selected sharing app, where
you can add a description or
message and share away.

4: Doodle with the pencil


Choose a pencil weight and make
precision edits in contrasting colours.

The Android Book 107

Facebook

Facebook

Facebook on an Android device offers the full experience and every social feature you need.
From events to instant chats, everything is available and it all works seamlessly

What it can do:

t'BNJMJBSGFFM
It still feels like Facebook

t/FXFWFOUT
All events are covered

t,FFQJOUPVDI
Apps will keep you talking

Keep up to date with Facebook


Facebook on a mobile device is potentially more useful than at home. It is amazing to use
So many options
that friends of yours have visited. No matter
obtain help when on the move. Take some
Facebook on an Android device offers all of
the features you will be used to using on a
desktop web browser. The main menu bar,
which is accessible by tapping the top-left
icon, brings everything together nicely. You
will see small cogs next to some items, such as
Messages, and these let you delve deeper into
the features with only one further tap (Fig1).
The app and related service try to help as
much as possible by recommending potential
friends whom you may know and also places

108 The Android Book

what you want to do in Facebook when


mobile, you can do so via the menu bar and
this even includes adjusting the app and main
account settings. Scroll through the list to see
what is available and you may be surprised
at just how complete the feature-set is. You
will have full control over your privacy if you
want and this is particularly useful if you are
struggling with a particular contact and have
no access to a desktop PC. You can report
problems directly to Facebook and even

time to explore the Facebook app on your


Android device and you will be rewarded with
a flexible service which works brilliantly.

Enhanced for mobile


There is nothing cut-down about Facebook
on an Android device and in many ways the
entire experience is better because you can
use it when mobile. A QR code is included
within the app (Fig 2), which can be shared
with anyone when they scan it they will see

Facebook

Fig 1: Multiple settings and features have been built to be accessible


easily within the Facebook app. Everything feels instant

Fig 2: A phone or tablet can actually feel more consistent with


Facebook thanks to the integration of features for mobiles

your timeline immediately. You can take this


further and add it to emails or even a website,
if you run one, to ensure that as many people
as possible can view your Facebook presence.
The Messenger feature is included, but you
will be prompted to install the separate
Facebook Messenger app when you access
it. If you do this, you will be rewarded with a
very slick and easy to use instant messaging
app which takes full advantage of every social
feature on offer. This means that you can keep
in contact wherever you are and it is likely that
you will end up accessing Facebook more on
your Android device than you do at home. Use
the options in the main menu to poke friends,
add notes and status updates, and upload
interesting photos that you have just taken.
You can do it all on your phone or tablet and
your location or situation is no longer a barrier
to how you socialise online.

features like Nearby Places, you can tap a


couple of times to see full information on any
location (Fig 3). You will be presented with
contact details, a map that will open in Google
Maps and, perhaps most importantly, reviews
from Facebook friends. This means that you
can view potential local attractions without
needing to do any research and then gauge as
to if they are worth visiting at the same time.
The fact that Facebook is designed for social
interaction means that many of your friends
will likely be local anyway and so you can
do all of this when out and about with your
phone or tablet. If you trust the thoughts and
opinions of your friends, the simple addition
of a location-aware app on an Android device
could potentially replace many other services
which are designed to do a similar thing. The
Events feature, which you can access from
the main Facebook menu, will let you know
everything that your friends are doing and,
crucially, can be sorted to just show nearby
happenings. This potentially lets you meet
and interact face to face with your friends and
build stronger relationships, and its all thanks
to a simple app installed on a mobile device.
Facebook and your Android device help
wherever you are.

Where you are


Thanks to the GPS features built into Android
devices, the Facebook app will always
know where you are and this leads to much
advancement in terms of how you can use
the various features on offer. The local nature
of the setup means that when you access

Fig 3: Locations are handled in many features and benefit greatly


from the portability of phones and tablets. It all works well

Facebook local
You can socialise locally
Near the top of the main menu you will
see an item called Nearby Places. When
you tap this, a map will immediately
pop up showing local places that may
be worth visiting. Tap on any of the
map icons and you will then see details
of which friends have visited the same
location. At this point you will be able to
check in, like or review the same place,
but it is the implementation that is so
impressive. On an Android device, it
works just like on a desktop computer.

The Android Book 109

Facebook

Enjoy every Facebook feature


Facebook is as flexible and easy to use on an Android device as it is on desktop computers

Sign up and log in to Facebook

1: The main screen

2: Signing up

3: Logging in

4: Conditions

5: You are set up

Click the link at the


bottom of the Facebook
app welcome screen.

Enter your correct details


in the webpage and then
tap Sign Up.

Once you have a


username and password,
you can log into Facebook.

You will then need to OK


a series of conditions for
using the app.

The main Facebook


screen will now appear.
You are ready to socialise.

Check in no matter where you are

Use Facebooks
widget

1: Tap the button

2: The location

From the front screen, tap the Check In icon at


the top right to start checking in.

Choose a suitable, or the nearest, location on


the resultant list to show where you are.

1: Find the widget

3: Add meaning

4: Checked in

2: No more to do

Now type in a message to explain exactly


what you are doing in that particular location.

Tap Post and your check-in message will be


published immediately for everyone to see.

You can now read updates and click


Share to add a new post to Facebook.

110 The Android Book

Find the Facebook widget via your app


drawer. Drag it to the home screen.

Facebook
Edit your profile when changes occur

Start a new
Facebook chat

1: Find online friends


Tap the upper right icon to see which of
your friends are currently online.

1: The main icon

2: Cover photos

3: Add a photo

Tap the top left-hand icon to


bring up a list of options. You
will see your name at the top
tap it to see your current
profile displayed.

There are a few settings that


can be changed here. Tap
on Add Cover Photo in the
centre of the top panel to
bring up the photo selector.

Now choose a new photo,


which will take a few seconds
to upload. Tap Save and it will
be displayed on your profile
page for all to see.

2: Select a friend
Select any friend to then be presented
with the clean-looking chat screen.

3: Send a message
Type a message in the bottom bar and
then tap Send to start the chat.

4: All about you

5: Your picture

6: The settings

Tap the About icon and then


the top line. You will now see
a series of options that you
can complete to add more
weight to your profile.

Tap your profile picture and


then select Edit Profile Picture.
You can choose a substitute
image to replace the currently
displayed photo.

As part of updating your


account, scroll to the bottom
and select Account Settings
to amend your email address
or password if required.

Youll see a series of options that you can


complete to add weight to your profile

4: Add emoticons
You can tap the smiley face in the chat
box to use one of many emoticons.

The Android Book 111

Google+

Google+
Up your social game by connecting with friends on the Google+ platform and sharing and
engaging with colleagues and public users

What it can do:

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See what friends are doing

t4IBSFMPDBUJPOT
Tell pals where you are

t4IBSFQIPUPT
Share images with others

Use Google+ to keep in touch


Make Google+ part of your online life and use it seamlessly with other Google offerings
Get social
user is automatically assigned an account
There are different categories of circles, such
Google+ is an integrated social network that
aims to do much more than rivals such as
Facebook or Twitter can. Using the power
and reach of Googles other products, the
application aims to bring together every
aspect of your online social list and includes
features that are specific to smartphone users.
Much like other sites, Google+ revolves around
your own profile, which you can set up to
include as much or as little information about
yourself as you like. Each Google account

112 The Android Book

that is linked to their email address, so to


start its just a matter of making sure the app
is downloaded onto your device and then
launching it and choosing an account. Once
your account is live, Google will attempt to
suggest friends and people you know by
using contact information on your device and
in your email. Circles is the Google+ equivalent
of friending others or following them and
you dont need permission to add anyone to
your circles and see what they post publicly.

as Friends, Family and Acquaintances. As you


post information and share images, you can
specify which circles get to see them.

Access interesting content


Rather than just pushing out updates to
friends and family, Google+ also aims to
integrate with the wider community including
brands, people and places of interest. The app
will give you a constant stream of suggestions
of people you might know and want to add

Google+

Fig 1: Get content from people, places and brands of interest by


searching for them or adding them as they get recommended

Fig 2: Create an event, invite all your Google+ contacts and


manage details of those coming along in the Events section

into your circles as well as pages that might


be of interest to you (Fig 1). The more you
use the app and customise it to your own
personal taste, the more youll get out of it.
Because youll be receiving content from
many different places, such as your friends and
family as well as organisations, Google+ makes
it easy to filter what youre seeing. In the main
content stream you can choose to view posts
from different circles, such as acquaintances
only. This feature is useful to keep at bay an
overwhelming amount of updates and not
miss the important ones from people closest
to you. Reading posts is just one half of the
function of the app: putting out your own
posts is the other. Creating a post is simple
once you learn how and it can include images,
your location, as well as quirky information
such as what mood youre in. As mentioned,
you can share this with whichever group of
people you specify, meaning you can be as
private or public as you want to be.

events. The events function lets you create


new events and invite contacts. It also keeps
track of any events youre invited to. Tap on
the Events to see anything thats coming up
(Fig 2) or create your own event. The simple
but beautiful design lets you create lovely
invitations that set the mood for any event and
give everyone invited all the information they
need. Once an event is in progress, Google+
users can automatically upload photos and
share information as it happens. This is an
especially useful way to get hold of the snaps
you see people taking, without having to ask
them to email them to you at a later date.
Because Google+ works on the basis of
Google accounts, it is possible to have more
than one profile depending on whether you
have a personal and work Google account. If
you talk about and share work-specific info
on one account, having them split up is a real
benefit. To see which account youre working
with and switch between the two, open the
Settings menu and find the Account options.
Tick the account you want to use or choose
to add an account to the Google+ application
(Fig 3). You cant be logged into more that
one account at one time, so be sure to switch
between the ones you need.

Events and accounts


Because Google+ brings together all the
people you love in one place, as well as those
you work and interact with, its also a good
place to mobilise people and create and share

Fig 3: Switch between your Google accounts if you have more than
one Google+ profile that you use

Location sharing
Check your settings
The functionality of Google+ is enhanced
by the location features which allow
users to tag posts with their current
whereabouts, making it easy for people
close by to see whats going on in the
area. Take care when setting your own
location preferences as you might not
want everyone to be able to track your
every post. Go to the Location option
and tap the Menu button to bring up
location sharing. Here you can choose
to share your location with people in a
selected circle, rather than every user.

The Android Book 113

Google+

Install and set up the Google+ app


Download Google+ from the Play Store and start using it to connect with others

Set up Google+

1: Find in Store

2: Choose account

3: Set up profile

4: Find friends

5: Choose a circle

Launch Google Play and


locate the app in the
store. Tap on Install.

Select which Gmail


account you want to
associate with Google+.

Specify how your info will


appear to other users. You
can also add a photo.

Use suggestions to find


friends and then add
them to your circles.

Choose whether to add


people as family, friends
or acquaintances.

View content streams

Like a
Google+ post

1: Choose a stream

2: See whats hot

Content streams include Friends and Family.


Choose one to view what people are saying.

View the most popular posts and see whats


trending by tapping Whats hot.

1: Click to like

3: Content by location

4: View all content

2: Add a comment

Tap Nearby to see posts from people in your


vicinity. Location services must be turned on.

View all available streams by tapping All and


then scrolling down with a swipe gesture.

To say something about a post, tap


Comment and type your message.

114 The Android Book

Tap the + icon on a post to 1-up it. Folks


in your circles will see what you like.

Google+
Manage your circles

Create a new
Google+ post

1: Navigate home
Open the side menu and tap Home to
go to your page so you can write a post.

1: Create new circle

2: Add to a circle

3: Delete a circle

From the main screen, tap the


G+ icon then People. Scroll
right to the bottom of the
screen and select Create New
Circle. Give the circle a name.

Search for a person or view


suggestions and tap the Add
button to add them. Select
which circle you want to add
them to and tap OK.

Scroll down to the Circle


section on the People page
and tap a circle to view all in
it. Tap the Menu button and
then tap Delete Circle.

2: Tap to write
Tap the green icon on the bottom right
of the screen to start writing a post.

3: Add info
Type in your post and add a location,
photo or link if you want to.

4: Remove person

5: Circle settings

6: Add followers

Tap a circle at the bottom


of the People page. Tap the
blue icon next to a contact to
change which circle(s) theyre
in or take them out of one.

Navigate to one of your circle


pages and tap the Menu
button. Select Circle Settings
and make any customisations
you want.

If someone has added you


to their circles youll get a
notification. You can add
them back by tapping their
name and choosing Add.

Tap the blue icon next to a contact to


change which circle(s) theyre in

4: Choose your circles


Choose to make the post public or share
with certain circles or people. Tap Post.

The Android Book 115

Hangouts

Hangouts
Engage in free text chats and even video calls with friends and colleagues, or a group of
them at once, using the Google Hangouts app

What it can do:

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Start talking to your contacts

t(SPVQDIBUT
Invite numerous contacts

t7JEFPDBMMT
Make calls across devices

Make group calls and video chats


Keep in touch with everyone thanks to chat, messages and video across mobile and desktop
The problem with having friends with Apple
devices is that they tend to use FaceTime for
video calls, but with Hangouts everyone can
get involved, whether they use Android, iOS
or computers with webcams. You can send
photos and emoji characters to friends with
chat messages, even if they arent online at
that moment. When they are, connect to up
to ten friends for video calling. Hangouts is
part of the Google+ system, so on a computer
it works via the web browser and any friends
need to have signed up to Google+ to use

116 The Android Book

it. Theyll also need to install a web-browser


add-on for voice and video chat. On Android
devices, though, its a separate app. Again, to
access picture sending and group chat, you
need to join Google+.
You start by adding contacts, by name,
email or circle. The trouble with using a name
is that its almost impossible to find the right
person, unless they have an unusual name.
Its much easier to use an email address. Just
type it in and tap OK. When it connects to
their Hangouts or Google+ account, a profile

picture will appear and you can contact them


via message or video call. Each chat is a new
Hangout and the entire conversation can be
archived so you can read it again later. Other
people can be invited to join in, no matter
what device theyre using. If you want your
image to appear next to your messages, youll
need to sign in to a Google+ account. You
can join Google+ from within the app: tap the
Menu button, then Settings and youll find the
option to join under Account. There are also
options for sound messages and requests.

Hangouts

How to make a call


Start messages, group chats or video calls to contacts

Alter Hangout
settings

Start a video call to a friend

1: Take a break from it


Snooze from notifications by tapping
Menu>Snooze and selecting a time.

1: Find address/name

2: Start the video call

3: In-call options

Tap on the left pane and then


enter the email address of the
desired contact. Tap on it
when it appears.

The relevant contact will


appear. Tap on the Video Call
option at the bottom of the
screen to start a call.

During a call, tap the screen


to show options for ending
the call, going to the message
thread etc.

2: Archive a conversation
To archive a conversation, simply swipe
over the Hangout list on the left.

Start a chat with numerous friends

3: Add a profile photo


Tap the Menu button, then Settings and
Profile Photo to add from Google+.

1: Add the contacts

2: Include others

3: Talk to everyone

Tap the + icon to start a new


Hangout and type the first
friend to invite (or tap from
the Frequently Contacted list).

Use the same process to add


all other people you want
included, then tap on the
Message button.

Simply start typing


your messages and the
conversation will appear for
everyone to see.

4: Customise new requests


In Settings, tap Customise Requests.
Define who can ask from your circles.

The Android Book 117

ChatON

ChatON

Chat with your friends by text, voice or video on mobile devices or computers using the
ChatON messaging service

What it can do:

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Talk to folks on other devices

t4FOEBWJEFP
Record and transmit video

t6TFBOJDPOT
Send animated messages

Use global mobile messaging


Use ChatON to message phones, tablets and computers, wherever they are in the world
If you arent a fan of the all-pervasive Google
apps for chatting then the ChatON messenger
might be more up your street. For starters,
you wont have to join Google+ to use it. You
do need a Samsung account, which you can
set up via a Samsung device if youre using
one. If not, its easy to set one up as it simply
uses your existing email address and adds a
password. Download the ChatON Android app
from the Play Store or register at the website
www.chaton.com to chat from a computer
its even available in the iOS App Store.

118 The Android Book

The basics are that once you have registered


yourself, you need to add some friends, or
buddies. To do this, tap Add Buddy to see four
options. Firstly there are suggestions, but it
takes over 24 hours from signing up for any
to appear. You can tell friends, which entails
emailing them a link to download the app. A
phone number can be added, but it has to
be registered against an account of a ChatON
subscriber, so you cant just add regular phone
contacts. The final option is to search by ID.
This looks for the email address registered to

a Samsung account, so again, it has to have


been registered. Once you have people added
as buddies, you can then involve them all in
chat conversations. Basic conversations are by
text message, but you can add emoticons and
anicons, record a voice message or tap Attach.
This allows a number of different types of
media to be inserted, from video and photos
to locations, animessages and contacts. The
photos and video can be from regular storage
on your device or you can use the camera to
record single images and clips and send them.

ChatON

Use text and voice


Chat to your new contacts using various forms of media

Draw and send


animessages

Chat with buddies on other devices

1: Create new message


In a chat session, tap on the paper-clip
icon, then on the Animessage icon.

1: Add a buddy

2: Enter details

3: Start chatting

To add a new contact, you


can either search or tap on
the plus person icon. Here,
tap on Search by ID.

Type in their Samsung


account email address. Then
tap on the + symbol in the
result field.

Tap on Chats then on the +


symbol. Select the contact
and then tap Done. Now you
can chat with them.

2: Start the drawing


Tap + and draw the first frame of the
message with the pencil tool.

Update and personalise your profile

3: Add effects and pages


Select other tools for coloured
backgrounds, fills and overlay graphics.

1: Add profile photo

2: Add your birthday

3: Personal message

Tap on your profile, then on


the photo slot, then on the
+ symbol to select a suitable
image to use.

Tap on My Page and then on


the i symbol. Tap on Add
your birthday if you want to
include it.

Tap on the pencil icon and


write something for your
status message. This will
appear under your name.

4: Preview then save


Tap on the Play icon to preview the
animation and Done when finished.

The Android Book 119

Skype

Skype
Get in touch with friends by video-calling their phones, tablets and desktop computers,
no matter where they live

What it can do:

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Let others contact you

t.BLFBWJEFPDBMM
Get in touch with video chat

t$BMMPUIFSQIPOFT
Make calls to other devices

Make video calls to your contacts


Send messages, files or simply chat with other people on their phone, tablet or computer
Get started with Skype
numbers. Theres a marketing opt-in box at the to have missed Skype calls redirected to your
Once the app has been downloaded from
the Play Store and installed, tap on it to run.
If you already have a Skype account, you can
now sign in with it (Fig 1), or sign in using a
Microsoft account. If you are using Windows 8,
this is the same account details that were used
there. Otherwise the first option is to create
a new account. Tap on this option and agree
with Skype that you cant make emergency
calls with it. Then create a Skype username,
password and add your email and phone

120 The Android Book

bottom untick it to opt out.


The next thing to do is edit your profile.
Tap on the profile icon at the top, to the right.
Select View profile. Tap on your name to see
your Personal and Contact details. Scroll down
to the bottom and tap Edit to make changes
to both of these. In Contact details you should
have your primary email and phone details.
You can add others but its worth tapping
Verify your number and confirming it so it
shows when you call other phones, and also

mobile. Tap on Save when you have finished


making any changes, then go back to the
main menu to change the profile photo.

Configure your settings


Once an account has been created, you can
configure it to work the way you want. Start
by tapping on the Settings icon at the top
right. The first option is whether to sign in
automatically or not. If you share the device,
this isnt a good idea; if not, it saves time.

Skype

Fig 1: Sign in with either a Skype account or use your Microsoft


account details (these are the same as the ones on Windows 8)

Fig 2: Receive notifications when people send you messages. Set


this to the most appropriate effect type

Next, when you get going with Skype youll


be adding contacts. Those contacts can be
shared and added to your devices address
book. More important is Skype notification
settings. Tap on this to receive alerts for new
instant messages. These can be flagged up
by adding sound, light or vibrations, where
supported. If you use Skype a lot, you may
want to turn the Skype status to On so that
it shows whether you are busy, available or
already chatting to someone (Fig 2).
On to the Privacy settings then and instant
messages are set for contacts only, whereas
calls can come from anyone. You might want
to untick the box that gives Microsoft carte
blanche to pester you with adverts. Finally,
video quality is automatically set to High,
which is great for Wi-Fi. If you use a cellular
connection like 3G though, it will save data
usage if this is set to Low.

for those extras, you need to pay. You can call


mobiles and landlines around the world at
lower rates than what a mobile carrier would
charge. You can send text messages for a few
pence and have group video calls with up
to ten people network traffic willing. There
are two ways of setting up payments. The
first is Skype Credit, where you charge a set
amount of money for your account and use it
whenever needed. Skype Credit doesnt expire
you just use it when you make those paidfor calls. There are also various subscription
models, which make for cheaper calls overall
but require a higher financial commitment.
Tap on your profile icon and then on the S
symbol next to how much credit you have.
This shows a pop-up box detailing how much
credit you have and offering the option to buy
credit or subs directly from your device. You
can also buy it from www.skype.com. Tap
on Buy credit on your device and the initial
option is to buy 10 of credit, which actually
costs you 11.50 (Fig 3). On the desktop theres
the option to buy 20 credit, costing 23.
Theres a checkbox that will automatically bill
you for more credit any time your account falls
below 2. This is set to on, so you may want to
turn that off.

The payment options


If you wanted to, you could use Skype and
never pay a penny to anyone. You get free
video and voice calls to any of your contacts
who are also using the Skype app. You also
get free instant messaging and file sharing.
However, Skype can do more than this, but

Fig 3: Add Skype credit and pay VAT on what you order. You can
also pay in a number of other currencies. Tap Continue to set it up

Quick answers
Change your call setting
One of the options in Settings is to
have any calls answered automatically.
This can be useful, but it depends on
where you are using Skype. On your
desktop computer or Android device,
when you are at home for the evening,
an automatic connection saves having
to accept the call, particularly if youve
just gone out of the room for a minute.
On a phone or tablet with a cellular
connection its less useful because if in
the car you may not hear it connect.

The Android Book 121

Skype

Start messaging and making calls


Fill out your profile, add contacts, use instant messaging and make video and phone calls

Create and edit your Skype profile

1: Create account

2: Fill out details

3: Your profile

4: Start editing

5: Brief description

From the start screen, tap


on Create account. Type
in your personal details.

Add your email and


phone numbers, then tap
the tick icon to create it.

Tap on the profile icon,


then on View profile. Tap
on your name to see it.

Scroll down and tap on


Edit. Now fill in missing
elements for your profile.

Save then go back. Tap on


the profile image to add a
photo or replace one.

Add a friend to your list of contacts

Set your status


and mood

1: Add new contacts

2: Enter the name

On the main page, tap Add contacts, under


People. All your contacts will appear here.

You can type in the full name (not advisable),


email address or Skype name of your contact.

1: Are you in or out?

3: Select the result

4: Send request

2: Add mood message

Tap on the best matching result that comes


up. On the next screen, tap Add to contacts.

This produces an editable contact request. Tap


Send. When they accept, they will be added.

While there, type in a mood message to


let people know how you are feeling.

122 The Android Book

Tap on your profile icon and toggle


between Available and Invisible statuses.

Skype
Make video calls to your contacts

Call mobile
and landlines

1: Calling phones abroad


To make an overseas call, tap on the
phone icon, then select which country.

1: Select the contact

2: Make a video call

3: In-call options

Tap on the contact you want


to call, under the People
heading. If you have lots of
contacts, tap on the right
arrow to see them all listed.

Youll see any previous


conversations here. At the
top, tap the camera icon to
start a video call. When they
answer, the video begins.

Tap the screen to see options.


There are ones to end the call,
switch to the message screen,
turn the microphone off and
switch the video camera.

2: Enter the number


Type in the telephone number and area
code, then press the blue call button.

3: Calling options
When connected, you can end the call,
send a text message or turn the mic off.

4: Send messages

5: Send files instantly

6: Bring in others

To just chat using the instant


messaging service, type a
message into the field at the
bottom and then tap on the
right arrow key to send.

To send files or send a video


message, tap on the + sign
at the bottom and select
that option. For files, you can
select from Dropbox as well.

To add others to the


conversation, tap the + sign
and select Add participants.
Then type in their contact
name to add to the thread.

In-call options let you end the call, turn


the mic off and switch the video camera

4: Not enough credit


If the credit runs out mid-call, you will
go to the credit top-up option menu.

The Android Book 123

Google Drive

Google Drive
With the Google Drive app, you can upload and store your files in one location, accessible from
any device ideal for sharing and collaborating on documents

What it can do:

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Create and edit documents

t4FBSDIRVJDLMZ
Find files with filters

t4IBSFZPVSXPSL
Collaborate with others

Store files with Google Drive


Make life easier to manage by putting all your files straight into the palm of your hand
Free cloud storage
stored on Google Drive arent kept on your
itself with your device and apps, allowing you
Google Drives free cloud storage facility and
office suite allow you to upload files onto
Googles servers so you can then access them
from any Android or iOS device, computer
or web browser. Much like Dropbox, Google
Drive is an easy way to put all of your vital
files in one place. Being cloud based, Google
Drive requires a Wi-Fi or data network
connection to access your files. However, you
can also make the files available offline so
you can access them anywhere. Files that are

124 The Android Book

device instead, the filename is made visible


and tapping on it results in the file being
downloaded to your device and opened.
With this approach to file storage, you can
store gigabytes of data on Google Drive, then
simply select which file or document you want
to download and access. All of this happens
seamlessly within the app. In theory you could
upload an entire hard drive of content to
Google Drive, then browse through it on your
device. On top of this, Google Drive integrates

to share Drive-stored files and upload files to


Drive that are stored on your device (Fig 1).

In-app office suite


Google Drives office features let you create
word documents and spreadsheets on your
Android device. When using Google Drive
through a web browser, youll also be able
to create presentations, forms, coding scripts
and design work. At a later date, some of
these features will most likely be added to the

Google Drive

Fig 1: As long as youve got a Wi-Fi or data connection, you can


upload and download your files with Google Drive

Fig 2: Use permission controls to determine exactly what a user can


and cannot do when accessing your Google Drive documents

Android app version. Word documents and


spreadsheets are created in a similar vein to
any other office program, such as Microsoft
Word or Excel. One of the added benefits
of creating documents that are stored on a
cloud service is how easy it is to share and
collaborate with other users. Not only can
you provide access to a document to another
Google user, but you can allow them to edit
and comment on it. You can even work on
the same document simultaneously, viewing
another users amendments as they go.
Drive-created documents can be shared
by providing users with access to them (Fig
2), as well as sending out a link, emailing
the document or printing it. You can also
download a copy of a document into a PDF
format, making it universally readable to
people you want to share it with who dont
have Google Drive.

the Google Drive upload tool to locate a file


from your device or an app and place it in your
My Drive folder. From the bottom toolbar you
can upload files, create documents and scan
physical documents with your camera. Tap
the Scan icon, then point your camera at the
document you want scanned (Fig 3). Turn on
the flash if needed, then tap the blue button.
In the next window, a preview of the scanned
item will appear, where youll be able to edit
the image and then upload it to Google
Drive. All uploads can be found in the Upload
window, accessible from the main menu of
Google Drive where you can also manage
your folders, access your offline documents
and increase your Drives storage space.
Whenever you open a file in Google Drive,
its data will be added to a cache, which can
build up over time. Tap the Menu button then
Settings, then tap Change Size to set a limit for
how much data will be downloaded and kept
on your device from Drive. From the Settings
window you can also clear the current cache
to free up some space.
With free storage space of 15GB and the
ability to quickly upload and share files with
others, Google Drive is the number-one app
for a fast workflow when managing your files.

Complete integration
When managing files in Google Drive, you can
arrange and upload items into folders. When
running an app on your device that contains
files of any type and has a share function,
youll be able to send them directly to your
Drive account from the app. Or you can use

Fig 3: Scanning documents that are uploaded straight to your Drive


is a good way to keep track of receipts and important papers

Quickoffice app
Googles pocket office
Google Quickoffice is available from
the Play Store. Quickoffice lets you
create documents, spreadsheets and
presentations. You can also use it to open
and edit Microsoft Office files. It offers
similar tools to Google Drive, but with
an extra emphasis on office functions.
An added benefit is that Quickoffice lets
you open files stored on your device,
without having to upload them to Drive
before working on them. Its the perfect
companion to Google Drive.

The Android Book 125

Google Drive

Cloud storage for everything


Gain fast access to all of your most important files and documents no matter where you are

Create and upload a Drive document

1: Google Drive

2: Google sign in

3: Create a doc

4: Edit your doc

5: Upload a doc

Download Google Drive


from the Play Store, then
open it on your device.

Sign in with a Google


account. At the bottom of
the app, tap Create.

In the Create window, tap


Document, then give a
title to the document.

Add to your document.


When youre finished, tap
on the tick icon.

Once youve saved your


document, it will be
uploaded to Google Drive.

Buy storage space for Google Drive

Delete a file
from Drive

1: Drive storage

2: Choose your plan

Open the Google Drive menu, then tap your


storage info at the bottom of the menu.

Sign into your account. Choose a storage


option. Tap the arrow for more choices.

1: Select the file

3: Payment method

4: Upgrade storage

2: Remove the file

If you dont yet have a card registered with


Google, tap Add a new payment method.

Once youve added your card details, tap Buy.


Your storage will be automatically updated.

Tap Remove. Removed files will be


deleted from your entire Drive folder.

126 The Android Book

In the My Drive window, press and hold


on a file that you want to delete.

Google Drive
Format your Google Drive documents

Manage files on
Google Drive

1: Preview with tiles


Tap on the tile icon to view files as tiles,
making files easier to preview.

1: Format tools

2: Editing text

3: Text alignment

Open or create a Drive


document. Swipe along the
toolbar to access different
formatting options, including
the ability to format text.

Press and hold on text to


select it. Drag the pins either
side of the text to change
your selection, then apply the
desired formatting tools.

Tap the alignment option


in the toolbar. An options
window will appear. Choose
an alignment. Most tools
have an options window.

2: Move a file in Drive


Press and hold on a file. In the menu, tap
Move to to view all your folders.

3: Create a new folder


Tap the new folder icon and name the
folder. Then tap OK to confirm.

4: Insert tables

5: Edit an object

6: Delete objects

Tap on the table icon. In the


options window, swipe the
rows and columns to get the
desired number within the
blue box. Tap Insert table.

With an object such as a table


in your document, tap on it
to edit it. Tap the + icon to
add a row or column, and use
the corner pin to resize.

Tap a box in the table, then


the arrow icon from the popup. Here you can add and
remove rows and columns,
and delete the table.

Swipe along the toolbar to access


different formatting options

4: Move files to folders


Tap Move and your selected file will be
sent to the newly created folder.

The Android Book 127

Quickoffice

Quickoffice
Learn how to create, open and share word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation
documents for when you need to do some work on your Android device

What it can do:

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Start with a word processor

t6TF%SJWFTUPSBHF
Access files from the cloud

t*ODPSQPSBUFHSBQIJDT
Add images and charts

Create office files for your work


Quickoffice lets you create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations
All around the interface
one, and next to it is a + sign. This again
then be able to navigate around the internal
Launch the Quickoffice app you can
download it free from the Play Store if needed.
Any recently opened files are listed first, then
theres the icon for opening an existing file
and finally, there are three icons for creating
the main file types supported: documents,
spreadsheets and presentations. As can be
seen, Quickoffice supports Microsoft Office
formats. Along the top of the screen are a few
more options. Firstly theres another Open
Document icon, which duplicates the other

128 The Android Book

duplicates the Create New File icons below.


Whats more important, though, are the
options that are used when you tap on Open
File. Now, on the left side theres a new menu
which contains locations to look in for files to
open. Theres a search function and a sorting
option next to it. On the far right is a final
menu that has two options one for changing
to a grid view and the other for Settings. Tap
on this and in the options, tap on Display
advanced devices (Fig 1). By doing this you will

filing structure of your Android device, looking


for the files you want, rather than be restricted
to just the few main locations that the app
would otherwise use.

Use the word processor


Load or create a document and then all the
options available for editing will appear on the
top row of the screen. To start with, the disc
icon can Save in the current format or Save as,
which lets you choose how and where to save

Quickoffice

Fig 1: Turn the Display advanced devices option on or you will find
it hard to navigate to where you want to store your file

Fig 2: There are a number of text style options, such as selecting the
font size and typeface. You can add bullet points and more

the document. The other option here is to


bring up Details for the document, which also
prompts some new options. These include
Save as, Share and Print. Share is the next icon
on the main edit screen anyway and this offers
options for Bluetooth, Email, Gmail, Drive (the
cloud storage) and then any relevant apps you
might have installed like ChatON, Kindle and
Skype. The A icon is where most of the editing
functions reside (Fig 2). Here you can set the
font type, size and colour, add highlights,
bold and italics. The paragraph heading is for
formatting, which includes text justification,
line spacing, drop caps, image wraparound,
bullet points and numbered points. The next
icon is one for inserting images, page breaks
or tables and finally, theres a drop down menu
for navigation options. These include jumping
to specific pages, find and replace, spell check,
printing and a reading view.

slightly different, though. Tap on the A symbol


and while the font options are the same, there
are now entries for Alignment, Border and Cell
(Fig 3). The Alignment offering can arrange
text in the cells vertically, as well as horizontally.
For the borders theres a choice of thickness
and colour and also group cell bordering to
save time. Cells themselves have an adjustable
width and height, can be merged or have the
content automatically fitted. You can also hide
rows and columns. One of the most important
options is to format the cell data type such
as date, time, percentage, scientific and plain
text. For spreadsheets, the + sign means that
charts and links can be embedded, while
the navigation options from the final top row
menu icon allow you to freeze elements, find
and replace content and jump to specific
cells. Finally, multiple sheets are supported,
as well as calculations. Tap on a cell to see
any calculation stored for it. The formula
then appears on the formula line above and
follows the same syntax as those in Microsofts
Excel. Basic navigation is handled by pinching
and spreading to zoom in an out. You can
rotate the device sideways to get more of the
spreadsheet into view horizontally. To edit a
cell, simply double-tap on it.

Spreadsheets and more


The other two functions in Quickoffice are
spreadsheets and presentations. Tap on the
spreadsheet function and load a file to see
whats on offer. The menu system follows
the same path, with Save and Share being
identical in function. The editing menu is

Fig 3: Content can be formatted within the cell. The cells are
adjustable and the contents can be set as a variety of data types

Format support
Work on the files you need
Quickoffice is a modern office app, but
what file formats does it support? Well,
the good news is that it creates .docx
files, as used in the latest version of MS
Word, and it will let you view and edit
.doc files, the default in Word up to
2003. The same applies with Excel and
PowerPoint compatible files it creates
the latest formats and supports standard
.xls and .ppt formats. Quickoffice also
supports plain .txt text files and can be
used to view and annotate .pdf files.

The Android Book 129

Quickoffice

Creating and loading office files


Discover how to use, format and edit office documents, spreadsheets and presentations

Open an existing file in Quickoffice

1: Change settings

2: Turn on devices

3: Select a file

4: Start editing it

5: Save your work

Tap Open File and then


Settings, in the top-right
drop-down menu.

Tick the Display advanced


devices box, then tap on
the Open from menu.

Browse to the location


where the file is stored,
then tap on it to load.

Zoom in to the view and


tap on any text to bring
up the keyboard to edit it.

Tap the disc icon and


select Save as to use a
different name/location.

Create a document in Quickoffice

Alter document
settings

1: Create new file

2: Alternative option

From the main menu, tap the W icon, under


Create new file, to create a new document.

Or tap + on the top row and select New


document from the drop-down menu.

1: Easy reading view

3: Decide on fonts

4: Save your new file

2: Turn on the checker

Tap on the A icon and then on the entry for


the font typeface. Select which one to use.

Start typing, then tap on the disc icon, then on


Save as so the new file is saved to storage.

Tap on Settings and turn on the spell


check. Unknown words are underlined.

130 The Android Book

Open a document as normal, then tap


on Settings and select Reading view.

Quickoffice
Create spreadsheets and presentations

Share docs by
email and Drive

1: Start sharing the doc


From the document edit screen, tap the
Share icon and select Email (or Gmail).

1: New file please

2: Resize columns

3: Enter text & values

To create a new spreadsheet,


tap on the Spreadsheet icon
under the Create new file
heading, or select it from the
+ sign drop-down menu.

Starting on sheet 1, to resize a


column width, either tap on
the dividing line between it
and the next column or tap
on A then Cell and adjust.

Tap on a cell to enter text or


a numerical value. To enter a
formula, select the cell then
tap on the formula line and
enter it in Excel format.

2: Fill out the details


Enter the address of the recipient, add a
text message, then tap on Send.

3: Uploading to Drive
To store the doc in cloud storage, tap on
Share again and select Drive.

4: New presentation

5: Enter some text

6: Adding elements

To create a presentation, tap


on the option under Create
new file or from the + sign
drop-down menu. It starts
with just one basic slide.

Tap on a placeholder and


type in text for it. Tap on the
A icon for access to fonts,
paragraph formatting and
using custom colour fills.

Tap the + sign and select


from images, text or shapes.
Resize or rotate images. Tap
on Play to preview, or the
grey + to add a new slide.

In a presentation, tap the + sign and


select from images, text or shapes

4: Select correct folder


Tap on My Drive and select the folder to
store it in. Tap Select then OK to save.

The Android Book 131

Google Keep

Google Keep
Start using Googles versatile note-taking app to record thoughts, create to-do lists and more

What it can do:

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Create quick and easy notes

t"EESFNJOEFST
Get notifications for events

t4ZODOPUFT
See notes in Google Now

Store all your thoughts with Keep


Introducing Googles essential personal organiser that ensures that you never forget
Google Keep is an extremely useful app
for capturing whatevers on your mind
and ensuring that you are reminded about
key events. Via a simple interface, you can
create checklists, voice notes or take in-app
photos that you can annotate with ideas and
observations. Whats more, everything you
add to Keep is made instantly available on all
your devices and is synced to other Google
services (as long as you are logged into the
same account), such as Google Now, without
you having to lift a finger.

132 The Android Book

There are many ways in which you can


utilise the features of this versatile app. You can
keep track of your thoughts through notes,
lists and photos, add reminders to important
notes (and be reminded via Google Now),
have voice notes transcribed automatically
and use widgets to capture your thoughts
quickly. You also have full freedom over how
your notes are presented. Any notes you create
are automatically placed in your Google Keep
screen space and from there you can longpress notes to move them around, colour-

code them, share them via a wide range of


services and delete any you no longer need.
You can also transform notes into handy
to-do lists by adding checkboxes and access
your notes from anywhere (they are all stored
on the web at keep.google.com so you can
access them from any web browser). So now
the big question is how have you managed
without this app for so long? Give your brain
a rest by lightening its load and feed your
thoughts into the handy and ever-reliable
Google Keep app instead.

Google Keep

Feed thoughts to Keep


Start creating notes, setting reminders and staying in sync

Integrate with
Google Drive

Create notes

1: Select a note
Long-press a note, list or photo, then tap
the Share icon (right) in the top row.

1: Tap the note icon

2: Add details

3: See your note

Tap on the note icon (left) or


tap the Add quick note text
field to add a simple note to
your screen space.

Add a title and text by


tapping the respective field,
then tap the top-left Keep
icon to save your note.

The note appears in Keep.


Long-press to drag it to a
new position; tap the palette
icon to change its colour.

2: Select Google Drive


From the sharing menu, choose Drive
and an upload details screen will appear.

Sync reminders with Google Now

3: Add details
Add a title. Select the Google account,
then a folder in your Drive. Tap on OK.

1: Add a reminder

2: Sync Google Now

3: Tap on reminders

To add a reminder, long-press


the note, then tap the bell
icon on the top row. You can
now select a date and time.

In Google Now, tap Menu,


then Settings. In Accounts &
Privacy, ensure youre signed
into the same account.

Still in Now, tap the reminder


icon in the lower-left corner
and all the reminders youve
created in Keep will be listed.

4: Check Drive
In the Drive app, tap the top-left icon.
Choose Uploads to see your document.

The Android Book 133

Dropbox

Dropbox
Back up your images and documents to the cloud and share files with colleagues and friends,
straight from your Android device

What it can do:

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Store your data online

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Send others files and folders

t"DDFTTPGGMJOF
Star files to view offline

Store and share files with Dropbox


Access your files anywhere you are by adding the Dropbox app to your Android device
Using your Dropbox
and every time you do use it, whether on
of storage space (Fig 1). If youre happy with
Dropbox has become a household name,
among techno-literate folks at least, and has
proved especially useful for people who want
to share big folders and files with each other
for free. It is essentially cloud-based storage,
meaning that any files that you upload are
stored online in the cloud and you dont
have to worry about them getting lost even if
your device does.
Youll need to sign up for an account
before you start using the Dropbox service

134 The Android Book

your mobile device or your desktop, you


should use this same account. Dropbox is
free to join and youll start off with a free
space allowance of 5.5GB. You can build this
up by doing things such as inviting friends
to join. Once youve signed up, any offers like
this will be made clear to you. If you expect
youll need a lot more space, possibly if you
handle a lot of video or images, you can
also become a premium user by paying a
monthly subscription fee and getting 100GB

a free account, you can start uploading files


immediately and Dropbox will automatically
tell you when your account gets full.

Uploading and media


Dropbox can handle any file type you
might want to throw at it, from simple word
documents and PDFs through to multimedia
files. All files are uploaded in the same way, the
only difference being how long each takes to
upload. Media files will typically take a longer

Dropbox

Fig 1: Get more space if you need it by signing up to a premium


account, which you pay for every month

time to upload than simple text files. Dropbox


is unique in the way it handles media in that
you can listen to audio and watch video
streamed directly via the app, rather than
having to download them first. This is a useful
tool if youre not sure what is contained in an
audio file and you need to listen to it first.
To make things easier, you can rename and
organise files directly in the application, too. To
rename a file, long-press on the file and then
tap the Rename option. Type in a new name
and then tap Rename to complete (Fig2).
Youll also find options to group files into
folders and create new folders as you need.
When sharing multiple files with others, its
always easiest to group the files into a folder
and then share the entire folder with them,
rather than going through each item to share
them individually.

Extra functions
Backing up files that is, keeping a copy of
everything you have safe in case you lose
your phone or device is something that
many people neglect. Dropbox makes it easy
to back up files as you go, especially your
precious photographs. One great feature that
Dropbox has is the option to automatically

Fig 2: Rename your files by tapping the side options on each


thumbnail, or long-pressing, and then typing in a new name

upload every image you take on your device


to a Dropbox folder. When you switch the
feature on, youll never need to worry about
backing up an image again. However, you
should beware that if you take a lot of pictures,
especially ones youll probably not want to
keep, your Dropbox could fill up quickly. To
delete any from the folder, launch the app,
find the images, tap on each one and select
the Delete option.
Dropbox includes a few additional functions
and features that are worth knowing about.
One is the ability to search for files and folders
using a keyword. From any screen, tap the
Search icon in the top-right corner and then
use the keyboard to type in a search term
(Fig3). The app will look through your files
and offer you a list of search results. The public
folder that comes with each Dropbox account
is another one to be aware of. Anything you
put into this folder will generate its own link,
which means you can share files and folders
with anyone even if theyre not a Dropbox
user. Once you move a file into the folder,
get the link and send this out to anyone who
wants to access it. As it is a publicly available
space, beware not to move any personal or
sensitive files into the folder.

Fig 3: Search for a file or folder by name by tapping the Search icon
once and using the keyboard to input a keyword or phrase

Upload via Wi-Fi


Avoid high data usage
Dropbox is a versatile tool for storing
all kinds of files, including audio, video
and images. Media files are notoriously
large and can often take a while to
upload or download, depending on
your connection speed. When working
with large files, its always better to
perform uploads and downloads when
connected to Wi-Fi to prevent it eating
into your mobile data allowance. If youre
using Auto-upload, check the Wi-Fi only
option to keep usage low.

The Android Book 135

Dropbox

Start using the Dropbox cloud


Get to grips with uploading, downloading and sharing the files you have saved online

Upload, view and share files

1: Select files

2: Click to share

3: Upload

4: Tap to view

5: Share a file

Select documents from


your Files folder, or inside
an email or message.

Tap the Share icon and


from the list of options,
select Dropbox.

Select or create a folder,


tap Upload and wait for
the files to process.

In Dropbox, tap a file


to open it. If its a word
document, you can edit it.

Tap the icon next to a file/


folder. Tap Share to send it
via email or other app.

Upload media

Auto-upload
photos

1: Select videos

2: Share via Dropbox

Open the Video app, tap Share via and make


a selection of the videos you want to upload.

Tap the Done button and then, from the


sharing options, select Add to Dropbox.

1: Open Settings

3: Upload images

4: Upload to Dropbox

2: Find Camera option

Open your Gallery and select images you want


to upload to your Dropbox account.

In the sharing options, tap Dropbox, choose a


location and wait while the upload completes.

Scroll down to find Camera Upload. Tap


the option once to turn it on.

136 The Android Book

In the Dropbox app, tap the Menu


button and then the Settings option.

Dropbox
Play music from Dropbox

Export files
from Dropbox

1: Select an image
Select a pic to move to your device or
another location (such as Google Drive).

1: Find music files

2: Select track

3: Pick a player

Find music files in your


Dropbox account by
navigating your folders and
then tapping on the folder
name once to open it.

From the tracks you have


uploaded, select one to listen
to by tapping once. All music
tracks have a small musical
note icon next to them.

Select the app on your device


that you want to play the
song with. You can choose to
have this as your default app
or to use it only once.

2: Tap to export
Tap More to reveal the Export option.
Select where to export the image.

3: Choose a file
Similarly, you can export a file by longpressing and choosing Export.

4: Listen to the song

5: Organise music

6: Share music

The song will play in a popup player over the Dropbox


interface. Use the controls to
stop or pause the track, or tap
the X to close it.

Organise your music tracks


by creating folders from the
main menu options and
then dragging tracks into the
relevant places.

You can share music just


like other files, by tapping
Share and then sending to a
contact or posting on a site
such as Google+.

The song will play in a pop-up player over


the Dropbox interface

4: Select destination
Choose to export it to a number of
locations, such as your SD card or Skype.

The Android Book 137

Google Now

Google Now
Use this handy integrated app to streamline your day by getting up-to-the-minute information
on everything you need without even having to search for it

What it can do:

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Check your route home

t&YQMPSFOFXUIJOHT
Be inspired by location pics

t$IFDLUIFTDPSF
See how your team is faring

Customise your information


Set up Google Now to get easy access to relevant information as you need it
Googles search function is arguably the most
powerful search engine available today. On
your Android phone or tablet, the Google
search icon launches a quick way to search the
internet. However, it also features Google Now,
a search engine that learns your preferences
and gives you up-to-the minute information
when you need it most. You can turn Google
Now on or off in the Settings options in the
app. The Now function is essentially a set of
cards that offer you the information the app
thinks you might need, depending on details

138 The Android Book

you specify about yourself as well as data


from other apps you allow to be searched.
Travel information is one of the most useful
functions the app provides. Once youve
specified key locations such as where you live
and where you work, youll automatically be
provided with traffic and transport updates
as notifications, or by opening the app and
searching through cards.
Other details you can specify include the
sports teams you support and stocks youre
interested in. You can add as many options

as you want by scrolling down on the main


screen of the app and selecting the magic
wand icon. Everything youre interested in will
appear as a scrollable card that, when clicked
on, opens up a page of search results in
Google search. Weather updates also come as
standard with the app and you can see whats
in store at your work or home location, or any
other location that you specify.
There is also an area to set reminders, which
makes the app a good place to go to for
everything current going on in your life.

Google Now

Personalise Google Now


Specify your preferences to tailor the app to you

Edit Google
Now settings

Start using Google Now

1: Open Settings menu


Tap the Menu button on your device
and tap to open the Settings menu.

1: Turn feature on

2: View basic cards

3: Add information

To start using Google Now,


launch the Google search
app and then tap the Get
Google Now option.

Based on your location, Now


will offer basic cards such as
the local weather or suggest
nearby places to visit.

To get more useful info, use


the magic wand icon to
add sports team, stock and
location preferences.

2: Set location options


Tap Privacy then Location to specify
what location info you want to share.

View important places

3: Specify phone search


In the main menu, tap Phone Search.
Choose which apps Now gets data from.

1: Choose locations

2: View nearby sites

3: See reviews

Navigate to the Customise


menu and tap the Places
option. Now input your home
and work locations.

View a list of user-sourced


images of places around you
to visit and explore. It can be
very illuminating.

See whats around you and


what people are saying
about those places, via the
numerous user reviews.

4: Set notification options


Let Now notify you of urgent updates
via ringtone/vibrate in Notifications.

The Android Book 139

Google Now

Take control with voice commands


Discover how to initiate searches, find recommended hotels, see the local traffic and more

Initiate a voice search on Google Now

1: Voice activation

2: Turn voice on

3: Activate search

4: View results

5: Use results

Launch Google Now and


tap the bottom-right
Menu icon. Tap Settings.

Tap on Voice and ensure


that Hotword detection is
ticked so that it is on.

From the Now main


screen, say OK Google
then ask your question.

Theres a main result,


weblinks and a category
list at the bottom.

Follow the web and news


links or tap on Images to
see related items.

Recommendations based on searches

Use new voice


commands

1: Start the search

2: See reviews and ratings

Say OK Google then recommended hotels


near and add your location to the query.

Scroll down to the recommendation. Tap on


the down arrow to see more about the hotel.

1: Say something else

3: View the images

4: View the alternatives

2: View a location

Scroll down and tap on the photos. This may


take you to another website to view them.

Tap on the Images link on the bottom menu


to see views of other hotels in the same area.

Say Map of, then the place or business


name, to see it on Google Maps.

140 The Android Book

Say Create a calendar event followed


by a description and the date/time.

Google Now
Send an email with your voice

Use your voice


to open an app

1: Listen to music quickly


Dont hunt around for that music app
just say OK Google, open Play Music.

1: New messages

2: Find the contact

3: Add the message

Say OK Google and then


issue a series of commands
and content, all as one long
sentence, with punctuation.
First, say Send email.

Say To and your contacts


name. This will retrieve the
email address from your
contacts list and ask you to
say what the message is.

Speak the message and the


text will appear. Quickly check
it, as you are then asked
whether it is okay to send. If it
has mistakes, say No.

2: Automatic app launch


The app should now launch but if
theres a delay, you can tap Open app.

3: Apps other than Google


This will work with non-Google apps. Try
Open Amazon Kindle or a game.

4: Get it right now

5: Check it in Gmail

6: Say it all at once

Repeat the message and


speak more slowly and clearly.
If it is correct this time, when
prompted if you want to
send, say Yes.

The email will be sent and


you can then open it in
Gmail. Tap on the link in the
sent confirmation message to
access it.

The alternative is to say the


entire email message at once,
and include an entry line for
Subject. Remember to say
any punctuation as words.

Speak the message and the text will


appear. Quickly check if its okay to send

4: Voice confirmation
Sometimes theres a slight delay, so
Voice will suddenly say Opening app.

The Android Book 141

Google Translate

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5SBOTMBUF

Discover how you can start using Googles quick and easy translation tool to convert written
or spoken text into foreign tongues

What it can do:

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Support for 70 languages

t6TFPGGMJOF
Store languages to device

t4QFBLGSFFMZ
Have real-time conversations

Speak to the world with Translate


Introducing Googles brilliant mobile multi-linguist and essential holiday companion
Google Translate is a free app well worthy of
essential status. First and foremost it is a text
translator that is incredibly easy to use just
select the translate to and from languages and
then type text into the translation window for
instant results. The app caters for other forms
of text input as well: you can take a picture
(useful for foreign menus and signposts) and
the app will analyse and translate the text as
it appears. While this feature isnt supported
by all Android models, it is sure to impress.
You can also speak words and phrases to get

142 The Android Book

written and verbal translations back and even


write words and phrases in freehand all of
these options are available at the bottom of
the main Tap to translate window.
If you have a regular need to converse in
another language, the facility is there to mark
translated words and phrases as favourites
and then access them any time by tapping
on the Menu icon in the top-right corner of
the screen and then selecting the Phrasebook
option. When using the app on holiday, you
might not always have an internet connection

on your Android device, but the good news


is that you can save languages for offline use
by going to the Settings (via the Menu icon)
and selecting the Manage offline languages
option. You can then pin languages for
offline use. With Google Translate you can also
choose to converse more naturally, whereby
the device acts as a go-between when you
wish to talk to a person and will translate your
text into their language and vice versa by voice
alone. Can you really afford not to be without
this wondrous app?

Google Translate

Translating text
Translate words, store phrases and have conversations

Start a
conversation

Enter text for translation

1: Tap Menu icon


After translating some text, tap the
Menu icon in the window.

1: Translate from

2: Translate to

3: Enter text

Tap the Language field at


the top left and then select a
language that you would like
to translate the text from.

Likewise, tap the Language


field at the top right, then
select a language that youd
like to translate the text to.

Enter text in the main Tap to


translate window, then press
Finished. The translation will
appear instantly!

2: Tap Start conversation


Tap Start conversation to start using
your device as a voice translator.

Using your Phrasebook

3: Start speaking
With the left language shown in red,
start speaking. Your dialogue will appear.

1: Save favourites

2: Tap on menu icon

3: Your Phrasebook

Mark words and phrases as


favourites by tapping the star
icon next to the translated
text; it will turn yellow.

To access marked phrases,


tap the top-right Menu icon,
then choose the Phrasebook
option from the list.

All your saved words and


phrases are listed. Sign into
your Google account to sync
them across all your devices.

4: To and fro
The device will speak it in the foreign
tongue. The recipient can then talk.

The Android Book 143

tri Spe
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