There are two distinct kinds of smartphone users. The first group is easily overwhelmed and may take time to get acquainted with their phones features and settings. The second group is the opposite. They’re itching to dive right into their new phones, downloading apps and games and installing their social media. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, these are five tips that you should do as soon as you lay hands on your phone. These things are all essential and will get you acquainted with your phone, keep your phone running smoothly and keep your phone and data protected.
Get Comfortable with Your Camera
Since smartphone users always have their phones on them, capturing pictures or quick videos doesn’t have to involve hauling out an actual camera. Besides the convenience, most smartphones also come with built in editing software (allowing you to adjust brightness or contrast) and interesting filters. Playing around with the camera on your new phone will save you from fumbling when you actually see something you want a picture of.
Track Data Usage
Take a couple of days to figure out which features of your smartphone are taking too much data. Apps and streaming services are usually the culprits when you notice that you’re going over the data limit. However, if you are sharing a mobile plan with family members, it could very easily be someone else eating up your data. Tracking data usage in the initial months of owning your smartphone will make you more aware of how often and how much you have been utilizing certain features.
Utilize Battery Savers
A long battery life is one of the cornerstones of a reliable phone, but there’s a catch 22. The smarter your phone, the more you will be able to do with it. The more you can do with it, the faster it drains your battery. Eliminate this problem by using the built in battery savers on your new phone. In most phones, the option to do this can be found in the settings menu. When you choose the option to save battery, you phone automatically employs a variety of methods to extend the daily battery life of your phone. These methods may range from reducing screen brightness or automatically turning off Bluetooth and GPS when not in use.
Keep A Back-up Of Data
You haven’t really started using your phone yet but as you keep using it, it will store data that can easily be lost or deleted. Set up your phone so that any kind of stored data such as phone contacts, pictures, texts and downloaded files immediately get stored on a cloud service.
Install A Phone Finder App
This is a fail-safe way of locating a misplaced or lost phone. This feature is available on iPhone as well as most Windows 8 phones. Don’t worry if you use an Android. There are several phone finder apps that you can download for free. These apps function by locating a stolen phone via GPS. They also allow you to call, erase or lock your phone remotely. This is a crucial feature for protecting sensitive data and for reducing the stress of losing your phone.