If you’re new to Android, Chrome, or anything related to Google, it can sometimes be a little difficult getting yourself familiar with the platforms. That’s why we created Basics!
Whether you’re looking for help changing your wallpaper, adding apps to your home screen, removing apps from your home screen, or just want to know how to set an alarm, we’ve got you covered.
All of our Basics guides can be found below, in the order they were published.
One of Android’s lesser-known features is the built-in screen saver. In addition to just showing a clock, you can have your Pixel 2 show photos, colors, and more. Here’s how to it all works…
Whether you’re approaching your data limit or just want to disconnect for a bit, it’s straightforward to turn off mobile data on your Google Pixel 2. Here’s how…
While Google makes it extremely easy to ask your phone or Home to set a timer, did you know you could just set one from the search engine’s homepage? Here’s how…
As storage space on your Google Pixel 2 is limited, precious, and there’s no way to expand it, every once in a while it’s a good idea to through and clean up house. Thankfully, there’s a feature built into the handset that makes this extremely easy to do…
This year, the Winter Olympics are being held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Although the opening ceremony won’t be held until Friday, the events have already started. Here’s how to watch the Olympics live on Android, Chrome OS, Chromecast, Android TV, and more…
Out of the box, the Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL can run two applications at the same time. Unfortunately, split-screen mode can be slightly confusing to use. This Android Basics will walk you through how to split your Pixel 2’s screen and use two apps simultaneously…
Despite the fact that Apple’s AirPods only work as simple Bluetooth headphones while paired to Android devices, it hasn’t stopped a third-party developer from making an app that shows you the two earbuds’ battery life similarly to how it appears on iOS devices. Here’s how it all works…
With Valentine’s Day being a week away, now is the perfect time to order some flowers for your special somebody. Thankfully, to make it easier to do so, 1-800 Flowers has a bot built into Google Assistant that lets you order arrangements right from your phone. Here’s how to do it…
In the past, Google Photos has offered to automatically make movies using your backed up images for special occasions. Now, you can head into the app and request it to make those special movies whenever you like. Here’s how to make a Valentine’s Day-themed video for your significant other…
As Google Home devices and Assistant-powered speakers don’t have displays, it has been impossible up until this point to see information delivered by the smart devices. Thanks to a new feature first introduced at I/O 17, you can now ask your Home to show search results on your television with a Chromecast plugged in. Here’s how…
As Snapchat continues to work on a redesign of its Android application, it is periodically adding new features. Two of the latest are new font tools and a Do Not Disturb feature. Here is how to use both on Android…
Yesterday Google pushed out a major update to the Motion Stills application. On top of the app’s redesign, Google added an ‘AR Mode’ which allows you to place AR stickers around you. Here’s how to use them…
Typically, when Google rolls out an update to Play Services, it introduces new features or functionality to Android. One instance of this was when Google rolled out Assistant to most modern smartphones. If you want these updates even earlier, you can enroll in Google Play Services beta track. Here’s how…
Whether you’re outside your mobile carrier’s service area or in another country, you’ll need to turn on mobile data roaming before being able to connect to another company’s network. Here’s how to turn on roaming on the Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL…
Sometimes it’s hard to fall asleep in a silent room. Thankfully, if you have a Google Home nearby, you can ask it to play white noise. Here’s how to not only have your Home play background noise but also a list of all of the different types of white noise you can fall to sleep to…
One of the little nuisances within Android is all of the random notifications that pop up constantly. One of which is when your phone lets you know that there are open Wi-Fi networks around that you can connect to. Thankfully, you to disable these notifications on the Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL…
This year, the Philadelphia Eagles will take on the New England Patriots in Minneapolis, Minnesota for Super Bowl 52. Here’s how to watch the event live on Android, Chrome OS, Chromecast, Android TV, and more…
After OnePlus introduced gesture navigation controls in an Oreo beta for the 5T, it opened up the discussion of Android potentially moving away from on-screen buttons. While Google might not implement a system like this for years to come, here’s an app that lets you try out gestures on your phone right now…
Google Play Services, just like most apps, gets updated through the Play Store. And just like with some apps, Play Services doesn’t get updated on the device as soon as a new version is available. Here’s how to manually update Google Play Services…
Instagram has today updated its app with a new Type Mode for Stories. Now, instead of just sharing a photo, you can type messages to people using different calligraphy themes.
Here’s how to use Type Mode on Android as well as all of its various features…
If you’re new to the Android platform, one of the first things you need to know how to do is download and update applications. Here’s a quick Android Basics to get you started…
Do you use your Google Home as a bedside alarm clock? Do you wish you could be woken up by a specific song instead of an annoying alarm? Well, it’s possible and here’s how…
Bitcoin has received a lot of public attention as of late. Because of this, new apps like Coinbase have gained popularity in the Play Store for letting Android users buy and sell Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies right from their phones. Additionally, other apps like Robinhood and Cash App have been updated to allow for these sorts of trades. Here’s how to buy and sell Bitcoin with all three apps…
Earlier today, OnePlus released the third beta build for the 5T. The surprising new feature found within was the use of a gesture-based system to navigate around the phone rather than traditional on-screen buttons. If you own a OnePlus 5T, here’s how to set up and use those iPhone X-like gestures…
