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.
Android 9 Pie doesn’t really have any groundbreaking new features compared to older versions of Android, but one of its most exciting additions is a focus on “Digital Wellbeing.” This was explained in-depth back at Google I/O, but never appeared in Pie’s betas. Now, Google is opening a beta program for this feature, so here’s how to sign up.
The latest version of Android, Android 9 Pie, has officially seen its public release today, and if you’ve got a Pixel device, you can get in on the fun right now. Here’s how to sideload the Android Pie OTA on your device now.
Google released the fifth developer preview for Android P today (otherwise known as Beta 3). While the update will be rolling out to Pixel owners signed up for the Android Beta Program, you can sideload it early if you’re feeling impatient. Here’s how…
After setting up your Android phone, you probably noticed that the time wasn’t in the 24-hour or ‘military time’ format. Thankfully, this is something that takes less than a minute to change if that’s something you want on your phone.
The YouTube app recently got updated with an incognito mode that allows users to search and watch videos privately. Here’s how it all works.
Well before its official announcement, Instagram began testing out a new sticker that allowed users to ask their followers questions. Now that the feature is live for everyone, here’s how to ask your question on Instagram Stories…
Google is always working on improving the Assistant and occasionally adds new voices for users to choose from. With eight currently available as of this writing, here’s how to pick the right one for you.
The fourth Android P Developer Preview is now live, along with the OTA files for the update. If you’re on DP3 (otherwise known as Beta 2) and don’t want to wait for the update to eventually make its way to you, you can manually install it yourself. Here’s how…
Slightly off schedule, Google has released the Android P Developer Preview 4 / Beta 3. We’re still digging into the update to see what’s new, but here’s how to manually install Android P DP4 on your Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, or Pixel 2 XL…
In Android Oreo, the system theme would switch between a dark and light theme based on the phone’s wallpaper. As teased by Google, Android P DP4 now includes a manual toggle that allows users to leave the dark device theme on all of the time. Here’s how.
Just because Google makes Android and Chrome doesn’t mean you have to use the browser on your smartphone. If you’d instead like to use something like Firefox or a different browser by default, you can. Here’s how.
Now that the option has rolled out to Android, here’s how to add music to your Instagram Stories.
For the longest time, Chrome OS has had an “Add to Shelf” option that turned regular websites into something that sort of resembled an app. Google has recently removed “Add to Shelf,” but there’s still a way to get the same results. Here’s how.
As the U12+ doesn’t have traditional power and volume buttons, HTC had to get creative when it came to taking screenshots on the phone. Here are two ways to capture things on your screen.
The 2018 NBA Draft starts tonight, June 21, this year live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Here’s how to watch the event on Android, Chrome OS, Chromecast, Android TV, and more…
Continued Conversations is a new Google Home feature that allows users to ask the Google Assistant follow-up questions without having to repeatedly say the “Ok/Hey Google” hotword. Unfortunately, new and old Google Home users alike will need to manually turn Continued Conversations on for the feature to work. Here’s how.
With the U12+, HTC went all in on the phone’s pressure-sensitive sides. So to get the most out of your new phone, here’s how to set up the HTC U12+’s Edge Sense.
At long last, Google has introduced Android messages for web which allows users to send and receive text messages on their computers. The functionality is still rolling out, but if it’s live in your Messages app, here’s how to set everything up.
With Google adding more features to Android Messages such as RCS support and the ability to text from the web, you might be interested in making it your default SMS app. If so, the steps are pretty straightforward, and once you make the switch, you won’t have to touch it again. Here’s how.
If you surf the web regularly, there’s probably a high chance that you visit the same website pretty routinely. But instead of closing the tab every time, why not leave it open, but minimize it so it doesn’t take up much space? That’s where pinning tabs in Google Chrome comes into play and might help your workflow.
Nobody likes unwanted calls, so Google does its best to help identify spam phone numbers and block them. But if you want Google’s Phone app to take complete control, there are several settings you must enable. Here’s how.
The 2018 World Cup kicks off today, this year being played in Russia. Here’s how to watch the championship series on Android, Chrome OS, Chromecast, Android TV, and more…
Today is the 72nd Annual Tony Awards, one of the biggest nights for Broadway. Here’s how to watch the race live on Android, Chrome OS, Chromecast, Android TV, and more…
After teasing its upcoming phone last month, BlackBerry is officially unveiling the Key2 today, June 7, at 7am PT / 10am ET. The company will be livestreaming the device’s unveiling live from New York City, and you can watch it right here.
