Android is a relatively simple operating system to use, so you won't have a hard time getting used to Android phones if you are coming from a different OS. All the settings and customization options, however, can be a bit overwhelming for new users. Google does a pretty good job of walking you through all the basic steps during the setup, so we doubt you'll have any issues setting things up and getting to the homescreen. But once you're done with the setup, there are a few things you can do to start using the phone to its fullest potential. That's exactly what we're going to help you with. So, grab your phone, sit back, and check out the first ten things you should do with a new Android phone!

Gesture navigation or on-screen buttons

Your Android phone offers two ways to navigate the UI: Gestures or navigation buttons. Gesture navigation allows you to get a full-screen experience by removing the three buttons at the bottom of the screen. You may take some time to get used to them, but they're fairly easy to remember and feel like a more natural way to navigate the UI. Gesture navigation, however, doesn't work well with third-party launchers on some phones, so keep that in mind. If that's bothering you or if you simply want to go back to using the three-button navigation, then here's how you can change it on your phone:

  1. Go to the System settings page with the Settings app.
  2. Select the Gestures option and then go to System Navigation.
  3. Select your preferred navigation option.

Customize the homescreen with launchers, icons packs, & more

Android is known for customization, so it's only fair that you make use of it to its fullest. You don't have to if you don't want to, but there are some really good ways to customize and make your phone feel truly yours. We recommend checking out different Android launchers, icon packs, and wallpapers to get started. You can even check out one of our recent guides, in which we go into detail to tell you how you can customize your Android homescreen.

An image showing a person holding the Google Pixel 7 in hand with a bunch of miscellaneous items in the background.

If you want to stick with some basic customization, then you can just swap out the stock wallpaper and add some widgets to complement it.

If your phone has an OLED display, try to pick a wallpaper with a black background since it will look great and also help you save some additional battery.

You can take things up a notch by adding a custom launcher and checking out several apps like KWGT and UCCW that lets you create custom widgets. The best way to familiarize yourself with customization as a new user is by downloading these apps and trying them out for yourself. There's a lot that you can do to customize your Android homescreen, so be sure to take your time and check them out. We're leaving links to download some popular customization apps below to make it easier for you to get started:

Uninstall Bloatware from your Carrier or OEM

Depending on which phone you buy and where you buy it from, your new Android phone might come with some pre-installed apps that may not be useful to you. These apps are generally referred to as bloatware. This is because they stay on your phone and occupy storage while utilizing resources that can be allocated to apps that you actually use. Hence, it's a good idea to uninstall all apps you don't use on your phone.

Bloatware on Android

Some pre-installed apps can be easily uninstalled, while others, like the carrier or OEM-specific ones, may not have an uninstall option. You can check out our how to uninstall carrier and OEM bloatware guide to find out how to get rid of them. In general, installing and keeping only the apps you need and using on your phone is recommended. If there's an app that you don't use at all, you should consider uninstalling it.

Customize Quick Toggles

When you drag down the notification bar on Android, you'll see a few toggles at the top of the screen for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, etc. you're essentially looking at the Quick Settings Menu, which can reveal more toggles by dragging the notification shade down further. You can access this particular menu whenever you want, regardless of the app or the settings page you are in. That's exactly why we recommend customizing it, so you can access your most used settings quickly without having to visit the Settings page. Here's how you can do it:

  1. Swipe down twice from any screen to first reveal the notification shade and then the quick settings menu.
  2. Locate the pencil icon and tap it to start editing your quick settings menu.
  3. You'll then see a collection of icons that are currently a part of your quick settings menu. Scroll down further to reveal the ones you can drag up and add to the live menu.
  4. We recommend dragging the most used settings icons towards the top to ensure they show when you just drag down once from any screen to see the notification shade.

Change animation speeds to make your phone feel snappier

Smartphone processors have gotten really fast in recent times, so no matter which phone you buy, you should be able to get decent performance out of it, at least while doing basic tasks. That, coupled with a high refresh rate display like a 90Hz or 120Hz panel, means you're going to get a smooth experience while using the phone. However, a quick hack can make your experience even smoother while using any Android device. It's a basic trick that has been around for years but still works very well.

We're essentially speeding up the UI animations to make your phone feel more snappy. It's not going to affect your phone's performance, but it'll feel faster than it was before tweaking this setting. Here's how you can do it:

  1. Head over to Settings > About Phone, and tap seven times on Build Number. This will enable Developer Options on your Android phone.
  2. Now, go to the System settings page and scroll down to find the newly unlocked Developer Options.
  3. Scroll down until you find these options: Window animation scale, Transition animation scale, and Animator duration scale.

Tap on all of these options and change the Animation scale to 0.5X. Now, reboot your device, and you should instantly see faster animations, and your phone should feel more snappy and quick.

Setup Digital Wellbeing

Digital Wellbeing is a great way to limit your phone usage by setting time limits for certain apps. You can even enable things like Focus Mode to restrict your smartphone usage throughout the day. If you're addicted to social media apps or games on your device, this is a great way to stay away from your phone and set restrictions. There are a lot of options to explore within the Digital Wellbeing menu, so we recommend taking your time to visit each one and figure out the ones that work for you. Here's where you can find Digital Wellbeing settings:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Scroll down till you find the Digital Wellbeing option, and select it.
  3. Once you're in the Digital Wellbeing option, scroll down to find all the options available to restrict your phone usage.

You can set a goal for your screen time, set app timers after which an app can't be opened, and even add focus modes and a bedtime mode to keep yourself away from your phone before going to bed. A digital detox is quite essential from time to time, and Digital Wellbeing lets you do exactly that.

Keep everything up to date

As you probably know, all the best smartphones receive frequent software updates that ship bug fixes or unlock more features. It's important to keep your phone up to date to ensure everything is running smoothly. There's also a very good chance you'll see a few updates that are waiting for you, especially if the phone you bought has been out on the market for a while. You can check for updates by going to Settings > System > System Updates. Notably, you also need to ensure all your applications are up-to-date. In fact, apps and games tend to receive more frequent updates than the phone itself, so it's always good to check those updates first. The easiest way to do this is by heading over to Play Store, selecting My apps & games from the menu, and tapping the Update all button.

Track your mobile data

This is one of the most important settings to enable if you're not on an unlimited mobile data plan. You can monitor how much data you have used in a given billing cycle using Android's built-in tool. You can ask your phone to warn you about reaching your monthly limit or set a cut-off limit to disable mobile data automatically. Setting up mobile data tracking is fairly simple, and it's available on Android phones. Here's how you can enable it:

  1. Go to Settings and select Network & internet option.
  2. Tap on your service provider's name to enter SIM settings, and look for an option called Data warning & limit.

This is where you'll find the option to set a warning for your data usage or even set a limit, after which your mobile data will automatically be disabled.

Explore different menus and settings

If you're new to Android or if this is your first time using an updated version, we highly recommend just sifting through different menus and settings to understand how everything works. You can also do this in your free time or after setting up the rest of the stuff.

Browsing through different settings will help you understand how things work and where you need to be in case you want to find a particular setting in the future. This will also help you uncover new features you may not have known. We don't have any particular setting or menu to recommend in this section, so feel free to pick one and start from there. A smartphone, as they say, is like an extension of yourself, so get to know it better.

One of the most significant advantages of using an iPhone with a Mac is just how well everything integrates. You can accept calls on your iPhone via your Mac, respond to iMessages directly from the Mac, and even copy something on your iPhone and paste it on the Mac. While Android doesn't have that close of a relationship with either Mac or Windows, you can do a lot of those things by following a few simple steps. You would be surprised to know that you can achieve something similar using the Your Phone app on your Android phone and on a Windows PC.

Your Phone app

For Windows, you can download the Your Phone Companion app from the Play Store and follow the on-screen instructions to link your device with your Windows PC. Once done, you will be able to receive your phone's notifications on your PC, copy files easily, have a common clipboard, etc. If you have a Samsung phone, the integration with a PC is even better as you get more features. On the other hand, Mac users can check out one of our recent guides in which we highlight different ways you can make your Android phone play nice with a Mac computer.

And that brings us to the end of this particular tutorial. Now all that's left for you to do is grab your new Android phone and get to work! If you or someone you know ended up buying a Samsung phone, an iPhone, or even an Apple Watch, and are wondering how to get started, then check out the links to some more useful links below:

Also, if you think we missed any of your favorite things to do with a new Android phone, then let us know by dropping a line in the comments below.