Congratulations on your new Android device! Activating service and setting up your new phone is really easy, and it will be ready to use in no time! First, we’ll get your new SIM card up and running on your line, and then we’ll go through the initial device setup. This will deal with Android 5.0 (Lollipop). Other OS versions may feature a different setup experience. Show
Now that your device is activated and fully configured, go ahead and test your calling and other services! Enjoy your new Android device and thanks for being the best part of AT&T. Enjoy your device! Charise AT&T Customer Care Need help with an account specific question? Post a new question here on the forums by clicking the "Ask a Question" button. If you've just unboxed a shiny new Android phone, you're probably excited to play with it. There's a little bit of setup to deal with first, but don't feel daunted—whether it’s a Samsung Galaxy S21 or a Google Pixel 6, the process of getting started with Android is basically the same, and blessedly simple. With a little prep, things will go swiftly and smoothly. Here's what you want before you get started:
Updated December 2021: We've tweaked this guide to reflect the latest in Android. Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. Back Up Your Old Phone Android via Simon Hill For a seamless transition from old phone to new, you should start by backing up your old phone. The simplest way is to back up your data to your Google account. Menu options can differ a little from phone to phone. For example, on a Pixel, you go to Settings, System, Backup, but on a Samsung Galaxy phone, you go to Settings, Accounts and backup, Backup and restore. Whichever path you take, make sure the backup option is toggled on when you get there and tap Back up now. We have a full guide on how to back up your Android phone if you want to know more. Doing this ensures that your contacts, calendars, text messages, wallpaper, apps, and a few other system settings will make the jump to your new device. It will take some time for your old phone to upload everything, especially if you haven't backed up recently. If you're switching from an iPhone, install the Google Drive app. In the Google Drive app on your iPhone, go to Settings, Backup, and choose everything you want to save and move across to your new phone. You should also go to your iPhone Settings and turn off iMessage and FaceTime, otherwise, you might miss calls and texts on your new phone. Setting Up Your New Android Phone Put your SIM card in your new phone and hold down the power button to turn it on. Once you’ve powered up your device, you’ll be greeted with a series of set-up chores. This is where you’ll set your language preferences, connect to your home Wi-Fi network, and enter your Google account details. This is the same as your Gmail address and password. Set up security features like the device unlock passcode and the fingerprint unlocking feature, if your phone offers it. Lastly, you can decide if you want to use Google Assistant and set up voice commands if you do. Being signed in to your Google account makes it easy to set up a new phone from there. Things like contacts, calendars, and emails that are tied to your Google account—whether you stashed them there from the web or your old phone—can flow onto your new device after you log in. You will be prompted to choose what you want to restore from your most recent backup. This is a great opportunity to scan your app list and ditch any old apps or games you don't use anymore. Depending on the new Android phone you have chosen, you might get an option to copy data from your old device directly. This is usually done via Wi-Fi, but sometimes you can connect the two phones with a cable. It is by far the fastest and easiest way to copy your old data (especially photos and videos), so we recommend you do it if given the option. If you don't get the option to copy data directly, or you'd prefer not to, you will want another method of copying your precious photos and videos. Whether your old phone is an Android or an iPhone, your best bet is to use Google’s cloud-based service, Google Photos, which comes preinstalled on Android devices. It's also the place your photos are automatically saved every time you back up your photos on an Android phone. (If you find yourself running out of room in your Google account too often, check out our guide for how to free up space.) If you're not already using Google photos, that's OK. Pick up your old phone, and back up all your photos to the Google Photos cloud by opening the app and tapping on your small round user icon in the upper right. Select Back up now and wait for the photos to sync. Your photos should then be available to browse and download on your new Android phone—as well as the web, and any iOS device where you've downloaded the Google Photos app. Once you’ve synced all the data that's available from your Google account, you’ll want to link some of your other accounts to your phone for seamless integration down the line. Just head to Settings, Accounts (or Passwords & accounts), select Add account, and enter your info for Facebook, Twitter, Dropbox, Skype, and whatever else you use on the regular. (You can also just open each app and sign in.) And that’s basically it! You can tinker in the settings or fully customize the phone to your heart’s content—this is Android, after all—but most of it just amounts to personal preference. One last tip? Keep an eye on Google Assistant, the personal assistant baked into Android that can answer your questions, learn from your search and location history to serve up timely information and articles, and control compatible smart home devices. You can see personalized news articles chosen by the Assistant at any time by swiping right on the home screen. To configure the Assistant, go to Settings, Apps, Assistant, and tap See all Assistant settings at the bottom, where you can customize how it works, what kind of info is useful to you, what sort of voice activation you prefer, if any, and a whole lot more. How to Set Up All Your New Tech You got a cool gadget! You lucky duck. Now you’ve gotta set it up. You poor sap. WIRED's master guide can help.
How do I activate my SIM card or phone?Quick steps: Activating a new SIM. Insert the new SIM into your phone, and have the phone turned on.. Activate your new SIM card by using its accompanying activation key (this will be included in the package). ... . Use this key to activate the SIM card online. ... . Wait some time, and it should be activated shortly.. What is phone activation?Activation is making a phone active on a cell phone network. It is the process that links a specific cell phone to a specific customer account and phone number. It requires configuration on the network side, for the network to recognize that specific phone as belonging to that customer.
How do I find my activation code for my Android phone?Verify your Google account. On your phone, find your Google Settings. Depending on your device, either: In your main Settings app, tap Google. ... . Tap Manage your Google Account.. Scroll right and tap Security. Security code. ... . You'll find a 10-digit code.. Enter the code on the phone you want to sign in on and tap Continue.. |