How to set up a new Android phone

First your phone asks you to select a language. This will show up throughout the setup process and in all phone menus, so pick the right one!

Here you can also select vision and voice modes if you want accessibility features to be enabled now and throughout your use of the phone.

Now press “Get Started” to enter the next screen.

Here you are prompted to connect to a mobile network. You can do this by inserting a SIM card into your phone.

In the package, there is probably an ejector tool to put in the hole of the SIM slot to remove the tray. Most modern smartphones accept nano SIM cards, the smallest possible size.

Insert the SIM card you just received or the one from your old phone. If your device is unlocked for use on any network, or locked to that SIM card’s network, the phone should recognize the SIM card, giving you access to your mobile plan.

Some phones will let you choose to download an eSIM instead. It is an electronic SIM card stored on the phone without the need for a physical SIM card. Not all phones will give you this option.

If you don’t have a SIM card or don’t want an eSIM, you can tap “Skip” to set up the phone without a mobile network connection using Wi-Fi only.

You can now connect to Wi-Fi whether or not you have added a SIM card to your phone.

Tap the Wi-Fi network you want to connect to, then enter the network password. If you don’t know it, it’s usually on the back of the Wi-Fi router.

Your phone will then connect to Wi-Fi and continue with setup

You can choose to “Set up offline” if you want, but you won’t be able to sign in to your Google account without a mobile data or Wi-Fi connection. This is needed to download apps and use the phone online.

Then the phone will give you the option to copy apps and data from your old phone. This includes your Google Account, as well as data such as text messages, photos, videos, apps, and settings.

You can select “Don’t copy” here if you want to set up the phone as new without old data, or “Can’t use old device?” if you don’t have access to your old phone.

If you want to copy data, press “Next”.

You can then use your old device to copy data. First, the phone will suggest you need the correct cable to do this.

If you have a cable with both correct port connections, you can press “Next” and follow the on-screen instructions.

If you don’t have the correct cable, you can still copy your data, but it will take longer. Tap “No cable?” or ‘Copy without cable’.

The setup will give you different options depending on which one you choose. You can also copy data from an old Android phone or iPhone.

This step may take several minutes, depending on how much data you want to move. Be patient!

Whichever option you choose in the last step, at some point the phone will prompt you to sign in to your Google account. If you don’t have one, you can create one here. This will give you a Gmail email address needed to use an Android phone.

You can then select what you want to copy from your old phone. You can select as much or as little as you want.

After copying data from another phone or skipping this step, your Google account will be added to the phone

Setup here will tell you if you want to enable things like location services, app analytics, and if you want to send usage and diagnostic data to Google.

You need to select yes to app location and analytics if you want all services to work properly on your phone. In modern Android, you can later block certain apps from accessing your location if you don’t want to. Think of this step as a master switch – you have to say yes if you want commonly used apps like Google Maps to work.

Press “Accept” when you have selected what you want.

With a Google account, here you can enable whole-device backup with Google’s One service. It’s a service built into your free Google account that backs up your phone’s data and settings to Google’s cloud servers.

If you lose your phone, you can use this cloud backup to restore your data and settings to a new phone. You get a few gigabytes (GB) for free, but you’ll have to pay a small monthly fee for Google One if you want more storage. Here’s our Google One guide.

Tap “Not now” or “Enable” to continue

You can now set a PIN code. This is recommended because it prevents anyone from unlocking your phone if you lose it.

By default, Android will ask you to set a PIN code of at least 4 digits. The longer the number you choose, the better.

If you tap “Screen lock options”, you can also choose to set a pattern or password.

Enter your choice twice according to the on-screen instructions to continue.

Some phones have in-display fingerprint sensors that let you unlock the phone with your thumb or fingerprint, as well as allow things like in-app payments.

Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your fingerprint.

At this point, many Android phones will ask you if you want to continue with the setup. This will include things like setting up Google Wallet for debit and credit card payments, selecting phone text size, and more.

You can tap “Continue” or “Leave and get a reminder”. The latter will ensure that you receive a notification later to complete this step.

Now you are almost there.

Modern Android is navigated with gestures, and your phone can show you how to do that here.

Most will ask you to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go home, swipe up and hold to access the app switcher, and swipe either side to go back. There might be a tutorial for you to get used to at this point.

You have finished!

Enjoy your new Android phone.