Beginners Guide to Basic Android Settings: Part 2

Welcome to the series of “Beginners Guide to Basic Android Settings”. This is the second part of the series which discusses about various settings you can play with related to Wireless & networks, in your Android device.

Here’s the first part of this series, visit Beginners Guide to Basic Android Settings: Part 1.

TIP 7: HOW TO SETUP APN SETTINGS ON ANDROID

APNs in Android (access point names) can be simply understood as a gateway for your Android phone to get connected to the internet. APNs lets you access mobile internet, but you’ll have to setup APN settings which varies depending upon your mobile service provider.

Setting up APN: Android Gingerbread

• Go to Settings
• Tap Wireless and Networks
• Select Mobile Networks
• Visit Access Point Names, to create a new APN

Setting up APN: Android Ice-Cream Sandwich & Android Jellybean

• Go to Settings
• Look for Mobile Network under Wireless & Networks
• Visit Access Point Names, and create a new APN

Setting up APN: Android Lollipop

• Go to Settings
• Tap Mobile Networks
• Visit Access Point Names, and create a new APN

How To Reset To Default APN Settings

Sometimes you might configure the APN settings in a wrong way and need to revert back to default. In Android Lollipop visit settings > mobile networks > access point names, tap on options and select Reset to default.

TIP 8:  HOW TO CHANGE DEFAULT SMS APP ON ANDROID

Messenger is the default SMS app on Android Lollipop. Text messages, Multimedia messages, their settings like SMS signature, push services, QuickMessage, etc are handled by this app.

Not all people have same taste when it comes to apps preferences, so some might want to change their default SMS app to some other apps like Messaging and Hangouts.

• Visit Settings
• Tap More, below Wireless & networks heading
• Open up Default SMS app
• Select the default app which you’d like to use for handling SMS

To use apps like Google Hangouts as your default SMS app, make sure you’ve already downloaded and installed them on your phone.

TIP 9: HOW TO MANUALLY SETUP AND CONNECT TO A VPN ON ANDROID

Android users can make use of VPN on their phones for browsing web anonymously and securely on a public wireless network, connect themselves to a specific network (office/home), view blocked contents like YouTube videos, webpages, etc. Using VPN on Android has one most effective use, i.e  ability to download the apps which are not available in your country.

For manually setting up a VPN on Android,

• Go to Settings
• Tap More, under Wireless and networks
• Select VPN
• Click on the + button to create a new VPN profile
• Enter each specific details
  • Name: Give a name to your private network
  • Type: From the dropdown select the type of private network you’re connecting to. (PPTP, L2TP/IPSEC, IPSec Xauth, IPSec Hybrid)
  • Server address: Type the server address of the private network. Eg, server.example.com or address can also be the IP address
  • If you’d like to change the DNS search domains, click the check box that says Show advanced options.
• Tap the SAVE option, once you’ve entered all the details

You can create numerous VPN profiles. Each time just tap on the + button and repeat above steps.

TIP 10: CONNECTING TO A MANUALLY CREATED VPN ON ANDROID

After you’ve successfully created a VPN, tap the VPN to connect to it.

Now you’ll have to enter your Username and Password to connect to that specific private network. After entering your credentials hit Connect button.

When connected to a VPN, a “VPN activated” notification will show up on the notification drawer. You can tap the notification and tap disconnect to stop connecting to that private network.

This is the second part of the series “Beginners Guide to Basic Android Settings”. Stay subscribed to our blog for further updates.

Beginners Guide to Basic Android Settings: Part 1

Welcome to the series of “Beginners Guide to Basic Android Settings”. This is the first part of the series which discusses about various settings you can play with related to Wireless & networks, in your Android device.

In this quick guide, you’ll find me discussing about various android settings like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Mobile Networks, Data usage, NFC, Android Beam, etc and help you get most out of your Android device.

TIP 1: HOW TO DISABLE MOBILE DATA ON ANDROID DEVICES

Using Mobile data to access Facebook, Twitter, and other applications which need internet access is not always a wise idea, until and unless you have subscription to data packages.

If you have subscribed for standard data packages then you need not worry about deduction of extra amount from your main balance. But if you do not have the subscription then you might consider disabling mobile data connection.

Besides, Keeping mobile/cellular data ON for a long period makes the battery drain quickly.

Read Also:
How to Disable App Notifications in Android

Method 1: Switch off Data Connection

The first method is to switch off the data connection. It is the best step you can do to ask your Android phone to not to connect to internet via mobile data.

• Visit settings
• Open data usage
• Toggle the setting from ON to OFF to turn of mobile data

Method 2: Delete APNs

Next thing you can do is to remove all the APNs being saved in your Android.

• Visit settings
• Open mobile networks
• Select access point names
• Delete all the APNs in the list

TIP 2: HOW TO VIEW WIFI MAC ADDRESS OF YOUR ANDROID DEVICE

Are you looking forward to register your Android phone in a wireless network, or have you planned to use MAC filter in your router at your home/office? There might be more but whatever may be the reasons, for all those purpose you’ll need the unique MAC address of your phone.

• Visit Settings
• Select Wifi
• Tap Options menu, and select Advanced
• Scroll down, and there you’ll have your WiFi MAC address. Eg, XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX.

There’s also another way to view the WiFi MAC address. Open Settings, scroll down to the bottom and visit About Phone > Status > Wi-Fi MAC address.

TIP 3: HOW TO VIEW ALL SAVED WIFI NETWORKS IN ANDROID

Whenever you connect to a Wireless network in your Android, the network name and its Security information is automatically saved inside your phone. The next time when you connect to the same network you won’t need to re-enter the security credentials, the system will automatically get connected to that particular network.

• Visit Settings
• Select Wi-Fi and turn it on
• From Options, tap Saved networks to view all WiFi networks

If you want to remove any particular WiFi network from the Saved networks, just select the network and tap FORGET option. That’s it! The selected network will be removed from the list of Saved networks. Now the next time you try to connect to that network, you’ll have to enter the security credentials again.

TIP 4: HOW TO TURN YOUR ANDROID PHONE INTO A WIFI HOTSPOT

If you happen to have subscription of mobile data package and want to make use of it to connect to internet on other phones/laptops or any WiFi enabled devices, then you might consider turning your Android phone into a WiFi hotspot.

There’s this “Tethering & portable hotspot” option in your Android phone, which makes it easy to share your phone’s mobile data over WiFi as a hotspot and other devices can connect to it.

• Go to Settings
• Depending upon the version of Android you’re using, search for the option Tethering & portable hotspot. In Android Lollipop, visit More > Tethering & portable hotspot.
• Before turning WiFi hotspot, First set up the settings. Tap on Set up Wi-Fi hotspot
• Enter Network name (which is SSID), select WPA2 PSK as Security from the drop down menu, enter the Password for the hotspot
• Finally tap SAVE to save our settings for the hotspot.
• Now Turn on Portable Wi-Fi hotspot

TIP 5: HOW TO SHARE YOUR ANDROID PHONE’S INTERNET CONNECTION

Did you know that you can easily share your Android phone’s internet connection with other devices via three ways: creating WiFi hotspot, USB tethering & Bluetooth tethering.

Via USB

First connect your Android phone to PC using USB cable.

• Go to Settings
• Depending upon the version of Android you’re using, search for the option Tethering & portable hotspot. In Android Lollipop, visit More > Tethering & portable hotspot.
• Turn on USB tethering
• Turn on Mobile Data Connection (Settings > Mobile networks)

Via Bluetooth

• Go to Settings
• Depending upon the version of Android you’re using, search for the option Tethering & portable hotspot. In Android Lollipop, visit More > Tethering & portable hotspot.
• Turn on Bluetooth tethering
• Turn on Mobile Data Connection (Settings > Mobile networks)

Now you can pair any bluetooth enabled devices with this Android device to surf internet on that particular phone.

TIP 6: HOW TO SWITCH BETWEEN LTE, 3G & 2G IN YOUR ANDROID

If you’re still running in 2G or 3G then its time to upgrade your network type to LTE (if your mobile company supports this technology). You can also downgrade the network type! I’m not sure why anyone would like to downgrade their mobile network. But let me tell you that there’s a quick way to switch between these network types in your Android phones.

• Open Settings
• Tap Mobile networks
• Open Preferred network type
• Select the network type you’d prefer to use (LTE, 3G, 2G). The system will automatically switch to the new network type of your preference.

This is the first part of the series “Beginners Guide to Basic Android Settings”. Stay subscribed to our blog for further updates.