The 20 Android Settings That Actually Matter

The 60-Second Version

If you only ever touch a few settings, make them these. They make the biggest difference for the least fuss.

• Make the text bigger so you can read it comfortably without straining.
• Turn the ring volume up so you never miss a call, and let it vibrate too.
• Set the screen to stay on a little longer so it does not go dark while you read.
• Silence the notifications from apps you do not care about, and keep the ones you do.
• Use the search box at the top of Settings to find anything you cannot see.

Where Settings Lives

Everything in this book starts by opening Settings, so let's make sure you can always find it.

At the very top of Settings there is a search box, usually with a magnifying glass. Tap it and type what you want, like text size or Wi-Fi, and the phone jumps you right to it. This works the same on Samsung and Pixel, and it saves you hunting through menus.

• Look for the icon shaped like a gear or cog wheel.
• It may be on your home screen, or swipe up from the bottom to see all your apps and find it there.
• A quick shortcut: swipe down from the very top of the screen, then tap the little gear in the corner of the panel that appears.
• Tap it once to open Settings.

Making the Text Bigger

This is the change folks thank me for most. If you find yourself squinting, this fixes it in seconds.

After changing it, open your Messages or a web page to see the new size in daily use. If it is still too small, go back and nudge it larger. There is no prize for tiny text — make it as big as you like to read easily.

• Open Settings and tap Display (on Samsung it may be Display, on Pixel it is Display).
• Tap Font size, or Font size and style, or on Pixel look under Display size and text.
• Drag the slider to the right to make text bigger, or use the A buttons.
• Watch the sample text change as you slide, and stop when it feels comfortable.

Display Size and Bold Text

Beyond text size, you can make everything on screen larger, and make letters heavier and easier to see.

Many phones offer a Bold text switch, often under Display or under Accessibility. Turning it on makes all the letters a little thicker and darker, which many people find much easier to read. Try it and keep it if you like it.

• In Settings, tap Display.
• Look for Display size, or on Pixel, Display size and text.
• Drag that slider to make buttons, icons, and menus larger, not just words.
• This is different from font size — it zooms the whole screen a little.

Brightness

Screen too dim to read, or so bright it hurts at night? Brightness is an easy fix, and the phone can even handle it for you.

In Settings, under Display, there is a switch called Adaptive brightness (on some phones, Automatic brightness). Turn it on and the phone brightens in sunshine and dims in a dark room on its own. Most folks leave this on and never think about it again.

• Swipe down from the very top of the screen to open the quick panel.
• Find the slider with a little sun icon.
• Drag it right for brighter, left for dimmer.
• This is the fastest way, and it works the same on Samsung and Pixel.

How Long the Screen Stays On

Does your screen go dark while you are still reading it? You can tell it to wait longer before it sleeps.

A longer timeout is more comfortable for reading, but the screen staying on does use a little battery. A minute or two is a good middle ground for most people. If your battery runs low, you can shorten it again.

• Open Settings and tap Display.
• Tap Screen timeout (on some Samsung phones it may be called Screen timeout as well).
• Choose a longer time, like 1 minute or 2 minutes, instead of 15 or 30 seconds.
• Now the screen stays lit longer while you read.

Ringtone, Volume, and Vibration

Missing calls because the phone is too quiet is one of the most common troubles I fix. Let's make sure you always hear it.

In the same Sound menu you can tap Ringtone (or Phone ringtone) to choose a tune you will recognize. Also turn on Vibrate for calls, or Vibrate while ringing, so you feel it as well as hear it — a big help if the phone is in a pocket or another room.

• Press the volume buttons on the side of the phone; a slider appears on screen.
• For fuller control, open Settings and tap Sound (on Samsung, Sounds and vibration).
• Drag the Ringtone volume all the way up if you want to be sure to hear calls.
• There are separate sliders for ring, media (videos and music), and alarms.

Notifications: Keep Some, Silence Others

Notifications are the little alerts apps send you. Some are useful; many are just noise. You get to decide which is which.

Leave notifications on for the things you want to know about — messages from family, calls, your calendar, the weather. Turn them off for games, shopping apps, and anything that buzzes for no good reason. A quieter phone is a calmer phone.

• When an alert you do not want appears, press and hold on it.
• Tap the little gear or Turn off notifications.
• Or open Settings, tap Notifications, then App notifications to see a full list.
• Turn off the switch for any app whose alerts you do not care about.

Do Not Disturb for Quiet Time

When you want peace — at night, at church, during dinner — Do Not Disturb hushes the phone without turning it off.

In Settings, under Notifications, tap Do Not Disturb to set exceptions. You can allow calls from certain people, or let a call ring through if the same person calls twice in a row — a good safety setting so family can always reach you in a real emergency.

• Swipe down from the top to open the quick panel.
• Tap the Do Not Disturb button (often a circle or a moon icon).
• The phone stops ringing and buzzing until you turn it back off.
• Tap the same button again to let the sounds return.

Wi-Fi and Mobile Data

Your phone gets to the internet two ways. Knowing the difference saves you money and headaches.

Mobile data counts against your monthly plan, so at home you want to be on Wi-Fi. Once your phone knows your home Wi-Fi, it connects on its own every time you walk in. Away from home, mobile data takes over automatically so you are never without internet.

• Wi-Fi is the internet in your home or a coffee shop — free to use once connected.
• Mobile data (or cellular data) is the internet from your phone company, used when away from Wi-Fi.
• Open Settings, tap Connections (Samsung) or Network and internet (Pixel), then Wi-Fi.
• Tap your home network, type the password once, and it remembers it forever after.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is how your phone talks wirelessly to nearby gadgets — hearing aids, headphones, your car, a speaker.

Once you connect something the first time, your phone remembers it. After that they link up on their own whenever both are on and close by. You usually only do the setup step once per gadget.

• Open Settings and tap Connections (Samsung) or Connected devices (Pixel).
• Tap Bluetooth and make sure it is turned on.
• Put your headphones, hearing aids, or speaker into pairing mode (check their instructions).
• Tap the device's name when it appears in the list to connect.

Location

Location lets the phone know where it is — needed for maps and directions, and for finding a lost phone.

Each app asks permission the first time it wants your location. For Maps, say yes so it can guide you. For a game or a shopping app, it is fine to say no. You are in charge of which apps get it, and you can change your mind any time in this menu.

• Open Settings and tap Location (on Samsung, under Connections, then Location).
• Make sure the main Location switch is on.
• Below it you can see which apps are allowed to use your location.
• It is fine to leave the main switch on — the phone only shares location with apps you allow.

Taps, Clicks, and System Sounds

Some phones click, beep, or buzz for every little tap. If that bothers you, you can turn those small sounds off.

On the other hand, some people like a gentle buzz when they tap a key, so they know it registered. That is called haptic feedback or vibration feedback, and you can turn it on in this same menu. There is no right answer — set it to what feels good to you.

• Open Settings and tap Sound (Samsung: Sounds and vibration).
• Look for System sounds, or Touch sounds, or Keyboard sound.
• Turn off the ones you find fussy, like the click on every key or screen tap.
• This does not affect your ringtone or alerts — just the little tapping sounds.

The Keyboard and Predictive Text

The keyboard is what pops up when you type. A couple of settings make typing far less frustrating.

As you type, a row of suggested words appears above the keyboard. Tap one to finish a word without typing all of it — a real time-saver. If auto-correct changes a word you meant, just tap the box and retype it; it learns your habits over time.

• Open Settings and tap General management (Samsung) or System (Pixel), then Keyboard.
• Tap your on-screen keyboard (often Samsung Keyboard or Gboard on Pixel).
• Turn on Predictive text or Suggestions to see word guesses above the keys as you type.
• Turn on Auto-capitalize so sentences start with a capital letter on their own.

Screen Lock and Fingerprint

A screen lock keeps strangers out of your phone. A fingerprint makes unlocking your own phone quick and easy.

In the same menu, look for Fingerprint. Follow the steps to press your finger on the sensor several times so the phone learns it. After that, a quick touch unlocks the phone — no typing needed — while still keeping others out. You keep the PIN as a backup for when the fingerprint does not read.

• Open Settings and tap Security and privacy (Samsung) or Security (Pixel), then Screen lock.
• Choose a PIN (a short number code) — simple and reliable.
• Pick something you will remember but is not obvious, and write it down at home.
• Confirm it, and now your phone asks for it when you wake it up.

Software Updates

Updates are free improvements from the phone maker that fix problems and close security holes. Keeping current keeps you safe.

Most phones can install updates automatically overnight while charging. Leaving that turned on means you stay protected without lifting a finger. An update may restart the phone; that is normal, and everything comes right back afterward.

• Open Settings.
• On Samsung, tap Software update, then Download and install.
• On Pixel, tap System, then System update.
• If one is offered, tap to download it, ideally while on Wi-Fi and plugged in.

Battery Settings

If your phone runs low before the day is done, a couple of settings help it stretch further.

The biggest battery savers are simple: keep the screen brightness moderate, use a shorter screen timeout, and close down apps you are not using. Charging overnight is fine on modern phones — they are smart enough not to overcharge.

• Open Settings and tap Battery (on Samsung, Battery and device care, then Battery).
• You can see how much charge is left and roughly how long it will last.
• Turn on Power saving mode (or Battery saver) to stretch a low charge.
• You can set it to switch on by itself when the battery gets low, say at 20 percent.

Settings to Leave Alone

Just as important as what to change is what not to touch. A few menus are best left exactly as they came.

If you wander into a menu full of words you do not recognize, the safe move is to back out without changing anything. Tapping the back arrow or the Home button never hurts. You will never break the phone by leaving a setting the way you found it.

• Developer options — a hidden menu for programmers; never turn it on unless I am helping you.
• Reset or Factory reset — this erases the whole phone; do not tap it out of curiosity.
• SIM and network mode settings — the phone company set these correctly; leave them be.
• VPN or Private DNS — leave off unless you know exactly why you turned it on.

The Quick Panel From the Top

Many of these settings have a fast shortcut. Swipe down from the top of the screen and a panel of handy buttons appears.

You can choose which buttons appear and in what order. Look for a pencil or three-dot Edit option in that panel, then drag the buttons you use most to the top. Put your favorites — like the flashlight and Wi-Fi — right where your thumb lands.

• Swipe one finger down from the very top edge of the screen.
• You see buttons for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, the flashlight, brightness, and more.
• Tap a button once to turn that thing on or off.
• Swipe down a second time to see the full set of buttons and the brightness slider.

What's in the 27-page PDF

• Where Settings lives and how to make text easy to read (pages 3-6)
• Brightness, screen timeout, and getting the ring and volume right (pages 7-9)
• Notifications, Do Not Disturb, and quieting interruptions (pages 10-11)
• Wi-Fi, mobile data, Bluetooth, and Location explained (pages 12-15)
• Sounds, the keyboard, screen lock, updates, and battery (pages 16-19)
• The settings to leave alone, a cheat sheet, and a word list (pages 20-22)

Why I wrote this

I write these as printable handouts because a guide you can keep in a drawer beats a web page you have to find again. No jargon, no judgment, no rushing. If you'd rather have someone sit beside you and go through it together, that's a flat $99 first visit with the 30-day follow-up included — serving Portage County from Atwater, Ohio. — Bill