Got a New Phone? Here are 5 Things You Need to Do!

Just bought yourself a brand new smartphone but the excitement you’re feeling is laced with anxiety and confusion about how and where to get started? Well, here are five simple yet crucial things you need to do to make sure your personal information stays safe and the phone runs as fast and as efficiently as possible.

Do a Quick Physical Inspection

While the phone is still under warranty, it is important to make sure there are no physical defects. Check for any visible scratches, dents, or abnormalities on the body. Check the box and read through the contents to make sure you got all the accessories that were promised with the device.  

If you see anything wrong, make note of it, click pictures, and take it back to the store immediately. 

Fully Charge Your Phone

Before you dive into the exciting new piece of technology in your hands, you need to make sure it’s completely juiced up! Make sure to read the instruction manual carefully to know exactly how long you need to keep the phone plugged in for it to be fully charged. 

That way, it won’t die while you transfer data or update the phone’s operating system.

The Software Check

The physical inspection was step one, to make sure the hardware is up to par. Once your phone is fully charged, turn it on for a functional inspection as well. When we inspect the phone this time, we’re going to check:

• Cellular connectivity: Move around the house to see how well the phone picks up service and if the calls drop too frequently.
• Screen functionality: How touch-responsive is the screen? Are there dead pixels or dark spots on the screen?
• Camera test: Take pictures with the front as well as back cameras, in all the modes possible – still, video, panoramic, slow-motion, etc.

Transfer Your Data and Set up The Phone

Make sure all the data from your old phone gets transferred to the new one so you don’t miss out on any crucial information. The phone will have its own setup procedure, often including security set up, so go through that. Make sure to apply any pending software updates.

Set up Your Security Pin

It’s important to keep your data protected, so make sure you password protect your phone (and your apps if possible).

And, voila! Your phone is all set up and ready to be enjoyed by you!