Generally, when you get a new phone, you have to go through Android setup. It first asks you your preferred language, and goes on from there.
You should be able to connect to your wifi - select your network name and enter your password.
Ahh, google account. Android is written by Google, and comes with all sorts of google type stuff such as the Play Store, Maps, etc. Some see it as bloatware, others as essential software. The Play Store is useful, as it allows you to easily download and install apps. I don't use most of the other google apps.
To use all this google stuff, you need a google account, generally a gmail e-mail address. You can easily sign up using your PC and a browser. Just go to gmail.com and there should be a create account menu there.
If you don't want to, that's OK. You can still download and install apps from the web, as long as you have either your wifi enabled, or a sim card (you would use your data allocation, if you have one, from your provider). wifi is generally the best, particularly since you appear to be having problems with your sim/phone number.
You just use the built in browser on your cell phone (probably chrome). Some websites allow you to download apps (.apk files) directly, or you can go to other web-based stores such as apkmirror (I find it the safest and most reliable). Android will ask you if you want to install the .apk you're downloading, and you reply in the affirmative.
You have to be careful installing apps directly from the web. Some can contain viruses. Apps in the Google Play Store are a lot safer, although it's not unknown for Google to remove apps after the fact when they discover bad behavior (one app comes to mind, ES Explorer and I'm sure there are others).
Even without wifi or a working sim, you still should be able to access other apps on your phone. I don't understand that. Although be aware that a lot of those apps require a data connection (and you got it, either wifi or a data connection through a sim card).
Once you have wifi set up, I'd recommend going through the various settings options on your phone, and looking up what isn't obvious. There are lots you can ignore, but some are useful. Of course, you can always ask questions here. I don't have a job to quit, so am happy to help out whenever I'm on.
To be able to connect the cellphone to the Wi-Fi router does the router setting have to be a mobile hotspot?
The pay phones are long gone. We don't have landlines service to our homes and it would cost too much to have them installed, requiring hundreds of feet of wire . I travel long distances all the time , so I have a cell phone but other than the using the phone for calling I don't use the Internet part of it very often. I really don't have time to play on a phone as other people have . Cell phones didn't exist through most of my life or the internet. Somehow younger people don't seem to realize there was a time that most modern technology didn't exist.
Right you are, Diablo. Legendary technology is being closed down even though in many ways it was more substantial and reliable than the dainty micro-technology we are being forced to pay for. These cellphones are slop-buckets full of unrelated distractions. Now over to the problem of the day.
I have tried and tried to connect my new cellphone to my router Wi-Fi, but it isn't happening. The phone is stubborn and insists that it needs a Wi-Fi network. So far I can't use this slab of plastic for anything. Today I'll try all day until the cows are fully milked and try to figure it out.
Watch out. I just rode the rapids of Google when I tried simply to sign up for a gmail address so I could browse the GoogleStore. They rejected my own email address claiming "I had violated a Google account in 2022." Except that I didn't have a Google account ever! So I came at it in another way and all my attempts to have a name on the new gmail account were rejected as "Name already in use". So I decided to stick firmly to the fact that I don't want a gmail account.
However, some interesting things took place. After all, the dialogue between me and Google was happening on the cellphone's keyboards. They sent me a "Confirmation Number" at my computer's email address. By what route did that happen?
By the way, my SIM is working, in that it generated a phone number for me and I have gotten some telephoning to happen, except that I haven't been able to find a way of repeating the placing of simple calls. Point being, that there is some electronic communicating happening from this cellphone, my problem is that I don't know how to replicate whatever happening earlier.
The app I need is the Uber App so I have access to transportation. I am selling the car and letting my driver's license expire. Seemingly Uber is only reachable by App.
@carl-blare Why are you quitting driving?
You are giving up your freedom. So this is what the phone is for? Nothing can replace your personal freedom and independence.
Why driving is being phased out.
Of all people my auto mechanic told me I would be well off to sell the car and simply use Uber given the very low mileage on the car, as I drive only when absolutely necessary, because my version of freedom is to stay in one place.
Local grocery stores deliver, and I put it to the test and it was great!
Leaving the responsibility of car management to other people is very appealing to me.
That's all there is to it.
A backstage behind-the scenes consultant is helping with doing a 'complete reset' of my cellphone to give a new chance at setting it up right.
But before doing the reset, I am going to do a little more exploring to learn little things.
Little thing number 1: I happened to notice that my phone is in SAFE MODE. How can I get out of SAFE MODE?
Little thing number 2: When an application is accidentally 'REMOVED', how can that single App be restored without a complete reset?
I will be watching for your answers.
You generally have to explicitly boot yourself into safe mode. Did you do that? Safe mode disables all third party apps, and puts you into airplane mode, which is probably why your wifi isn't working.
If your phone was in safe mode when you got it and turned it on, then something is wrong. A factory reset may restore it to its normal state. If not, it may be defective, as automatically going into safe mode means that there are issues with either hardware, or Android itself.
Sorry I didn't pick up on that earlier.
Final question - when you got the phone, did you go through the setup procedure (such as setting the phone language, etc.) or was it already set up. If the latter, then the phone may have been used before, returned and resold without being reset.
My memory of the setup is too cloudy to be of use.
I also believe, without substantial certainty, that I somehow blundered into safe mode.
I now think that I somehow bluffed my way out of safe mode because the "safe mode" label is no longer on the screen.
The second question was: How can an App that got "REMOVED" be recovered without doing a total reset. I want to learn the system from all sides.
Yes, that sounds about right. You couldn't make or receive phone calls without leaving safe mode.
Safe mode is there to allow you to debug your phone if you're having problems - turn it on and if things work, then the problem is one of the apps you've downloaded and are using.
Now, speaking of apps. You deleted Chrome, which is the web browser. Normally, if you delete an app, and want to reinstall it, you would go to the app or Play Store, and get it. But you need a google account for that, and you've had difficulty getting one. If you do manage to get a Google account, then just use the Play Store and download Chrome (the Play Store will ask you for your Google account before letting you do it).
You can also use a browser to go to a web site and download the app directly (i.e., the Google website for Chrome). But you've deleted your browser. Unless there's another one on your phone, you may just have to reset it anyway, as you have no browser to get your browser app. Chrome came bundled with Android, and resetting the phone restores Android and everything it came with (including Chrome).
There are other ways of 'sideloading' apps to your phone, but they're far more complicated.
One way is to purchase a micro SD card, download the app .apk to your computer, put the micro sd card in your computer and transfer the .apk to the micro sd card, then put the card in your phone. After that, use the file manager app on your phone to install the .apk (usually by just browsing to the root directory of the micro sd card and clicking on the file). A lot of steps, and you may need an adapter to load the micro sd card on your computer.
You can also use a program called ADB on your computer, hook your phone up to your computer via the USB cable, and install an app that way. But there can be all sorts of issues with that approach, so overall, I'd recommend just doing a factory reset on the phone, start fresh, and you should be OK.
At some point, once you get more familiar with your phone, I can point you in the right direction to get ADB and other PC programs that will allow you to do all sorts of things to your cell phone.
I'll focus on a reset.
But I still wonder... what if I "REMOVED" a photograph and then changed my mind? Is it lost forever?
Just as on a regular PC, there are apps that might be able to retrieve deleted files such as photographs. The easiest solution, however, is to back things up before potentially deleting them.
A success, like me. You may want to take me to breakfast when you hear what I've done. I got the phone part of the cellphone to work!
I called my landline and was able to talk to myself across the room. Then I did it the other way around, calling cellphone with the landline.
All of a sudden I'm getting it. I'm in. Will I get a membership card?
Now, got to solve the mystery of connecting Wi-Fi and getting Chrome recovered. But who better to do it than me, especially with the good advice from everybody here at the Forum of Record!
More progress.
I'm in a dance with Google as they are balking at letting me have an account. They say I violated their terms of service on a date in 2022, so I entered the Appeals Process. Also, during attempts to communicate with google they wanted to confirm I am myself, so they sent a confirmation number to my email address. Still not satisfied, they wanted to send a confirmation number as text to my telephone. I made two entries, one for my landline and another for the cellphone, just in case I can dig out a text message. After another hour I cannot find a way to see a text message on either phone.
I have been seeing hints that Artisan is right in thinking my phone may have been previously owned. Or maybe, could my assigned cellphone number have been previously assigned to someone else? Anyway, I've seen past dates referred to, a previous phone number dredged up in the Contacts section - 805-637-7456.
Moving on, I learned how to access Voice Mail.
Next on the agenda, solve the Wi-Fi connection problem.