Tips and Tricks for Android™ Phones

How to Use Your Free Phone With Ease—5 Helpful Tips

You signed up for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) with Assurance Wireless, and the box with your free cell phone just arrived. Great! What’s next?

The Assurance Wireless free phone service through the ACP makes it easier to stay connected. The new phone from Assurance Wireless has many features and capabilities that help you stay connected. Once you insert the SIM card and turn on your phone, here are five helpful tips that make using your phone secure and easy.

1. Protect Your Phone With a Secure Password.
   First things first—it’s important to keep your phone safe and secure so people can’t access your personal information. Set a password or PIN to unlock your phone by going to Settings > Security > Screen lock. Choose a password that’s easy to remember, but hard for others to guess. For an added layer of protection, set up SMS and two-factor authentication on your apps, social media accounts and other platforms. You’ll receive a text each time you log in, which includes a unique code to enter as you log in and makes it much harder for your accounts to be hacked.
2. Customize Your Phone However You Like.
   Make your phone match your personality and preferences by customizing your home screen and apps. You can change the wallpaper, add widgets and rearrange your app icons. To access your home screen settings, press down on the home screen. From there, you can select from countless Wallpapers, Widgets and Settings to make any changes you want. You can also move your apps around on your screen and organize them in customizable folders. Have fun and get creative with it!
3. Capture, Save and Share Your Screen Instantly With Screenshots.
   Screenshots are a helpful feature that let you capture and keep what’s on your screen. Whether it’s a funny image or an important message, you can save it for later or share it with friends. To take a screenshot, simply press the power and volume down buttons at the same time. You’ll hear a sound and see a notification showing the screenshot has been taken. You can access all your screenshots in the Gallery app on your phone.
4. Boost Your Productivity: Text Yourself Reminders.
   Ever have a brilliant idea or remember something important when a pen and paper are nowhere to be found? No problem. You can text yourself a reminder. Open your messaging app and select the New Message option. Instead of choosing a contact’s name, type your own phone number. Create your reminder message, hit send and it should arrive instantly. Your text is saved in your messaging app, so you can refer back to it whenever you want.
5. Can’t Find Your Phone? Google It.
   Losing your phone is an awful feeling. Never fear; you can search for it using Google Find My Device. Sign into your Google account, click the lost phone on the screen and a Google Map will pinpoint your phone. You can have your phone ring, even if it is silent. You can also lock or erase your device if you suspect someone has taken it. Enable this feature by going to Settings > Security > Turn on Find My Device.