Are you having trouble trying to figure out how to work your Android smartphone? In part one of this series, we covered the basics of Android for absolute beginners, including topics like the homescreen, using apps, and adding contacts. If you just received an Android phone and don’t have any idea what you’re doing, you should start with that article. If you’re not a beginner but still want some tips, check out the full Android guide, or check out this article if you’re looking for apps to install on a fresh phone.
If you’ve read through the first part of this guide for Android newcomers (we’ll assume you have going forward), you’re ready to master your phone. In part two, you’ll get acquainted with your phone even more, including understanding some settings — all in an easy-to-understand tone for amateurs. The disclaimer about Android differences in the previous article still applies here. Let’s get into it!
Using The Back, Home, And Recent Buttons
Before, we talked about how to use apps to access the basics of your phone, like calling and adding contacts. However, it’s important to know how to properly close apps and navigate between them. Most Android phones now have three virtual buttons at the bottom of the screen.
From left to right, they are:
Back: Goes back one page in an app; for example, returns from an individual email to the inbox in Gmail, or goes back one page in the web browser. If this button is pressed in the highest menu of an app, it closes out of it.
Home: Returns to the home screen from anywhere. Unlike the Back button, it does not close the foreground app when it is pressed. It remembers where the user left off should they return.
Recent: Brings up a list of recent apps. By tapping on one in this list, you’ll switch to it, making this useful for jumping between multiple apps. You can scroll the list down to see older entries, and swiping from left to right closes any apps in the list.
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