Day To Day; Mobile Devices

This section is a summary of things to consider when using a mobile device.

The lists below may help as a daily reminder for managing your device or of a way to identify things that you would like to know in more detail.
There are links at each heading to take you to the details in the text below in case you are not sure what to do.

If you wish to purchase a mobile device please see more details on this page.

What is a Mobile Device?

We are used to calling our our portable phones 'mobiles'.
There are also slightly larger portable devices that are called tablets.

There are other names used:
Mobile phones: iPhone*, smartphone, cell phone, Android** phone, mobile, phablet***

Tablets: iPads*, tablets, touch screen device, Tab+, Android Tablet, eReader.


*iPhone and iPad are registered names for Apple products.
** Android is a registered product name of Google.
*** phablet is a name used for a large screen mobile phone that is slightly smaller than a tablet
+Tab is a registered product name for Samsung


All these devices are very portable and this section applies to this type of device.
The exception is the eReader which is a specialist device, such as a Kindle, for reading electronic books.

This section does NOT include Laptops which are covered in the computer section.

pikwizard-tablet.jpg

Security

  • Use a password, PIN, pattern, fingerprint or other way to secure access to your device. (Click here)
  • Have a different password for every online account by using a password manager.(Click here)
  • A VPN app is recommended whenever you access the internet and is essential on any WiFi connection that is not at your residence.(Click here)
  • Be aware of scams, especially unsolicited calls, emails or unknown links on the internet (Click here)
  • Try to always use secure web sites (padlock symbol or https in internet browser)(Click here)

Apps

  • Only use mobile apps from the App Store (Apple) or Google Play Store (Android) (Click here)
  • Set Apps to automatic update to ensure updates are installed as soon as available (Click here)
  • Understand which apps you prefer to use and delete or disable those that are not necessary (Click here)

Battery Health

  • Recharge before getting below 20% capacity if at all possible.
  • Use Sleep Mode for general use but turn off if not using the device for a few weeks.(Click here)
  • WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS will use extra power so turn off if not being used. (Click here)

Internet

  • Use a Web Browser of your choice to access the internet (Click here)
  • For more privacy use a privacy browser like Brave, Firefox or Vivaldi
  • Search with a selected search engine eg Google (Click here)
  • For more privacy in Search choose a privacy search engine like DuckDuckGo or Qwant
  • Use Tabs in a web browser to manage views of multiple websites Click here

Camera/Video

Settings

  • Become familiar with settings to change the device function to suit you (Click here)
  • You can change text size, button settings and other adjustments

Privacy

  • Minimise disclosure of personal information, especially on Social Media (Click here)
  • Never disclose financial information unless you are certain it is your bank or honest business
  • Prefer to use secure online payment methods such as Paypal
  • Turn off all app permissions that do not seem necessary in the Settings app

Back Up

Your device keeps a duplicate of its images and videos in Cloud storage like iCloud or Google Drive.
A true back up can by made with USB stick or wired connection to computer.

  • Use Cloud storage provided with your device (Apple iCloud or Google Drive) (Click here)
  • Make copies of important pictures, videos or files on other storage like a USB stick (Click here)

Accessibility

  • Adjust device settings to suit your personal needs (Click here)
  • Change one setting at a time and test if it works for you
  • Consider using a cheap touch pen if you have difficulty with touch screens
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