depicting the volume key located on the edge of an Android, to press the top part of the key to raise the volume and the bottom of the key to lower the volume."/>
FIGURE 3-2: Setting the volume
The volume key controls whatever noise the device is making when you use it: If you’re on a call, the volume key sets the call level. When you’re listening to music or watching a video, the volume key adjusts those sounds.
When the volume is set all the way down, the speaker is muted.
The volume key works even when the touchscreen is locked. This feature means you don’t need to unlock the device if you’re playing music and need to adjust the volume.
Some Androids may enter Vibration mode when the volume is muted. All Android phones have Vibration mode, though not every tablet has this feature.
Refer to Chapter 21 for more details on volume controls.
“Silence your phone!”
How many times have you heard the admonition “Please silence your cell phone”? The quick way to obey this command with an Android phone is to keep pressing the bottom part of the volume key until the phone vibrates. You’re good to go.
Some phones feature a Mute action on the Device Options card: Press and hold the Power/Lock key and then choose Mute or Vibrate.
When the phone is silenced or in Vibration mode, an appropriate status icon appears on the status bar. The stock Android status icon is shown in the margin.
You make the phone noisy again by reversing the directions in this section. Most commonly, press the “louder” end of the volume key to restore the phone’s sound.
Changing the orientation
Your Android features a gizmo called an accelerometer. It determines in which direction the device is pointed when its orientation has changed from horizontal to vertical — or even upside down. That way, the information displayed on the touchscreen always appears upright, no matter how you hold it.
To demonstrate how the phone or tablet orients itself, rotate the gizmo to the left or right. Most apps, such as the web browser app, change their presentation between horizontal and vertical to match the device’s orientation.
The rotation feature may not work for all apps or even for the Home screen. Specifically, most games present themselves in one orientation only.
The onscreen keyboard is more tolerable when the device is in its horizontal orientation. Chapter 4 covers using the onscreen keyboard.
You can lock the orientation if the rotating screen bothers you. See Chapter 21.
A great app that demonstrates the device’s accelerometer is the game Labyrinth. You can purchase it at Google Play or download the free version, Labyrinth Lite. See Chapter 17 for more information about Google Play.
Home Screen Chores
The Home screen is where you begin your Android day. It’s the location from which you start an app and perform other duties. Knowing how the Home screen works is an important part of understanding your Android.
Exploring the Home screen
Typical Android Home screens are illustrated in Figure 3-3. Several fun and interesting doodads appear there. Find these items on your own device’s Home screen, and recognize and use their common names:
Status bar: The top of the Home screen shows the status bar. It contains notification icons, status icons, and the current time. If the status bar disappears, a quick swipe from the top of the screen downward redisplays it.
Notifications: These icons come and go, depending on what happens in your digital life. For example, a new notification icon appears whenever you receive a new email message or a pending appointment notice. See the later section “Reviewing notifications.”
Device Status: Icons on the right end of the status bar represent the Android’s current condition, such as the type of network connection, signal strength, Wi-Fi status, and battery charge, as well as other items.
Launchers: Tap a launcher to run, or “launch,” the associated app.
Widgets: Widgets display information or let you control the phone or tablet, manipulate a feature, access an app, or do something purely amusing.
Folders: Multiple launchers can be stored in a folder. Tap the folder to open it and view the launchers inside.FIGURE 3-3: The Home screen (phone left, tablet right)
Wallpaper: The Home screen background image is the wallpaper, which can be changed.
Favorites Tray: The bottom of the screen is reserved for popular launchers. The favorites tray shows the same launchers at the bottom of every Home screen page. One of these launchers is the Phone app, which plays a kind of vital role for an Android phone.
Apps icon: Tap this icon to view the apps drawer, a collection of all apps available on your Android. For devices without the Apps icon, swipe up the screen to access the apps drawer. See the later section “Finding an app in the apps drawer.”
An Android tablet uses a larger version of the Home screen, though it sports the same features described in this section.
The Home screen is entirely customizable. You can place launchers, create folders, add widgets, and change the wallpaper. See Chapter 21 for information.
Touching a part of the Home screen that doesn’t feature an icon or a control does nothing. That is, unless you’re using the live wallpaper feature. In this case, touching the screen changes the wallpaper in some way, depending on the wallpaper that’s selected. You can read more about live wallpaper in Chapter 21.
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