A new Android phone can feel like a lot at first. There is a SIM tray to sort out, a charger that may or may not be the one you already own, and a string of screens asking questions before you can even make a call.
Take your time with it. You do not need to be a technology expert to get this right, and you do not need to do it in one sitting. This guide walks through the whole process, from turning the phone on for the first time to the handful of settings worth checking before you rely on it every day.
We will cover connecting to Wi-Fi, signing in with your Google Account (or creating one), copying your contacts and photos over from an old phone, and setting a screen lock. Set aside about 30 minutes, keep your old phone nearby if you have it, and let’s get started.
How Do You Set Up a New Android Phone?
You turn it on, connect to Wi-Fi, sign in with your Google Account, then let the phone copy your apps, contacts, and photos from your old device before finishing a short series of on-screen settings. Android walks you through most of this automatically, in order, using a setup wizard that appears the first time you turn the phone on. Here is what each part of that wizard actually means, and what to do at each step.
Step 1: Unbox and charge
Lay out the pieces: the phone, a charging cable, and on some phones a SIM tool (a small metal pin) for the SIM tray. Many phones sold today, including recent Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models, do not come with a wall adapter in the box, so you may need to use one you already own.
Try this
Let the phone charge for at least 30 minutes before you start setup, especially if it arrived cold from a delivery truck. A very low battery can interrupt the setup process partway through.
Step 2: Turn it on and choose your language
Press and hold the power button until the screen lights up. Choose your language, then your country or region. This affects the keyboard layout, the date format, and which apps are offered later in setup, so pick the country you actually live in.
Step 3: Connect to Wi-Fi
The phone will show a list of nearby Wi-Fi networks. Tap your home network and enter the password. You can also use mobile data if Wi-Fi is not available, but Wi-Fi is faster and will not use up your monthly data allowance.
Plain talk: Wi-Fi password
This is the same password you use to connect a laptop or tablet to your home internet. It is often printed on a sticker on the bottom or side of your internet router, sometimes labelled “network key.”
Step 4: Copy your data from your old phone, or set it up as new
This step saves the most time, and it is worth understanding before you tap anything.
If your old phone is an Android phone, the setup wizard will offer to copy everything over, either with a cable (often a USB-C to USB-C cable, sometimes included in the box) or wirelessly over Wi-Fi. According to Google’s own support instructions for switching devices, a cable transfer is usually faster and more reliable than a wireless one, especially for a large photo library.
If your old phone is an iPhone, Google offers a free app called Switch to Android that can move your contacts, photos, and calendar events across. Some apps and your text message history will not come along and will need to be reinstalled or set up again by hand.
If you own a Samsung Galaxy phone, Samsung’s own Smart Switch app is another option and often runs automatically during setup, moving data from an old Samsung, another Android phone, or an iPhone.
| Method | Best for | What transfers |
|---|---|---|
| Cable or wireless copy | Old phone is Android, nearby | Apps, photos, contacts, most settings |
| Switch to Android app | Coming from an iPhone | Contacts, photos, calendar |
| Smart Switch | Samsung Galaxy phones | Apps, photos, contacts, settings |
| Set up as new | First smartphone, or a fresh start | Nothing, you start empty |
Safety tip
Do not sell, give away, or recycle your old phone until everything you need has copied over and you have done a factory reset on it. A phone that is still signed in to your Google Account, with your photos and messages still on it, is a target for identity theft.
Step 5: Sign in with your Google Account, or create one
Plain talk: Google Account
Your Google Account is the email address and password you use for Gmail, the Play Store, Google Photos, and Google Maps. One Google Account follows you across every Android phone, tablet, or computer you use it on.
If you already have a Google Account from a previous phone, sign in with the same one again. This keeps your purchased apps, saved photos, and contacts connected to the new phone. If this is your first Android phone, choose “Create account” and follow the prompts. You will need an email address (or you can create a new Gmail address on the spot) and a password.
Type or say this
If a family member is helping you over the phone, you can say: “Can you stay on the line while I type in my Google Account password? I want to read it out loud slowly so I get it right.”
Step 6: Set a screen lock
Once signed in, the wizard will ask you to choose a way to open the phone: a PIN, a pattern, a fingerprint, or face recognition, depending on the phone. A PIN or fingerprint is usually the easiest combination for most people. This step also protects everything tied to your Google Account if the phone is ever lost or stolen, so it is worth doing even if it feels like an extra step.
Step 7: A few settings worth checking right away
Once setup finishes and your apps start reinstalling in the background, a few adjustments make the phone noticeably easier to use day to day.
- Bigger text. Go to Settings, then Display, then Font size and style, and slide the text size up until you can read comfortably without holding the phone close to your face.
- Find My Device. This is usually turned on automatically when you sign in, but check Settings, then Google, then Find My Device, or search “Find My Device” in Settings, to confirm. It helps locate the phone if it is ever lost or stolen.
- Notifications. Go to Settings, then Notifications, and turn off alerts for apps you do not want pinging you throughout the day.
- Backup. Check Settings, then System, then Backup, and make sure backup is turned on, so your contacts, photos, and settings are saved automatically going forward.
| Setting | Why it matters | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Screen lock | Protects your account and apps | Settings > Security |
| Font size | Makes everything easier to read | Settings > Display |
| Find My Device | Helps locate a lost phone | Settings > Google |
| Backup | Saves photos and contacts automatically | Settings > System > Backup |
Try this
Turn on Find My Device before you leave the house with the new phone for the first time, not after. It only takes a minute, and according to Google’s support guidance, it needs to already be turned on before a phone goes missing in order to work.
Switching from an iPhone? A few differences to expect
Moving from an iPhone to Android is common, and most of it works the way you would expect, but a few things are different. Text messages sent between iPhones use Apple’s iMessage system, which does not carry over to Android, so your text history will not transfer automatically. Photos and videos move over fine using the Switch to Android app or a Google backup, but they will live in Google Photos instead of the Photos app you may be used to. If you are weighing up the two systems for the first time, our comparison of iPhone or Android for seniors covers the practical differences in plain terms.
A note on staying safe with your new phone
A new phone number or a new device is also a moment scammers sometimes target, with calls pretending to be from your phone carrier or a delivery company soon after a new device shows up on an account. Google and your phone carrier will never call you out of the blue to ask for your account password or a one-time code. If a call like this comes in, hang up and contact your carrier directly using the number on your bill or their official website. If spam calls become a regular problem on the new number, our guide on how to stop spam calls on Android covers the built in call screening tools.
Our Scam-Stopper Kit (free when you join our email letter) covers the most common phone scams older adults run into, including the fake “there is a problem with your account” calls that sometimes follow a new phone purchase.
If you are setting this phone up for a parent rather than for yourself, our guide on how to set up a phone for an elderly parent covers a few extra steps worth adding, such as sharing locations with each other and simplifying the Home screen. It is also worth confirming Find My Device is working correctly together, which our guide on finding a parent’s lost Android phone walks through in more detail.
Making a Samsung phone easier to use
If the new phone is a Samsung Galaxy, Samsung includes its own simplified layout on top of Android, with bigger icons and a plainer Home screen. Our guide to Samsung Easy Mode explains how to turn it on and what changes when you do, which can be a helpful second step once the basic setup here is finished.
Where to go from here
Setting up a new Android phone comes down to a handful of steps done in order: charge it, connect to Wi-Fi, sign in, copy your data across, then set a screen lock. Once that is done, the rest is just making the phone comfortable for how you actually use it day to day. For a full walkthrough of the key settings worth knowing on your Android phone, from notifications to storage to privacy, see our book Your Android Phone.
