Brand new HTC One M9 smartphone now available in the United States biggest carriersWhile the , takes its place on the shelves on April 10, buyers are delighted to receive the new phone and have many questions in their minds. Your new phone will work great right out of the box and have lots of neat new features, but below are five additional steps to help owners get started.
In just 10 minutes, this guide will future-proof your new smartphone with better security, backup options, improved battery life, customization, and more.
HTC’s brand new One M9 smartphone runs the latest Android 5.0.2 Lollipop but has an all-new HTC Sense 7 user interface with lots of new elements. Every regular HTC owner will feel right at home, and the steps below will help beginners and even advanced users get the most out of their new smartphone.
On March 1, HTC announced the new One M9, which includes an improved camera, a new two-tone aluminum design, a new theme engine, some improvements to HTC Sense UI, and much more. It looks almost identical to last year’s model, but under the hood it’s a completely different smartphone.
If you haven’t got one yet, we recommend that you check out the review linked above, then continue reading for a few tips to get started. When you open the M9 for the first time, you will go through the first few steps. Whether it’s a custom experience on the phone or by carrier like T-Mobile. Sign in to your usual Gmail account and then do everything else below to be future-ready.
better security
One option that has been on Android smartphones for years, but that most device owners don’t take advantage of, is a passcode or security pattern on the lock screen. Security is of the utmost importance these days when smartphones have access to so much information, banking accounts and email, and your device needs to be secured.
After completing the first few setup steps when you open it, it is highly recommended to go to settings to quickly add a password. It takes about 30 seconds to set up a password or pattern lock, and your device is protected from prying eyes or if it is lost or stolen.
Simply swipe down the notification bar from the top of the screen and tap the round gear-shaped settings icon in the top right. Scroll down to security, then select the screen lock at the top and use the option you want.
Safety is extremely important these days, so it is recommended that most users have at least a choice of pins or patterns. When you set a lock screen security measure, additional options appear, such as choosing how long the device is locked after use. I set it to 3 minutes, so I’m not constantly writing code all day long, I’m writing my own code for each. Running on Android 5.0 also means you can take advantage of the smart lock, where you won’t need a pin or security measure if you’re near a trusted device. Something like a smart watch, Android Auto device or even in your home after you set up the smart lock features.
Backup and Restore
HTC One M9 comes with Uh-Oh protection from the manufacturer. Which gives you a free replacement of a series of uh-oh moments. In such a case, you will want to make sure the device is backed up to Google. It does this automatically, but make sure it’s enabled. Google’s backup options, which we recommend most users accept, will come up during setup, but you can always check for more backup and sync options in settings later on.
Using the same steps outlined above, you will want to go to settings and scroll down for backup and reset. This is where you can turn Google’s backup solution on or off. It’s not an all-in-one solution, but it will backup (and restore on a new device) your WiFi passwords, app data (and game saves), wallpapers, and other settings. This is extremely convenient.
Users can also check or uncheck the restore option where Google will automatically restore all existing settings or data from a reinstalled app.
You’ll also want to back up your photos while you’re here, so even if you lose or break your One M9, you’ll always have the photos you got from that impressive new 20.7-megapixel camera.
Whether you use a cloud storage option like Dropbox or Google Drive, or you prefer to let Google+ Photos (on all Android phones) do it for you, the link above explains multiple easy ways to automatically save and backup full resolution copies of all your photos. .
Android Device Manager
Just like Find My iPhone, Google has something called Android Device Manager that you can use to locate or erase a lost smartphone. There is almost no installation after downloading the app. Google Play store, then let Android’s device manager find your lost phone if you need to. However, you must have it before an unfortunate loss or theft occurs.
Users can lock it, wipe a smartphone to erase stolen data, and even have your phone ring if it gets lost somewhere in your home. Android Device Manager site From a PC, another phone, or your HTC Nexus 9 tablet. It’s a powerful tool, so have it ready in case you need it.
Set Mobile Data Limits
Another thing that many business owners never do but can save you money is setting mobile data limits. Whether you have a 2GB data plan with AT&T or Verizon, or a family plan with T-Mobile that shares 10GB of data across multiple devices, it’s always wise to set limits. That way, users don’t have to face a huge smartphone bill at the end of the month.
This allows you to be notified when you reach (or near) your data limit, not to continue streaming 1080p YouTube clips or not to watch Netflix, as you may have to pay a fee. This would be a good time to switch to WiFi at home to save data and avoid over usage charges. Or reduce your usage until the month starts.
Improve Battery Life
Aside from having the screen at full brightness and having so many apps syncing 24/7, one of the biggest impacts on battery life is Google location services. Whether your phone is always tracking your location to provide weather updates, location for Facebook Messenger, or you use Google Assistant or Google Maps for directions or navigation, this consumes a lot of battery life. In Android 4.4 KitKat, Google added a new location option here that allows more control, and the battery saver option is your best route to go. You can manage what uses location services like the GPS chipset inside your phone, and I prefer battery saver mode until I really need to use GPS for directions.
Battery saver mode turns off GPS, so turn-by-turn navigation may not be as accurate or need to be re-enabled, but for those who rarely use navigation, Battery saver mode is your best bet. This uses your WiFi and cellular network for location services, rather than the phone draining your battery with GPS.
Users can also adjust settings > display > brightness up to 30% instead of auto, which can increase battery life and extend phone usage to the next day for free. Then, of course, turning off location data inside apps like Facebook, changing how often Twitter or other social sites sync or check notifications, or anything else that wakes your phone to use data. Manage all this according to your own personal preference to get the most battery life.
Fortunately, the M9 features Quick Charge 2.0 technology, so just 30 minutes on the charger when it’s almost completely dead will get you almost 50%. Enough for you for the rest of the day. Battery life isn’t much of a concern with the One M9, but every bit helps.
Finish
From here, users will want to set up a set of services and options that will enhance your smartphone. Google Assistant is a great option, and customizing HTC Blinkfeed for news and social status updates right from your home screen is also a nice option. Personally, I disable Blinkfeed.
Once you know all this, you’ll want to navigate through settings, features, and options, and get to know your device. Try the impressive new theme tool and more. Don’t forget to pick up some cases or official accessories for your new smartphone. If you’re the proud owner of an original HTC One, here’s a comparison to see if the new M9 is worth the upgrade.
