We offer the first boot guide for those who bought the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Our guide is complete with explanations and tips, along with the steps needed to start using the phone right out of the box.
Important Notice: Samsung Recalls Galaxy Note 7 and the US government recommends that ALL Note 7 users stop using them immediately and return them. Read our
An exploding faulty Galaxy Note 7
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was released in August 2016. Samsung is switching from the Note 5 in 2015 to the Galaxy Note 7 this year, possibly to be compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which were released earlier in 2016.
Galaxy Note 7 has a beautiful 5.7 inch Super AMOLED display with a high resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. The Samsung S Pen sets this phone apart from other big-screen phones. The S Pen fits in a silo on the bottom edge, giving users precise, fine-tipped inking. The rounded edges make it look beautiful. Samsung has also added Iris scanning to its already great Fingerprint scanner for added security. The phone comes with Android 6.0.1, 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM. It also has a micro SD card slot that supports expansion up to 256GB.
Our setup guide will help users get started, add their account, tweak things to make it work better, and connect with the best accessories.
Before Turning On Your Galaxy Note 7
Before turning on your phone, insert your carrier’s SIM card if it hasn’t already done so for you. Also, install a micro SD card slot while you’re there. Galaxy Note 7 will support a card up to 256GB. Get one of the 7 cards listed in our micro SD cards group.
The phone will likely come with the battery at least partially charged, but it’s a good idea to plug in the USB Type-C charging cable right away when the phone is booting up or starting up. If you want to transfer data from another phone, you want the battery to be 100% charged.
Connecting to Wi-Fi on Galaxy Note 7
When you first start the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the operating system will ask you to “Allow Google to regularly check device activity for security issues…”. REJECT or ACCEPT this option will help with security issues, so it’s a good idea to press . However, if you don’t want Google to spy on your phone, this is the option.
Select your language and press . On the next screen, turn on Wi-Fi and select your Wi-Fi network. Make sure you’re on a good Wi-Fi network because this setup wizard will potentially download loads of information and apps in the process.
Before choosing the network, the phone will inform you about the Wi-Fi call if you are on a carrier that supports it. Wi-Fi calling uses the Wi-Fi network instead of the wireless carrier’s cellular signal. This saves minutes for the few people who are still on a metered calling plan. It also gives you a better connection in areas where cellular signal is not good. Either tap to learn more about Wi-Fi searching or tap to go to the next step to choose your Wi-Fi network.
The terms and conditions screen appears. Make sure there is a checkmark in the box and press the bottom of the screen. Tap in the pop-up box. The phone will check the Wi-Fi connection which can take a long time on slow connections.
Restore and Backup to Google
The operating system will check for updates and then offer to let you download settings from another device backed up to Google’s backup servers. If you have another Android device with NFC, you can use the feature that lets you hold two phones back-to-back to find each other and transfer content from the old phone. If you don’t have another Android device, “Another device?”
Enter your Google email account on the next screen. Next, enter the password and select it on the third screen. The phone checks the account and prompts you to enter a checkmark in up to four boxes for Google Services on the screen below.
The more concerned you are about privacy, the less boxes you will want to check. I checked them all because it doesn’t bother me that Google uses my data to improve Android and my experience.
When you’re done choosing options, tap on it.
Adding Other Accounts
The startup wizard now asks if you want to add another email account besides the Google account you just added. You can add other mail accounts, such as your company or school’s exchange/POP3 account, or other services such as Hotmail or Yahoo. To add another email account, select Allows users to add things like Yahoo, Outlook, or a company/school account. Strangely enough, you cannot add other Google accounts at this point. You can do this later in the Gmail app. If you want to do this later, select .
Whichever option you choose, tap . If you have chosen a personal account, follow the onscreen instructions to add it. To add custom accounts you will need some information such as POP3 and SMTP address. The operating system automatically enters this for popular third-party services like Hotmail or Yahoo.
Security Setup on Galaxy Note 7
The wizard allows the user to choose their preferred security. You have several options.
If you want to install the Iris Scanner, see How To Fix Galaxy Note 7 Iris Scanner Issues. Those who prefer Fingerprint scanner should see How to Fix Galaxy Note 7 Fingerprint Scanner Issues. Tap on it after choosing your option.
Which one should you choose? Fingerprint scanner works best and offers the best balance between security and convenience. The iris scanner is a good idea, but it’s not that easy to use, and people with glasses struggle with it. It also doesn’t unlock the phone any faster than a passcode. Some may prefer a password, PIN or pattern, but these are not that secure unless you choose a really good password. PIN and Pattern are the least secure because PINs are easier to guess and someone can guess your pattern based on remnants of your finger left on a dirty screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkAuFVjp7zA
If you choose Fingerprint or Iris scanner, you must also add a pattern, PIN or password as a backup. For best security, use a good password.
When you complete the security setup, you can get information from another device at this point. This will only happen if there are other phones or devices associated with your Google account. The next screen will ask if you want to add information and settings from the other device. Select the device you want, or scroll down to Last option, start fresh without restoring from a backup of an old device.
Adding Samsung Account to Galaxy Note 7
To get the most out of your Samsung Galaxy Note 7, sign up for or add a Samsung account if you already have one. The next screen in the first boot setup wizard offers users this option after setting up security.
If you already have a Samsung account, enter the user ID (possibly an email address) and password. Then tap .
If you do not have a Samsung account, you can link the Samsung account to your Google account by selecting . This prevents you from needing separate accounts, but also gives Samsung access to your Google account. That’s why I prefer to create a separate account from my Google account. Follow the instructions to create a new Samsung account or link your Google account.
At this point, the Galaxy Note 7 offers to transfer content from the cloud or another device using the adapter that came with your box. You have three options.
If you choose the first option, how to connect the adapter that comes out of the box to the phone will be shown on the screen. It is a small white adapter with a USB Type-C post connector and a regular USB female connector. You can connect an iPhone running iOS 5 or later, an Android phone running 4.3 or later, or a Blackberry 7 device. Connect the phones as in the animation on the screen and let it run. The screen will give you instructions. Samsung has a detailed support page that explains How to use Smart Key.
This process can take a long time and you will need a fully charged battery to complete the entire process. You can follow the instructions for the old version found in our guide.
Final Steps
In the final steps, the wizard will ask you to set up a Secure Folder. If you want this added security for private data, toggle this feature to use the switch at the top and then press the button at the bottom of the screen.
The operating system will ask you to adjust the size of your screen fonts and icons. You can choose between and . The image below the two options shows how things will look when you choose one of the options. When you choose the one you like, select it from the bottom of the screen.
Touchwiz, the Samsung user interface, offers to show “Get weather forecasts” based on the user’s location. It puts it on the home screen with a widget. If you want to use this, turn both options on by placing checkmarks in the two boxes. Then tap on it.
The following screens only appear on the T-Mobile version of the phone. Your carrier may offer similar screens. When you see these screens, you know you are about to finish. Once you see the home screen, you’re ready to start customizing things the way you want your Galaxy Note 7 to look. You can also install apps and get updates.
