One of the great things about modern life is the convenience of mobile devices. While face-to-face interaction is a big part of life at Bethesda Gardens assisted living community in Frisco, these handheld devices can be a great way to interact in other ways. Both inside and outside our community, mobile devices can be helpful for everything from visiting family to window shopping.
Sometimes these devices can seem a little intimidating. Even the more tech savvy members of our community can admit the process may seem a bit daunting, so it’s natural for many people to have some nervousness when getting started with a new device. After all, you want to make sure you’re doing it right so you can get full enjoyment and functionality out of your device.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a phone or a tablet, an Apple or an Android or another type of mobile device. Certain things are universal. We've covered some things you can expect with any new mobile device below.
Once you get the device and power it on, the first thing you’ll see is the welcome screen. From here, you’ll swipe or tap on the screen to get the setup process started.
The first thing that happens is the device tries to connect to the internet. Phones typically attempt to use the cellular network if you aren’t connected to Wi-Fi. For this initial setup, it’s a good idea to connect to Wi-Fi regardless of cellular signal strength. That way, there’s less chance for interruption. Residents of Bethesda Gardens assisted living have free access to Wi-Fi that they can use with their mobile devices!
The next part of the setup process involves signing in to your account. This is the account tied to the underlying operating system of your device. Don’t worry, we’re not going to go into all the technical details here. Just know that the operating system is the programming that makes the device work.
Every operating system wants you to create an account and sign in. There are two reasons for this:
• To help you manage what you do with your device
• To tie the device to you uniquely.
Let's use a metaphor to help you understand: If the device was a car, this account would be similar to your driver’s license. If you have one from a previous device that uses the same operating system (such as an Apple phone and an Apple tablet), you can use that to sign in. Otherwise, the device walks you through creating one.
If you’re setting up a device as a replacement, you might be able to restore old information to the new device. That means you can import existing information like your contacts to this new device so you don’t have to re-enter it. The device will ask you once you sign in if you’d like to do this; it’s up to you, but it’s a great time-saving feature.
If you’re going to restore your device from a backup, the new device asks you to put in the passcode or PIN associated with your old device. This is the code you used to unlock the old device. It does this to be sure you’re the owner of the account.
However, if you aren’t restoring from a backup or the old device didn’t have a passcode on it, you can now set up a new passcode. This is a number combination or swiping pattern used to unlock your device. It’s something that only you will know. Setting a passcode is not required, but it can be a good idea to keep your device secure should you lose it.
Also at this point, your device might suggest using facial recognition or biometric information like your fingerprint. This lets you unlock your device by holding your finger to the sensor (often on the back near the camera) or showing your face in the camera range. None of this is required either, but it's still a good way to secure your device.
After performing these fairly common steps, each device has its own processes for finalizing setup. Some may offer you options to set up payment methods or start downloading new apps, for example. Most of the options you're provided with following the main setup processes are optional and you can skip them initially if you want time to consider them later.
At some point during this process — usually after you’ve completed the initial setup — the device asks you if you want to install an update. This question pops up from time to time as you use the device as well. Whether you do this or not is completely your choice. Just keep in mind that most experts do suggest installing updates as soon as possible for security reasons.
The process of setting up your device might seem scary, but don’t worry. It just seems intimidating because there’s always something a little off-putting about an unfamiliar process. If you do feel overwhelmed, you can always ask one of your more tech savvy Bethesda Gardens neighbors, a relative or assisted living staff to help you. That’s what community is all about.
