Android tablet system settings

system settings

Your Android tablet lets you change lots of different settings to get it working just the way you like. Let’s look at how to set your preferred language, time and date, and also how to control the volume and sound of your tablet’s notification sounds.

What you will need

Before you begin, check that your tablet is fully charged and showing the Home screen. Your operating system software should also be fully up to date.

Remember, there are lots of different brands of Android tablet, and they all do things slightly differently. Some of the screens on your tablet might look a little different to the ones on this guide, but you should still be able to follow along.

First steps

Your tablet’s system settings are controlled from the Settings app. To open it:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of the Home screen to show the Apps screen. You will see a grid of icons.
2. Find the icon that looks like a cog wheel. This is the Settings icon. Tap it.
3. Once the Settings app is open, look for General management in the list on the left. Tap on it. The right of the screen will show General management options.

Setting your preferred language

When you buy a tablet in USA, it will be set to a default language called English (USA). This makes sure the tablet spells things the way you expect, such as ‘colour’ instead of ‘color’. However, if your tablet is pre-owned, or you’d prefer to use a different language, you can change it. Here’s how!

1. On the General management screen, find Language and input and tap it.
2. It should already be set to English (USA). If it isn’t, or you want to use a different language, tap English (USA) to see the options and follow the instructions on your tablet.

Setting the time and date

By default, your Android tablet sets the time and date automatically when it is connected to the internet. But you can also set the time and date manually if you want.

1. On the left of the screen, find General management in the list of options and tap it. The right-hand panel will change back to the General management panel.
2. The Date and time option should now be near the top of the right hand panel, so tap it.
3. Under Date and time on the right of the screen, you can see the tablet is set to Automatic date and time.
4. Tap the switch to turn off Automatic date and time. The switch will turn grey and more options will appear.
5. Now tap Set date to choose at date from the calendar that will appear. When you’re finished, tap Done. The tablet will go back to the Date and time screen.

6. Next, tap Set time and scroll through the options on the scroll wheels to set the time. It’s like setting a digital clock. Tap Done to go back to the Date and time screen.
7. You can also set your Time zone. Tap Select time zone, and a list of cities will appear. Choose your closest capital city and tap it. Your tablet will return to the Date and time screen.
8. Letting your tablet automatically adjust date and time is a really useful feature, so it’s a good idea to turn it back on now that you know how to manually adjust these settings. Tap Automatic date and time to do this.

Adjusting sound volume

Your Android tablet uses different sounds to alert you to different things. There’s the sound it makes when receives a video or voice call, and a sound for text messages, emails, and other notifications. To make each of these sounds louder or softer, look back at the Settings options in the left-hand side of the screen.

1. Scroll through the list until you find Sounds and vibration and tap it. The right-hand side of the screen will change to show the Sounds and vibration menu.
2. In this menu, tap Volume. You’ll see some sliders to control the loudness of different things your tablet does.
3. The Ringtone slider controls the loudness of the tablet ringing. Of course, your tablet isn’t a phone, but some tablets can receive calls over the mobile phone network, and from video calling apps such as Skype and Whatsapp?
4. Let’s look at the other sliders. Media controls playback of music and video. Notifications are a special type of alert, including text messages. And System is for all the other noises the tablet makes.
5. Slide your finger on each control to the right to increase volume, and to the left to decrease it.
6. When you’ve adjusted each volume level to something you like, tap the Back arrow to set them and return to the Sound and vibration.

You can change the sound your tablet plays when it wants to alert you to a notification, such as an email, traffic or weather update.

Changing notification sounds

You can change the sound your tablet plays when it wants to alert you to a notification, such as an email, traffic or weather update. Here’s how you change a notification sound

1. From the Sound and vibration menu, find Notification sounds and tap it.
2. You’ll see a list of sound options. Tap on some to listen to a preview of, then tap the one you like best.
3. Tap the Back arrow to set it and return to the Sound and vibration screen.

Adjusting system sounds

The Sounds and vibration menu lets you adjust a range of other sounds your tablet makes. You might find some of these sounds useful, and others annoying.

You might want to turn off Screen lock sounds so that your tablet doesn’t make a noise each time you unlock it, and Keyboard sounds, so the tablet is silent when you type on its keyboard.

For all these settings, tapping the switch next to the sound option turns it on or off. When the button is grey, that means sound is turned off.

Take some time to explore more of the Sound settings for yourself and adjust them so they suit you.

Congratulations!

You’ve completed the System settings activity.

Next up, we'll learn the Android tablet: Keyboard & screen activity.