Looking for help with Android? Look no further! We have guides, tips, how-to articles, and plenty more to help you learn about your new Android phone or tablet.
Another great place to find help is in our Android Forums. We've got the best members anywhere on the Internet. If you're new to Android, you've got to start with our "Getting Started" thread.
You can always Contact us and select "Suggest a tip." if you have an idea for a how-to article. We're here to help!
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Feb 06, 2012
What is USB? USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, and is a standard for connectors, cables and protocols used for data transfer and power between a computer and another electronic device. &nbs...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Feb 03, 2012
What is tethering? Besides the grounds for a giant debate about ethics (the kind that you can only find on the Internet) tethering, in this case, means to share the Internet connection from yo...
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Feb 03, 2012
With the news today that Motorola accidentally shipped out 100 refurbished Xoom tablets without properly wiping the previous owners' information, it's worth a reminder of what you need to do...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Feb 02, 2012
What is sideloading? It's a term you see a lot thrown around while talking about Android applications, and it's simple to explain. It means installing applications without using ...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Feb 01, 2012
What is recovery? In Android, recovery refers to the dedicated, bootable partition that has the recovery console installed. A combination of key presses (or instructions from a command l...
Article
by Jared DiPane
Jan 31, 2012
So you got a shiny new Samsung Galaxy Nexus in your hands and you are left wondering exactly just what it can do, and how to do it. It's the first device to launch with the newest Android operat...
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Jan 31, 2012
What is a QR code? These things are everywhere nowadays. Little square barcode-looking things. They're on website, they're on pictures, they're on advertisements -- they're everywher...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Jan 30, 2012
What is a PRL? PRL stands for Preferred Roaming List and is a database used in CDMA (think Sprint and Verizon here) phones. It's built and provided by your carrier, and used when you...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Jan 27, 2012
What is open source? Open-source software is software that makes the source code freely available, for anyone to see and use. There are different open-source licenses that have different use conditi...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Jan 26, 2012
What is NFC? NFC stands for Near-Field Communication and is a set of standards (established in 2004) for small, portable devices to establish radio communications with each other. Devices need...
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Jan 25, 2012
What is Mobile World Congress? The next big mobile trade show on our Android schedule is Mobile World Congress -- or MWC, for those in the know. It's in Barcelona, Spain, and has been since 2006...
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Jan 24, 2012
What is an Android launcher? Probably the most powerful feature of Android is its ability to be customized. And that starts with what's typically called the "launcher." The launcher us...
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Jan 23, 2012
Google Currents is closing in on being two months old. Initial growth has seemed pretty impressive -- we've got around 178,000 subscribers -- but how much are you folks actually using it? We'...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Jan 23, 2012
What is a kernel? If you spend any time reading Android forums, blogs, how-to posts or online discussion you'll soon hear people talking about the kernel. A kernel isn't somethin...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Jan 20, 2012
What is the JIT? JIT stands for "Just In Time," and we use it to describe a Dalvik JIT compiler, which was added to Android with the 2.2 release. It compiles bytecode into nati...
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Jan 19, 2012
What is an IPS display? IPS stands for In-Plane Switching. It's commonly found in high-end monitors -- gaining mainstream notoriety in Apple's displays -- and has also found its way into tab...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Jan 18, 2012
Hacking. It means a lot of different things to different people, and to the public at large it conjures up imagery of evil people in exotic places. When we talk about hacking here at And...
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Jan 17, 2012
What is GSM? When it comes to Android devices, especially for us here in the U.S., there are two major differentiators that really have nothing to do with Android and everything to do with the carri...
Article
by Jerry Hildenbrand
Jan 16, 2012
What is fastboot? In Android, fastboot is a special diagnostic and engineering protocol that you can boot your Android device into. While in fastboot, you can modify the file system image...
Article
by Phil Nickinson
Jan 06, 2012
What's an ETF? An early termination fee is something you agree to, albeit grudgingly, when you sign a contract with a carrier. In return for, say, Verizon, selling you a phone for $199 instead o...
