Android Tablets: Expert Guides and Resources

An Android tablet is a complex piece of electronics that is both delightful and intimidating. Obviously, that qualifies it as the next great thing. It also means that if you want to get the most from the device, you need some gentle hand-holding and careful explanation.Read on for plenty of tips, tricks, and other useful information that help make your Android tablet experience a pleasant and productive one.

The Home screen on your Android tablet is more than what you see. It’s actually an entire street of Home screens, with only one Home screen panel displayed at a time. To switch from one panel to another, swipe the Home screen left or right. There are pages to the left of the main Home screen page, and pages to the right.

A screen shot, also called a screen cap (for capture), is a picture of your Android tablet's touchscreen. So if you see something interesting on the screen or you just want to take a quick pic of your tablet life, you take a screen shot.The stock Android method of shooting the screen is to press and hold both the Volume Down and Power/Lock keys at the same time.

Your Android tablet gives you all kinds of options for connecting to the web. Not every Wi-Fi network provides free, unlimited access. Some connections are metered. That means the provider may charge you per minute or per megabyte for accessing the Internet, similar to the limitations placed on the mobile data network.

Some locations follow good computer security and change their Wi-Fi passwords. When you revisit that one charming café and find that your Android tablet doesn’t reconnect to the network, follow these steps: Obtain the new password.Demand the new password from someone in charge, like the confused young woman who keeps asking whether you want “room” in your black coffee.

You can customize the lock screen by adding custom text that helps identify your Android tablet or simply displays a pithy saying for entertainment value. The feature is called Owner Info or Owner Information, so the real reason is to type your name and contact info in case the tablet is lost or stolen. To set the owner info for your Android tablet, follow these steps: Visit the Settings app.

There are three ways to say goodbye to your Android tablet; only one of them involves renting a steamroller. The other two methods are documented below. How to lock the Android tablet Locking the tablet is cinchy: Simply press the Power/Lock button. The display goes dark; your tablet is locked. Your Android tablet still works while locked; it receives e-mail and can play music, but it’s not using as much power as it would with the display on.

Organize the Home screen on your Android tablet by building app folders to contain icons for your favorite apps. You save room on your Android Home screen by putting multiple apps into one folder. The folders appear differently in Android Jelly Bean than in Android Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). Here's how to create a folder in each version: In Android Jelly Bean, create a folder by following these steps: On the Home screen, drag one icon atop another.

Here’s a great way to give yourself a headache: Use the Bluetooth to copy a file between your Android tablet and a Bluetooth-enabled computer. It’s slow, it’s painful, and it might even work. Get started by pairing your tablet with the computer. When your tablet and computer are paired and connected, how the file transfer works depends on whether you’re using a PC or a Macintosh.