Before anything else, here’s what you need to do

So you’ve bought that shiny new Android smartphone, put in your credentials and naturally, started browsing through Facebook. Whether you’re a new or old Android smartphone owner, there are several things you’ll need to do with your device to get the most out of it. Things like…

Set-up anti-theft protection

Scrimping and saving for your new phone means naught if it gets pilfered from your hands without a chance of getting it back, no matter how slim. This is where Google’s Android Device Manager comes in. Android device users actually have an option of being able to locate their device and lock it remotely if it ever parts ways with your pocket or bag, depending on the situation.

To do this, you go to Settings > Security > Device administrators and select Android Device Manger. You can now check on your smartphone via Google’s Android Device Manager page through the internet, though we recommend you turning on your GPS so that Google can get a better fix on your device.

Once you have this option on, you can locate your smartphone and remotely lock or more importantly, erase the contents of the device if you’re unable to retrieve it. Take note though that your phone needs an active data connection to be able to work with this feature. Which brings us to our next point…

Get a data plan

An Android smartphone is useless without being able to go online, and while WiFi hotspots are good, mobile data plans are even better. There’s more to Android than free Facebook, so if you really want to get the most out of your smartphone, you need to subscribe to a decent data plan. Both Smart and Globe have decent data plan offerings for both post-paid and pre-paid, though you will want to keep a tight watch on your data consumption per month so you don’t go over your limit (both telcos have their own data caps so check and choose accordingly).

Once you have a data plan, you can take advantage of the myriad of apps that increase your smartphone’s functionality – personally we use Waze a lot along with Deezer when we’re shuffling to and from events that we cover for you guys.

Get apps

Most of you will probably download Facebook once you setup your Android device, but there’s a ton of great apps out there that will enhance your Android experience immensely. Check out these two articles we’ve written on the apps you need to download, and take the time to read the comments section as well – there’s a bunch of great suggestions from readers about their favorite apps.

Get a case and screen protectors

Lastly, get some external protection for your smartphone. As technology progresses and newer smartphones get released, you’ll want to keep your device as pristine as possible to keep its resell value high should you decide to buy a new model down the road. A screen protector is the bare minimum of protection that goes on your smartphone, you should consider tempered glass protection (if they make it for your device) and a case as well to keep wear and handling marks down.

That’s it! Enjoy your new Android smartphone!