So you’ve just picked up a brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 5. And now it’s time to go through the setup process. One of the unique things about Android is that no two smartphone setups are the same. I’m serious actually. As every manufacturer has different features on different phones, and now carriers get into the mix with their own features that are part of the setup process. So we’re going to walk you through the setup process of the Galaxy Note 5 real quick. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but those that might be new to smartphones, this will be a big help.
Location, Language, WiFi and EULA
First up, you’ll see the welcome screen here. This is where you choose your language as well as location. Now we say Location as well because for English we have Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States. So choose your language and then hit the yellow button below. Now if you bought your device in your home country, it should already be on the right language.
Next, before you can do anything else, you will need to connect to WiFi. Well not necessarily need too. But if you don’t have your SIM inside the Galaxy Note 5, you won’t be able to sign into your accounts later on. So find your WiFi network and login. Pretty simple. Once you’re done you can hit “Next”. If you want to skip it’ll show you a pop up asking if you really want to skip. However, that will only appear if you are not connected to mobile data.
Now it’s time to agree to the End User License Agreements and the Privacy Policy. Here is where you can decide to send diagnostic data to Samsung or not. Now make sure you check the Privacy Policy at the bottom then hit Next. A pop up will appear asking if you agree to the Terms and Conditions. So hit Agree.
Tap& Go, and Google Account
Now it’s going to check your connection. Should only take a few seconds. Next up is Tap & Go. This is a Lollipop feature which can be used to copy data over from your existing phone to your new Galaxy Note 5. However the existing phone needs to be running Lollipop or later. You can skip that if you want.
Next is signing into your Google account. If you already have a Google account, you can just type in your email there and continue. Or you can create one. Pro tip: if it is a Gmail account you can just type in the part of your email before the @ symbol. Now on a separate screen it’s going to ask for your password. Now there’s a new screen that says “By signing in, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy”. From here you have the choice of not signing in or clicking Accept. Just hit accept and continue.
Security and Google Services
Samsung wants your phone to be secure, so they have an option to set your lock screen from the setup process. You can skip this, but we urge you not too. You can choose from doing a pattern, PIN, password or using the fingerprint sensor.
Following the security is Google Services. Here you can choose to have Google back up your phone’s apps, data, settings and more. Also use Google’s location service, Help improve location services and help improve your Android experience.
Samsung Account
In the next screen, you’ll be setting up your Samsung account. Now this account isn’t mandatory, but if you want to take advantage of all of the features Samsung has packed in the Galaxy Note 5, you will need to use it. You can create an account with your Google ID. Or Sign In. Your Samsung account works with locating your lost device, getting apps from the Galaxy Apps store, backing up and restoring your device, S Health and Milk Music.
S Voice, Fingerprints and Easy Mode
With S Voice you can set up a wake up command, similar to what Moto Voice does on the Moto X. So you can use your voice to wake up your device, open apps, make calls and much more. That can be skipped as well.
If you didn’t add your fingerprint in the security section, the setup will ask you to add a fingerprint. It’s pretty simple to do, and can be done later as well. Simply put your finger on the sensor in a bunch of different angles so it can get an accurate reading and allow you to unlock the device at any angle.
It’s important to remember that some people are new to smartphones, and Samsung has Easy Mode for those people. That’s next in the setup. You can switch that on or off. It allows for a simpler home screen layout as well as larger icons and text.
Samsung Knox
Finally we have Knox. Which you can choose to install now or install later. It’s available in the Play Store, so you can always install it later. With KNOX you can setup a secure space for your private data. That way if your phone is lost or stolen, your data is still safe.
That’s basically it. A bit longer than a vanilla Android setup. But there are tons of great features here from Samsung, and many of them are worth using on a daily basis. Especially the fingerprint reader.