There are few things as exciting as getting a new tablet, peeling the film off the screen and switching it on for the first time. The colours are bold, bright and beautiful, the picture is crystal clear, and you’re ready to try every feature out at once.
Only, the setup process is a little daunting if you’re not sure what to do. Transferring files from your other devices, configuring storage, backing up data and setting parental controls – these are all things that can be a pain if you’re unfamiliar. But don’t worry, there’s a solution for each of them that’ll have you up and running within moments.
Here are a few things you can do to make using your new tablet super easy:
Transferring your files over
Yes, you can move some files manually by plugging your tablet into your PC and dragging them over. Word of warning, though: it’s a little fiddly and very time consuming. We’d say the cloud is the best solution whether you’ve got an iPad or Android tablet,
Using the cloud is easy. Whether your files are on your laptop or your phone, moving them across via the cloud is much easier, and means they’ll all be there as soon as you’ve finished setup.
Android
For Android tablets, simply create a Google account on the device you’re transferring files from and start adding the files to Google Drive. If you have an Android phone, you’ll definitely have a Google account already, so you’re halfway there. Make sure to back up all the data you want on tablet, like your music and photos.
No need to search for your apps from scratch, either. When you log into your Google Account on the new tablet, you can automatically download the apps you’ve previously downloaded from the Google Play Store on your phone (if there’s a tablet version too).
iPad
For iPad, iPhone and Mac users, bringing your apps and files over to your new iPad is a piece of cake. Just log into your iCloud account upon setup, and the iPad will set to downloading everything you need.
If you’ve got an Android phone or tablet and you’re switching over to iPad, download the Move to iOS app on your old device to transfer your calendar, camera photos and videos across. Place your Android device next to the iPad when setting it up and make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on.
For the rest of your content, add it all to Google Drive on your old device. Once that’s done and you’ve completed your iPad setup download Google Drive, log into your Google Account and it should all be there. And because it’s cloud storage, it doesn’t take up any space on your new iPad.
Organise your storage
Before you even switch your tablet on, it’s worth knowing if it has an expandable memory card slot. If it does, take full advantage! Some tablets support memory cards up to 512 GB – that’s enough for an entire library of movies, without using any of your tablet’s built-in space. Storing bigger media files like movies and music away from the built-in space is a good way to keep it speedy.
If you do use both built-in storage and a memory card, make sure your apps get priority on the built-in storage. Running out of onboard space could mean your apps no longer receive updates, leaving them slower, outdated and less secure. Some apps work better when stored directly, and it doesn’t really matter where you store music, photos and documents – so long as you can access them whenever you need.
With that in mind, don’t be afraid to keep using the cloud to store your work projects, photos and entertainment. It’s the best solution if you don’t have expandable memory, and it means you can access files across all your devices and still keep space free.
Parental controls
If the whole family are planning to use the tablet, it’s important to make sure the kids stay safe when they’re online. Both Android tablets and iPads make that easy to do in a few quick steps. Here’s how:
Android
Android tablets come with the option to set up more than one user profile. When setting up a child’s profile, you can choose to restrict access to certain apps and content.
To do this, head to ‘Settings’ and tap on ‘Users’. Add a ‘Restricted Profile’ then set the username and screen lock. Once that’s done, the kids can browse safely and any restricted content will be password protected.
iPad
iPad offers an impressive range of content filters and restrictions if you need them. Head to ‘Settings’ and tap on ‘Screen Time. Either choose ‘This is My Device’ or ‘This is My Child’s Device’. If the iPad is for your child, you’re able to set a ‘Parent Passcode’ If it’s a shared family iPad, tap ‘Use Screen Time Passcode’ and re-enter it to confirm.
Once that’s all set up, you can move onto ‘Content & Privacy Restrictions. Manage in-app purchases, filter web content, restrict voice searches and access to apps. They can browse, stream, watch and play and you’ll have complete peace of mind.
Not decided about the tablet purchase yet? Here are 5 questions to ask before you buy one.
