The 50 Great tips for the G1 Android!

The T-Mobile G1 Android is the most talked-about phone in town.

It may not be a better handset than the iPhone - but with a plethora of apps and updates on the way, the G1 is certainly a major force to be reckoned with.

With that in mind, here are 50 great tips to help you squeeze as much usability out of your T-Mobile G1 Android as humanly possible

1. Customise your home screen

You can select any icon from the pull-out menu and drag it onto the home page. To return it to the menu you’ll need to press and hold it until the menu tab shows a trash can, then drag it onto the trash can icon.

2. Quick email set-up

You can set up most POP3 or IMAP email accounts with major providers in a couple of clicks. Go to Email, press Menu-Accounts, then Menu-add account, enter your email and password and you’re ready to go.

3. Email default

Not surprisingly, the G1’s optimised for GoogleMail and you’ll be prompted to set an account up when you start it up for the first time. If you’d rather use another account though, remember to click ‘Send email from this account’ when you set it up or it will default to your Gmail account.

4. Push email

You can set your G1 to update your emails automatically from every five minutes to every hour, or only when you ask it to. In Email, press Menu, then Account settings, then Email check frequency.

5. Check your memory

You can check how much memory you have left on your microSD card. From the home page, pull open the Menu. Go to Settings, then scroll down to SD card & phone storage.

6. Save memory

With the list of apps available on Market growing steadily, it’s only a matter of time before you run out of space on your G1’s built-in memory. Delete apps that you don’t use regularly - you can easily download them again if you need them.

7. Save your battery 1

Like many high-spec smart phones, battery life on the G1 is an issue. Get into the habit of pressing the end key when you finish using it to shut the screen down.

8. Save your battery 2

Reduce the brightness. In the settings menu go to Sound & display, then scroll down to Brightness. Even at the lowest setting it’s perfectly viewable. You can also reduce the screen timeout while you’re there.- minimum is 15 seconds.

9. Save your battery 3

Turn off Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth if you’re not using them - they’re all in Settings-Wireless controls. You can even turn off 3G and opt for ‘Use only 2G networks’ in Wireless controls-Mobile networks if you’re being careful.

10. Save your battery 4

And if you really want to stretch out your power line, you can turn off the ringer and rely on vibrate to receive calls. Go to Settings-Sound & display and click Silent mode while leaving Phone vibrate activated.

11. Notifications screen

Drag your finger downwards from the top of the screen to reveal the Notifications page. This will tell you of any pending emails, missed calls, downloads and other info.

12. Street View

Google Maps now has a Street View option which gives you 360-degree views of street scenes. Press Menu-Map mode-Street View (you’ll need to scroll down if you’re in landscape mode).

13. Problem with Street View

It’s a great little feature, but there are no Street Views for the UK yet. Paris is the nearest, but there are also Street Views in Spain, Italy, Belgium, and of course, loads in US and Japanese cities.

14. Android Apps

There are already dozens of third party apps available for the G1’s Android operating system, many of them free, and with more being added all the time - unlike the iPhone’s closed system, anyone can add them. Go to Market in the main menu for a full rundown.

15. Any Cut

Any Cut offers an easy way to make shortcuts to almost anything, including frequently dialled numbers, messages or even specific actions, just by pressing and holding the home screen.

16. ShopSavvy

Download this app from Market and you can use the G1’s camera to scan barcodes. It will then go online to find the best price for the product you’ve just scanned, along with any reviews or comments.

17. TuneWiki

Essentially an interactive community-based karaoke project you can search for songs and videos with accompanying lyrics and add your own. It’s a pretty good music player too.

18. Wikitude

This Market app uses Wikipedia and GPS to provide information on local points of interest wherever you happen to be. It’ll highlight places on the map but it’s best to use the trackball rather than your finger to access the info.

19. Shazam

Long available by dialling 2580, the track ID service is available as a free download, so when you need to know what that track on the radio is, you’ll only pay for your network’s data charges.

20. Memory card

The G1 comes with a 2GB microSD card hidden in a slot at the bendy end, just beneath the call start button.

21. Imeem music

This music streaming app lets you play music wherever you are. Select an artist and it will play a stream of related tracks from your chosen one and others. It’s like a jukebox in your pocket.

22. Zombie, Run!

This very silly but fun game uses the G1’s GPS system to identify zombies heading your way. Your task is to avoid them and get to your destination. It certainly livened up our mid-afternoon stroll down London’s Oxford St…

23. Screen errors

The G1’s capacitive touch screen is a thing of beauty - not so sensitive that you activate everything your thumb brushes against, but not requiring too much effort to press what you need. Sometimes it can be a bit slow to react though. In this case, hold your thumb on the link you need for a second or two - that should do it.

24. Security

You can set up your own security pattern to protect your precious G1 being vandalised by strangers’ manky fingerprints. Go to Settings-Security & location-Set unlock pattern. Then draw your own personal unlock pattern to connect at least four dots on the on the nine-dot grid.

25. Play video

The G1 won’t play video out of the box. Download Video Player from Market to play MPEG4 or 3GPP files. Expect to see other video players soon.

26. Switch network

Like the iPhone, the G1 has debuted exclusively on a single network and if you buy now you’ll be tied to an 18-month contract. But if the big pink one isn’t for you, wait until next year when you’ll be able to get a G1 that isn’t locked to any network.

27. Upgrade your memory card

With just 1GB memory on board the G1, you’ll need to add some more via microSD card if you’re going to get the best use out of it. It can handle up to 16GB which should set you back around £40.

28. Quick search

Google knows a thing or two about search. Get quick access to the Google toolbar by pressing the search key on the keyboard (bottom line, looks like a magnifying glass).
29. Keyboard shortcuts

You can manage your own keyboard shortcuts to any of the apps in your menu. Go to Menu-Settings and scroll down to Applications-Quick launch. There are a range of built-in shortcuts awaiting activation or you can set up your own.

30. USB security

If you’re concerned about security, there’s an automatic debug mode that swings into action whenever you connect to a computer via USB. Go to Menu-Settings-Application-Develeopment-USB debugging.

31. Non-Market apps

You don’t have to stick to third party apps from Market, but if you’re looking further afield, you’ll need to tell your G1 it’s okay. Go to Menu-Settings-Application-Unknown sources and tick the box.

32. Set MP3 as ringtone

If you really must have Tenor Saw’s Ring The Alarm or Anita Ward’ Ring My Bell as your ringtone, go to Music-Songs and press and hold the one you fancy. Then choose Use as phone ringtone.

33. Multiple apps

If you’re surfing the web, using your camera, whatever, and want quick access to your music player or email, just press and hold the Home key to superimpose your open apps menu.

34. Get Wi-Fi-ed

Put go-faster stripes on your internet browsing by connecting to a broadband network. From the Menu go to Settings-Wireless controls-Wi-Fi settings to search for available networks.

35. Quick silent mode

No need to fiddle through menus when you’ve just gone into a meeting with the G1 - just press and hold the call end button to activate silent mode. Press and hold again to bring the noise.

36. Speedy playlist management

It’s easy to add songs to playlists - just press and hold the track you want, then select the playlist you want to assign it to from the menu.

37a. Favourite contacts

You can set up a Premier League of your favourite contacts so you can keep all your essential numbers in one place. Open your contact’s details and press the grey star in the top right-hand corner – it turns gold, and that contact is in your Favourites list.

37b. Least favourites

There’s an option to automatically avoid any of your least favourite contacts. Scroll down in your contact’s details and check the box marked Send calls directly to voicemail. Et voilà – automatically screened calls.

38. Forward SMS and MMS messages

There’s no option to forward a message while you have the message open, so from your list of messages, press and hold the message you want to forward until a menu pops up. Select ‘Forward’.

39. Autofocus

The G1’s 3 megapixel camera has autofocus, but to make best use of it, half-press the shutter button (just like on many standalone cameras) before taking your shot. It will still work with a normal press, but with a longer delay.

40. Get your bearings

The G1 includes a compass to help you get your bearings in unfamiliar territory. Go to Maps-Menu-Map mode-Street view-Menu-Compass.

41. Zooming

Not as flash a mechanism as the iPhone’s pinch, but then you only need one finger. Tap the screen once in browser or picture viewing modes and zoom in and out keys appear. Press once or press and hold ’til you get the size you want. Easy.

42. Browsing shortcuts

The keyboard has some basic shortcuts for getting around. Try Menu+J for last page, Menu+K for next page, Menu+Space for home page and Menu+H to see your browsing history.

43. Quick zoom

Sliding the screen brings up zoom in and out buttons, but also a quick zoom in the bottom right-hand corner. This brings up a full webpage with a highlight window that you can move around until you find the bit you want to focus on.
44. Click to fit column

If you’re viewing a page with several columns of text, not all of it on the screen, tap on the text (so long as it doesn’t contain a web link) and the column will jump into the window.

45. Multi-page browsing

You can have several pages open at once when you’re browsing. Press the menu key and select Window you view your recent page history and open new windows.

46. Cut and paste

Get that feeling of superiority over iPhone users by cutting and pasting text from your documents and messages.

Cut - press Menu+ x

Copy - press Menu + c

Paste - press Menu + v

47. SplashPlay

Hmm, a phone-based guitar tutor that really works. It shows the fretboard of a guitar and illustrates the chords while a song plays - it could be one that you download or one from your own music collection that chords have been provided for. You can even press the strings on the screen to sound the notes.

48. IM

The default Instant Messaging client on the G1 is of course GoogleTalk but you’re not stuck with it as there are others available on Market including meebo and IM+, which supports AIM, MSN, Yahoo and others.

49. MMS

Got one over on smug iPhone users by taking a photograph, selecting Menu-Share and sending it on. If the pic’s too large it will prompt you to resize it.

50. Factory reset

And if everything should go to hell in a handcart, you can do a factory reset:

Switch off

Hold Home Key + End key for 20 seconds or until you see a triangle with an exclamation mark and a picture of the G1

Open the QWERTY keyboard and press Alt+W