Getting to Know Your Smartphone

Recognise the parts of your phone and practise opening, locking and finding essential controls.

Part 1 of 10 | Smartphone Skills for Beginners

Learning goals Identify whether you use Android or iPhone, distinguish the Home Screen from the Lock Screen and find basic device information. Your output is a simple phone reference card without passwords or private account details.

Before you begin Allow 60 to 75 minutes. Use your own phone or a practice device with its owner's permission. Bring a compatible charger and a notebook. The phone should already be set up and unlocked by its owner. Do not reset a borrowed or second-hand device to complete this course. Most exercises work without buying anything.

Understand the phone and its software A smartphone combines a telephone with a small computer. An app is a program for a task, such as taking photographs or keeping notes. Android runs on phones from several manufacturers; iPhones use Apple's iOS. The manufacturer, model and software version affect the menus you see. A different-looking screen does not necessarily mean you did something wrong.

Find Settings by its label or gear-like icon. On Android, look for About phone, sometimes within System, or search Settings for about. On iPhone, open Settings, General, then About. Record only the model and software version on your reference card. Serial numbers, device identifiers and account addresses are not needed for a public practice assignment.

Locate physical controls without guessing Find the screen, volume buttons, charging socket, cameras, microphone and speaker openings. Consult the model's official guide if a button is unfamiliar. A short press of the side or power button commonly wakes or locks the screen. Longer presses and button combinations vary and can activate an assistant or an emergency feature; do not experiment with repeated presses.

Locking turns off normal access to the screen while the phone can remain powered on. Turning the phone off shuts it down. Restarting turns it off and back on. Those are different actions. This first lesson needs only locking and waking; do not practise emergency calls, emergency button shortcuts or a factory reset.

Recognise the main screens The Lock Screen appears before normal access is allowed. It may show time, battery status and notification previews. Unlock using the owner's established method privately. Never ask a classmate to say a passcode aloud. The Home Screen shows app icons and possibly widgets, which display information or controls without opening the full app.

On Android, go Home with the Home button or a swipe upward from the bottom, depending on the enabled navigation mode. On iPhone with a Home button, press it; on models without one, swipe up from the bottom edge. Returning Home usually leaves the app available to reopen. It does not mean you uninstalled it or signed out of its account.

Read indicators and find quick controls Look at the status area for battery, mobile signal and Wi-Fi indicators. A strong signal icon does not by itself prove that a website will load or that a data bundle has balance. Notifications are messages from apps and the system. Dismissing a notification usually removes the alert from view; it does not necessarily delete the underlying message.

Android Quick Settings commonly opens by swiping down from the top, sometimes twice for more controls. On iPhone with Face ID, Control Center opens from the top-right corner; on Home-button models, swipe up from the bottom. Find brightness and volume without changing unfamiliar switches. Return to the previous setting if you adjust a control on a shared device.

Learn in a way you can repeat For every new action, say the goal, do one step, then check what changed. If you are lost, return Home and reopen the app rather than tapping many icons quickly. Keep your practice card in your own words, such as Settings then About phone. Avoid relying entirely on icon colours because themes and updates can change them.

If the screen is difficult to read or touch, ask for help with the accessibility settings in Part 2. A learner using a screen reader may need different gestures throughout this course. The aim is independent use with suitable support, not performing the same gesture as everyone else.

Guided exercise 1. Identify the phone family and locate its official model information. Write Android or iPhone, the model and installed software version on your card.

2. Find the charging socket and volume buttons. Explain which action locks the screen without using a long press or emergency shortcut.

3. Open Settings, return Home, then reopen Settings. Repeat until you can do this twice without assistance.

4. Open the quick controls appropriate to your phone. Identify brightness and battery information, then close the panel without changing connectivity.

5. Lock and wake the screen once. Explain which information remains visible and whether you would want message previews shown there.

Knowledge check 1. Is returning Home the same as uninstalling an app?

2. Why might two Android phones have different menu names?

3. Should your practice card contain the phone passcode?

Answer guide 1. No. Home changes the screen you are viewing; the app remains installed.

2. Manufacturers, models, software versions and navigation settings differ.

3. No. Record learning steps and non-sensitive model information, not secrets.

Completion standard Identify your phone family and version, open and leave an app twice, locate quick controls and lock the phone safely. Answer all three checks correctly. Keep your reference card for the next lesson; do not include a passcode, recovery code or device identifier.

Sources and verification notes

Google Get around on your Android device. Checked 14 September 2026. Navigation depends on the device and manufacturer. Use the instructions for the navigation mode already enabled.

Apple iPhone User Guide. Checked 14 September 2026. Select the guide version matching your installed iOS. The contents link to phone, messages, camera, files, calendar, accessibility and settings instructions.

Apple Use and customize Control Center on iPhone. Checked 14 September 2026. Control Center access differs between Face ID and Home-button models.

Apple Important safety information for iPhone. Checked 14 September 2026. Use appropriate charging equipment and follow safety and service guidance for damage, heat and batteries.