12. Working with Android Applications
In this chapter, you find out how to purchase and use Android applications on your Galaxy S7. Topics include the following:
Finding applications with the Google Play Store
Working with the Galaxy Apps Store
Your Galaxy S7 comes with enough applications to make it a worthy phone. However, wouldn’t it be great to play games, update your Facebook and Twitter statuses, or even keep a grocery list? Well, you can use the Google Play Store to find these types of applications. Read on to discover how to find, purchase, and maintain applications.
Configuring Google Wallet
Before you start buying apps in the Google Play Store, you must first set up your Google Wallet account. If you plan to download only free applications, you do not need a Google Wallet account.
1. From a desktop computer or your Galaxy S7, open the web browser and go to http://wallet.google.com (not shown). Sign in using the same Google account you used to set up your phone.
2. Click or tap Payment Methods.
3. Click or tap Add a Payment Method, and select either Add a Credit or Debit Card or Link a Bank Account.
4. Enter the required information to add your payment method (not shown).
Navigating the Google Play Store
The Google Play Store is the place where you can search for and buy Android applications for your phone.
1. Tap the Play Store icon.
2. Swipe in from the left bezel to see Google Play Store actions.
3. Tap to see any apps you have already purchased or downloaded.
4. Tap to see entertainment related content. Entertainment content is a listing of movies, TV shows, books, and newspapers and magazines related to entertainment.
5. Tap to switch from Apps & Games to Movies & TV, Music, Books, or Newsstand.
6. Tap to manage your payment methods, subscriptions, unused rewards, and see your order history.
7. Tap to redeem a Google Play gift card.
8. Tap to see your wish list. This list shows all apps, music, books, and movies that you have placed on your wish list.
9. Tap to see people you know on Google+ and see the apps they like.
10. Tap to change the settings for Google Play. See the “Adjust Google Play Settings” section later in this chapter for more information.
11. Tap anywhere outside the menu to return to the Google Play Store main screen.
12. Tap Apps & Games to see only Android apps and games.
13. Swipe left and right to move between different views including Top Charts, Games, Categories, Family, and Editor’s Choice.
14. Tap to search the Google Play Store. You can also tap the microphone icon and speak your search. This searches everything available in the store, including apps, music, movies, and books.
15. Tap Categories to see apps organized by Category.
16. Swipe left and right to scroll through the top categories.
17. Swipe up to see all categories.
18. Tap to exit the Categories view.
Install Free Applications
You don’t have to spend money to get quality applications. Some of the best applications are free.
1. Tap the free application you want to install.
2. Swipe up to read about the app’s features, reviews by other people who installed it, and information on the person or company who wrote it. Swiping up also enables you to share a link to the app with friends.
3. Swipe left and right on the app screen shots to see all of them.
4. Tap Install to download and install the app.
5. Tap Open to launch the app once it has been downloaded.
Buy Applications
If an application is not free, the price displays next to the application icon. If you want to buy the application, remember that you need to have a Google Wallet account. See the “Configuring Google Wallet” section earlier in the chapter for more information.
1. Tap the application you want to buy.
What if the Currency Is Different?
When you browse applications in the Google Play Store, you might see applications that have prices in foreign currencies, such as in Euros. When you purchase an application, the currency is simply converted into your local currency using the exchange rate at the time of purchase.
2. Swipe up to read the application features, reviews by other people who installed it, and information on the person or company who wrote the application. Swiping up also enables you to share a link to the app with friends.
3. Swipe left and right on the app screen shots to see all of them.
4. Tap the price to purchase the app.
An app you install that is either free or costs little may offer extra features that you need to pay for later if you want to take advantage of them. For example, an app might provide ways to edit photos and add effects to them, but some effects are not available until you pay extra for them. This is considered an in-app purchase.
5. Tap to accept the app’s requested permissions and proceed to the payment screen.
6. Tap Buy to purchase the app. You receive an email from the Google Play Store after you purchase an app. The email serves as your invoice.
Checking App Permissions Anytime
To see what permissions you have granted to any app, swipe down from the top bezel, tap the Settings icon (the cog), tap Applications under the Device section, and tap Application Manager. Tap any app and scroll down to Permissions to see what permissions you previously granted for the app. Tap each permission to read a description of what it allows, and in some cases how it affects your device.
Manage Apps
Use the My Apps & Games section of the Google Play Store to update apps, delete them, or install apps that you have previously purchased.
1. Swipe in from the left of the screen.
2. Tap My Apps & Games.
3. Tap All to see all apps that are currently installed or previously were installed on all your Android devices.
4. The word Free indicates a free app that you previously downloaded but that is not installed on this phone. Tapping the app enables you to install it again for free.
5. The word Purchased indicates an app you previously purchased and installed but that is no longer installed on this phone. Tapping the app enables you to install it again for free.
Allow an App to Be Automatically Updated
When the developer of an app you have installed updates it to fix bugs or add new functionality, you are normally notified of this in the System Tray so that you can manually update the app. Google Play enables you to choose to have the app automatically updated without your intervention. To do this, open the My Apps screen, and tap the app you want to update automatically. Tap the Menu icon and make sure that Auto-Update is checked. Automatic Updating is suspended if the developer of the app changes the permissions that the app requires to function. This enables you to review them and manually update the app.
When you uninstall an app, you remove the app and its data from your Galaxy S7. Although the app no longer resides on your Galaxy S7, you can reinstall it as described in steps 4 and 5 because the app remains tied to your Google account.
Adjust Google Play Settings
1. Swipe in from the left of the screen.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap to choose whether apps are updated automatically, and over what types of networks they are updated. For example, you can set your apps to update automatically at any time, which means they will update over the cellular data network or Wi-Fi. Because cellular data charges apply, you may choose to have your apps only update over Wi-Fi.
4. Check the box to create an app shortcut icon to appear on your Home screen for each app that you install.
5. Tap to clear the Google Play Store Search History. This removes the log of searches you have made in the Google Play Store on this device only.
6. Check the box to enable notifications of app or game updates.
7. Check the box to enable notifications when apps or games have automatically updated.
8. Swipe up for more settings.
9. Check the box to allow the Google Play Store app to see the itineraries in your Gmail account to better recommend apps for you.
10. Tap to set content restrictions on this phone. You can set restrictions on apps, movies, TV shows, books, and music. You can restrict based on the game rating, or movie and TV show age restriction. This is useful if you have purchased your Galaxy S7 for a child and want to restrict what they can download and purchase.
11. Check the box to use your fingerprint to make purchases from the Google Play Store.
12. Tap to choose whether you want to enter your Google password for every Google Play Store purchase, or only every 30 minutes. If you choose 30 minutes, you can enter your password one time and then purchase content in the store for 30 minutes without retyping your password. After 30 minutes have elapsed, you are prompted to enter your password for your next purchase.
13. Tap the Back icon to return to the main screen.
Accidentally Uninstall an Application?
What if you accidentally uninstall an application or you uninstalled an application in the past but now decide you’d like to use it again? To get the application back, go to the My Apps view in the Google Play Store. Scroll to that application and tap it. Tap Install to reinstall it.
Install Apps Not from the Google Play Store
Although it is not recommended that you install Android apps not found in the Google Play Store, there is a way to do it. Open Settings, tap Lock Screen and Security, and tap the switch next to Unknown Sources. If you use your phone for work, your company’s Mobile Device Management (MDM) system will likely require this setting to be enabled so that it can push down the MDM Agent app and enable you to install your company’s internal apps. Outside the requirement to install non-Google Play Store apps for your company, it is dangerous to install non-approved apps. You open yourself up to apps that may contain malware, spyware, or viruses.
Galaxy Apps
Although you can find the majority of Android apps in the Google Play Store, Samsung has its own app store especially for the Galaxy phones. There are some apps that are exclusive to the Galaxy Apps Store; however most apps in the Galaxy Apps Store are also in the Google Play Store, with some possible price differences between the two stores for the same app.
1. Tap the Galaxy Apps icon.
2. Swipe left and right to see apps grouped by Categories, Staff Picks, Samsung Galaxy Exclusives, Gear smartwatch apps and watch faces, and Top apps.
3. Tap to search for an app.
4. Tap More to see apps you have previously downloaded and to change the Galaxy App Store settings.
Add a Payment Method for Galaxy Apps
Before you start buying apps in the Galaxy Apps Store, you must first set up a payment method. If you plan to download only free applications, you do not need to follow these steps.
1. Tap More.
2. Tap My Apps.
3. Tap Payment Methods.
4. Tap Credit Card.
5. Tap Register to register a new debit or credit card.
Install Free Applications
You don’t have to spend money to get quality applications. Some of the best applications are free.
1. Tap the free app you want to install.
2. Swipe up to read about the app’s features, reviews by other people who installed it, and information on the person or company who wrote it.
3. Tap to share a link to the app with friends.
4. Tap Install to download and install the app.
5. Tap Open to launch the app once it has downloaded.
Buy Applications
If an application is not free, the price displays next to the application icon. If you want to buy the application, remember that you need to have set up a payment method, such as a credit card. See the “Add a Payment Method for Galaxy Apps” section earlier in the chapter for more information.
1. Tap the app you want to buy.
2. Swipe up to read the application features, reviews by other people who installed it, and information on the person or company who wrote the application. Swiping up also enables you to share a link to the app with friends.
3. Tap to add the app to your Wish List.
4. Tap the price to purchase the app.
5. Tap to accept the app’s requested permissions and proceed to the authentication screen.
6. Place one of your registered fingers over the Home button to authenticate that it is you who is making the app purchase. If you have chosen not to use your fingerprint as authentication for the Galaxy Apps Store, you will be prompted to enter your Samsung account password on this screen.
7. Choose a payment method.
8. Tap Buy to purchase the app.
Using Amazon.com to install apps
Your Galaxy S7 comes preinstalled with the Amazon.com app. With this app you can find and purchase items from Amazon.com, but it also allows you to purchase Android apps. Apps that appear in the Amazon.com app store are the same as apps that appear in the Google Play Store, however they may be discounted or free. Before you start using the Amazon.com app, make sure that you have a payment method set up in your Amazon.com account. To do this, log in to your Amazon.com app, tap the icon on the top left of the screen, and tap Add a Credit or Debit Card. To purchase apps and games, tap the icon on the top left of the screen, tap Underground Apps, and tap All Apps & Games to see apps that Amazon.com is selling. Similar to buying apps from the Google Play Store or the Galaxy Apps Store, simply search for an app and tap Buy to buy it.
