Keep In touch Digital skills for older people 01267 245555 kite@cavs.org.uk DON T PANIC! Just keep taking your tablet (with you) Beginners Tablet Guide The Tablet Environment... 2 Turning the tablet on and off... 3 The screen... 4 Using a Tablet Keypad... 6 The Internet... 7 Searching the Internet... 9 Email... 11 Settings App... 15 Downloading New Apps... 16 Website accounts... 16 Stay safe online... 19 Useful links... 20
The Tablet Environment These are very general notes to cater for all types of Tablet. To make the notes more useful, fill in specific notes and sketches/diagrams for your particular tablet as you go along. There are now several different makes and models of tablet available with different operating systems. Here are some examples with the companies that produce them and the systems they use. Tablet name Company Operating system* ipad Apple ios Hudl Tesco Android Samsung Galaxy Samsung Android (Kindle) Fire Amazon Fire Windows Microsoft Windows [*an operating system e.g. ios, Android, Fire, Windows This is the underlying software that is running on the tablet, a bit like an engine, the tablet doesn t work without it. It allows apps (see p4) to run.] If you do not already have a user guide for your tablet you may be able to download one from the internet. Look for the manual for the particular make and version of tablet you have. A stylus can be very useful to make your tapping more precise. Page 2
Turning the tablet on and off The tablet can be in one of 3 states 1. OFF ( completely off takes longer to come to life when turned on) 2. In Sleep /Standby mode (Appears OFF but comes to life very quickly) 3. ON Turn ON the tablet If the Tablet is OFF To turn the tablet on: press and hold the power button on the side until the screen changes. Follow any instructions on the screen. You may have to wait a minute or so for the home screen to appear. If the tablet is in Sleep/Standby mode To turn the tablet on: press the power button on the side for a short time. Put into Sleep/standby mode To put the tablet into standby mode: press the power button for a short time. Turn OFF Power off completely To turn the tablet OFF: press and hold the power button on the side until the screen shows a message. Follow any instructions on the screen. Page 3 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
The screen The home screen of the tablet generally shows some Apps, indicators and navigation buttons. WIFI indicator Battery indicator The WIFI indicator shows if you are connected to a WIFI connection and how strong the signal is. The Battery indicator shows how much battery life is remaining. Apps An app is a piece of software on a tablet (or a computer) which does a particular task. Examples of apps are: Facetime or Skype used to hold video calls Google Chrome used to surf the internet. Camera allows you to take photos using the tablet Angry Birds a game for children. Navigation buttons Back Home Active Apps The Back button returns to the last thing you were doing. The Home button returns to the Home (Main) Screen. Active Apps shows you the Apps that are currently active. Page 4
Interacting with the screen Tap Briefly press on the screen e.g. to open an App Swipe to move to the next screen Pull finger across the screen e.g. to see the next screen or to move down a page Pinch and Stretch to resize Place two fingers on the screen then move them apart or together to resize e.g. to make text bigger or to zoom in on a map Tap and hold - to see more options Press and hold until something changes on the screen or a menu pops up Drag - to move things around Press and hold, then pull across the screen e.g. move Apps to different places Page 5 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
Using a Tablet Keypad The Tablet Keypad is generally hidden until you need to type. When you are ready to type you need to first Tap, where you want the text to go, to cause the Keypad to appear. Understand where text will be appear if you type: Text you type in will appear wherever the flashing cursor is. Move the flashing cursor to a new location: Tap to set the flashing cursor in a new place. Specific Notes: Type text in Lower and Upper Case Type numbers Type symbols at the top of keys (e.g. or @) Delete text Page 6
The Internet Understand the following terms: the Internet The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers. Any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as they are both connected to the Internet. A website A place on the internet where a person, company, organisation or community group etc. display information and/or sell products. A URL / website address The unique identifier for a website. Examples: www.oxfam.org bbc.co.uk A web page A single page within a website, a bit like a page in a catalogue or brochure. Most websites have more than one page. A search engine To look for things on the internet you use a Search Engine. e.g. Google www.google.com, Yahoo www.yahoo.com, Bing www.bing.com When you type text into the Search box, the Search Engine will provide you with a list of websites in the order that it thinks is most relevant to your search. A web browser This is any app you use to look at the internet e.g. Google Chrome, Safari, Amazon Silk. Cookies A cookie is a small piece of text sent to your browser by a website you visit. It helps the website to remember information about your visit, like your Page 7 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
preferred language and other settings. Every time you visit the website, the browser sends the cookie back to the server to notify the website of your previous activity. This can be useful and make your visits to the website easier but there may be some privacy issues. Antivirus software Viruses are malicious programs created with intent to cause damage, which spread from across the internet. To be safe online you may need to have an antivirus program installed to protect your tablet from known viruses. Antivirus software can be free or paid for but generally needs to be renewed annually. The Antivirus software on your tablet needs the latest information available about viruses so will update itself regularly. Software Updates Updates for the operating system and for Apps are regularly available to keep everything up to date with the latest fixes and improvements. It is usually best to accept updates when prompted so that can you get the latest security and other important updates as soon as possible. Page 8
Searching the Internet There are two types of app you can use: a Search app e.g. Google app a Web Browser e.g. Safari, Amazon Silk, Google Chrome. Tap to open the Google App or a Web Browser App The app may show the last website that you visited or its home page. Tap in the search box to display the keypad Type some text to search for e.g. bbc As you type, a list of suggested searches appears. You can keep the search text which you have typed, or select an option from the list: Either search based on your typed text: Tap the search button (a magnifying glass start the search. or Tap an option from the list of suggestions. or SEARCH or GO) to A long list of results showing websites relevant to your search appears. You can push the page up to see more results. Each website result shows a title link (blue), the web address (green) and a description. Tap the blue title link to visit the page. (e.g. BBC Homepage) The selected website appears and its web address is shown in the address bar at the top of your browser or Google App. Page 9 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
The Back Button/Arrow Tap the back arrow to go back to the previous webpage you were viewing. Tips for searching Use key words not full sentences or questions. For example, instead of typing I need tips for growing tomatoes simply type growing tomatoes If you can t find what you want, try to use different words or a different way of expressing it. Navigating around a website: Each website will have a different layout but the main navgation links are generally at the top of the page. To find what you need on a website you may need to: Find a particular section of the site Swipe up or down the page Tap links to go to different pages\other sites Search for information within the site Page 10
Email What is email? Messages: Electronic mail or email is a quick way of sending messages to people using the internet. ID: As it is unique it can also be your identity on the internet. If you want to become a member of a website to shop, or to use a service, you will be asked for your email address in order to register. You send an email to a person s email address. An email address is made up of the following parts: kite.clare@hotmail.com (referred to sometimes as someone@example.com) kite.clare here is the person s name or user name the name they use The @ stands for the word at After the @ is the name of the place where the person works or the place which provides the email address (e.g. gmail.com, yahoo.com, outlook.com, btinternet.com) Create a new email account (if you do not already have one) You may have an email address allocated to you by your broadband provider e.g. talktalk.net or btinternet.com If necessary you can create a free new email address by going to a website which provides this service e.g. www.gmail.com or www.outlook.com and creating a new account. (The word account here has no financial implications it just refers to registration or membership.) To create a new email account You will be asked to fill in a form You will need to think of email address that has not already been taken by someone else. You will need to create a password to lock the account so that only you can use it. Add an email account to the Mail App (if not already set up) Once you have created an account it can be set up on your tablet in the Settings App. To set it up you will be asked to type in your email address and then your password in order to prove your identity. Once it is set up the Mail App will be linked to your personal email. Page 11 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
Using email Start the email App Tap the Mail App to open your emails When you first go into your email your Inbox is usually selected. You see a list of emails you have received on the right hand side and a set of folders on the left hand side. If there are any new emails that have not yet been read there will be a number next to Inbox to notify you. e.g. Inbox (3) An email has the following features: To: where you put the email address Subject: where you write what your email is about The main body of the email, where you write your Message Create a new email Tap the New (or Compose) button Type 1. the email address, of the person you are contacting (in the To: box) 2. a subject (in the Subject box) 3. your message (in the main box below) Tap the Send button Sent Items To see if an email has been sent you can check in the Sent folder. Tap Sent to see copies of any emails that have been sent. Undelivered Mail If someone has not received an email you have tried to send to them it may be that the address was incorrect. Either it will go to a different person! or you will receive a message telling you it could not be delivered. (i.e. the address you typed does not exist). Open an email Tap the email, for example in the subject line. Page 12
Reply to an email Once an email is open you can reply to it. Tap the Reply button. This opens a new email (with a copy of the original message in it) The address is alreadycompleted as you are replying to someone The subject line is completed and starts with RE: Type your reply message in the main box (above the text you are replying to) Tap Send Drafts If you start an email but do not send it, it will be saved into your drafts folder. You can reopen it and continue writing it later. Tap Drafts to see any emails that have been started but not sent. Trash (or Bin or Deleted) Emails that have been deleted will be moved to the Trash/Deleted folder. If you delete a message by mistake you can move it back to your inbox. Spam or Junk Your email system will identify some unsolicited emails as Spam/Junk and will move them to the Spam/Junk folder automatically. You can move these to the Inbox if they are actually emails you want to read. Tap Spam/Junk to see any emails that have been classed as Junk. Email etiquette Never send an email in anger! Only use Capital letters where appropriate as this can appear as though YOU ARE SHOUTING. Generally there is no need to be as formal as in a letter. Be Safe Don't open an email if you don't recognise the name or email address - just delete it. Never reply to emails asking for any personal or financial information. Page 13 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
Specific Notes: Open your email Check if you have any new emails Open an email you have received Reply to an email (by using the Reply button) Compose and send a new email Check if an email has been sent Delete an email Page 14
Settings App The Settings App is where you can change how the tablet behaves, e.g. how bright the screen is, what the background picture is, what email account is used etc. Screen timeout/auto lock The tablet will put itself into standby mode automatically if you don t touch it for a certain amount of time e.g 2, 5, 10 minutes. The screen timeout (the time that the tablet waits before entering standby mode) can be changed in Settings. Tap the Settings App to open it Find either Screen Timeout/ Autolock or similar Tap to change the length of time Security You can set up security for the tablet eg. add a passcode (like a pin number) which you have to type in to access the tablet. Connect to a Wireless Network (WIFI) Connection You will need to know the name of the network you are trying to connect to and its Security Key/password. Tap the Settings App to open it Find and Tap the WIFI section Tap the name of the WIFI network you want to join from the list of networks available. Type in the Security Key for the network connection Page 15 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
Downloading New Apps The tablet comes with a set of general apps. To get other apps onto your tablet e.g. different games or usefool tools you can download them. Examples of apps which are used to download new apps are: The AppStore ( ipad) Play Store (Android) Tap the Store app to open it A list of featured apps and different categories of apps is displayed. You can browse through the suggested apps and choose one or you can search for particular apps by typing a keyword e.g. weather in the searchbox at the top of the screen. In order to download an app you may need to provide a password. For ipads this is the password for the Apple ID (the account with Apple) which the ipad was set up with. Specific Notes: Open the Store Find an app to download Download the app Page 16
Website accounts Understand the following terms: a website account A website account represents your membership or registration with a website and does not refer to finances. If you have an account with Amazon for example, it means that you can visit the site as a member and they will know who you are. They can keep track of items you order and recommend future purchases etc. Any interactive website where it is useful to keep track of what choices you make as a user, may ask you to register in order to keep that information for you for your next visit e.g. a family history website. Register/Sign UP The first time you visit a website and decide to become a member you need to register or sign up. When you register you create an account with that website. This involves completing a form where you will need to provide your email address with some other personal information and also create a password to protect this website account. (Ideally this password is a new one, different to the password for your email account.) Log in/ Sign IN Once you have created the account, whenever you return to that website you can identify yourself by logging in/signing in. To log in you will need to enter your username and the exact password you registered for that website. a username This is a unique name that you use to identify yourself as a member of a particular website. Because it has to be unique, your email address is often used rather than a name. Page 17 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
a password When you register with a website you are required to create a password. When you return to that site you need to enter your username and then the password as proof of your identity. Create a website account To create an account or register with a website. Look on the website for where it says Register, Sign up, New customer? or similar. You will need to enter any required information and create a password. (You cannot Log in or Sign in until you have created your account as the website will not know who you are.) Page 18
Stay safe online Understand the importance of and how to create a strong password You may have several passwords. One to access your tablet, one for your email account and a new one for each website account you create. It is safest to have a different password for each website account. Anyone who knows the correct password for your account will be able to access it. Never give your password to anyone. The strongest (hardest to guess or crack) passwords are a reasonable length e.g. 8 characters or more and contain a mixture or upper and lower case text, numbers and other special characters (e.g. %& etc). Recognise if a site is secure If you are entering credit or debit card details into a website you should first check that the website is secure. A secure site address will start with https:// The s is what indicates it s a secure site. There will usually be a padlock symbol either at the top next to the address or at the bottom right corner of the page. If you are shopping online it is best to use websites of retailers that have a good reputation as high street shops or established brands that you have heard of. Keep your tablet protected with Anti-virus software Your tablet may need to have anti-virus software installed to protect against viruses. This software should update itself regularly and warn you of any issues. The license will need to be renewed annually so keep an eye out for messages warning you of the expiry date. For more detailed information about staying safe online look at www.bbc.co.uk/webwise or www.getsafeonline.org. Page 19 KITe - Keep in touch kite@cavs.org.uk
Itkite.wordpress.com www.bbc.co.uk/webwise www.getsafeonline.org digitalunite.com www.gcflearnfree.org/computers www.learnmyway.com Useful links Page 20