Motorola moto g play (2021) User Guide

User Guide

Contents

Hot topics Get Started

First look

Insert the SIM and microSD cards Power on

Sign in

Connect to Wi-Fi

Check your battery charge level Navigate your phone

Improve battery life

Care for your phone

Learn the basics

Home screen Help & more Search Notifications Status icons Volume

Do not disturb Lock screen Quick settings Speak

Direct Share

Picture-in-Picture

Personalize your phone

Redecorate your home screen Discover Moto

Digital wellbeing & parental controls

Apps

Phone Messages Chrome™ Camera Photos Gmail Duo Moto

Audio effects Calendar

More apps

Connect, share, pay & sync

Connect with Wi-Fi

Connect with Bluetooth wireless Share files with your computer Share your data connection Print

Sync to the cloud

Cast your screen to a TV Use a memory card Airplane mode

Mobile network

Protect your phone

Screen lock Your privacy Screen pinning Backup & restore App safety

Data usage

Troubleshoot your phone

Restart or remove an app Restart your phone Check for software update Reset

Stolen phone

Accessibility

Create a shortcut Make your phone speak Speak to your phone

Change your phone’s display Change your phone’s sounds

Hearing aids (U.S. only)

Get more help

Where is my legal, safety, & regulatory information?

Service & repairs Copyright & trademarks

Hot topics

»Quick settings

»Personalize your phone

»Camera

»Moto

»Protect your phone

»Speak

»Connect to Wi-Fi

»System navigation

Tip: To view all of these topics on your phone, swipe up from the home screen and tap Settings > Help. For FAQs and other phone support, visit www.motorola.com/support.

To view the SAR and/or PD values for your phone, visit www.motorola.com/sar.

This product meets the applicable national or international RF exposure guidance (SAR guideline) when used normally against your head or, when worn

or carried, at a distance of 5 mm from the body. To meet RF exposure guidelines during body-worn operation, the device should be positioned at least this distance away from the body. The SAR guideline includes a considerable safety margin designed to assure the safety of all persons, regardless of age and health.

To view additional information, visit www.motorola.com/rfhealth.

Caution: Before using your phone, please read the legal information. Swipe up >

Settings > About phone > Legal information.

Hot topics

Get Started

First look

Let’s get started. We’ll guide you through startup and tell you a bit about your phone’s features.

	Headset Jack
Flash
Depth	Main
Camera	Camera
	Fingerprint
Proximity	Sensor
Sensor	Earpiece
Front
Camera
SIM &	Volume
microSD	Buttons
Card Tray	Power
	Button

Microphone	Speaker
	USB-C/Charger

Note: Certain apps and features may not be available in all countries.

Power button

Choose from these options:

»Power on/off: Press and hold the Power button, then tap Power off. When your phone is off, press and hold the Power button to turn it on.

»Sleep/Wake up: To conserve battery power and prevent accidental touches, put the touchscreen to sleep by pressing the Power button. Press it again to wake it up.

»Restart: To restart your phone, press and hold the Power button, then tap Restart. Tip: To add security to your phone, see Protect your phone.

Volume buttons

To turn volume up or down:

»Music/video volume: Press the buttons when your phone is not ringing, or during a song or video, to adjust media volume.

»Ringer volume: Press a volume button, then tap and slide the Ring volume bar. Press a volume button when your phone is ringing to silence a call.

»Earpiece volume: Press the buttons during a call.

Tip: For more on volume control, see Volume.

Insert the SIM and microSD cards

To activate phone service, you might need to insert a SIM card, or this may have been done for you. You can also add a microSD card, which is optional and sold separately.

Put in the cards

Caution: Make sure you use the correct size SIM card and don’t cut the SIM card.

1Insert the SIM tool into the tray hole to pop out the tray.

Make sure you use the correct size SIM card and don’t cut the SIM card.

2Insert the SIM card(s) with the gold contacts down, then gently push the tray into the slot. Add a microSD card for additional storage.

Note: microSD card is optional, sold separately.

Get Started

Nano SIM

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Power on

Press and hold the Power button, then follow the prompts to get started.

Sign in

If you use Gmail™, you already have a Google™ account—if not, you can create an account during setup. Signing into your Google account lets you access, sync, and backup your stuff. You can see your Google apps, contacts, calendar, photos, and more.

Tips

» To add, edit, or delete accounts, swipe up > Settings > Accounts. » To set up email accounts, see Gmail.

» For help with your Google account, visit www.google.com/accounts.

Connect to Wi-Fi

For faster Internet access and to conserve mobile data use, swipe the status bar down. Touch and hold to choose a Wi-Fi network. For full instructions, see Connect with Wi-Fi.

Note: This phone supports apps and services that may use a lot of data, so make sure your data plan meets your needs. Contact your service provider for details.

Check your battery charge level

Now is a good time to check if your phone needs to be charged. Swipe down on the home screen to show battery charge level.

To charge your phone, insert the charging cable that came with your phone into the charging port (see First look for port location). Plug the other end into a power receptacle.

Note: Use of other chargers is not recommended.

Navigate your phone

Explore by touch

Use your fingers to find your way around: » Tap: Choose an icon or option.

Get Started

»Touch and hold: See more options.

»Drag: Move items on the home screen.

»Swipe: Scroll through lists or between screens.

»Pinch or double-tap: Zoom in and out on websites, photos, and maps.

»Twist: Twist a map with two fingers to rotate it, and pull two fingers down to tilt it.

»Split screen: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold, then tap the icon at the top of the screen and tap Split screen. Not all apps will work in split screen. To close the split screen, drag the dividing line to the bottom of the screen.

»Menus: When you see , , or , you can tap it to open options for the current screen.

»Close Keyboard: To close a keyboard, tap .

System navigation

Navigate using either gestures or buttons on the screen.

Navigation bar

Find it: Swipe up > Settings > System > Gestures > System navigation > Gesture navigation

For Home screen,

For recent apps,

To go back, swipe

To switch apps,

For Google

swipe up.

swipe up and hold.

toward the middle.

swipe left or right at

Assistant, swipe

the bottom.

up diagonally.

» Go to the home screen: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

»See recent apps: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold. Tap an app to reopen it. Tap the app icon to see app info or split the screen.

»Go back a screen: Swipe toward the middle of the screen from the left or right edge.

»Switch between apps: Swipe left or right across the bottom of the screen.

»Launch the Google Assistant: Swipe up diagonally from the bottom corner of the screen to launch the Google Assistant. Learn more about The Google Assistant™.

Navigation buttons

Find it: Swipe up > Settings > System > Gestures > System navigation >

3-button navigation

»Back: Tap Back to go to the previous screen.

»Home: Tap Home to return to the home screen.

»Recents: Tap Recents to see your recent apps (or browser tabs), and tap an app to reopen it. Double tap to quickly switch between your recent apps. To remove an app from the recent list, swipe it up. To scroll the list, swipe right or left.

»Google Assistant: Touch and hold Home to launch the Google Assistant. Learn more about The Google Assistant™.

Improve battery life

Your phone processes tons of information. Depending on what apps are in use, your phone may use a lot of power.

When your phone is not in use for a period of time, unnecessary background processes are shut down to optimize battery life.

»To see what’s using up battery power, swipe up > Settings > Battery > USAGE DETAILS.

»To help improve battery life, swipe up > Settings > Battery > Battery Saver, and turn it on. When on, your phone’s display changes to Dark theme.

»To limit battery use for apps that you don’t use often, swipe up > Settings >

Battery > Adaptive Battery, and turn it on.

Tip: To quickly open Settings, swipe down twice on the status bar and tap .

Get Started

Battery Tips

To save even more battery life between charges, you could reduce:

»Widgets that stream information to your home screen, like news or weather.

»Unused accounts: Swipe up > Settings > Accounts.

»Recording or streaming videos or music.

Care for your phone

Tips

»When you’re near water, consider using a Bluetooth speaker to listen to music from your phone while keeping it safe. For more, see Connect with Bluetooth wireless.

»Hold your phone firmly when using gestures to open the camera or to turn the flashlight on/off. For more, see Gestures.

»Don’t leave your phone in a hot car on a sunny day. If you do accidentally do this, let your phone cool off before powering up.

In case of water

Mobile devices marketed as water repellent are not waterproof. Avoid prolonged exposure to water, and do not submerge in water. In the event your device is exposed to water, dry your device and ports thoroughly with a soft, clean cloth. Water damage is not covered by your warranty.

Tips to prevent damage to your phone:

»Dry your phone and ports thoroughly with a soft, clean cloth.

»Don’t try to charge your phone when it’s wet.

»Do not expose your phone to salt water or other liquids.

»Do not expose your phone to water at high pressure.

»Do not drop or puncture your device, as this could damage the water repellent features.

Clean your phone

To disinfect your phone:

»Use wipes or cloths moistened with isopropyl alcohol with a concentration of 70% (specific for electro-electronic products).

»It is recommended that you turn your phone off to clean it.

»Avoid moisture in the phone’s openings, including the charging port, headset jack, microphones, and speakers.

»Do not immerse the phone in cleaning agents, and do not use cleaning materials that contain bleach or abrasive agents.

»Do not use sprays directly on the screen.

Get Started

Learn the basics

Home screen

The home screen is what you see when you turn on your phone. From here you can explore apps and more.

Note: Software updates may change the look of your home screen.

11:35	Swipe down for
	notifications and
	settings.

11:35

APR 3 TUE

Say “He Google”	Search by typing, or
	tap the microphone
	and say a command.

	Duo		Photos	Play Store
Google
		Moto

Swipe upto see all your apps.

Tips

»Open app list: Swipe up to see all your apps.

»Return home: To return to the home screen from any location, swipe up from the navigation bar.

»Pages: To add a page, drag an app to the right side of the screen until you see a new page. You can add multiple pages. To see other pages of shortcuts and widgets (if available), swipe the home screen left.

»Settings: To quickly open common settings, swipe the status bar down. To open more settings, swipe the status bar down again and tap.

»Customization: To personalize your home screen and other features, see Personalize your phone.

Help & more

Learn even more about your phone and get support.

Find it: Swipe up >Settings > Help

Tip: Some apps have their own help that’s specific to their features. Just tap the menu inside the app for details.

Search

On the home screen, tap the Google Search box for a text search or tap to search by voice.

When you type, suggestions appear below the search field:

»To search for a suggestion, tap it.

»To search for text in the search field, tapon the keyboard.

Tip: To close the keyboard, tap

.

Note: For voice search, see Speak.

Notifications

At the top of the screen, icons on the left notify you about new messages or events. If you don’t know what an icon means, swipe the status bar down for details.

Tip: Getting too many notifications? Touch and hold a notification to see which app is sending them to you. Then you can turn them off.

Learn the basics

Wed, Dec 4

Android Setup

Finish setting up your phone.

FINISH SETUP

Drive · Anna Pics

1 file uploaded.

Vacation.png

Google · 27°

Manage

Clear all

Swipe down to see your notifications.

Tap a notification to open it, or choose an option, such as Reply.

Tip: Swipe left or right to remove a notification. Some notifications show more options when you slide them halfway.

Tip: To quickly change common settings, swipe the status bar down. For more, see

Quick settings.

App notifications

You may see a notification dot on an app. This app notification, or badge, tells you the app has an update or an announcement, such as a new email or a missed call. Touch and hold the app for more information, options, or app shortcuts.

Wireless Emergency Alerts (U.S.)

Wireless Emergency Alerts, also known as CMAS or PLAN, is a U.S. national emergency alert system. Emergency alerts can pop up to tell you about a national or local crisis. After you close an alert, you can reopen it by swiping up >

Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Wireless emergency alerts.

WIRELESS

EMERGENCY

ALERTS

CAPABLE TM

Tip: Emergency alerts have a special sound and vibration that is two seconds long, followed by one second, then another one second.

To choose which types of alerts you receive, swipe up > Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Wireless emergency alerts. The U.S. and local governments send these alerts through your service provider. So you will always receive alerts for the

area where you are, and you won’t receive alerts if you’re outside of the U.S. For more, visit www.ctia.org and search “wireless emergency alerts.”

Status icons

Icons at the top right of the screen tell you about phone status:

Status Icons

		Network strength					Alarm set
/			Wi-Fi in range/connected				Data Saver on
/			Bluetooth on/connected				Battery Saver on
		Airplane mode					/ Battery charging/full
		Do not disturb

Volume

Press the side volume buttons up or down to select a ringer volume and see other controls.

Mute the ringer or set phone to vibrate.

Slide the bar to increase/decrease volume.

Mute the media player.

Show all volume controls.

Learn the basics

Do not disturb

To turn off some or all sounds, swipe the status bar down, and touch and hold Do not disturb. Select an option:

»See all exceptions: Select whether to hear alarms, media, or touch sounds.

»Restrict notifications: Set if you’d like to see notifications when Do not disturb mode is on.

»Default duration: Set duration Do not disturb mode is on.

»Schedules: Turn on Do not disturb at specific times during the day or night, or sync with your calendar.

Tip: Create an exception for repeat callers that allows a call to sound from the same person within a 15 minute period, tap Calls > Allow repeat callers.

Lock screen

Your touchscreen is on when you need it and off when you don’t.

11:35

T u e , 3 A p r i l

T h a n k s f o r fi n d i n g m y p h o n e ! Add a lock screen message for anyone who finds your phone.

Swipe up to unlock your screen.

»Screen off and on: Press the Power button to turn the screen off and on.

»Screen lock: To unlock the main lock screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. To apply security to the lock screen (recommended), see Screen lock.

»Notifications: Double tap a notification to open it.

Tip: To prevent notifications from appearing in the lock screen, swipe up >

Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications > Notifications on lockscreen > Don’t show notifications.

»Lock screen message: To add a message to your lock screen, such as your name in

case your phone gets lost, swipe up > Settings > Display > Advanced > Lock screen display > Lock screen message.

Learn the basics

»Screen timeout: To change your timeout (screen locks automatically), swipe up >

Settings > Display > Advanced > Screen timeout.

Quick settings

For quick access to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, brightness, and other settings, swipe the status bar or lock screen down. Swipe down again for more settings. Tap an icon to turn features on or off. Touch and hold an icon to see more options. For even more settings, tap .

Tap to rearrange your settings and add or remove settings.

Set screen brightness.

Your Turn Wi-Fi on/off.

Tap an icon to turn it on/off. Touch and hold to see more options.

See all phone settings.

Speak

Google Voice™

Use Google voice commands to tell your phone what you want.

»Use voice to make a call: Tap on the home screen. Then say “Call” and then a contact name or number. Or, say “Send text.”

Tip: If a contact has more than one number, you can say which number to call (for example, “Call Joe Black Mobile”).

» Search by voice: Tap on the home screen to search by voice.

Note: To wake up your phone by saying “Hey Google,” see The Google Assistant™.

Voice to text

On a keyboard, tap , then speak your message or search text. You can also speak punctuation.

The Google Assistant™

Note: This feature may not be available in all languages.

To open the Google Assistant:

»Tap from the home screen or from your list of apps.

»Swipe up from the bottom corner of the screen, then speak or type a command.

Note: You can also say “Hey Google” or “Ok Google” to start the Google Assistant. To turn this feature on, swipe up > Settings > Google > Account services > Search, Assistant & Voice > Voice > Voice Match.

Tip: For more on the Google Assistant, visit https://support.google.com/assistant.

Direct Share

In some apps, you can share something directly to a contact, app, or conversation.

Tap a contact to share information.

Swipe up for more share options.

Create link	Shared	Gmail	Messages
	album

Learn the basics

Select the share option (usually by tapping ) within an app, then select a contact, choose an app, or type a name or number to find a contact.

To use Bluetooth, or Nearby Share to share files, see Connect, share, pay & sync.

Picture-in-Picture

If you’re watching a video, on a video call, or using navigation, and you change screens, your video continues to play in a small window on your screen.

»Tap twice to return to it.

»Tap the to close it.

»Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to put the video in a small window.

»Drag video around your screen.

Note: Not all apps support this feature.

January

29

29

Fri

10 AM

Weekly Project Meeting

11AM

12PM

Start hangout with Alexis

1 PM https://plua.Google.com/hangouts

2 PM

Pick up snacks for the party

3 PM

Tap the video twice to return

4 PM			to it.
5 PM

Personalize your phone

Redecorate your home screen

Customize your home screen the way you want.

11:35

11:35

APR 3 TUE

Say “Hey Google”

Touch and hold an empty spot to change wallpaper.

Tap a shortcut to open.

Touch and hold to move or delete.

	Duo		Photos	Play Store
Google		Moto

Drag shortcuts on top of each other to make a folder.

»Change your wallpaper: Touch and hold an empty spot on the home screen, then tap Wallpapers.

»Add a home screen page: Drag an app to the right side of the home screen until a new page appears. You can add multiple pages.

»Adjust display settings: Adjust brightness, font size, and screen saver. Swipe up >

Settings > Display.

Personalize your phone

»Switch to dark theme: Change your display to use dark theme, which saves battery

and can be easier on your eyes. Swipe up > Settings > Display > Advanced >

Dark Theme.

»Change your style: Change your font and icon style. Touch and hold an empty spot and tap Styles.

»Rotate: In many apps, the touchscreen switches from portrait to landscape when

you rotate your phone. To turn this on or off, swipe up > Settings > Display >

Advanced > Auto-rotate screen.

Tip: To see more home screen settings, touch and hold an empty spot and tap Home settings.

Choose apps & widgets

»Add apps to the home screen: Swipe up , touch and hold an app, then drag it to one of your home screen pages.

»Download new apps: Tap Play Store. For more on apps, see App safety.

»Group apps together: Drag one app onto another. Do it again to add more apps to the folder. To name the folder, tap it and enter a name below the apps.

»See app options: Touch and hold an app. If the app has quick options (shortcuts), you’ll see a list.

»Add widgets: Touch and hold an empty spot on the home screen, tap Widgets, touch and hold a widget, then drag it to your home screen.

»Resize widgets: You can resize some widgets—touch and hold a widget until you feel a vibration, then release. Drag the white circles at the edges to resize.

»Move or delete widgets and apps: Touch and hold a widget or app and drag it to another spot, another page, or to Remove.

Note: Removing an app from your home screen doesn’t uninstall the app from your phone.

Customize sounds & appearance

Customize your phone’s sounds and display settings:

»Listen with audio effects: Swipe up > Settings > Sound & lights > Audio effects. For more, see Audio effects.

»Set ringtone and notifications: Swipe up > Settings > Sound.

Tip: Set notification sounds for individual apps within the app’s settings.

»Night Light: Set your screen to turn slightly amber colored at night. Swipe up >

Settings > Display > Night Light.

»Add vibrate for calls: To make your phone vibrate, swipe up > Settings >

Sound and tap Vibrate for calls.

»Set a ringtone for a contact: Swipe up > Contacts, tap the contact, then tap Menu > Set ringtone.

»Change language: Swipe up > Settings > System > Languages & input > Languages.

»Adjust font size: Swipe up > Settings > Display > Advanced > Font size.

Discover Moto

See Moto to set more custom features, like making a chopping motion to turn on the flashlight, and placing the phone face down to silence notifications and calls.

Personalize your phone