Most modern tech lets you open a settings menu to adjust how the device works. Whether it’s a smartphone, computer, tablet, smart speaker, game console, headset, keyboard, or something else, settings offer customizable options to help you tailor the experience to your needs.

What You Need to Know About Device Settings

Settings is usually a dedicated app that lets you customize the device. For example, a smartphone has settings for wireless connections, screen brightness, sounds, date and time, privacy and security controls, the lock screen, and much more.

Most apps have their own settings, too. Often hidden away in a menu, these device settings are more specific to that single app, letting you control things like sharing options, dark mode, the app icon, the kind of alerts you receive, and countless other things.

Below are some of the standard settings you’ll encounter on a smartphone or tablet, many of which you’ll also find on other smart devices.

Wireless Connections

Smart devices connect to the internet, and their settings are how you configure that access and other related tasks. Here are some of the ways device settings are used with wireless devices:

• Connect to a Wi-Fi network at home or a hotspot at an airport, restaurant, hotel, etc.
• Create a hotspot for other devices to borrow internet access.
• Establish a connection with Bluetooth devices like headphones, keyboards, and smartwatches.
• Use Airplane Mode to disable the device’s radios, cutting off access to calls, texts, and the internet.

Smartphone data refers to any way that you use the web, including sending emails, browsing websites, playing multiplayer games, or getting turn-by-turn directions. In settings, you can view how much data you’ve used for the month and which of your apps are using the most of it.

Notifications

The ability to receive alerts for calls, messages, and more is a major feature on many devices, especially phones and tablets. You can open the device settings to manage these alerts and choose which apps can deliver them. Most apps also include their own notification settings for precise control.

Do Not Disturb

Some devices have an option in the Settings app to allow or block notifications from specific apps. Android and iPhone have a feature called Do Not Disturb (DND), which mutes notifications you deem unimportant. It can also let through the ones you don’t want to miss, like alarms.

Do Not Disturb is a handy feature to use while in a meeting, at the movies, or anytime you need a break. It’s also convenient if you use your smartphone as your alarm clock so that unimportant notifications don’t disrupt your sleep.

Sounds and Appearance

Device settings also let you adjust the brightness of the display (if the device has one), volume levels, and the look and feel of the device’s interface.

• Adjust the brightness of your screen manually or turn on auto-brightness so that your display adapts to different lighting scenarios throughout the day.
• The volume area usually has multiple options: media (music, video), alarm, and ring, so that you can turn your music up without affecting the volume of the alarm clock, ringtone, or text alerts.
• Change the wallpaper on the lock screen and home screen, and adjust color schemes and other design elements.
• Change the ringtone and the various sounds your device makes to alert you of calendar events, messages, emails, alarms, and more. Default sounds and vibration options are often stored with these settings, too.

Privacy and Security

Beyond customizing your experience, device settings are also important in protecting your privacy and security. Options might include the following:

• Turning location services on and off. Turn it on when you’re using a navigation app, like Google Maps, to get around.
• Customize the lock screen on Android or iPhone to choose an unlock method or hide sensitive notifications.
• Android and Apple offer options to locate your misplaced or stolen device, remotely lock it, or erase all its data. Google calls it Find My Device on Android, and Apple uses Find My iPhone.
• You can also open device settings to back up your device. Android lets you save your data to Google Drive, while the iPhone connects to your iCloud account.
• Some devices let you use these settings to create a privacy space where you can lock apps and other files from the main account.

System Settings

Finally, you can open device settings to edit things like the date and time, check the operating system version, and perform other “admin” tasks.

• How often do you use your smartphone as a watch? Make sure the date and time are accurate by setting it manually or having it update automatically, including when you change time zones. 
• Take advantage of accessibility settings, including the ability to adjust the font size, enable a screen reader, change the color scheme for better visibility, add captions to videos, and other features that make the device more comfortable to use.
• Check which OS version you have and whether an update is available.
• Choose the emergency broadcasts you want to receive (smartphones only). You can opt into Amber Alerts, extreme weather alerts, and others by going into the phone’s system settings.
• Set up the language or languages you prefer to use.
• Set default apps for email, messaging, navigation, and other activities.
• Reset the operating system to its factory default state to start fresh. This is often necessary for fixing difficult software bugs, but is also encouraged when selling the device.