A reader needs some help with her phone:
“I have a smartphone but know that I do not use it as I would like to. I need lessons in forwarding photos or messages, saving same photos etc. Do you know or recommend a program which gives very clear instructions on using Android phone to its utmost – suitable for oldies who do not understand quickly?”
I’d like to suggest myself! We’ve covered most of those topics in articles, thought not always on the latest phones. Seems like a good time to go over those basics again. I’m not sure whether you want to forward email, text, or messaging app messages.
How about we start with texts? The exact interface may vary depending on your phone and the app you’re using. I’ll demonstrate with the Messages and Message + apps on my Galaxy S21 but the process is pretty similar on all phones and all app.
A long press should be your friend when saving or forwarding on an Android phone. In the Messages app, when I press and hold the message, I get this menu. There options to copy the text, forward the text, or save the attachment. (In this case a photo.)
Or tap on the photo to enlarge.
Once the file is enlarged, you should see options to save to your phone or share. Sharing allows you to send the image to someone else via social media, email, texting apps. There are so many options, it can be confusing. Sometimes you must press and hold the image to get the options.
If you don’t readily see the option to save or share when you enlarge the photo, look for a three-dot or three-line menu icon. Three dots or three lines are pretty much the universal phone symbol for more options.
On this app, I see options to save or send to someone else.
If you see an image you want in a messaging app or online, the press and hold or three-dot or three-line method will likely work as well.
Here’s an online image from my website that I pressed down on. Just tap the option you want.
Here, I used the three-dot method after pressing on a Facebook photo.
Much like you learn to look at the top of a Windows program for a File menu or right-click for additional options, pressing and holding and looking for the three-dot menu will nearly always take you to options on your phone.
Wow, Cyn. I didn’t know I needed this information for my Galaxy 7 – my first and only Cell Phone that I got used online 4 years ago! And still learning how to use. I’ve gotten many hints from you and Cloudeight over the years about computers & these wonderful phones. I hope you continue with your clear explanations of “How To”! I know pretty well how to use a computer, but these phones are still somewhat of a mystery to me. I don’t make phone calls, so I rarely use one for that purpose, but I do like to use Texting and Messenger.
Thanks again for your informative emails, Virginia