Motorola moto G9 PLAY User manual

User Guide

© 2021 Motorola Mobility LLC. All rights reserved.
MOTOROLA, the stylized M logo, MOTO, and the MOTO family of marks are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. LENOVO is a trademark of Lenovo. Google, Android, Google
Play and other marks are trademarks of Google LLC. microSD Logo is a trademark of SD-3C, LLC. All other
product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
Certain features, services and applications are network dependent and may not be available in all areas;
additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply. Contact your service provider for details.
All features, functionality, and other product speci󶍔cations, as well as the information contained in this help
content, are based upon the latest available information and believed to be accurate at the time of release.
Motorola reserves the right to change or modify any information or speci󶍔cations without notice or
obligation.
Some images in help content are examples only.
You can also read this help on your phone at Settings > Help.

Contents
Set up phone 1
About your hardware 1
Insert and remove SIM and SD cards 3
Copy data from old phone 5
Set up voicemail 7
Set up email 7
Prepare for emergencies 9
Make it yours 10
Learn the basics 11
About your home screen 11
About your lock screen 11
New to Android? 13
If this is your 󶍔rst smartphone 13
If you had an iPhone 14
About your Google account 15
Status bar icons 16
Phone terms you should know 20
Get around on your phone 22
Learn gestures 22
Move between apps and screens 23
Use quick settings 24
Turn screen o󶍓 and on 26
Adjust volumes 27
Frequently used tools 29
Turn 󶍕ashlight on and o󶍓 29
Take screenshots 29
Control phone with your voice 30
Get directions to a location 31
Use clock and weather widget 32
Manage time spent on your phone 34
Work with text 37
Use onscreen keyboard 37
Cut, copy, paste text 38
Use voice typing 39
Fill in forms automatically 39
Personalize your phone 41
Home screen 41
Change wallpaper 41
Customize your Favorites tray 41
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Add widgets, shortcuts, or folders 41
Remove widgets, shortcuts, or folders 44
Remake your home screen with launchers 44
Lock screen 46
Use a screen saver 46
Sounds 47
Set ringtones 47
Enhance sound 48
Avoid interruptions with Do Not Disturb 49
Stop phone from speaking 52
Other sound settings 54
Silence “Hello Moto” during power up 54
Turn o󶍓 charging sounds 54
Apps 55
About your apps 55
View two apps on screen 59
View noti󶍔cations 60
About Moto experiences 61
Enhance your gaming 62
Manage your apps 65
Install or update apps 65
Manage or delete apps 67
Protect against harmful apps 69
Search and browse 70
Search the web 70
Search your phone 72
Browse websites 73
Text messaging 75
About text and multimedia messages 75
Read, send, manage text messages 75
Add attachments 77
Save attachments from text message 78
Turn group messaging on or o󶍓 79
Change default messaging app 79
Control noti󶍔cations for text messages 79
Change text message reply to incoming calls 80
Get text messages on your computer 80
Email 82
Read, send, manage emails 82
View email attachments 83
Preview inboxes from home screen 84
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Add email signature 84
Control email noti󶍔cations 84
Calendar app 86
About the calendar 86
Find calendar events 86
Create and manage events 87
Control noti󶍔cations for calendar events 87
Clock app 89
Set alarms 89
Use timer or stopwatch 89
Set date and time 91
Photos app 93
Share photos and videos 93
Upload photos and videos 93
Calls, contacts, voicemail 95
Phone calls 95
Answer calls 95
Make calls 96
During a call 97
Make video calls 99
Make conference calls 99
Block calls and texts 99
Turn call waiting on and o󶍓 100
View and delete call history 101
Make emergency call from locked phone 102
Contacts 104
Add contacts 104
Edit or delete contacts 105
Star your favorite contacts 106
Sort contacts 106
Share contacts 107
Voicemail 109
Use voicemail 109
Send all calls from contact to voicemail 110
Music 111
Listen to radio 111
Listen to music 112
Transfer music 󶍔les 113
Connect a MIDI device 114
Battery 115
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Charge phone 115
Extend battery life 115
Use Battery Saver mode 116
Show battery percentage in status bar 117
Storage 118
About storage options 118
Manage phone storage 118
Manage SD card 119
Find downloaded 󶍔les 120
Recover recently deleted 󶍔les 121
Upload music to cloud 121
Upload photos and videos 121
Scan documents and make copies 122
Network and internet 124
Connect to Wi-Fi networks 124
Use Airplane mode 125
Control data usage 126
Share your internet connection 127
Connect to VPNs 129
Connected devices 131
Connect with Bluetooth™ 131
Connect with Wi-Fi Direct 133
Tap & pay with NFC 133
Share or receive with NFC 134
Cast screen or media to TV 135
Share 󶍔les and links with nearby Android phones 136
Transfer 󶍔les between phone and computer (USB) 138
Print from your phone 139
About wireless sharing 140
Other settings 143
Apps & noti󶍔cations 143
Change app settings 143
Choose how apps notify you 144
Display 147
Adjust screen brightness 147
Adjust screen colors at night 147
Change display style 147
Use Dark theme 148
Show apps full screen 148
See Peek Display noti󶍔cations 149
Change screen timeout 150
Stop automatic rotation 151
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Choose color mode 151
Change font and display size 151
Set lock screen preferences 152
Adjust screenshot settings 153
Location 154
Use location services 154
Security 156
About security 156
Protect against harmful apps 157
Be ready to 󶍔nd a lost phone 157
Lock and unlock phone 158
Set screen lock 158
Adjust lock options 159
Unlock with trusted devices 159
Unlock with your face 160
Unlock at trusted places 162
Keep phone unlocked while it's on you 163
Use 󶍔ngerprint security 163
Pin your screen 165
Lock SIM card 166
Accounts 167
Add or remove accounts 167
Change name & info in your Google account 168
Sync apps with your Google account 168
Control what info Google collects 169
Accessibility 171
Visual assistance 171
Hearing assistance 173
Dexterity assistance 175
Use accessibility shortcuts 176
System 177
Languages & input 177
Customize the keyboard 177
Use multiple languages 178
Open apps faster with Adaptive performance 179
Gestures 180
Customize Power button gesture 180
Change System navigation 180
Swipe 󶍔ngerprint for noti󶍔cations 180
Turn 󶍕ashlight on and o󶍓 180
Twist phone to open camera 181
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Back up phone 181
Users and guests 183
Share your phone 183
Add, modify, remove users 184
Add or delete guest 185
About phone 186
Record your IMEI number 186
Find legal and product information 186
Fix a problem 187
Hardware issues 187
Phone is slow or unstable 187
Phone feels warm or hot 187
Phone won't turn on 188
Phone restarts or crashes 188
Screen is frozen or won't respond 189
Screen displays wrong colors 189
SD card problems 190
Call and SIM issues 193
Problems making/receiving calls 193
Problems during calls 195
Battery issues 198
Charging problems 198
Battery drains too fast 198
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB issues 200
Bluetooth problems 200
Wi-Fi problems 202
Can't transfer 󶍔les or connect to computer 203
Account and sign-in issues 205
Forgot unlock code 205
Can't sign in to Google 205
Account sync issues 205
App issues 207
App or widget problems 207
Camera problems 208
Messaging problems 209
Gmail problems 211
Play Store problems 211
Maintenance procedures 212
Update Android software 212
Reset Wi-Fi, cellular data, and Bluetooth 212
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Reset phone 213
Get more help 214
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About your hardware
Hardware diagram
1. Google Assistant button
2. Tray for SIM and SD card
3. Front camera (To learn more, read help in Camera app.)
4. Proximity sensor
5. Microphone
6. Earpiece
7. Headset jack
8. Volume up/down button
9. Power button
Set up phone 1

1. Depth camera (To learn more, read help in Camera app.)
2. Main camera
3. LED 󶍕ash
4. Macro camera
5. Fingerprint sensor
6. Microphone
7. USB-C port for charging, transferring 󶍔les, sharing connection with tethered devices.
8. Speaker
Care for your phone
To clean the screen:
•While this does not disinfect your phone, the best way to keep your phone clean is to wipe it thoroughly
with a dry soft cloth. Avoid abrasive cloths, including paper towels and other materials with rough
surfaces.
•If the screen gets drops of liquid on it, wipe it with a clean, dry cloth.
To disinfect your phone:
•It is okay to use wipes or cloths moistened with 70% isopropyl alcohol to gently wipe your screen.
•When disinfecting or cleaning your phone, turn it o󶍓 and avoid getting any moisture in its openings,
including the charging port, headphone jack, microphones and speakers.
•Don't submerge your phone in any cleaning agents, avoid using any cleaners with bleach or abrasives,
and avoid spraying cleaners directly on the screen.
Set up phone 2

Insert and remove SIM and SD cards
About the SD card
Your phone supports an optional microSD card up to 128 GB.
A Class 2, 4, or 6 card is su󶍖cient.
Your phone uses the card as portable storage for media 󶍔les: photos, videos, and music. Because it's portable,
you can easily swap the card and its content between devices. After you insert the card, be sure to update
settings within media apps (like camera, music, and podcast apps), so they use the card to store content you
create or download.
You can't store apps on the SD card because it is portable storage.
Insert or replace cards
1. If you are removing an SD card, unmount it 󶍔rst (Settings > Storage).
2. Insert the tool into the hole in the tray and gently push to pop it out.
Set up phone 3

3. Insert or remove the cards as needed.
To use an SD card and a SIM card:
Or, to use two SIM cards (dual-SIM models only):
To see if your phone supports dual SIMs, go to Settings > About phone > SIM Status. If you see SIM Slot 1
and SIM Slot 2, then your phone supports dual SIMs.
4. Push the tray back into the phone.
Note: If you need to activate a SIM, contact your carrier.
Fix a problem
Select a problem to see troubleshooting steps.
SIM card
SIM not recognized
Can’t make calls
Can't answer calls
SD card
Phone doesn't recognize card
Set up phone 4

Copy data from old phone
Copy data from iPhone
You’ll use Google Drive to copy 󶍔les from your iPhone and iCloud account to your new phone and Google
account:
•Photos will back up to Photos.
•Contacts will back up to Contacts.
•Calendar will back up to Calendar.
1. Charge both phones and connect them to a Wi-Fi network.
2. To ensure you don’t miss any messages or calls:
a. Turn o󶍓 iMessage. (Settings > Messages > o󶍓. Or, if your SIM has been removed, deregister your
phone.)
b. Turn o󶍓 FaceTime. (Settings > FaceTime > o󶍓.)
3. Download the Google Drive app on your iPhone.
4. On your iPhone, open Drive and then:
a. Sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have one, you can create it now.
b. Touch > Settings > Backup and start the backup.
5. Wait for the backup to complete.
6. When complete, on your new phone, sign in with the same Google account (Settings > Accounts > Add
account).
Copy data from Android phone
During setup, you can copy your apps, music, contacts, messages, and more. Learn what does and doesn't get
copied.
If you no longer have your old phone or can’t turn it on, you can copy 󶍔les using a backup from the cloud
with your Google account.
To copy 󶍔les:
1. Charge both phones and turn them on.
2. On your new phone:
a. If this is the 󶍔rst time you’ve turned it on, select your language on the setup screen.
b. If you skipped copying 󶍔les during setup, open the Settings app and touch Finish setting up your
device.
3. Touch Start.
4. Insert your SIM to connect to the mobile network, or touch Skip.
5. Connect to a Wi-Fi network and touch Next.
Set up phone 5

6. Select how to copy:
•If you have your old phone, touch A backup from an Android phone.
•If you don’t, touch A backup from the cloud
7. Follow the onscreen instructions to select the old phone or backup associated with your Google account,
and to choose which apps and data to copy.
Tip: Be sure to leave Back up to Google Drive turned on.
What gets copied from Android phone
If you copy data from another Android phone during setup, here's what gets copied:
•Apps and app data
•Music, photos, and videos
•Google accounts
•Contacts stored on your phone or SIM card
•Text messages
•Multimedia attachments in messages
•Most phone settings
•Wallpaper
•Call history
You’ll see these when you sign in to your Google account on your new phone.
What won't copy:
•Downloads, like PDF 󶍔les
•Apps that aren’t from Play Store
•Accounts other than Google accounts
•Contacts and calendars for services other than Google (such as WhatsApp)
•Ringtones
Import contacts from SIM
If you have a SIM card with contacts saved on it, you can import them into your Google account.
1. Insert the SIM in your phone.
Or, if your old phone is an Android phone and can connect to Wi-Fi, turn it on.
2. Open the Contacts app.
3. Touch > Settings > Import > SIM card > OK.
4. If you have multiple Google accounts, choose the account where you want to save them.
Set up phone 6

Set up voicemail
Set voicemail password
Contact your carrier for help setting or recovering your password/PIN for voicemail.
Set mailbox greeting
Your carrier provides and manages your voicemail.
To set your greeting:
1. Touch > .
2. Touch & hold to dial into your mailbox.
3. Follow your carrier’s system prompts. If your voicemail is not set up, contact your carrier for
instructions.
Change voicemail options
1. Touch > > Settings.
(If you don't see , swipe down on the screen.)
2. Touch Voicemail.
3. If you have dual SIMS, touch the SIM for the account to change.
4. Touch Advanced Settings.
5. Change any of the options:
•To change voicemail service from your provider to another voicemail service or app, touch Service.
•To change the number dialed to access voicemail, touch Setup.
Set up email
Set up personal email
You can add multiple email accounts of the following types:
•Gmail
•Personal email from other providers (IMAP/POP)
If you added a Google account on your phone:
•When you open the Gmail app for the 󶍔rst time, you'll see your email for that account. You're already set
up.
•To set up additional accounts, open Gmail, touch your pro󶍔le icon , then touch Add another account.
Set up phone 7

If you didn’t add a Google account to your phone and want to set up email for an IMAP/POP provider (an
address that's not Gmail):
1. Open the Gmail app.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to enter your email address, password, and account options.
If you have problems setting up the account, read Google's help for Gmail.
Set up corporate email
If you use Microsoft O󶍖ce Outlook on your work computer, your phone can synchronize emails, calendar
events, and contacts with the Microsoft Exchange server. Before you start, you'll need the following
information from your company's IT department:
•Email address
•Email password
•Domain name
•Username
•Server name
•Security type/SSL settings
•Client certi󶍔cate requirement
To set up corporate email:
1. Open the Gmail app.
2. Do one of the following:
•If this is your 󶍔rst time opening the Gmail app, touch Add another email address.
•If you have been using Gmail with another account, touch your pro󶍔le icon , then touch Add
another account.
3. Touch Exchange and O󶍖ce 365.
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to enter your email address, password, and other information from your
company's IT department.
Switch account views
In the Gmail app, touch your pro󶍔le icon , then select an account.
To open each inbox with one touch from your home screen, add task shortcuts:
1. Touch & hold .
2. Drag for each account to a blank space on your home screen.
Set up phone 8

Prepare for emergencies
Set up emergency information
You can set up emergency information for 󶍔rst responders or others to view from your lock screen, such as
your emergency contact and medical information (blood type, allergies).
To set up your emergency information:
1. Go to Settings > About phone.
2. Touch Emergency information.
3. Set up your information.
Note: Anyone who picks up your phone can see your emergency info without unlocking your phone.
View emergency information
1. From the lock screen:
•Swipe up and touch Emergency below the keypad.
•Or, press and hold the Power button, then touch Emergency.
2. Touch Emergency information twice.
Add message to lock screen
To add your name or a short message to your lock screen for anyone who 󶍔nds your phone:
1. Go to Settings > Display > Advanced > Lock screen display.
2. Touch Lock screen message.
3. Type the text to display and touch Save.
Tip: Don't put your mobile number as your contact info unless you can access your voicemail from
another device.
Send your location to emergency services
Not all carriers and countries support this feature.
If Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) works in your country and on your carrier's network and if you
haven't turned o󶍓 ELS, when you call or text an emergency number, ELS sends your location to authorized
emergency responders to help them locate you.
If ELS is o󶍓, your carrier might still send the phone’s location during an emergency call. For more
information, check with your carrier.
To turn ELS on or o󶍓:
1. Go to Settings > Location > Advanced.
2. Touch Emergency Location Service.
Set up phone 9

3. Turn it on or o󶍓 .
To learn more about ELS, read Google's help.
Make it yours
This topic lists things that most people want to do with their new phone, with links to instructions on how to
do them.
Personalize your phone
•Set the wallpaper.
•Add apps to your home screen.
•Adjust screen settings, like style (font size, color scheme), rotation settings, and dark background.
•You can use either the buttons or gestures to move between apps and screens. Choose which
System navigation to use.
•Assign ringtones or photos to friends you call.
•Set your schedule for Do Not Disturb, to automatically silence your phone when you don't want to be
interrupted.
Protect your phone
•Set up a screen lock.
•In case you lose your phone, set up Find My Device and record your IMEI number.
Other common set up tasks
•Connect with your Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi networks.
•If you use multiple languages, set them up so they appear on your keyboard.
Set up phone 10

About your home screen
You see the home screen when you turn on and unlock your phone or touch .
You can add more pages to the right as needed. To add a page, drag an app shortcut or widget to the edge of
an existing page and place it on the new page.
Swipe right or left to move between pages.
Here are the parts of your home screen:
1. Status bar: Displays the time and icons that tell you about your phone's battery and network
connections. Swipe down to see your noti󶍔cations and quick settings.
2. Widget: You can add widgets to your home screen for quick access to information or frequent tasks.
3. Shortcut: You can add shortcuts to open apps or web pages you use frequently.
4. App list: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to see the list of all your apps.
5. Favorites tray: Provides one touch access to your most-used apps from any home screen page. You can
customize which apps appear here.
6. Navigation bar: Use gestures to move between apps and screens. You can replace the bar with the
navigation icons instead.
7. Folder: Add folders to organize app shortcuts.
If you want an entirely new look and feel for your home screen, you can use a di󶍓erent launcher. For a less
drastic renovation, just change the wallpaper.
About your lock screen
The lock screen appears when you're using a screen lock and you power on your phone or turn on the screen.
Learn the basics 11