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Before you start using your Samsung Note 8, you'll need to get it set up. This guide takes you through all the steps, from putting in the SIM card to protecting it with a lock screen.
Before you can get started with the Setup of your phone, you'll need to put the SIM card in. You can also use a memory card if you want to get some extra storage space in.
Push the SIM tool into the pinhole at the top of the phone, until the SIM tray starts to pop out.
Pull the tray out the rest of the way.
Put the NanoSIM card onto the smaller cut-out on the SIM tray. It needs to be put in with the cut-off corner pointing to the left, and the metal contacts facing down.
If you're using a MicroSD card too, put it into the other cut-out, again with the metal contacts facing down.
Push the tray back into the phone.
With everything in, press and hold the power button on the right-hand side of the phone for a few seconds, until the phone starts to turn on.
When you turn on your phone for the first time, it'll show you the 'Setup Wizard', which will help you get the phone ready to use. In the Setup you might see a 'SIM service' message pop-up - if you see it, tap your network to download the right settings.
On the Welcome screen, pick your language, and then tap Start.
Tap the Wi-Fi network you want to connect to, or tap Next to set it up without Wi-Fi.
Type in the password for it, and then tap Connect.
Once you see the word 'Connected' under your Wi-Fi, tap Next.
You'll have to agree to Samsung's Terms and Conditions, which you can read by tapping the Learn more button under each one. Tap Agree to all, then tap Next.
If you've got a Google account, type it in, and press Next. If you don't, tap Or create a new account. Or, to set up the phone without one, tap Skip.
If you're signing in, type in your password and press Next.
If you've got any backups on your account, you can restore one to your Note 8. Tap a backup to choose it, or tap Don't restore to set the phone up as new.
If you want to set up security on your phone to keep it safe, choose the type of screen lock you want to use. We cover the lock screen further down this page, so press No, thank you for now.
Confirm you want to skip the lock screen setup by tapping Skip anyway.
Read through the available Google Services, which are for things like automatic backup and using your location for apps like maps or weather.
Scroll down the page and keep the switches turned on for the ones you want to use, then tap Next.
The Google Assistant is a built-in feature of your phone, and can answer written or spoken questions with answers found from all over the internet. You can also give commands to Google Assistant, like setting an alarm or calling a contact.
To use Google Assistant, tap Yes, I'm in to give the app permission to work.
The Note 8 will try to install some suggested apps, but you can free up space on your phone by tapping the tick box next to All of the following apps.
Scroll down the list and tap OK to continue.
You can add a Samsung account to the Note 8 to access things like new colour themes and use Bixby, Samsung's own virtual assistant software. If you don't want to use a Samsung account, scroll down and tap Skip.
If you're skipping the Samsung account setup, tap Skip again to confirm your choice.
You can transfer data from a previous phone, wirelessly by tapping Samsung Cloud or with USB by tapping Smart Switch. Press Skip to set this phone up as a new phone.
On the final page of the Setup Wizard, you can see some of the extra features your Note 8 can offer. Tap Finish to complete the Setup Wizard.
You'll need to get your phone connected to the internet before you can do things like setting up email, going on websites or downloading apps.
Swipe down from the top of the screen, and tap the Cog icon to open Settings.
Tap on Connections.
Tap Wi-Fi, and check the switch at the top is turned on.
Tap the Wi-Fi network you want to connect to.
Type the password, and press Connect. You can find the password on a sticker on your router.
Open up Settings, and tap Connections.
Tap on Mobile network and choose Access Point Names.
Tap the three dots (menu button) in the top-right corner. Press Reset to default. You'll get a notification at the bottom saying they've been reset.
If you're still having problems connecting to mobile data, you'll need to type in the 'APN settings' for your network. You can find the settings you need, and how to add them to your phone here.
Setting up your emails can be done in just a few steps. Once it's set up, you'll be able to see your inbox, reply and send new emails, and your phone will let you know when new ones arrive.
Open Settings from the Home screen.
Tap on Cloud and accounts, then tap Accounts.
Tap +Add account.
Choose the type of account you want to add. For work or school accounts, tap Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. For personal accounts, tap Email.
Type your email address and password, and press Sign in.
You might be given some account options, such as how often to check for new messages. Choose any options you want to use, and then tap OK or Done.
Your email account is set up, and you can get to it by opening the Email app from the Home screen. If you're having any problems adding your account, you'll need to put in the settings for it, which you can find in our guide to email server settings.
Setting up the lock screen on your Note 8 will help to keep your data, like messages and photos, safe and secure. There's a lot of options on your Note 8, and we'll go through how to get them set up here.
From the Home screen, open Settings.
Scroll down, and tap Lock screen, then Screen lock type.
Before you can use any of the 'Biometric' methods, you'll have to set up a backup method.
Type or draw your code, then tap Continue.
Confirm it once more, then tap OK.
Choose which notifications you want to see on the lock screen, and tap Done.
To set up the Fingerprint scanner, Iris scanner or Face Recognition, tap the button for it here.
Type your code in, and press Next.
Follow the instructions to start scanning your fingerprint, eye or face.
You might need to scan your biometrics a few times for the phone to get a full scan.
Once it's finished, tap Done.
To use this method to unlock your phone, tap Turn on.
Downloading apps to your Note 8 is done through the Play Store, which has millions of different apps and games you can install. We've got a whole guide to dowloading apps to your phone here.
Your Note 8 can do a lot of impressive things, but making calls is still one of the core features you'll use day to day - here's how to get it done.
Open the Phone app from the Home screen.
Once it opens, you'll have a few different options.
When you have a number onscreen, tap it or the green phone icon to call it.
With just a few steps, you can quickly send texts and attachments from your Note 8.
Open the Messages app from the Home screen.
Tap on the New message button in the bottom-right.
You'll be shown all your contacts - tap one to select them, or type a phone number into the box at the top. Once you've chosen a contact, tap Compose in the top right.
Tap the Enter message box, and write your text.
Tap the Send button to get the message on its way.
To send an attachment, follow steps 1-4 above, then go through these steps.
Tap the paperclip icon on the left of the message box.
Tap Camera to take a new picture to send, or Gallery to choose from your pictures. You can also press Other to send things like videos, voice recordings or Notes.
Find the item you want to send, and tap it to attach it to your message.
Once you've attached them, tap Send.
A 'message thread' is all the messages sent between you and a contact. To delete one:
Open the Messages app.
Press and hold the thread you want to delete until a tickbox shows next to it.
Tap the bin icon at the top.
You'll need to have added an email account before you can send emails from your phone.
Open the Email app from the Home screen.
Tap the new email button in the bottom-right.
Tap the To box, and start typing a person's email address, or a person's name if they're saved to your contacts.
Type a subject for the email.
Type your message into the box at the bottom.
Tap the Send button in the top-right to get it on its way.
To send an attachment, follow steps 1-5 above, then go through these steps.
Tap the Attach button at the top of the screen, and then tap Allow to let the email app see your phone contents.
Tap either Document or Gallery to send either a document or picture. Or tap Other to send things like voice recordings or other files.
Go through the phone to find the item you want to send, and tap it.
Once you've chosen your items, tap Done.
With the files attached, tap the Send button to get them on their way.
Your Note 8 can save many alarms, and each can use a lot of different settings. Here we'll go through getting one set up to help keep you organised.
Open the Clock app from the Home screen.
Tap Alarm in the top-left.
Tap the + button in the bottom-right.
Slide the hour and minutes up or down to set the time you want the alarm to go off.
Use the Repeat options to choose the days you want it to go off.
Tap Alarm name to give it a label, like 'Work' or 'Dentist appointment'.
Tap Alarm tone and volume to change the ringtone, and set how loud it is.
Tap Save in the top-right.
Your phone is set up, and you can start to use it. If you'd like to speak to our Team Knowhow Experts, you can contact us here.
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