B135DL: Device Initialization

Unpacking the Device

  1. Sort the SIM ejection pin, charger, and USB cable away.
  2. Remove film from screen and camera, and remove stickers from the device itself. Clean off any adhesive residue. Remove the SIM card.

If convenient, connect device to power.

Initially Setting-Up the Device

  1. Power the device on.
  2. The initial screen displays “Hi there”. Ensure the language says “ENGLISH (UNITED STATES)” and press START.
  3. The next screen displays “About your BLU Device”. Make sure only “Agree to our EULA” and “Agree to our Privacy Terms” are checked; the other agreements are not necessary. Confirm, then press NEXT.
  4. The next screen displays “Connect to a mobile network”. Press Skip.
  5. The next screen displays “Connect to Wi-Fi”. It is not necessary to connect to Wi-Fi now; select Set up offline, and select Continue to confirm.

  6. The next screen displays “Date & Time”. Select GMT-7:00 Mountain Standard Time (Phoenix) or GMT-6:00 Mountain Daylight Time as appropriate, Setting the current date and time is only necessary if not connecting to the internet.

  7. The next screen displays “Google Services”. Deselect all options: Use location and Allow scanning and Send usage and diagnostic data. Press Accept.

  8. The next screen displays “Set a PIN”. Do so, and press Next. Then re-enter the PIN and press Confirm.

  9. The next screen displays “TracFone Wireless. Inc. Device Pulse Terms and Conditions”. De-select both options: Provide Device Pulse app access to personalized device data and Allow Device Pulse to collect network data to improve your service; neither are necessary. Press ACCEPT AND CONTINUE.

We should now be on the device’s home screen.

Transferring Files

Since mounting the device and transferring the files take a second, consider starting on configuring settings while waiting.

  1. Connect the device to a machine with the files via USB.
  2. To allow for data transfer across the USB connection, go to Settings → Connected Devices → USB, and under Use USB for select File Transfer. This should mount the device’s storage on the connected machine.
  3. On the machine’s file explorer program, copy-paste the files onto the device.
  4. Under Settings → Connected Devices → USB, under Use USB for re-select No data transfer.

Configuring Settings & Install Apps

  1. Notifications Area Settings

    Dismiss initial notifications. Pull down on the notification panel and click the small pen button on the left to edit. Remove Bluetooth, Flashlight, Device Controls, Screen Record, and Nearby/Quick Share, and make sure Airplane mode is first. Go back, and of the remaining tiles settings, disable Mobile data, Auto-rotate, and Wi-Fi, and enable Do not disturb and Airplane mode.

  2. Enable Installation of App from Source

    Go to Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps → Files by Google, and enable Allow from this source.

    The Files by Google app can now be used to install apps from a transferred .apk file.

    Under Settings → Apps → Special app access → Unrestricted data, does toggling Google Play services off keep the phone from installing junk apps later? … oh shoot if you press the three vertical dots in the upper-right of the screen and select Show system, quite a few items appear toggled on here!

  3. Delete Junk Apps and Games

    Go to Settings → Apps → See all N apps, and click on each individual app to uninstall or disable. In particular, disabling the app titled simply Google will remove Google Discover from the left of the home screen.

  4. Disable Notifications

    To disable notifications on the lock screen, see Settings → Notifications → Notifications on lock screen, and select Don’t show any notifications.

  5. Mute Sounds

    Go to Settings → Sound, and move all the sliders to the left. Use the volume buttons on the device’s side to mute the phone

  6. Wallpaper & Screen-Timeout Delay

    Then go to Settings → Display → Wallpaper, and click My photos to select any pictures that were transferred over to the device as the wallpaper for the home screen and lock screen. Go to Settings → Display → Screen timeout, and select 30 minutes.

  7. App Pinning

    Go to Settings → Security → App Pinning, and toggle Use app pinning on. Make sure that Ask for PIN before unpinning is also toggled on.

  8. Camera and Mic Access

    Go to Settings → Privacy, disable Camera Access and disable Microphone Access.

  9. Tidy the Home Screen

    Remove every unwanted app and widget on the home screens.

Marking the Device

This step is easier done in bulk, once an entire set of devices has been initialized via the previous steps.

  1. On the back of each device, use a permanent marker (e.g. metallic sharpie) to write CMU Math and a number on the back of each device.
  2. On the top edge of each device make a mark with white-out that will be noticeable across the classroom.

Optional – Updating the Device’s System

  1. Change Wallpaper

    This is to indicate that the device has been updated.
  2. Disable Airplane mode and enable Wi-Fi.

  3. Connecting to CMU PSK

    Pull up the list of available Wi-Fi networks and select CMU PSK. Pull down Advanced options and under Privact select Use device MAC. Enter some dummy password to initiate contact with CMU PSK. From the list of available Wi-Fi networks select CMU PSK again and note the MAC address. From a web browser on a machine other than the device, go to MAVzone Applications → Network Device Registration. Log in (with just my user ID!), and click Create to add a new device. Enter some dummy Device Name and the noted MAC Address, accept the Terms of Use, and click Create Device. Now the generated password to CMU PSK can be found by selecting the device and clicking Edit. Note this password, and enter it for CMU PSK to connect.

  4. Go to Settings → System → System update, and either press Check for update, or if there is an update wait for it to download and press Restart now to restart and install it. This step will likely need to be repeated a few times.
  5. After installing system updates, upon remaining connected to Wi-Fi, the device appears to automatically download some apps, as per the agreement with Google I suppose. They appear to be: Chime, Temu, Cash App, Pandora, Solitaire, Bubble…, CrossWord…, and Merge, Block…, theDaily, and GameHub. Wait for this to finish, then uninstall/disable those apps.

Appendix – Changing the Device’s PIN

Go to Settings → Security → Screen Lock. Re-enter the old PIN, and then Choose a new screen lock.

Appendix – Resetting the Device

  1. Power off the device.
  2. Hold the POWER and VOLUME-UP buttons until the manufacturer logo appears.
  3. At the screen with an opened-up droid with the caption no command, hold the POWER button, the press-and-release the VOLUME-UP button before releasing the POWER button.
  4. At the “Android Recovery” screen Use the VOLUME-DOWN button to move the selection down to Wipe data/factory reset, the press the POWER button to select that option. At the next screen, do the same to select Factory data reset.
  5. The data wipe-will be quick. When it’s complete, select Reboot system now.