Sony Xperia X User Manual & Setup Guide

If you need a manual or help with the setup of your Sony Xperia X, check out our user guide to start using your handset, connect to the internet and more!

1. Unboxing and assembling your Sony Xperia X
2. Set up your phone for the first time
3. Connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile networks
4. Find out how to add your email accounts
5. How to add and import contacts to your Sony
6. Using the Play Store to find new apps
7. Securing your Sony Xperia X with a lock screen
8. How to make phone calls on your Sony
9. Send text & picture messages
10. Sending emails and attachments on your Sony
11. How to set alarms on the Sony Xperia X
12. Read our tips to learn more about your phone

click here for Sony's Xperia X user manual

Unboxing and assembling your Sony Xperia X

So you've opened the box and taken out your Xperia X, but what now? Well, it's now time to get your new mobile phone up and running, personalising it in the process. Before we turn the phone on, let's make sure we have everything we need.

What's in the box?

First of all, let's make sure you have everything you need. Inside the box* you should find:

• 1 x Sony Xperia X
• 1 x Mains power adapter
• 1 x USB media cable
• 1 x Screen protector
• 1 x Information pack

*some box contents may vary

The Sony Xperia X takes a nano-SIM card, which should have been given to you when you got your handset. If you wish to expand the storage space available by installing a memory card, you'll need to have that to hand as well.

Assembly

Sony's Xperia X does not have a removable back cover. Instead, the SIM and memory cards slide into a slot in the body of the phone which is protected by a watertight cover.

To insert the nano-SIM and memory cards, find the cover (near the top of the left hand edge of the handset). Use your thumbnail to carefully prise this open and swing it out of the way, then place the phone screen-side down on a flat surface. There is a card carrier in place in the slot, which you will need to remove using your thumbnail.

The nano-SIM and memory card should be placed into the respective recessed holders in the card tray, with the gold-coloured contacts facing up and correctly orientated. The SIM card goes in the smaller recess, and enters the slot first. With both cards positioned correctly, slide the carrier into the body of the phone and press home. Finally, swing the cover back over the slot and press home firmly so that it is flush with the edge of the phone.

You're now ready to turn on your new Xperia X and get it set up, personalising it as you go!

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

Set up your phone for the first time

The first thing you will see when you power on your new Sony Xperia X for the first time is a setup wizard. This isn't overly long and will set up some basic functionality of your new mobile phone, including such things as language and location settings, internet settings, and the time and date.

Before you start working through the setup wizard, please ensure that you have inserted your SIM card correctly as shown in the previous chapter.

1. To turn on your X, press the power button (the silver button on the right edge) for a second or two until you feel a vibration. The screen will light up and shortly you will see a list of languages on screen. English (United Kingdom) is already selected, but if you wish to set a different language on your phone you can scroll through and tap it to select it. When you are ready to proceed, tap Get started.
2. The next screen asks how you would like your new phone to connect to the internet. To use internet based services when you are out and about, you'll need to select Mobile network and Wi-Fi. If want to connect to the internet using Wi-Fi only then choose that option. When you're ready, tap the Next to proceed.
3. The next screen lets you connect to a wireless network. It is always a good idea to set up Wi-Fi as your handset will usually need to download updates, and you may find yourself using a lot of your mobile data without realising it. To connect to Wi-Fi, tap on the name of your Wi-Fi network. To continue without connecting to Wi-Fi, tap Skip.
4. When prompted, type the wireless password in the box provided, then tap Connect. You may be able to find this on a sticker on your router, and it is sometimes referred to as a wireless passphrase, WPA key or WEP key.

5. If you're upgrading from another Android smartphone, you can copy information from your previous handset using NFC or Near Field Communication. To do this, tap on Copy Google accounts, apps and data from your other device and follow the on-screen instructions. If you want to set this up as a fresh new phone, choose No, thanks. When you're ready, tap Next.
6. A Google account is the most important account you can add to an Android device. Without one, you won't be able to download apps or back up your phone. To sign in with an existing Google account (an email address ending with @gmail.com or @googlemail.com), enter your address in the space provided and tap Next. If you don't have a Google account, tap create a new account.
7. Enter your password, then tap the Next. If you are creating a new account, complete the form.
8. To complete the sign-in, you will have to agree with Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Inspect them by tapping the links, then when you are happy to proceed tap Accept.

9. The Google account powers many services, and the next screens are all about setting some of these up. The next screen offers you options to Backup your handset to the Google account. Untick the box if you'd prefer not to do this, then tap More.
10. The Xperia X can use Location services to enhance mapping and local internet search, and also feed back information to help improve Android. To opt out of any of these services, simply untick the relevant box, and when you are ready to proceed tap Next.
11. If you want to buy apps, games, books, movies or music from the Google Play Store you need a payment method linked to your Google account. Tap your chosen billing option, or select No, thanks to skip this for now, then tap Next. If you're adding billing information or payment details, you will need to enter this on the next screen.
12. A disclaimer will appear on screen, advising you that the phone will check for updates and errors automatically. Tap Accept.

13. You can protect your phone with a lock screen, which stops people from accessing your private information on your smartphone. You can add a fingerprint for fast unlocking, or use a PIN or password for a more secure method of protection. As we cover the lock screen in a later chapter, we're going to skip this for now by choosing No, thank you and then pressing Skip.
14. If you skipped the lock screen setup, you must confirm that you want to skip it. This is to ensure you're aware your phone won't be locked when the screen is off.
15. Xperia services gives you access to some exclusive Sony services. These are optional, so to sign up for these, Sign in with your Google account, or tap Skip to skip past this.
16. If you skipped signing up for Xperia services, you will see a disclaimer telling you about securing your phone. You can Go back to enable this, or Skip past it (you can always set this up later on, and your Google account will offer you some similar features!)

13. The Data disclaimer asks you to share diagnostic information with Sony to improve their services. You can opt out of sending diagnostic information to Sony by unticking the box, or you can agree to send it by leaving the box ticked. Tap Next to continue.
14. That's almost it! Tap Finish to exit the setup wizard.
15. Your phone will now restart. This is to make sure your SIM card has been set up correctly, once your phone turns back on you'll be able to make calls, send texts and more.

?You should now be looking at your new Home screen complete with Google search widgets, shortcuts to Sony's built-in apps and a launch bar with access to your apps list. On the launch bar are three icons. The Triangle will take you back a screen (or dismiss the keyboard if it's pointing down), the House symbol is the Home button which will always return you to the home screen, and the Square button shows you recent apps you've had open, allowing you to quickly switch between them.

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

Connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile networks

Wi-Fi is great for fast, stable connections when you aren't straying too far from the router and has the added advantage of not using up your data allowance while you're connected. Mobile data's advantage is its portability, keeping your phone online when you're on the move and far from an accessible Wi-Fi network.

Connecting to a Wi-Fi network

1. From the home screen, tap the Apps icon at the bottom (it is a grid of dots, and you can find it just above the Home icon)
2. In the Apps list, scroll to and tap on Settings.
3. The top item in the settings list is Wi-Fi. Ensure that the switch is turned on, tapping it to toggle the switch if it's off. Tap Wi-Fi to open the settings.

4. The screen should populate with a list of nearby wireless networks. Find the name of your wireless network and tap on it.
5. Enter the wireless password when prompted. The wireless password is often shown on the router and may be referred to as the wireless passphrase, WPA key or WEP key. You can tick the box to Show password to check it is correct before tapping Connect to continue.
6. You should now see the list of nearby Wi-Fi networks, but this time your network name should show "Connected" written beneath it, and there should be a Wi-Fi symbol on the top line of the display, right next to the signal bars. Your Xperia X is now connected to the internet via Wi-Fi!

Connect the Xperia X to mobile internet

It is difficult to check or troubleshoot mobile internet connection issues when Wi-Fi is turned on, so we will turn it off to go through this section. When a mobile data connection is correctly configured, a letter or letters (G, E, 3G, H or 4G) will appear next to the signal bars to denote this.

1. Open your Settings menu, either from the Apps list or from your notification bar by dragging it downwards and tapping the cog.
2. To turn off the W-Fi connection, tap Wi-Fi.
3. Tap the switch to turn Wi-Fi off (don't forget to turn it back on again once you have finished checking your mobile internet connection).
4. Tap the left-facing arrow at the bottom of your phone to go back to the main settings screen.

5. To check whether the mobile data connection is enabled, tap Data usage.
6. See if the Mobile data switch is turned on (showing green). If not, tap the switch to turn it on, then check for a data indicator in your notification bar. This is usually a G, 3G, H+ or 4G found near your phone signal.
7. In some circumstances, even with the Data enabled box ticked you may not be able to connect to the internet, which can indicate a problem with the settings, and you may need to re-download them. If you're still not connected, tap the three dots in the top-right corner of the screen and choose Mobile networks.

9. To get to the right area of the settings, tap Access Point Names.
10. You may need to select your network name from the list, tapping the blue circle on the right to select the network settings.
11. If your network name does not appear in the list, or there aren't any at all, tap the Menu (three dots) icon and tap Reset to default. This should pull the settings from the SIM card, although you may need to select your network from a list. Check for the data indicator again.

If none of these options work, you can enter the setting manually by tapping the + on the top of the screen. This will open a form for you to input the correct settings for your mobile network. We have produced a guide to APN settings to assist you but if your network isn't listed, or you're still having problems, then you may need to contact your mobile network directly for further assistance.

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

Find out how to add your email accounts

Your Xperia X can manage multiple POP, IMAP and Exchange email accounts with a minimum of fuss. Follow our guide below to start receiving your emails on your new smart phone!

Gmail Setup

We covered setting up a Google account in the initial setup, but if you didn't complete it then, or you want to add another Google account, you can set one up now.

1. From the home screen, tap the Apps con.
2. In the Apps list, locate and tap on Settings.
3. Scroll down and tap Accounts & Sync.
4. Any accounts already on your Xperia X will show on this screen. Tap Add account.

5. From the account types listed, tap Google to start adding your Gmail account to the phone.
6. If you already have a Google account, enter the gmail address in the space provided and tap Next. If you are new to Android tap create a new account to set up a free Google account.
7. Enter your Password into the spaces provided then tap Next. If you are creating a new account, complete all the boxes on the onscreen form in order to set the account up.
8. You must agree to the Terms of service in order to use the Google account on your Xperia X. Tap a link to inspect any which you would like to look at, then tap Accept to proceed.

9. You will be invited to use some Google services. If you don't want to use the Google account to back up your handset, untick the box and then tap More to continue.
10. The Play Store offers much more than just free apps, including paid-for apps, music to purchase and videos to rent or buy. To do this, you need a payment card linked to your Google account, although you won't be charged anything until you actually make a purchase. To set up a payment card, redeem a Play Store gift card or have your purchases billed by your network (if permitted) then tap the option required, or tap Remind me later to skip this for now, then tap Next.

You will now see the Google account showing in the Accounts list. Tap Home to go back to the home screen, or add another account.

Email setup

1. Open the Accounts settings from the Home screen by tapping Apps, then Settings, and then scrolling down to tap Accounts & Sync.
2. In the accounts section tap Add account.
3. You will now need to select your mail account type. If you have an Exchange email account (often provided by employers or education providers), choose Microsoft Exchange Activesync. To have your email delivered into the Gmail app (keeping all your mail together in one place) then tap Personal (IMAP) or Personal (POP3) to add your account. To keep the mail separate, tap Email.
4. In our example, we're setting up using Personal (IMAP) but almost every account will set up in a similar way. Type in your email address and tap Next.
5. When prompted, type in your email password, and tap Next/Continue/Sign In (as appropriate!).

5. Depending on your account type, you may have to grant your handset permission to access aspects of your account. Agree to this to continue adding your account.
6. If everything was successful you will be taken to the Account settings page to decide how often you want the app to check for new emails and whether you'd like notifications when an email arrives. Tap Next to move on to the last part of the setup.
7. Fill in your name in the empty box, this will be displayed on any emails you send from your phone so keep it clean! Once you're happy with your details, tap Next to finish the email setup.
8. You should now see your newly added account in the list. Add more accounts, or go back to the home screen by tapping the Home icon.

If your account failed to set up automatically, you will be returned to the main email setup page with the boxes completed with your email address and password. This time you will need to tap Manual Setup before choosing your account type - POP3, IMAP or Exchange Active Sync. You will need to know your account user name, password, and also incoming & outgoing mail server settings.

We have written a guide to email server settingsfor most of the popular UK email providers to help you complete these, but if your mail provider is not listed, or your email account is provided by your company, you may need to contact them directly for detailed assistance.

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

How to add and import contacts to your Sony

Get all the help you need in moving your contacts and data, with our helpful guide to importing your contacts to a Sony Android phone. We've got tips and advice to help you transfer your contact information from any other smartphone, whether you're switching from iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone or another Android we'll help you keep the information you need.

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

Using the Play Store to find new apps

If you want some fun or practical new apps on your Xperia X and don't know where to start, check out our guide to the Google Play Store where we'll show you how to browse for and download great apps, as well as rediscovering apps and games you may have enjoyed previously. Click the link to find out more!

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

Securing your Sony Xperia X with a lock screen

Your handset has a lot of valuable information on it, and will likely be signed into accounts inside various apps to give you quick access to your data; Email, social media and file sharing apps to name but a few. The best way to keep all of this data from prying eyes is to secure your Xperia with a PIN or Password, and you can unlock it easily by using your fingerprint. Read on to discover how!

How to set up security on your Xperia X

1. From the home screen, tap the Apps icon, then find and tap on Settings.
2. Scroll down the settings menu and tap on Lock screen & security.
3. If you want to set up the screen lock on its own, tap Screen lock. We'll add fingerprint security further down the page.
4. Choose a PIN or password for the most security on your phone. These are the hardest to guess!

5. Decide whether you want to enter a PIN when you turn the phone on. For the most security, we recommend this. If you think you might forget your PIN, choose No, thanks.
6. We're entering a 4-digit PIN, but a password is set in much the same manner. Enter your chosen code via the keyboard, then tap Continue.
7. Confirm your unlock PIN or Password by entering it again, then tap OK.
8. When the screen is locked, notifications show you when you've received emails, messages and more. You can choose to Show all notification content, Hide sensitive content (you'll see you've received a message for example, but not the message itself) or Don't show notifications. Tap to select your preference, then tap Done.

Set up fingerprint lock

1. Open your Settings app and choose Lock screen & security.
2. Tap on Fingerprint Manager to start setting up your fingerprints.
3. You'll be advised that you need another type of security, but we've already set a PIN in the beginning of this chapter so press Continue to move on to the next step.
4. The fingerprint sensor is inside the Power button. Press Next to confirm you know this, and move on to the next step.

5. To register your fingerprint, place your finger or thumb onto the power button, removing it every time you feel a vibration before replacing it again. You will need to do this several times before your print is fully captured and when it has been, you will see a screen advising you that you can scan your print when you see the displayed icon instead of using a password. Tap Done to dismiss this.
6. If you wish to rename your print, tap the line with its name on and edit the name. To add more prints, tap + Register fingerprint.

When you're happy, tap the Home button to return to the home screen. You're now ready to try out fingerprint unlocking!

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

How to make phone calls on your Sony

If you have a question about your phone and can't find the answer here, why not post a comment at the bottom of the page and share it with us!

How to make a phone call

1. The first step to making a phone call is to open the Phone icon from the home screen by tapping on it.
2. After you've started using your Xperia X, your call history will show onscreen allowing you quick access to the people you call the most often by tapping on them. If you don't have these showing yet, or the person your wish to call isn't shown onscreen, tap the green keypad button at the bottom of the screen,
3. To make a call, dial a number and press the green button to start the call. If you want to call a contact in your phone, you can use the keypad to spell out their name. There are letters below each number, tap the numbers to spell the name (in our example we're spelling out "Ben" by tapping "236") and the Xperia X will find them in your contact list! If you know more than one person with the name you're searching, you'll need to tap the correct contact from the suggestions.
4. If you prefer, you can search your contacts directly from the first Phone screen by tapping into the search box at the top.
5. Whenever you have the contact you'd like to call on screen, tap their name and the Xperia will automatically dial them!

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

Send text & picture messages

1. Find and tap the Messaging app from your home screen. The icon is a white speech bubble with a smiley emoticon on it. If you have unread messages, you will see a red badge in the corner showing you have unread items.
2. The first time you open the app, you will see an introduction screen. Tap Get started to proceed.
3. To compose a new message, tap on the compose button (which is a white pen on a green circle) at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
4. Now you're looking at a blank text message. Pick the recipient by tapping in the Enter one or more recipients box.

5. You can enter a mobile number directly using the numeric keyboard, or you can start to type a contact's name. If you're entering text, matching contacts will appear below as you type. Tap on the contact you're trying to text to select them as the recipient.
6. Now you've chosen who you're messaging, it's time to type out what you want to say. Tap into the Write message box and using the keyboard, type your message.
7. If you're just sending a text message, tapping the blue arrow to the right of the text entry box will send your message. If you want to add an attachment, such as a picture, video or sound recording, tap the paper clip.
8. Options will appear in place of the keyboard to allow you to choose what you'd like to attach to your message. You could take a new photo using the camera, attach a picture that's already on your phone or one of many other options, each of which can be selected by tapping on the icon. (If you're sending a picture or video, it will be sent as a Multimedia message and you'll see MMS appearing in the text input box to advise you).
9. Once you've attached your item, it will display in the body of the message, allowing you to add further text before you send it by tapping the blue arrow.

How to delete a message thread

If you'd like to delete a thread of messages from your handset, open the Messaging app and locate the thread you'd like to delete by finding the other person's name in the message list.

Touch and hold on their name, and a tickbox will appear beside it. When you see this, look in the top right-hand corner of the screen and tap the bin icon to delete the thread.

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

Sending emails and attachments on your Sony

To send an email, you must have already set up an email account on your Sony Xperia. If you haven't added your account yet, please check our chapter on adding an email account for more information.

Find and open the email app that your account is set up in. This may be either the Mail or Gmail app, depending on how you added your account.

1. When you can see your email inbox, tap the compose button. This is a red circle with a pen on it, and is found in the bottom-right corner of the email inbox screen.
2. New emails will always send from your default email account (which is usually the first one you've added). If you have more than one account on your X and wish to send it from a different account, tap the down arrow at the right of the From line and change the email address you're sending from.
3. Tap into the To line to select the intended recipient. Start to type their name using the keyboard, and any matching contacts will appear. Tap on the correct contact to add them to the recipient list.
4. You can add further recipients, send copies to yourself or others, and also enter a Subject for your email by tapping into the respective fields and entering the information. Once you've entered all the information in the header, scroll down if necessary and tap Compose email.

5. Using the keyboard, type your message. If you just want to send a text email, then you can send it once you've finished typing by tapping the right-facing arrow on the title bar.
6. To add an attachment, tap the paper clip on the title bar. When the menu opens, you can choose from where to attach the item.
7. Attach file allows you to send a file that is already on your X. This may be a sound recording, a photo or video you've taken, or a file you've downloaded. Insert from Drive lets you attach an item you have stored online in your Google Drive, as long as you've added your Google account to your handset. Navigate through the on screen menu to find the item you want, and tap it to add it to your email.
8. Add further attachments if you wish, and compose your message. To send, tap the right-facing arrow.

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

How to set alarms on the Sony Xperia X

Unsurprisingly, the Alarm is contained within the Clock app on the home screen of your Sony Xperia. If you have removed the clock from the Home screen, you can access it by tapping Apps> Alarm & clock.

1. Open the clock app by tapping on the time on the front screen, or by accessing it through the Apps tray.
2. The buttons across the top of the app allow you to select Alarms, World Clock, Stopwatch and Timer functions. Tap the alarm clock to set an alarm.
3. Below the clock are all the alarms that are currently programmed, along with switches to activate them. To edit an existing alarm, tap the time it is set to go off. To set a new alarm, tap the green circle with the + sign in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
4. On the alarm setting screen, you can set the time of the alarm, days you'd like it repeating on (such as every weekday) and enter custom text to display on the main alarm screen. You can also edit the sound, volume, vibration and snooze duration for each alarm individually - so much better than your old alarm clock, eh? When you're happy with the settings, tap Save to store and set the alarm.

return to Sony Xperia X chapters

Read our tips to learn more about your phone

We've covered the basics, but there are so many more interesting features on your phone which deserve a mention. We've listed some of our tips & tricks to make the most of your new Xperia, if you have any of your own then leave them in the comments section at the bottom of the page!

Device Connection

Never has it been easier to make your mobile device the centre of your connected world! Mirror your 's display to your smart TV if it is Miracast or Google-cast compliant, and for those TV's that aren't so smart then add a Chromecast and display your phone through that instead!

You can also play your Xperia's content on other wireless devices (such as a tablet) and even set your up to act as a media server, allowing your other devices to play the music and videos that are store on your phone.

Finally you can pair a PlayStation DualShock 3 or 4 controller and use it playing games on your Xperia, or you can configure one-touch pairing between your Windows 8/Windows 10 PC and your handset to allow your computer to use your phone's internet connection, wherever you are just by going to Apps> Settings> Device Connection.

Maximise your battery life

The Xperia X comes equipped with some great tools to help you get the most from your battery. If you're low on power and want to stretch out your last bit of battery juice, head in to Settings and tap on Power Management.

From here, you can turn on features like Stamina Mode (Sony's power saving application) and even enable Ultra stamina mode to squeeze every last moment of power you can get from the battery.

There is even a Low-battery Mode, which disables certain functions from running when your phone is low on power. This will impact the usability of the handset though, so bear that in mind.

You will also be able to turn off other power-hungry features like location-based Wi-Fi, which is handy if you're not in a good GPS area but a bit unfriendly if you're running out of power and need to keep your phone running for a while longer.

Monitor your data usage

Say goodbye to surprise bills by taking control of your data usage. Sony equip the Xperia X with a useful data monitor, which will track your mobile data usage and even restrict you from going over your limit.

To set this up you need to visit Apps> Settings> Data usage on your handset. Once this is open, you can set your billing date so that the data is measured from when your allowance resets, and you can set a warning to help you stay under your limit. There's even a tickbox to stop you from adding to your monthly bill by stopping your data usage if you exceed the limit chosen.

There is a breakdown of usage by app too, so you can see if any one app is using a lot of data, allowing you to modify your usage of the phone. Just bear in mind that this app is only a guide, and your mobile network may measure data usage slightly differently so it's a good idea to check this for a month or two before relying on it totally!

return to Sony Xperia X chapters