Moto G How-to Guide Archives - Moto G Phone Guide

Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play: Differences and common features

Which one is for you: Moto G8 Plus or Moto G8 Play?

Motorola announced and released Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play in October 2019, without Moto G8, which will be very likely announced in February 2020. But what are the differences of Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play?

Apparently, Moto G is the most valuable brand asset of Motorola now: Moto X is dead; Moto Z is dying, Moto C has gone, and Moto E is struggling.

Will Moto G save Motorola?

Motorola (Lenovo) cannot wait until 2020. So, they released “part” of Moto G8 for this holiday season. Remember, Moto G7 was just released earlier this year.

Of course, many potential buyers are wondering about the differences between Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play.

This Moto G guide first explains the common features of Moto G8 Plus and Moto G8 Play, then discusses the top 10 differences of Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play.

Moto G8 Plus vs Moto G8 Play: the common features

Moto G8 Plus and G8 Play share similar dimensions with significantly different specifications.

As both bear the Moto G8 name, there are surely some common features.

Android Pie

Just like many other Android phones released this year, both Moto G Plus and Moto G8 Play come with Android Pie (Android 9.0).

Very likely, both phones will get the Android 10 update. But based on the recent track record of Motorola’s Android update, you will have to wait at least one year for the Android Pie.

4000mAh battery

The battery capacity in Moto G8 Play and G8 Plus is 4000mAh. It should be able to last one full day for most users.

The massive battery can also be used as a power bank to charge other devices because both phones use a USB-C port

micro SD card support

Similar to previous generations of Moto G, Moto G8 Play and Moto G8 Plus support micro SD card.

So, you can insert a micro SD card to expand storage if you have an extensive collection of media files.

Please note, there is no dedicated SD card slot on Moto G8 Play and G8 Plus. Instead, you have to use slot 2 of the hybrid SIM card tray if you want to use a micro SD card.

This suggests you can only use one SIM card when there is a micro SD card in the tray.

You may refer to this … Read the rest

What are the differences: Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play (Moto G 2018)?

The top 6 differences among Moto G6, Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus

by simon 6 Comments

For the 6th generation of Moto G (Moto G 2018), Motorola released 3 models: Moto G6, Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus.

These 3 phones may look similar. All come with the latest Android Oreo 8.0.

But the differences are obvious as well.

This post compares the 3 models of Moto G6 (Moto G 2018) and explains the top 6 differences among these 3 Moto G6 modes to help you understand the differences and therefore make the correct decision when purchasing a Moto G6.

You may check the official user manuals for Moto G6, Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus in this page.

1. Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play: Screen size and resolution

The 3 Moto G6 models have different combinations of screen sizes and screen resolution.

Moto G6 and G6 Play both have a screen size of 5.7″. Moto G6 Plus has a 5.9″ screen.

But for the screen resolution, Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus both have a 1080p (18:9) screen. Moto G6 Play comes with a 720p screen. This suggests Moto G6 has the highest pixel density (higher than both Moto G6 Play and Moto G6 Plus.

Overall, for the screen, the difference between Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus is small.

2. Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play: CPU (SoC)

Motorola continued to use middle-range CPUs on Moto G6 (Moto G 2018) devices.

Moto G6 Play comes with a Snapdragon 430 CPU (or 427 in the US). There are eight (4 cores for Snapdragon 427) cores up to 1.4GHz.

Moto G6 has a Snapdragon 450 CPU, which is also an octa-core SoC with a higher speed of 1.8GHz.

As expected, Moto G6 Plus has the most powerful CPU (Snapdragon 630) compared to Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play. The maximum frequency for the CPU is 2.2GHz.

3. Moto G6 vs Moto G6 Plus vs Moto G6 Play: rear cameras

Both Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus feature dual rear cameras (12MP+5MP). The 5MP f/2.2 camera will be used only when you change to portrait mode. It is designed for depth sensing, not real photo taking.

The 12MP camera sensor in Moto G6 Plus is slightly better with an aperture of f/1.7. It is capable of capturing 4K (2160p) videos at 30fps. While the 12MP camera in Moto G6 has … Read the rest

How to install Moto G5 SIM card?

Step-by-step guide shows you how to install Moto G5 SIM card and micro SD card.

by simon 7 Comments

Many Moto G5 owners failed to install SIM card in Moto G5 due to vague illustration in Moto G5 user manual.

This Moto G guide shows you how to install Moto G5 SIM card(s) and micro SD card correctly.

What’s the difference in SIM card slot for Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus?

One of the major differences between Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus is the removable battery in Moto G5. Of course, Moto G5’s back cover is also removable.

This results in different design of the SIM card slots in Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus.

As explained in Moto G5 Plus SIM card guide, Moto G5 Plus features a removable SIM card/SD card tray.

But in Moto G5, the SIM card slot and micro SD card slot are under the back cover. There is no removable SIM card tray in Moto G5.

This means you must remove the back cover to install Moto G5 SIM card (and micro SD card as well).

For SIM card size for Moto G5, as explained in this post, Moto G5 and Moto G5 plus both use nano SIM card.

How to install Moto G5 SIM card?

Moto G5 has two versions: single SIM version and dual SIM version depending on your region.

The dual SIM version of Moto G5 (and G5 plus) is dual standby only. If you need to keep both SIM cards available at all times without missing any calls, please read How to make two SIM cards always available in dual SIM dual standby Android phones?

Unlike other dual SIM Android phones, Moto G5 has a dedicated micro SD card slot in both single SIM and dual SIM versions. This means you can use two SIM cards and a micro SD card concurrently in dual SIM version of Moto G5.

To install Moto G5 SIM card, you may follow these steps.

Step 1: Power off Moto G5

You must power off Moto G5 before installing SIM card.

You can hold the power button for 2-4 seconds and then follow the on-screen power option to power off Moto G5.

Step 2: Remove Moto G5 back cover

After Moto G5 is powered off, you can now remove the Moto G5 back cover.

As shown below, you can gradually peel off the back cover starting from the small gap (groove) in the bottom of the phone.

You … Read the rest

Moto G5 Plus SIM card guide

Everything you need to know about Moto G5 Plus SIM card: the correct SIM card size, the SIM card tray, insert and remove SIM card....

by simon 20 Comments

The correct SIM card size for Moto G5 Plus is nono-SIM. This guide explains to you how to use the Moto G5 SIM card tray, how to insert or remove SIM card for Moto G5 Plus.

Please note, the SIM card slots in Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus are totally different. This guide is for Moto G5 Plus SIM card. For Moto G5 SIM card, please check this guide.

If you want to learn other features of Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus, you may check the official user manual of Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus.

Why you need a SIM card for Moto G5 Plus?

SIM card is not a requirement for Moto G5 Plus and most Android phones.

But without a SIM card, you will not be able to make calls, send text messages or use mobile data. You probably then will not call it a phone.

Actually, if you do not need mobile services, you can get a decent tablet with bigger screen at an even cheaper price.

If you want to use Moto G5 Plus as a phone, you should get a SIM card from your phone company.

Moto G5 Plus SIM card size

There are different sizes of SIM card.

Over the years, there are 4 different sizes of SIM card for mobile phones:

Full-size SIM card. Full-size SIM is often referred as 1FF (1st form factor). It is “giant” in size: 85.60 mm × 53.98 mm × 0.76 mm. It was phased out already. There are no Android phones using it.
Mini-SIM (2FF) cars. Mini-SIM usually is referred to as “big” or “normal” or “standard” SIM card in some countries. It measures in 25.mm x 15 mm x 0.76 mm. Mini-SIM card was just phased out in last 2 or 3 years. You can still find some old phones use this “normal” SIM card.
Micro-SIM (3FF). Micro SIM is the most popular size of SIM card for smartphones. Most middle range and budget smartphones are using micro SIM card. In some regions, micro-SIM is referred as “small” SIM card.
Nano-SIM (4FF). Nano-SIM is the smallest SIM card available for smartphone today. Most flagship smartphones requires nano-SIM. More and more middle-range phones also started to adopt this size SIM card.

Moto G5 Plus uses nano SIM card only.

Prior to Moto G5 Plus, all … Read the rest

Top 10 new features in Android Nougat update for Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus

Everything you need to know on Android Nougat update for Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus!

by simon Leave a Comment

In almost all regions, Android Nougat update for Moto G4 (and G4 Plus) has been rolled out. You should check the update now if your Moto G4 is still running Marshmallow.

Android Nougat for Moto G4 is a major Android udpate with many new features and improvement you should try.

This Moto G guide explains to you the top 10 new features in this Android Nougat update for Moto G4.

Please note, although Moto G4 is used in this post, all these new features also apply to all Motorola Moto devices with Android Nougat.

1. Multi window

Android Nougat supports split screen (multi-window) view. You can run two apps side by side on your screen after applying the Android Nougat update.

For example, you can reply to a text message while watching a video, or browse the internet during a video call.

You can activate multi-window view by long-pressing the overview/recent apps button while in a compatible app.

Please note, whether an app is compatible with multi window view is determined by individual app developer.

You may check this guide on how to use multi window feature in Android Nougat update for Moto G4.

2. Quick switch apps

Android Nougat also allows you to quickly switch between two recent apps.

You can double tap the overview/recent apps button to switch between two most recently used apps.

Quick switch apps works even when you are in Home screen. In Moto G4 Home screen, you can double tap the overview button to open the last used app. Double tap again to switch the second most recent app.

3. Swipe to shrink the screen

Motorola added one more Moto action in Android Nougat update for Moto G4: swipe to shrink the screen.

You can shrink the screen by swiping up from the navigation bar in the bottom.

If you swipe upwards and towards left, the shrunk screen will align to bottom left. If you swipe upwards and towards right, the shrunk screen will be docked in the bottom right.

To enable this new feature, you need to open the Moto app, tap Actions, then tap Swipe to shrink the screen to enable it.

You can practice this feature before enabling it.

Please refer to this guide (coming soon) on how to use Moto Actions.

4. Change display size (display scaling)

Prior to Android Nougat, you can only change the … Read the rest

What are the differences of Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play?

Everything you need know if you cannot decide which Moto G4 is for you. This post discuss the differences of Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play in availability, display, CPU,RAM, storage, camera, Moto Maker customization and color options, fast charging (turbo charging), and fingerprint sensor.

by simon 6 Comments

For the 4th generation of Moto G, Motorola (now under Lenovo), announced 3 different models: Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play.

Then which one is for you? What are the differences of Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play?

This post will try to help you understand the differences of these 3 models so that you can make better decision when you want to buy one Moto G4 (Moto G 2016).

To download official Moto G4 user manual, Moto G4 Plus user manual anf Moto G4 Play user manual in your own language, please check this page.

Initial availability differences of Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play

Although 3 models of Moto G4 were announced, only 2 of them are currently available.

Moto G4 Play will be only available later this summer.

Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 are currently available in selected countries and regions, mainly India, Brazil, Mexico and a few other countries in Latin America.

In early June, Moto G4 will be available in Europe, the Middle East, and other Asian regions.

Moto G4 Plus will be available in Europe, the Middle East, other Asian regions, and other Latin American regions from the second half of June.

For US and North America, the availability of Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play has not been announced. (Motorola is not a US company any more; it is now a Lenovo company.)

So, many Motorola fans in US, Europe and other regions are a bit disappointed. Apparently, Motorola (Lenovo) is too short-sighted in Moto G4 release.

Will this help the success of Moto G4?

Very unlikely. The availability strategy of Moto G4 is probably a disaster for Moto G4 sales.

With 3 different models (G4, G4 Plus, and G4 Play) combined, Moto G4 probably cannot exceed the sales of Moto G3 (2015) or Moto G2 (Moto G 2014).

Just may 2 cents.

Screen (display) differences of Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 Play

Both Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus share similar display: 5.5″ 1080p (full HD. 1980*1080) display.

Moto G4 Play is smaller (5″) with a 720p (1280*720) screen.

So, the size of Moto G4 Play is similar to previous generations of Moto G devices (e.g., Moto G 2015 and Moto G 2014). Moto G4 and G4 Plus are bigger than previous generations.

CPU (chips)

… Read the rest

Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015 brings many new features and improvements. But for some owners, some problems or questions arise. This post will show you the solution to the top 5 problems you may face after getting Android Marshmallow update for Moto G, Moto X and Moto E. Missing camera shutter sound control, SD card usage, missing Motorola Assist, priority mode and battery life are covered.

by simon 864 Comments

Have you got Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015?

Motorola started to roll out Android Marshmallow (Android 6.0) update to Moto X Style, Moto X Play, Moto X Pure, Moto G 2015 (Moto G 3rd Gen), Moto G 2014 (Moot G 2nd Gen) and Moto X 2014 (Moto X 2nd Gen) in early December 2015. Only Moto E 2015 (Moto E 2nd Gen) is still on the waiting list.

Now more and more Moto users are enjoying latest Android Marshmallow. Some prominent Android Marshmallow features are explained on this guide and this post.

Although the overall experience of Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015 and other Moto devices is good, some problems of the Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015 are also reported.

This post will try to address the top 5 problems of Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015, and of course the solutions.

Please note, in the post, Moto G 2015 (Moto G 3rd Gen) is used, but this post also applies to Moto X (Pure, Style, Play, 2nd Gen) and Moto G 2014 devices. The code base for Android Marshmallow update for Moto devices are similar. So, the problems of Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015 can also be found on other Moto devices after updating to Marshmallow.

#1. Missing camera shutter sound control in Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015

Motorola camera app is functional and yet simple to use. One of the handy features is togging on/off shutter sound. For Moto G 2015 camera guide, please check this page.

It seems the Android Marshmallow update for Moto G 2015 does not change much on the camera app. But soon you will notice that the shutter sound control is missing in the new camera app.

This is NOT a bug.

Actually, more and more Android phone manufacturers removed the shutter sound control in their camera apps.

There are two main reasons for removing shutter sound control from camera app:

Legal considerations. In a few countries (e.g., Korea and Japan), shutter sound is mandatory. More and more countries are debating on this issue. Privacy usually is in the center in such debates. To avoid possible legal troubles in the future, and to give good impression on privacy consideration, big Android phone manufacturers started to remove the shutter sound control from the stock camera app even

… Read the rest

Moto G USB OTG guide (also for Moto X)

A guide on using USB OTG on Moto G and Moto X to expand the storage

by simon 195 Comments

What’s Moto G USB OTG?

USB On-The-Go (USB OTG) is not a new technology. It allows a device to perform both master and slave roles in USB connections. Android fully supports USB OTG since Android Honeycomb 3.1.

Normally USB uses a master/slave architecture. A host acts as master device for the connection, the other USB device acts as slave.

Devices are designed to assume one role only. For example, when you connect an externl disk to the PC, PC is always the host, and external disk is always the slave. When you connect two external drives through USB, nothing happens.

For Moto G, like many other phones, when it is connected to PC, it will be acted as slave and mounted as a storage device. You can access the file on the Moto G from your PC.

But what happens if you connect a USB thumb drive to Moto G?

Moto G can mount it as external storage and you can use it just like you use external drive on a PC!

Because Moto G supports USB OTG.

Of course, there are some other requirements to make it work.

We will discuss them later.

How Moto G USB OTG can help Moto G owners ?

So, basically, Moto G USB OTG makes it possible for you to use external USB devices on Moto G.

Storage is just an example. The miserable storage in Moto G usually is the motivation for some owners to find ways to expand the storage.

You can also hook many other USB accessories, e.g., even an USB keyboard or mouse.

In this guide, we will focus on storage because it is the most wanted Moto G USB OTG usage.

Also this guide applies to Moto X and many other Android devices, although Moto G is used.

What do you need to use Moto G USB OTG to expand your storage?

To use Moto G USB OTG to expand your storage, you need one of them:

an USB OTG adapter (less than $10). One end of the USB OTG adapter connects to USB storage, which can be a normal thumb drive or even a portable hard disk. The other end connects to Moto G directly.
or, an USB OTG flash drive (price depending on the capacity. It is slightly more expensive than normal USB thumb drives with similar capacity.). Such drives usually have two

… Read the rest

How to remove Moto G back cover?

Why you must remove Moto G back cover

For Moto G (including Moto G 2nd Gen), the SIM card slot is under the back cover. So, to insert SIMcard, you must remove Moto G back cover.

In addition, the micro SD card slot in Moto G 2014 is also under the back cover. You have to remove the Moto G back cover to put in your SD card.

However, for many new Moto G or Moto E owners, it can be frustrating to find the correct way to remove Moto G back cover due to Motorola’s unique design for the back cover.

You cannot peel off the Moto G back cover.

Please follow this guide if you want to remove Moto G back cover properly. Otherwise, you may damage the back cover.

How to remove Moto G back cover? (for Moto G and Moto G2, Moto G3, Moto G4, and Moto G5)

Step 1: Power off your Moto G

It is recommended to remove Moto G back cover only when the phone is powered off.

To power off Moto G, press and hold the power button and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 2: Turn Moto G upside down

You need to turn Moto G upside down so that the USB port is facing up. This is the most comfortable orientation to take off Moto G back cover.

Anyway, Motorola designs it in this way.

Step 3: Put your finger in the USB charging port as shown below.

Step 4: Press your thumb of the hand in the center of the back (Motorola logo) as shown below.

You need to use two hands to remove Moto G back cover.

You also need to press the Motorola logo hard (apply some force, not just put the thumb there) so that it is easy to pry the cover off.

Step 5: Pry the cover off.

Please remember it is not necessary to use any tools to remove Moto G back cover. Such tools may damage the cover or internal parts

If you still have problems to take off Moto G back cover, you may check this official video.

How about Moto E back cover?

Moto E back cover shares a similar design of Moto G back cover.

So, you can remove Moto E back cover with the identical method mentioned on this page.

This applies to both Moto E and Moto E … Read the rest

How to clear cache partition on Moto G and Moto X after Android Lollipop update?

You can wipe Moto G cache partition so solve many weird problems on your phone, especially after a major update, e.g., Android lollipop update.

by simon 447 Comments

Why you should clear the cache partition after updating to Android Lollipop?

Finally, most Moto G (including Moto G 2nd Gen) and Moto X (including Moto X 2nd Gen) owners received the Android Lollipop update.

After getting the Android Lollipop update, you may be excited with the many new features (see this post for top 5 new Lollipop features in Moto G and Moto X) and improved performance.

But for some Moto G and Moto X owners, the phone may behave weirdly. A few owners may feel the phone is less responsive although Android Lollipop update should bring a faster Moto G or Moto X.

Some owners may face battery drain problems. Again, Android Lollipop should give you slightly longer battery life on Moto G (including Moto X 2nd Gen) and Moto X (including Moto X 2nd Gen).

So, what’s wrong with the Android Lollipop on these phones?

Someone may suggest you to do a factory data reset. But it is usually not necessary.

Very often, the weird behavior or poorer performance is caused by some leftovers in your cache partition.

Clearing cache partition can surprisingly solve most of such problems, without losing any personal settings.

Actually, you should clear the cache partition after any major Android update.

Will clearing cache partition remove my files or accounts or apps or settings?

Clearing cache partition does NOT affect any of your settings. It does NOT delete your files or accounts or apps.

In short, clearing cache partition is totally different from factory data reset, which will erase all your data, apps and settings.

Normally, factory reset is the last resort to solve software related issues. Before trying factory reset, experienced Android support engineer will try to clear the cache partition first. Most of the problems can then be solved without resetting the phone.

Step-by-step guide on how to clear cache partition on Moto G and Moto X after Android Lollipop update

After the Android Lollipop update, the procedures of clearing cache partition on Moto G and Moto X are slightly changed. If you follow old guides, you may find you cannot get the wipe cache partition option in recovery mode. I will highlight this next.

Step 1: Power off Moto G or Moto X

Press and hold power button for about 2-3 seconds.

You should get the Power off option on the screen as shown below.

Tap Power … Read the rest