By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- Open the Settings app and find the panels for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Displays, Sound, Printers, Power and Users.
- Connect to a Wi-Fi network you are allowed to use and check the connection.
- Change the display scale and switch Night Light on and off.
- Choose the correct sound output and input device.
- Apply the safe-change habit: note the setting, change one thing, test, and undo it if it does not help.
Almost every everyday problem on a laptop, such as no internet, text that is too small, a speaker that stays silent or a printer that is not found, is answered in the Settings app. It is the control room of the computer. This lesson shows you the panels that matter most, and a careful way of changing things so that a curious click never turns into a lost afternoon.
Opening Settings and finding your way
There are two quick ways to open Settings. Click the system menu at the top right and then the Settings button (a cog or spanner symbol), or press the Super key and type “Settings”. The window has a list of panels on the left and the options for the selected panel on the right. On a narrow window the list and the options take turns, with a back arrow to return.
Panels are grouped by theme. Menu and panel names can differ slightly between versions of Ubuntu, but the main ones stay the same: Wi-Fi, Network, Bluetooth, Displays, Sound, Power, Printers and Users (sometimes under a System heading). There is also a search button at the top of the left list, which finds a setting by name.
- Marker 1: List of panels
- Marker 2: The network you are connected to
- Marker 3: Other networks in range
- Marker 4: Connect button
Read this figure as text
A simulated Settings window with a list of panels on the left and the Wi-Fi panel on the right.
A simulated Settings window, drawn as an illustration and not a real screenshot. Marker 1 is the list of panels on the left, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Displays, Sound, Printers, Power and Users. Marker 2 is the Wi-Fi switch at the top of the right-hand side, shown as On. Marker 3 is the list of visible networks, with HomeNet-5 shown as connected and CafeGuest and Neighbour-2G shown as available. Marker 4 is the Connect button used to join a network. Layout and wording vary between Ubuntu versions.
Wi-Fi and network
Wi-Fi is the wireless link between your laptop and your Router. In the Wi-Fi panel, make sure the switch at the top is on, then click the name of your network in the list. Because you do not yet know that networks can be fake, only join networks you recognise and are allowed to use, such as your home network or a place that has told you its name.
Join a Wi-Fi network you are allowed to use
Step 1: Open the Wi-Fi panel
Open Settings and click Wi-Fi in the list.
You should see: You see a switch and a list of networks in range.
Step 2: Choose your network
Click the name of your home or school network. If you are already connected, it shows as Connected.
You should see: A box asks for the network password, unless you have joined it before.
Step 3: Enter the Wi-Fi password
The Wi-Fi password is the one for the network, usually printed on the router. It is not your Ubuntu login password. Type it carefully and click Connect.
You should see: The network shows as Connected, and the system menu shows the Wi-Fi symbol.
Step 4: Check it works
Open the web browser and visit a site you know.
You should see: The page loads. If it does not, see troubleshooting below.
The Network panel is for cable connections and advanced options. Beginners do not need to change anything there. If you have a cable to the router, Ubuntu usually connects by itself.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth connects nearby devices such as headphones, a keyboard or a speaker without a cable. In the Bluetooth panel, turn the switch on, then put the other device into pairing mode (the device's manual says how). Its name appears in the list. Click it to pair. Pairing means the two devices introduce themselves once and remember each other. If the screen shows a number, check that the same number shows on the other device before you accept.
Turn Bluetooth off when you are not using it. It saves a little battery, and an off feature cannot be misused. Only pair with devices that belong to you.
Displays: scale, resolution and Night Light
The Displays panel changes how things look on the screen. Three settings matter to beginners. The {{resolution}} is how many dots the screen shows. Leave it on the recommended value. The Scale makes everything on the screen bigger or smaller without making it blurry; if text is too small, increasing the scale is the right fix. The Refresh rate is how often the picture updates, and the default is correct for almost everyone.
Night Light gives the screen a warmer, more yellow tint in the evening. Many people find it more comfortable than bright blue-white light at night. It is in the Displays panel, under a Night Light button. You can set a schedule, such as from sunset to sunrise, or turn it on manually.
If you connect a second screen or projector, the panel shows each screen as a rectangle. You can choose to mirror (show the same on both) or join them to make one larger desktop. Changes to resolution show a countdown with a Revert Settings button. If the new setting makes the screen unreadable, do nothing and it returns by itself after about 20 seconds.
- Everything gets bigger
- Text turns soft and blurry
- Screen not used at its best
Avoid for small text.
- Text and icons get bigger
- Everything stays sharp
- Easy to undo
The right fix.
Read this figure as text
A comparison of changing resolution against changing scale for small text on a laptop screen.
Two columns. Lower the resolution: the screen shows fewer dots, so everything becomes bigger but also blurry and soft, because the screen is no longer using its natural number of dots. Increase the scale: the screen keeps all its dots, but draws each icon and letter larger, so text is bigger and stays sharp. The advice: leave resolution on the recommended value and use scale when text is too small.
Sound
The Sound panel has an Output section and an Input section. Output is where sound comes out: the laptop speakers, headphones or a Bluetooth speaker. Input is where sound goes in: the built-in microphone or a headset microphone. If a video has no sound, check three things in order: the volume slider is not at zero or muted, the correct output device is chosen, and the app itself is not muted.
Printers
The Printers panel lists printers that Ubuntu knows. Many modern printers on your home Wi-Fi are discovered by themselves. If yours is not listed, look for a button such as Add Printer… or Additional Printer Settings…, then choose it from the list. Some actions need an administrator's approval, shown by an Unlock button. If a printer needs special software, ask the person who looks after the computer or check the maker's Linux support page before downloading anything.
Power and Users
In Power, you can choose a Power Mode: Balanced is the sensible default, Power Saver makes the battery last longer, and Performance (when offered) runs the computer harder and uses more battery. You can also choose when the screen turns off and whether the laptop sleeps after being idle, which saves electricity.
The Users panel shows your account. Changing the name or password, or adding another account, needs an administrator's approval. These are things to leave alone until you understand them. Never share your password, and never type it into anything you did not start yourself.
- Step 1: NoteWrite down the current value
- Step 2: Change one thingOnly one setting at a time
- Step 3: TestDid it fix the problem?
- Step 4: Undo if neededPut back the old value
Read this figure as text
A flow of four steps showing the safe-change habit for the Settings app, from noting the setting to testing and undoing.
Step 1, Note: write down the current value of the setting before you touch it. Step 2, Change one thing: alter only that one setting, so you know what caused any difference. Step 3, Test: check whether the problem is fixed, for example whether the text is easier to read or the sound comes out. Step 4, Undo if needed: if it did not help, put the setting back to the value you wrote down. Then repeat from step 1 for the next idea.
| Problem | Panel to open | First thing to check |
|---|---|---|
| No internet | Wi-Fi | Is the switch on and is the right network Connected? |
| Headphones not found | Bluetooth | Is Bluetooth on and the device connected? |
| Text too small | Displays | Increase Scale |
| No sound | Sound | Output device and volume |
| Printer missing | Printers | Is the printer on the same network and listed? |
| Battery drains fast | Power | Power Mode and screen off time |
Common mistakes
✖ Instead of: Lowering the screen resolution to make text bigger.
✔ Do this: Leave resolution on the recommended value and raise the Scale instead. The picture stays sharp.
✖ Instead of: Clicking through many settings at once to “see what happens”.
✔ Do this: Change one setting at a time, after noting the current value. That way you can always go back.
✖ Instead of: Typing the login password when a network asks for its password.
✔ Do this: Networks have their own Wi-Fi password, usually on the router. Your account password never belongs in a Wi-Fi box.
✖ Instead of: Leaving Bluetooth on all the time in case it is useful.
✔ Do this: Switch it off when you do not need it, and pair only with devices you own.
If something goes wrong
- My Wi-Fi network is not in the list.
- Check that the Wi-Fi switch is on and that Airplane Mode is off in the system menu. Move closer to the router, and check that other devices can see the network.
- Wi-Fi says Connected but pages do not load.
- Turn Wi-Fi off and on again. If that fails, restart the router (unplug for 30 seconds) and the laptop. If other devices also fail, the problem is the internet service.
- The screen went strange after I changed a display setting.
- Wait about 20 seconds without clicking and the old setting returns. Or click Revert Settings.
- The Printers panel shows nothing.
- Check the printer is switched on and on the same network, then try Add Printer. If it asks for an administrator's approval, ask the person who looks after the computer.
Key terms
- Wi-Fi
- A way of joining a network and the internet by radio instead of a cable.
- Bluetooth
- A short-range wireless technology for connecting nearby devices such as headphones and keyboards.
- Resolution
- The number of pixels a screen shows across and down. More pixels means finer detail.
- Router
- A device that connects your home network to the internet and shares that connection with your devices.
- User account
- Your personal sign-in on a computer, with its own files and settings.
Practise it for real
Reading is not the same as being able to do it. Complete these on your own computer, then tick only what you have actually done. These ticks are your own honest record: nothing checks them for you.
Look at every panel without changing anything
Open Settings. Visit the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Displays, Sound, Printers, Power and Users panels one by one. For each, write down one thing it shows, such as the name of the Wi-Fi network, the current scale or the output device. Do not change anything yet. Use the search button in the Settings window to find the word “Night”.
Challenge: make two safe changes and undo them
Practise the safe-change habit. First, in Displays, note the current scale and change it to the next larger value, look at how the text changes, then change it back. Second, switch Night Light on, look at the colour of the screen, then switch it off again. Write the original value for each setting before you start, and tick it off when you have restored it.
Knowledge check
6 questions. You need 80% to pass. Mistakes here are part of learning, and you can retry as often as you like.
Summary
- Settings is opened from the system menu or by pressing Super and typing “Settings”.
- Wi-Fi needs the network's own password, which is not your login password.
- Raise the Scale when text is too small; keep the recommended resolution.
- Sound has separate Output and Input choices; check them when audio is missing.
- Note, change one thing, test, and undo: the safe-change habit.
Checklist: can you do these?
Marking a lesson as read does not prove you can do it. Skills count as demonstrated when you pass the quiz (not yet) and complete the practical tasks (not yet).
Related lessons
References and further reading
Official sources for details that can change between versions.