Operating system
Names and abbreviations on this page
NIST — National Institute of Standards and Technology. A United States agency developing measurement science, standards and technology guidance.
Technology terms & practical skills
What it means
An operating system manages a device's hardware resources and provides services for applications. It helps organize files, permissions, memory and connections. A phone's operating system and an individual app have separate settings and update schedules.
Related skills
Navigate settingsFind storage, accessibility, privacy and update controls.
Manage filesRecognize a file's name, format and saved location.
Describe problemsRecord the device model, system version and steps that reproduce an issue.
An everyday example
If one app closes repeatedly, test whether other apps work and check the available storage. This helps narrow whether the issue affects one application or more of the device.
What to check
Save important work before updating. Check the maker's instructions rather than assuming that another device has identical menus.