I've Downloaded Ingress, Now What?

Ingress App - Once you've downloaded the Ingress app to your smartphone, spend some time getting to know the app. 

GPS Connection - Your phone must have GPS location on. When you open the Ingress app, it will locate you via GPS and it will show your closest portals. 

Scanner - After you've downloaded the Ingress app, your phone is now known as your scanner. When you open the app, it will download your location. Touch the "Ops" button and review the following:

• Inventory - Where all of your gear will be found. 
• Agent - Set up your agent profile by pressing 'Agent' on the top bar, or by pressing your insignia on the top left corner of your scanner. Pressing your insignia from the home page will also bring you to your agent badge and statistical page. You can see the badges you've collected, how much Action Points (AP, the points you need to move up levels) you have and different stats based on your play: All Time, Month, Week, Now. 
• Intel - Statistics on the global and regional leaders. For the  regional scoreboard follow this pathway: Intel --> Select Regional Scores --> Select See Other Agents. Sometimes it may not come up as its refreshing. 
• Training - Complete the training in the app as it will provide you with a beginner's understanding of how the game works.
• Device - This is where settings are for notifications, linking to your G+ account etc. 

Comm - Located at the bottom of your scanner, if you open Comm you will see three different channels: 

• All - shows both factions actions in the field and messages shared in open Comm. 
• Factions - Technically is just supposed to be for members of your Faction. However this is not a secure channel and you should consider that the other faction will have access to what is shared on faction chat. Never discuss faction plans or activities on faction chat!
• Alerts - This will tell you when one of your portals is being attacked by the other faction and what has been destroyed. If you have notifications turned on, you can recharge your portal if you have a portal key. This can be maddening and fun to do to the other team. 

Find a local Google + group -  Research whether there is a local group and ask to join it. You may be encouraged to to share and upload your profile within the local group. People will most likely send messages of welcome & greetings. This offers you a chance to connect with people who play locally and in your area. 
There may be Hangouts, or other ways to communicate within your local group. Once you've connected with others you may be invited to participate in those. 

The global Ingress group on G+ can be found here: https://plus.google.com/+Ingress/posts

Community activities - One of the biggest successes of Ingress is the social connection and local communities that are thriving in many places. Ingress is bringing lots of different people together to play, walk around in interesting places, to strategize and work togethers with others. 

• Farms - Once you get connected with your local faction, farm events will be held where everyone gets together to smash the other factions dominated areas, or just to build a faction farm so players can obtain gear, the lifeblood of Ingress play. 
• Social events - Farms and other social events may be available in your area. 
• Cross-faction (X-faction) - There may be local events, often involving libations and food, where members of both factions socialize and mingle. It is best to remember everyone must be careful about disclosing any information about play, because both sides are usually also there to gather intel on the other side and share it with other faction members. 
• Anomalies - These are epic, large Ingress community gatherings where the Enlighened and the Resistance will battle to control specific portals in various locations; create gigantic fields that cover large geographical areas and other feats of mastery over the opposite faction. 

#Helios 2014 will be occurring in Vancouver, BC @ UBC on Sept. 27th, 2014. Other locations around the world will also be hosting #Helios battles. There is also a global aspect to the battles. Factions create different teams. 

Data plan - Investigate how your data usage is going to be impacted by your Ingress play and how much you might be charged extra if you go over your data. Nasty extra charges will dent your wallet as you get into game mode. It is not uncommon to be swept away by Ingress Fever! 

Local and Meta Ingressing - You will need to get the bigger picture of playing Ingress by accessing the Ingress Intel map: https://www.ingress.com/intel. Start using the map to check out areas to visit, locally, a bit further afield, and plan out Ingress vacation adventures. There are other maps you can download, do some research, or ask local faction members about additional mapping and play resources.

Get Out into the Field! - Now you're ready to get out and see the world in a totally different way as you start to visit portals near and far. You will discover things you've walked past for years and didn't know existed, or ignored in the hustle and bustle of life. Public art, murals, historical and significant places. Libraries, community centres, local site seeing and community spots, signs and markers.

Play Ingress Everywhere! - Your family and friends will likely be bemused, confused and/or not understand your newfound obsession, er hobby. You will want to play it everywhere, capturing 'Uniques' or Unique Portals and engaging in play to "Level Up" (move up levels), earn various badges ("Ingress flair") and AP.