Switching from Android to iOS generally is a shock, nevertheless it does not should be.
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Making the soar from an Android cellphone to an iPhone may be thrilling, but in addition hectic. On the one hand, you are lastly leaving the green-bubble membership and might speak to mates on iMessage, benefit from Apple Watch’s well being monitoring and use all the good new options in iOS 15. But you additionally should study a wholly new working system that, at instances, appears and works identical to Android, however at different instances can really feel a world away from the controls you are used to. For instance, you possibly can’t set up apps from simply anyplace. You’ll must get them from the Apple App Store and solely the App Store. Or what about the truth that you are still pressured to make use of a inflexible app grid, and might’t place apps wherever you please? Annoying.
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If that is all beginning to sound acquainted, you may be blissful to know that there are methods to make your iPhone really feel extra like house — or, at the very least much more like your previous Android cellphone. For occasion, do you know you possibly can add widgets, create customized app icons or use a third-party keyboard that is extra like what you are used to? I’ll stroll you thru a number of adjustments that may make your new iPhone extra Android-like in simply the methods you need.
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Create a customized homescreen with widgets and Smart StackWidgets, and for that matter, a customized house display screen, are a handy method to preserve data at your fingertips, however maybe extra importantly you get to create a very personalised expertise. Good information. Your iPhone helps widgets on the house display screen as nicely, they usually’re fairly superior. You can add a single widget, or create what’s referred to as a Smart Stack that may rotate by means of a collection of widgets based mostly on which widgets you work together with and the time of day. Place a widget in your iPhone’s display screen by long-pressing in a clean spot. I often do it simply above the apps within the dock (the place the row of dots are for every house display screen). Tap on the plus signal within the top-left nook, after which drag and drop widgets to your display screen. Create a Smart Stack of your personal by dragging widgets of the identical measurement on prime of each other. Just preserve stacking widgets till you are blissful.
Animated picture by Jason Cipriani/CNET
You cannot set up themes or launchers, however you possibly can nonetheless customise the iPhone’s look If you are used to creating customized app icons, you will be happy to know that your iPhone can assist customized icons, too. You’ll want to make use of the Shortcuts app in an effort to obtain your customized look, and be prepared to take a position a while with every new creation — you need to do it on an app-by-app foundation. So as a substitute of getting the inventory Mail, Safari or Messages app icons, you possibly can as a substitute use the AOL Mail icon, or no matter picture you need, to interchange the default icons. Hopefully Apple will add assist for theme or icon packs sooner or later, however as of proper now, the steps outlined on this submit are pretty much as good because it will get. Miss Google’s keyboard? You can obtain our favourite, and in addition study some iPhone keyboard ideas The little issues may be what we find yourself lacking essentially the most about our previous gadgets. Take the keyboard for instance. Google’s keyboard, Gboard, is beloved by many Android customers. But do not fret, you possibly can set up third-party keyboards on the iPhone, though chances are you’ll discover they don’t seem to be as feature-packed because the Android equivalents. Android’s Gboard is offered on the iPhone if you wish to give it a shot. However, in the event you discover that third-party keyboards simply do not reduce it, listed here are a few of my private methods for getting essentially the most out of the iPhone’s keyboard. Move the cursor by long-pressing on the spacebar till the keys disappear, turning it right into a trackpad of types. Here’s a submit with a elaborate animated picture that exhibits you the way it works.Create customized textual content alternative shortcuts by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. This makes it simpler to kind cuss phrases (sorry not sorry, Mom), or rapidly enter data like your electronic mail deal with.You can swipe-to-type on the iPhone’s keyboard, identical to you possibly can on virtually each Android keyboard. If it isn’t working, ensure that it is turned on by going to Settings > General > Keyboard > Slide to Type and ensuring the change is within the On place.Psst. Google’s keyboard is offered on the iPhone.
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You’re not locked into Apple’s default apps. Use Google’s apps as a substituteYou’re in luck. Google does an excellent job of maintaining the identical apps you’ve got come to know and love on Android up to date on the iPhone. Instead of linking you to each single Google app, I’ll as a substitute level you to Google’s developer web page within the App Store the place you’ll find the entire apps which are out there for the iPhone (or iPad). You could also be stunned at simply what number of apps Google has constructed for the iPhone. Google Maps, Gmail, the Chrome browser, Google Docs, Google Drive and Google Keep are simply the tip of the iceberg. See the following part for an much more pervasive Google app.You can use Google Assistant as a substitute of Siri in your search wants.
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Don’t like Siri? Use Google Assistant One of the apps Google has made out there on the iPhone that is value stating is Google Assistant. I do know Siri has a foul fame in some methods, and I will not get into that debate right here, however for many who want to use Google’s digital assistant over Apple’s you possibly can obtain and set up the devoted app. But that does not resolve the issue of not having the ability to say, “Hey, Google” and have your iPhone reply. In order to do this, you will must create a Shortcut within the Shortcuts app that may use Siri to launch Google Assistant. With Google Assistant put in in your cellphone, open the Shortcuts app and faucet on the plus signal to create a brand new shortcut. Tap Add Action > Apps > Assistant > Ask Google and switch off Show When Run. Name the Shortcut both “Hey, Google” or “OK, Google.” The subsequent time you need to speak to Google Assistant, activate Siri (maintain within the aspect button or say, “Hey, Siri”) after which use the identify of your Shortcut. For instance, you possibly can say “Hey, Siri, OK, Google, what’s the weather?” And Siri will move your request to the Google Assistant app. It’s clunky and never ultimate, however in the event you actually don’t love Siri, it will get the job executed. Don’t really feel like there’s an excessive amount of to study your iPhone. That’s why we’re right here.
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Face ID is not good. Here’s make it higher If you are switching from an Android cellphone with fingerprint unlock, Face ID can really feel irritating if it does not at all times acknowledge your face (like in case your head is half-buried in a pillow) and unlock your iPhone in a correct period of time. Here’s what I recommend: Add an alternate look, which is rather like scanning your face a second time (that is the equal of scanning 4 fingerprints in your previous Android cellphone, as a substitute of only one). But as a substitute of placing on sun shades or another accent to vary your look, undergo the registration course of with the “typical” look that provides you essentially the most bother. If that is simply off the bed with raveled hair and baggage beneath your eyes, so be it. This type of information is saved solely in your cellphone, and that is face unlock, not a magnificence contest.To scan your face once more, open Settings > Face ID & Passcode and faucet Set Up an Alternate Appearance. Now that your iPhone appears and feels extra like your previous cellphone, take a while to get to know iOS somewhat higher. Check out these settings you should change, and be sure you’re maintaining on the newest iOS 14.6 options. Oh, and there are hidden options you need to find out about too.