So, you are prepared to depart your iPhone for greener pastures — particularly, the brilliant inexperienced hue of Google’s Android ecosystem.It’s a significant transfer, to make certain, however it does not should be daunting. Beneath the surface-level variations, Android and iOS even have quite a bit in frequent — and with the best steps, you may change from an iPhone to an Android gadget with out dropping something vital (together with your sanity).Make your approach by means of this easy-to-follow information, and you will be fortunately settled in your new high-tech residence very quickly.All-in-one iOS-to-Android switching instrumentsFirst issues first: Google itself now provides a common iOS-to-Android switching service that works with any gadget operating 2020’s Android 12 software program or greater. That’s hands-down the best strategy to get every part out of your outdated iPhone onto your new Android gadget in a single fell swoop and with the least quantity of trouble attainable.If you are transferring right into a Samsung-made Android telephone, particularly, Samsung additionally provides its personal app for iPhone-to-Android migration that is accessible instead.Those two choices are typically the neatest locations to start out — however they don’t seem to be accessible for each telephone, they usually do not all the time work flawlessly or throughout the entire areas related to your wants. So subsequent, we’ll get into the step-by-step particulars of how one can get each vital class of knowledge moved over by yourself, little by little, with out giving your self a migraine. Calendar, contacts, and photosWe’ll begin with a easy three-for-one particular. Believe it or not, the core classes of calendar, contacts, and pictures are among the many best issues emigrate from iOS to Android.All you’ve got gotta do is set up the Google One app onto your iPhone, then signal into the app utilizing your main Google account. (If you do not but have a Google account, the app provides you with the chance to create one.) On your iPhone, open the Google One app and faucet the “Set up data backup” possibility on the display screen that comes up. You can then choose the entire related areas and faucet the blue button to start the method. JR Raphael / IDG
The Google One iOS app offers a simple strategy to transfer your calendar, contacts, and pictures information over to Android.
Your backup could take some time and burn by means of a good quantity of knowledge — and it’s important to go away the Google One app open and energetic your complete time — so you may most likely wish to put it aside for a time when your telephone might be plugged in, linked to a dependable Wi-Fi community, and never instantly wanted for the rest.All completed? Excellent: Now simply signal into your new Android telephone with that very same Google account. You ought to be capable to discover your calendar information within the Google Calendar app, your contacts information within the Google Contacts app, and your whole pictures and movies within the Google Photos app. (Depending in your gadget, these apps could or could not all be preinstalled by default. If you do not see any of them on your private home display screen or in your app drawer, simply head over to the Google Play Store to put in it.)One exception to the rule: If your contacts or calendar information is linked to a Microsoft Exchange account, it will not be moved over as a part of this course of. In that situation, you may want so as to add your Exchange account into the Gmail app in your Android telephone (see the subsequent part for extra element), and your contacts and calendar information ought to then robotically present up within the acceptable locations. E mailAll proper — able to convey your whole e-mail over to your shiny new smartphone? That migration will vary from “ridiculously simple” to “relatively hassle-free,” relying on the specifics of your setup.Choose your individual journey:If you are presently utilizing Gmail: There’s nothing to do; simply ensure you signal into your Android gadget with the identical Google account related along with your Gmail tackle, and all of your mail will robotically seem within the Android Gmail app and be ready for you. If you’ve got a couple of Gmail tackle and wish to have the ability to entry all of them on the telephone, open the Gmail app’s settings and search for the “Add account” possibility, then comply with the steps so as to add any further Google accounts into the combo.If you are presently utilizing a webmail supplier like Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Yahoo: Add the account into the Gmail app in your new telephone, utilizing the identical steps described above however choosing the suitable account possibility on the “Add account” display screen. JR Raphael / IDG
The Gmail app offers choices for connecting various kinds of e-mail accounts to your Android gadget.
If you are presently utilizing Apple Mail: Once once more, simply add the account into the Gmail app in your Android telephone utilizing the “Other” possibility. If the app does not instantly settle for your credentials, you might need to do a bit of additional guide setup: After typing in your e-mail tackle, choose “Personal (IMAP)” — then put within the numerous mail server settings offered on Apple’s help web site.If you are presently utilizing Exchange: Same fundamental deal, however choose the choice for “Exchange and Office 365” within the “Add account” part of the Gmail app’s settings. The app will stroll you thru the remainder of the setup process. Of course, you may as well decide to make use of Microsoft’s official Outlook Android app when you’re accustomed to that program and need a constant expertise.One closing possibility to contemplate: If you are utilizing any of the aforementioned non-Gmail account varieties and wish to ditch your outdated tackle and transfer solely into Gmail, you may import your whole outdated account’s e-mail into Gmail by following the steps on this Google help web page. You might also wish to instruct your outdated mail service to ahead all new messages to your Gmail tackle so you do not miss any vital missives from individuals who have not but discovered about your transfer.MessagingNot surprisingly, Apple’s iMessage system does not play properly with non-Apple platforms. (See: the squabble over Android to iPhone texting.) But that does not imply it is not possible to depart; you simply should take the best set of steps to keep away from missing-message distress.First, go into Settings in your iPhone, faucet “Messages,” after which toggle “iMessage” to off. While you are in Settings, you may most likely wish to search for the “FaceTime” possibility and toggle it to off, too, because you presumably will not be energetic on that platform anymore.Second, open Apple’s “Deregister iMessage” net web page and scroll right down to the part labeled “No longer have your iPhone?” Put in your telephone quantity, click on the hyperlink to ship a affirmation code, after which sort the affirmation code you obtain into the web page.Both of those steps are crucial; when you do not full them, Apple will possible intercept at the least a few of your incoming textual content messages, and you will by no means even know you missed ’em. JR Raphael/IDG
Get your telephone quantity out of the iMessage system or endlessly surprise if Apple is snatching your messages.
If you wish to preserve your whole present textual content messages and convey them over to your new telephone, an app known as iSMS2droid can get the job completed. The course of is a bit gnarly and includes manually backing up your iPhone to a pc, then discovering particular recordsdata and transferring them onto your Android telephone — but when you really want to avoid wasting all of your outdated messages, it is about the most suitable choice you’ve got.The silver lining is that when you are on Android, protecting your messages synced and accessible on any gadget might be thought-free. Just remember to choose a messaging app that robotically backs up and restores information from the get-go, and you will be effective as wine.FilesSo lengthy, iCloud Drive — hiya, Google Drive. The most direct strategy to get all of your information off of Apple’s cloud storage service and onto Google’s is to put in the desktop apps for each iCloud Drive and Google Drive in your Mac or Windows PC. Then, open Finder or File Explorer home windows for each places, choose every part from iCloud Drive, and drag it over to Google Drive.Wait for the switch to complete, and that is it: Every one in all your valuable recordsdata is now accessible through Google Drive on Android (in addition to on iOS and the online).AppsThe unhealthy information: Any apps you’ve got put in in your iPhone will not robotically switch over to Android, and any apps you’ve got paid for on iOS will possible should be bought once more.The excellent news: These days, most main productiveness apps are available on each platforms. And when you’re all arrange with Android, your whole apps and app information will robotically sync with Google’s servers and comply with you to any future Android units.Take a couple of minutes to undergo Google’s Play Store — both in your Android telephone or through an internet browser on any laptop — and seek for the apps you need. If you put in an app onto your telephone and it asks you to check in if you first open it, be certain to make use of the identical username or e-mail tackle you used in your iPhone in order that any information tied to your account will carry over.After you’ve got settled in, you could wish to discover a bit additional past the apps you already know. Unlike iOS, Android means that you can use all types of intelligent instruments for customizing and controlling the core consumer interface and even fully changing your private home display screen setting with one thing extra well-suited to your particular type of working. That opens the door to some intriguing types of personalization that may improve your effectivity in fairly attention-grabbing methods.MusicThank your fortunate stars, as a result of bringing music over from iOS to Android is now not absolutely the nightmare it as soon as was.There’s nothing to it when you use a streaming service like Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, and even — amazingly — Apple Music: Just obtain the equal app from the Google Play Store, check in, and your whole assortment can be at your fingertips in seconds.If you’ve got your individual private music assortment, you may add most typical file codecs on to the YouTube Music web site on a pc. Once you are signed in, simply click on your profile image within the upper-right nook and choose “Upload music” to get began. The service presently helps MP3 recordsdata in addition to recordsdata saved as FLAC, M4A, OGG, and WMA.The primary space the place you may run into bother is with music bought from iTunes previous to 2009, as such songs had been encoded right into a proprietary and DRM-protected AAC format. Those recordsdata, by design, will not be suitable with some other music service.Your most suitable choice there may be to search out the identical songs in YouTube Music and easily add them into your library as a part of your cloud-based streaming assortment. If that is not attainable, you may all the time make use of the old-school workaround of burning any such tracks to a CD (assuming your laptop nonetheless has a CD burner, after all), then placing the CD again into the pc and ripping the songs into an ordinary unlocked format.That’ll end in lower-quality audio than you’d get buying the tunes instantly from nearly any music service these days, however — properly, it’s what it’s.Welcome to AndroidEffectively, wouldya take a look at that? You’ve completed it! All your vital information is now off your iPhone and in your new Android gadget, and also you’re prepared to start out anew as a card-carrying Android telephone proprietor.Before we bid adieu and ship you scampering off in your new journey, let’s take a second to go over a number of issues of be aware as you study your approach round this wild new world.First, the getting-around fundamentals: No matter the place you might be in Android, you may all the time swipe down as soon as from the highest of the display screen to see any pending notifications and swipe down a second time to see the total Quick Settings panel. And talking of notifications, Android makes them exceptionally straightforward to manage — so study the ins and outs of notification administration and do not let your telephone’s alerts management you. JR Raphael / IDG
Android’s notifications panel (left) and Quick Settings panel (proper) are by no means greater than a swipe away. (Their actual look could fluctuate from one telephone to the subsequent.)
All moderately current Android variations embrace what’s positive to be a considerably familiar-seeming gesture-driven system for getting round your telephone: From anyplace within the working system, you may flick your finger upward from the underside of the display screen to return to your private home display screen or swipe upward about an inch from the underside of the display screen after which cease to open the system Overview interface and flick through your not too long ago used apps.You also can swipe inward from the left or proper aspect of the display screen to maneuver again one step in no matter you are doing. And you’ll find plenty of different little tips for profiting from Android gestures on this fast ‘n’ easy information.On telephones with fairly outdated Android variations — or these the place gesture navigation is not enabled by default — you may discover three buttons alongside the underside of your display screen that present tap-friendly methods of accessing those self same fundamental features. If you see that form of interface setup, it is properly value your whereas to look within the gadget’s settings to see if gesture navigation is offered, as you may possible discover it to be rather more intuitive and much like what you are accustomed to utilizing.One thing more: You’ve little doubt seen some scary-seeming tales about Android safety. Be conscious: Most of that stuff is overly sensationalized and woefully deceptive. Malware actually is not a real-world difficulty on Android, and Google has its personal multilayer safety system in place to guard you from all types of threats — together with essentially the most lifelike one in all all: a misplaced telephone.Craving much more sensible ideas and foundational data? My, aren’t you a tenacious little monkey! Check out the next Computerworld guides to proceed your Android optimization training:This article was initially revealed in August 2017 and most not too long ago up to date in October 2022.
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