How to go with iPhone on Android?

If you think about replacing your iPhone on a new smartphone running the Android operating system, but has already invested significant funds to Apple's ecosystem, That surely come across multiple obstacles that are overcome.

So, if you firmly decided to move to Google Platform Camp, then in this guide we will help to overcome any trouble that may arise!

In particular, we will look at how to move contacts and other data, switch to Google services, as well as work with music, photos and videos. In addition, we will give a few additional advice that will help you get used to the smartphone on Android as soon as possible, dispel some common rumors and point out how to squeeze the maximum benefits from the new platform for you.

Before you to conquer the expanses of the Android operating system, it is worth understanding several aspects. First, you have to forget about some things: many covers, docking stations and other accessories that you bought for your iPhone will not be compatible with Android smartphones (although it is still worth checking because Some devices are still compatible with both platform smartphones). Applications for iOS, of course, cannot be moved to Android, however, most of them have analogues in the Google Play Store. However, any content with copyright protection techniques purchased in the App Store or iTunes will remain on the iPhone.

applications and tools

Before we deepen in various ways to transfer data from your iPhone to a new Android phone, it is worth mentioning that you can save a lot of time using the tools provided by the device manufacturer. Usually, in the process of setting up the phone, the user is asked if he wants to copy files from the old device.

If you are going to buy a phone from samsung (for example, Galaxy S20 Plus), then with it in the box there is a USB-OTG type connector, which will allow you to connect the old iPhone and copy Many files and data. You can also use SMART SWITCH software. If there is no such possibility on a new phone, do not worry, since we will tell about alternative methods.

Transferring contacts

Before moving to a new smartphone, you will probably want to move your contacts. And there are several ways to do it.

The first one is the ICLOUD service. Go to the iPhone settings, click on the username (at the top), and then on iCloud. After that, locate the line "Contacts" and turn it on (the slider will become active).

Next, you need to go to your profile on the ICLOUD website from the browser on the computer and click on "Contacts". Click the gear icon in the lower left corner and select "Select All". Then click on the gear icon and select Export VCARD. Now log in to your Gmail account, click on the red Gmail icon in the upper left corner, then "Contacts", or go to Google Contacts in the browser, open the main menu and click "Import "

Move Contacts can also be used using the free application My Contacts Backup. Install and run the program on your iPhone, click "Backup", and then send the file to the email address on the Android smartphone. You will receive a VCF file that can be imported into Android contact app.

If you want to kill two hares with one shock, then during this process you can edit your Contacts by choosing only those you really need. In this case, simply open the contact you want to transfer, and select "Share the contact" to send it as a text message or by email.

Calendar Synchronization

This process is not difficult If you have already configured your Google and Gmail account (which you will need when using Android smartphone):

  • Open the settings of your iPhone.
  • Press " passwords and accounts".
  • Click "New Account" then "Google".
  • Enter the email address, then click "Next".
  • Enter the password. If you use not the latest version of the OS and you have two-step authentication, instead of a regular password, enter the application password.
  • Click "Next".

After that, email, contacts and calendar events will be synchronized with your Google Account. If you only need to synchronize the calendar, turn off the rest of the services. If you want to abandon the iPhone in favor of the Android device, but to save the iPad, the Gmail application is a good way to synchronize the calendar and contacts. You can even synchronize several Google calendars with your iPad if you need it.

In addition, it is worth loading an application for synchronization of its calendar. For example, you can try One Calendar to synchronize all your calendars in one place.

transition from Apple services to Google

Apple is widely known for its integrated ecosystem, however, when you go on Android, you will have to use more services from Google. Google's user account gradually began to serve something like a passport for a wide range of services, and over the past couple of years, cross-platform synchronization has improved significantly. Forget about Icloud and Safari, as you can find the same functions and much more with Google. Entering the account, any user will gain access to all your contacts, bookmarks, meetings and files on a particular device!

  • Contacts - for backup and exchange contact.
  • Messages - for text messages.
  • Google Calendar - In order to keep track of its schedule.
  • The Chrome browser is capable of synchronizing bookmarks and open tabs between the computer and the Android phone.
  • Google disk - to back up your files.
  • Google Documents - for editing and sharing documents.
  • YouTube Music or Google Play Music - to save and cut music from the cloud.
  • Google Photo - for backup and sharing photos and video.
  • Google Fit - to track your health and fitness.
  • Google Keep - to create and storing notes.
  • Android AUTO - to synchronize the device with a car.

In addition, you get YouTube to view and publish video, Google Cards for convenient navigation and Google Pay for contactless payments with NFC. Then there is a "Okay, Google" function, which activates of the voice assistant Google Assistant (Analog Siri ), not to mention the set of other applications, from the translator to Google Trips.

Many of these tools are available on the iPhone, but they are optimized, of course, under Android. The fact that you can use all this as default parameters in one Google account, makes the process of managing the smartphone simple and convenient. In addition, many users have a temptation to use more and more google services. There are many excellent alternatives that you can use with Google (or instead), like Dropbox and Mozilla Firefox.

photo and video

There are different ways to transfer valuable Photo and video files with iPhone on Android, but we will start with the easiest. You can connect your iPhone to a PC on Windows via USB, and then select "Import images and video" to automatic transmission, or open the folder itself with the content in the My Computer folder. If you have Mac, the import window should appear when connecting the iPhone, in which you can select the desired files.

Once the files are on a Windows running computer, connect your Android smartphone through the same USB, and a window appears on the screen with which you can open the device to view the files and drag them. From your computer on Android.

It is possible to move photos and video over a wireless network easier, but this process will take longer. It is possible to do this with any cloud service, which are available on Android and iOS. Just install something like Google photo, Google Disk, Microsoft OneDrive or Dropbox, download files to the service, and then set the same application to your Android and download.

Music

If you want to transfer music from your iTunes account on Android, That is, several ways. Let's start with the simplest - log in to Google Play Music on the same computer on which iTunes installed, set Music Manager and select the iTunes option when the program will ask where the audio files are stored. After that, the option "Download all songs and playlists" will appear.

In addition, it is possible to choose individual playlists and podcasts. The best solution is likely to be continued using iTunes and automatic synchronization of any new purchases with your Google Music account.

As for films and TV shows, you cannot legally copy them from iTunes to your Android smartphone, because you will first have to get around DRM protection. Unfortunately, this also applies to electronic books acquired through iTunes.

If you used Apple Music and do not want to refuse the service, the application can be downloaded for Android. You will need to re-arrange a subscription, however if you enter the system with the same Apple ID ID, then get access to all the music!

Text messages

This aspect is much more complicated than Those that we described above. Some users wish to save valuable text messages and transfer them to their new smartphone. Fortunately, such an opportunity exists. One of the easiest ways is to use the free application isms2droid, but it does not work on all devices. The program will require a backup copy of its SMS in iTunes, and then find the desired file for conversion.

You can also use SAMSUNG SMART SWITCH softwareor KIES To restore the backup copies of the iPhone (including text messages) on SAMSUNG smartphone.

In addition, a rather additional tools that allow you to copy text messages, contacts, photos and photos on the Internet Even call logs, but we cannot vouch for their effectiveness and safety. Many manufacturers of Android devices have their own data applications that you can also try.

Regardless of the selected method, do not forget to turn off the iMessage before using the new phone. If you do not do this, then SMS and MMS messages will continue to go to the old iPhone. To turn off, go to "Settings"> Messages and disable iMessage. You should also turn off FaceTime: "Settings"> FaceTime.

Final transition to Android

Welcome to Android Lucky At first, everything may seem strange, but it is quite simple to get used to the system. Here are some tips and suggestions that will help as quickly as possible to extract the maximum from the platform.

Android navigation is slightly different. With the release of Android 10, Google decided to go to a new system, which uses gestures to navigate (as in iOS 13). In each Android version, the user gets access to basic notifications and quick settings with simple swipe down.

If an older version of Android is installed on your device, then at the bottom of the screen you will find three buttons. If the device is running Android 9.0 PIE, there are only two of them:

  • "Home": When you press you, you will fall On the main screen of the smartphone. If you press it and hold, then Google Assistant will start. The button is always located in the middle. In Android 9.0 Pie, it is made in the form of a small diamondy icon.
  • "Back" : Click on it if you want to return one page in the browser, or to the previous folder or screen. In addition, you can use the button to exit applications. It is usually located on the left and present in Android 9.0 Pie. In addition, you can spend your finger from left to right to immediately return to the latest app.
  • "Recent" or Multitasking : You will not find this button in Android 9.0 PIE or later versions, but you can access the same menu with a simple swipe up from the bottom of the screen. To quickly switch between applications, double click on the Square "Recent" button on the navigation pane, and then select the program. To go to multitasking mode, you need to open a list of the latest applications by clicking on the square in the lower menu of the smartphone, and select the window you want to place on the upper half of the display. If the application supports multi-plate mode, the "=" sign will be displayed above its window, if not - lock. After that, you need to select the application for the second part of the window from the list that appears.

There are no buttons in Android 10. Instead, only one strip is located at the bottom of the screen. This is a new type of gesturing navigation, which is very similar to iOS 13.

  • "Home": ​​Swipe Up from the bottom of the screen will return the user to the main screen.
  • "Back": Spipe to the right or left will return the user to one page back, as when pressed the "Back" button.
  • "Recent": Fast swipe by strip moves the user between open applications, but you can also brush up up and clamp to open a list of recent applications.

Instead of using a default home screen, like on the iPhone, the applications on the Android smartphone are removed on a special panel. On Google's platform, you can have multiple home screens and simply swipe left and right to switch between them. If you want to add an app shortcut, just find it in the app drawer, press and hold on the icon, and then select the option you want.

The phone notifies the user of anything important. Just open the notifications panel from the top of the screen to check the latest notifications. You can click on them to get more information or take some action. Swipe down if you want to interact with an app without opening it, or swipe to the side to close an app, or tap the clear icon to close everything at once.

Customization and widgets

Widgets are a small program or part of it that is placed on the desktop of the device automatically, and is designed to display the necessary information, control the equipment of the device and, at the same time, can launch another program of which it is a part. This means you can see the weather, sports scores, or tweets without going into the app itself. However, not every program has a widget, but its presence is easy to check: press and hold on an empty part of the smartphone desktop, and a full list of widgets will open.

If you want to personalize your smartphone as much as possible, then you should explore the world of launchers. All sorts of styles are available, often completely free. To begin with, it is worth highlighting a few popular launchers - these are Nova Launcher and GO Launcher EX.

Apps

Despite Play Store overtaking Apple App Store in terms of pure stats, it's undeniable that there are more quality apps and games available on iOS. Given the potential revenue for developers (which, by the way, remains higher on iOS on average because people spend more money on app purchases), most new apps and games launch on the iPhone first. The good news is that the gap is slowly closing and the vast majority of the big apps and games you knew and loved on your iPhone will be available on Android as well. In addition, on the platform from Google, applications and games are usually cheaper, and most of them are completely free.

If you want to check the full list of all apps, go to Settings> "Applications". There you can uninstall apps, clear cache or data, and view the permissions of an app. App updates appear in the notification bar from time to time. You can also go to the Play Store, press "Menu" and select "My Apps" to update everything at once.

Dispel the rumors?

Criticisms against Android almost always involve the same potential problems. Yes, indeed, some things can make you think about not switching to the platform, but many of the problems are most often exaggerated.

Fragmentation: There is a lot of attention given to the issue of fragmentation, but it is unlikely to affect your Android experience in any way. There is a huge selection of Android devices with different versions of the platform, and updates are the main problem. Unlike Apple, Google can't just go ahead and release firmware that fits every Android device. There may also be some issues with manufacturer UIs (eg Samsung One UI and HTC Sense UI). In practice, most top-end phones receive updates fairly quickly. If you want fast updates guaranteed, choose a Google-issued device like the Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL.

Malware : Every day someone talks about the Android malware problem. The system is the most popular, making it an inevitable target for hackers, but it is relatively easy to stay secure. Here it is worth considering installing one of the best Android security apps and not downloading programs from third-party resources (Play Store only!). If you follow these two rules, you are unlikely to encounter any malware.

Stability: Early versions of Android were subject to various bugs and delays, but luckily things have changed for the better. Today, Android is leading the smartphone OS race, thanks to software updates and new devices equipped with various useful features. However, due to a not very good past, the platform today does not have the best reputation. The fact that you can buy a relatively low-spec Android smartphone for a fraction of the price of an iPhone has also affected the perception of the brand. However, for a fair comparison, you need to take a top-end Android smartphone at the same price as any iPhone model. The latest versions of the operating system are fast and smooth, and the latest phones not only match, but sometimes even exceed performance. Google developers also tirelessly worked on an increase in stability and performance on inexpensive equipment with Android One and Android Go.

Routhing and other additional options

You can get wider access to your Android Device because there is a possibility of routine. This feature is ideal for full control fans, because it allows you to change almost everything on your phone. However, there are risks here, which is why this process is not suitable for everyone.

If you are not sure what device to buy, then read our list of the best smartphones on Android. In addition, we have a wide range of other guides on Android OS:, for example, how to restore the remote application, download videos from different resources and much more.

In fact, go with the iPhone on Android is not so bad as it may seem at first glance. Among the main advantages is worth highlighting the variety of phones, image quality, or the presence of standard connectors (as opposed to chargers Apple). Yes, it will take some time to get used to the new operating system, but if you learn how to use all the advantages, such an idea does not seem crazy, as a few years ago...