So, you've decided to switch from Apple to Android. You must've had your reasons. Maybe your friend showed off their new Android smartphone and its capabilities impressed you. Perhaps you're just interested in giving something different a go for a change. Or maybe the creative designs of new Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 caught your eye. Whatever the case may be, there’s no reason to be intimidated, even though there are changes that may take some getting used to.
To make this transition easier, we've created this guide to explain how to move easily from iPhone to Android, so you’ll feel good about your decision to switch over from your old iPhone to your new Android phone.
Reasons to Love Your New Android Smartphone
Let’s start by getting you acquainted with the Android OS and why you’ll absolutely love your new smartphone, at least once you’ve gotten used to it.
More affordable smartphone options
Since you’ve already gotten your new handset, this might be something you realised when shopping for a phone. If you want an iOS smartphone, you’ll only have a select few to choose from, since they're all manufactured by Apple.
On the other hand, Android smartphones are offered by many different manufacturers — Samsung, Huawei, Realme, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Vivo, Oppo, LG, Google, and more. As such, you would have access to a greater variety of handsets at different prices.
Extensive customisation
Heard of widgets? They allow you to get information from your favourite apps without having to open them! With Android, there's a huge number of widgets besides the default ones, on top of custom themes and even launchers which completely change how your phone looks and feels.
For example, want to know which events you have saved on your calendar? Add a Calendar widget and everything will be displayed on your homescreen! Sure, the iOS 14 allows for widget personalisation too, but Android definitely allows for far more personalisation!
Plug-and-play
Want to transfer something from your iPhone to a computer? You need to have an iTunes account set up, or some other workaround. But with an Android device, you can just plug it into your computer. It’ll be recognised as an external device so you can simply drag and drop whatever files you need from your phone.
Fewer accoutrements
Whether you’re charging or want to transfer data, the USB-C cable is your go to. That means unlike Apple devices which need a host of dongles and adaptors, you don't need as many, if any, for your Android smartphone.
Transferring Information From iPhone to Android
Okay, now it's time to get into the important stuff - how to move all your photos, contacts, and whatnot over to your new Android phone from your old iPhone.
How to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android
Losing contacts during the transition is the last thing you want. It’s so tedious having to respond to every message with ‘New phone - who dis?’
This can be avoided by synching your contacts with your Google account. Here’s how you do it:
1. On your iPhone go to Settings -> Contacts -> Accounts -> Add account -> Google
2. Sign into the account you’ll be using on your new smartphone
3. Turn on ‘contacts’
4. Click save
All your contacts will now sync with your Google account! Now all you need to do to transfer your contact data into that account on your new Android phone! You could also use iCloud, iTunes, or other third-party apps to help with the data migration, but we recommend going through your Google account as it's by far the easiest option to transfer data over to a new Android phone.
How to transfer your calendar from iPhone to Android
If you were already synched your calendar to your Google account, it’s going to be the same process as with your contacts - just log into the same Google account on your new phone and you're done!
If you haven't, then follow these steps:
1. On your iPhone go to Settings -> Calendar -> Accounts -> Add account ->Google
2. Sign into the account you’ll be using on your new smartphone
3. Turn on ‘calendar’
4. Click save
Once you've done that, your calendar will be saved, and all you have to do is sign into your Google account.
How to transfer photos from iPhone to Android
You could use apps like Dropbox or Send Anywhere. But there are two other alternatives to move all of your photos from iPhone to Android more easily. You could use the Google Photos app, or you could transfer them manually using your computer.
The faster way is to go with the Google Photos app. Here's how you do it:
1. Download the Google Photos app on your iPhone
2. When it asks if you’d like to back up your photos, click ‘yes’
3. This might take a while depending on the number of pictures you have saved. Just make sure you have a stable Wi-Fi connection, take a break, and let the app do all the work for you.
4. Download the Google Photos app on your new smartphone
5. Log into your Google account and you should see all your photos!
If you’d like to do it manually, install the necessary device drivers for both your handsets, connect them to your PC, and drag and drop the files you want transferred.
How to transfer WhatsApp messages from iPhone to Android
It’s thankfully very easy to transfer entire WhatsApp conversations from iPhone to Android.
On your iPhone: Go into the WhatsApp app and swipe left on any chats you’d like transferred. Tap on the ‘More’ button, then ‘Export chat’. Send to the email you’ll be using on your Android device.
On your Android phone: Open the email and download the file(s). Delete WhatsApp if already installed, then download and install again from the Google Play store. During the setup, when prompted, select the ‘Restore’ option. When it’s all finished, you should have all the chats on your WhatsApp.
How to transfer notes from iPhone to Android
Because we’ve already used our Google account to help us sync contacts and calendar info, you can opt for the same method to transfer notes from your iPhone to Android smartphone. Here’s how:
1. On your iPhone go to Settings -> Notes -> Accounts -> Add account -> Google
2. Sign into the account you’ll be using on your new smartphone
3. Turn on ‘notes’
4. Click save
And just like that, your notes will be automatically updated on your new phone once you log into your Google account.
Top 5 Tips & Tricks for Your New Android Device
Want to get the most out of your new smartphone? Here are our top Android tips to help you do just that!
1. Take advantage of digital wellbeing settings
We are glued to our phones now more than ever. Which is why Android smartphones have digital wellbeing settings. Choose a time for your phone to automatically switch to silent mode and night mode to reduce stress on your eyes.
Head to settings-> digital wellbeing & parental controls to explore these awesome features.
2. Switch to dark mode
There are plenty of apps out there that use overly bright white themes. For those of you who prefer a darker background, you’re covered on Android 10 and later.
Switch on the Dark theme, which toggles all system and app settings (if they support it) to dark mode by heading to settings -> display.
3. Customise with a new launcher app
Make your home screen your own by using one of the many launcher apps available on the Google Play store. We recommend Nova, Lawnchair, Apex, or Smart Launcher, but there are plenty of others to choose from.
4. Turn on developer options
If having the ability to tinker with things like performance, checking your device’s statistics and configuring the profile of your phone sounds like something you’d like, great news! Android enables users to do that and more by turning on developer options.
Head to Settings -> System -> About phone -> Software info scroll down to ‘build number’. Tap build number 7 times and once you enter your passcode (if you have one) you’ll get a notification pop-up that you’re now in developer mode. Make your way back to Settings -> System and scroll down; you’ll now see ‘Developer options’ as a submenu option.
5. Speed up animations
There’s a great way to make your phone feel much faster, which is by speeding up animations.
Go to Settings -> System -> Developer options and scroll to the ‘Drawing’ section. For each of the following, click and set to ‘Animation scale .5x’ (or higher) in the pop-up options menu:
– Window animation scale
– Transition animation scale
– Animator duration scale
And there you have it! Effective but simple ways to transfer everything from iPhone to Android, as well as a few great tips to help you fall in love all over again with your new Android OS smartphone. Yet to purchase an Android phone? Check out the great range of Android devices available from M1, priced from just $0 upfront on the Bespoke Flexi Plan!