So you’ve finally decided to break away from the Apple ecosystem and bought a shiny new Android smartphone. As you set it up, you realize that going from iPhone to Android is not the easiest task, especially when you have everything backed up to iCloud.
Fortunately, there are a couple of really great apps that will help simplify the process. And that’s what we’re going to talk about in this article.
Here are a couple of must-have apps for anyone switching from iOS to Android.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. 1. Google Unit
- 2 2. Evernote
- 3 3. iSMS2droid
- 4 4. iCal
- 5 5. Xender
- 6 Welcome to android
1. 1. Google Unit
Now that you are moving from the Apple ecosystem into the arms of Google, you will have to sync all the data on your iPhone with your new Android phone. And Google Drive offers one of the simplest solutions for it. Download it on your old iPhone and log in with your Google account.
Once you have that set, open the backup wizard from the settings menu, choose the content you want to back up, and then tap Start Backup. The application will then create a backup of all your contacts, calendar events, photos and videos. Next, go to your Android device, sign in with the same Google account and all your data will be synchronized with your new phone automatically.
Note: The backup option to Google Drive is only available when you use a personal email ID. In case you use an official G Suite ID, you will not find the backup option in the settings menu.
Download Google Drive for iOS
Download Google Drive for Android
2. Evernote
Although Google Drive claims to be the one-stop-shop for all your data transfer needs, it falls short in a couple of areas. For example, you won’t be able to take your Apple notes with him. This is why you will need Evernote. And the process of transferring your notes remains just as simple. Install Evernote on your old iPhone and then open the Notes app.
Here, long-press on the note you want to transfer and select Share from the pop-up menu. Then select Evernote from the share menu and your note will automatically appear in Evernote. Press Save and you’re done.
Therefore, when you install Evernote on your Android device using the same account, all your notes will automatically sync with your new phone.
Note: If you have a bunch of old notes and don’t want to go through the process of sharing each note manually, you can use a custom script in Apple’s Script Editor app on your Mac to transfer all your notes instantly.
Download Evernote for iOS
Download Evernote for Android
3. iSMS2droid
Now, if you want to transfer your SMS messages to your Android device, you will need to download iSMS2droid. This handy application will help you restore a backup of your messages from your iOS device with just one tap. But before doing so, you must create a backup of your messages on your iPhone.
You can do this by taking an unencrypted backup of your iPhone using iTunes and copying the file named 3d0d7e5fb2ce288813306e4d4636395e047a3d28 (name for illustrative purposes only) found within the folder in the backup file. Then you will have to copy that file to your Android device via USB, open iSMS2droid, tap the Import messages button and then select the backup file that you just copied.
This process can take a long time, depending on the number of messages in your backup. So make sure you do it at night and don’t use the phone in the meantime. In case you get stuck somewhere, you can check the app’s official website for detailed instructions to help you through the process.
Download iSMS2droid
4. iCal
If you have saved your calendar entries in your iCloud account, the Google Drive method of syncing your calendar data will not work. To do this, you will have to download the iCal application on your Android device and then import your calendars. First of all, you must export your calendar entries from your iPhone. To do this, open the Calendar app on your iPhone and then tap the information button next to the calendar you want to export.
Next, tap on the toggle next to the Public Calendar option and then select the new Share Link button. Now email yourself the link and open the email on your Android device. Replace the webcal at the beginning of the link with HTML and open it in a browser. This will prompt a prompt to download a calendar .ICS file. Press the download button and then open the iCal application.
In the app, tap Import and then choose the .ICS file that you just downloaded from your phone’s internal storage. Tap the red arrow in the lower right corner to start importing the calendar. Calendar entries should now sync with your Android device.
Download iCal
5. Xender
Finally, for all the remaining files on your old iPhone, you will need to use Xender. It is a very simple file transfer application that will allow you to share all your files from your iPhone to Android in a matter of minutes.
To do this, open the app on your phone and tap the Receive button at the bottom. Then select Connect Android from the next menu to open the QR code scanner. Now switch to your Android device and tap on the Send button, then scan the QR code using the iPhone. This should connect both devices.
Now tap on the files you want to transfer to select them and hit the Send button at the bottom to share them instantly. It’s simple, right?
Note: If you don’t mind saving low resolution photos, you can backup all your iPhone photos with Google Photos and easily access them on your Android device.
Download Xender for iOS
Download Xender for Android
Welcome to android
So now that you know all the apps, you will have to switch from iPhone to Android, download them immediately, and start the transfer process. Keep in mind that even with these applications, you will still lose some of your data when switching between the two operating systems. For example, there is currently no easy way to transfer your WhatsApp data from iPhone to Android, and I would like all parties involved to quickly find a simple solution.
