Now is the time to take the plunge, the one that will make you change your phone and also your platform. If you have an iPhone and have never used an Android, or it has been a while since you used a mobile with this system, we will tell you which is the best way to switch between them to avoid losing important data along the way.
Android and iOS are two fully mature mobile operating systems. The two evolved almost parallel, both share many of their options, most of the most used apps can be used whether you have an Android or an iPhone. Now there will always be unique mechanics and functions for each platform that you need to deal with when you take the plunge.
Previous steps to switch from iPhone to Android
Before proceeding with the phone swap, you should make sure that you do not lose anything from your old iPhone: all photos, videos, contacts, calls, SMS, calendars, apps and games should be properly synced and with their relevant backup. Anything you record now will save you from upsetting in the future.
Most of the key data and apps can be transferred from iPhone to Android and vice versa without losing anything along the way. Even WhatsApp lets you move all conversations and chat content. Of course, for this function you need a mobile with Android 12 or a Samsung Galaxy (for now): our advice is that if you want to keep everything you had on your WhatsApp, choose an Android mobile that meets one of the two premises. This will save you inconvenience.
We recommend that you make backup copies on your iPhone with apps and services that also work on Android. To do this, just download Google Drive.
With Google Drive, you can make a backup copy of a good part of iPhone data
Besides installing Google apps that will help you not to lose most of your phone, you need to make sure that synchronize all the accounts of those applications that you use regularly. Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, Facebook … Make sure they are in order before you start Android.
Turn on sync in iCloud of Safari, Keychain, Reminders, Notes and other important data on your iPhone
iCloud is a key tool on iPhone, not Android: you will not be able to use it in the Google operating system. Even so, you can access all the data you keep in iCloud from the browser. And since you can keep your Apple ID even if you don’t have their devices, be sure to sync all important data from your iPhone to iCloud before getting rid of it:
- Go to your iPhone settings.
- Enter your Apple ID options at the top of the screen.
- Go to “iCloud”.
- Make sure all of the top sync options are checked. This way you will have a backup of all the data.
Once everything is saved, it’s time to switch from iPhone to Android. With one final recommendation: sync your data, and start your Android, with enough time for you to run both mobiles for a few days. This way you will know if something has been forgotten: you will have the possibility to restore it; something impossible if you’ve ever sold the iPhone.
How to configure Android mobile with iPhone data
You have already synced everything that could be synced from iPhone, you have your Android without opening in front of you and it’s time to start the new phone keeping as much as possible the data of the first. And we have good news: Google includes a tool in Android with which to move most of an iPhone.
Before you start your Android make sure you have a cable that connects the two phones: says Android and iPhone. With a USB C and Lightning cable that should be enough: if your iPhone is recent you should already have one. Otherwise, our recommendation is that you buy it: save time and headaches.
Let’s see what are the steps to boot an Android from your iPhone using a cable:
- Press the power button of the Android mobile until it starts up.
- Choose the language and connect it to the WiFi network. We do not recommend that you start Android only with the mobile connection because, to restore it, you will have to download a huge amount of data (If you have an unlimited rate there would be no problem).
- Select import data from iPhone device.
- Connect the two mobiles with the cable and follow the instructions. Depending on the Android mobile, you can synchronize the configuration with the cable or only by using Google Drive (the procedure can be found here). or via Safari. In the first case, keep reading.
- Select all the data you want to move from your iPhone. The best thing is that you choose them all.
- Tap copy and complete the initial setup of your Android while the transfer takes place automatically.
- During the copying process, make sure that your iPhone screen does not turn off.
The initial setup of Android, with a copy directly from the iPhone, will move most of the data from the original mobile. Photos, videos, contacts, Gmail accounts, SMS, call log, calendars, installed apps and WhatsApp backup (only on Android 12). With this Guided Boot, you shouldn’t need the backups you made on the iPhone, but not everything is always restored – it’s convenient to have everything safe.
If you could not make a backup with the cable, in Google Drive you will have saved the essential data of your iPhone. These will be restored once you start your Android
Once the transfer is complete, log into the Google account with which you will manage your Android and accept the user permissions, your new mobile will download the applications and games that you had downloaded on the iPhone. As long as they are available on both platforms: if you had applications that were only on iOS, you will have to look for an alternative for Android.
How to switch from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy
The above method is for most Android mobiles. In case your new phone is a Samsung, you can use its specific tool, Samsung Smart Switch. Move most content from old phone to new phone including all WhatsApp chats.
The process with Samsung Smart Switch is similar to that of generic Android:
- Make sure you have backed up anything that can be saved on your iPhone.
- Turn on the Samsung Galaxy and connect to the WiFi network. You can also do the initial setup with mobile data, but this is not recommended (unless you have an unlimited rate).
- Choose Restore from iPhone and wait for Samsung Galaxy to download Smart Switch (maybe there is no need to download).
- Connect the phones via cable (USB C / Lightning) and accept data access on iPhone.
- Choose on the Samsung mobile what you want to transfer. Our recommendation is that you tag everything including WhatsApp chats.
- Go through the guided process making sure that the iPhone screen does not turn off. Once completed, the Samsung Galaxy will download the apps from the Play Store.
Tips to consider
- Make sure both phones, iPhone and Android, are sufficiently charged.
- Ideally, you should go through the initial setup process with a home WiFi connection.. You can also perform this configuration with mobile data, but only if you have a really unlimited price (with mobile data, catering consumes more battery, you must have the Android mobile fully charged).
- Even though Android’s initial setup copies most of the data from iPhone, always make sure you’ve backed up everything possible. Better safe than sorry.
- Chats and WhatsApp content are only transferred from iPhone to Android if you have Android 12 or Samsung Galaxy. If it is vital for you to keep all the conversations, be sure to choose a compatible Android (you can transfer the backup with payment methods, like dr.fone, but this is not recommended).
- Not all apps and games will download to Android: If you use exclusive iOS apps, you will no longer be able to use them on your new phone.
- If you purchased any iPhone apps, you will need to purchase them again on Android. The same goes for micropayments and subscriptions purchased through the App Store. If you subscribed outside of the store, chances are you can keep it on Android.
- Most apps data will not transfer from iPhone to Android. You will need to log in one by one on your new mobile, make sure you have made copies before the initial setup.
- Use universal sync services to save your games. If you’ve synced with iCloud on iPhone, you won’t be able to get your games back to Android. The ideal is to add a user account with which to restore it after the platform jump (or, eventually, use Facebook or Twitter, for example).
- Don’t delete your Apple ID or iCloud account. You will still have access to the data you copied from the iCloud web. In addition, this account will be very useful to you if you return to the iPhone at any time.
- Keep your iPhone for a week or two without formatting or selling. In case something important is missing from your Android, you will have the option to get it back.
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