what to know about switching from android to iphone

So yous've grown tired of Android and bought your ticket to the land of Apple. In this guide, we'll aid you pack for the trip and serve up a few tips to help the transition get smoothly. Breaking gratuitous of Google's ecosystem and all its varied phones will present a few difficulties, only don't worry considering we have the solutions.

In this guide, we'll run through how to transfer your contacts, as well as move your precious music, videos, photos. Nosotros'll also help recommend equivalent services on iOS to supercede what you're leaving behind, help y'all observe your feet with some tips, and show yous how to go the all-time out of your new iPhone. Let's become started!

What y'all're leaving backside

As you set to abandon Android, consider what you lot can't take with you. Your phone instance won't be compatible with your new iPhone, and your desktop dock may not be either, merely at that place'south a good take a chance that whatever other Android accessories you bought will work. If they rely on Bluetooth, then they should work just fine. Most speaker accessories and docks have iPhone compatibility as standard. Fifty-fifty wired headphones will work with the latest iPhones, though you will need to buy a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter.

You apparently can't take your Android apps with yous, but nearly all volition exist bachelor on iOS, or if not, there will be an alternative so you'll be able to replace the vast majority. Wave goodbye to Home screen customization, every bit iOS doesn't support launchers, simply in iOS 15, you can add together widgets and alter the expect more than earlier. Last, but non to the lowest degree, there's the question of what to do with your onetime telephone. Your all-time bet might be to wipe it and sell it.

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Use Apple tree'southward app

The easiest manner to motion from Android to an iPhone is to utilise Apple'due south Move to iOS app listed on the Google Play Store. This app will transfer your contacts, message history, photos, videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, and calendars to your new iPhone. Ignore the poor rating — it'due south a production of Android-versus-iOS rivalry rather than a reflection of how well the app works. Simply download and install it on your old Android telephone and follow the instructions to copy over the content you lot want.

If you prefer not to use Apple tree'south app, or it doesn't work for y'all, fright not, as nosotros have enough of alternative methods below.

Transferring contacts

Naturally, yous'll want to take your contacts with you, and there are diverse ways you tin can practise that. Beginning with this guide on how to transfer your contacts betwixt iPhone and Android, and you'll find it'due south piece of cake to handle the process using Gmail and iTunes. Withal, in a nutshell, your Google contacts will merge into the iPhone's Contacts app when yous add a Google Account to the device. We have more on this in our guide on how to set to a Gmail account.

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Switching from Google to Apple tree services

When we covered how to switch from iPhone to Android, we discussed all the Google services that yous might consider using to supersede Apple tree's offerings, but going the other style is a lot easier because the Google services you've been using on Android are all available on iOS as well. You can notice a complete list on this Apple tree App Store page.

Google Maps, Chrome, YouTube Music (or Google Play Music), Google Bulldoze, and even Google Assistant, among others, can all be enjoyed on iOS. They might work a fiddling differently from their Android counterparts, but if you're heavily invested in using any of them, then their presence on iOS should certainly assist you feel more at dwelling.

Of course, there are all the same many Apple alternatives and they'll exist fix equally the default options on your new iPhone. Yous'll desire to try out:

The iTunes Store and the App Store: I for media and one for apps. Simple!
Music, Books, and Apple TV: Apps for accessing your content purchased through the two stores.
Safari web browser: Tin sync bookmarks beyond all your Apple devices.
iCloud: Can back upwardly your files, contacts, calendars, and photos.
CarPlay: Navigation and content access while driving.

There'south too the Apple Maps app for plough-by-turn directions and a lot of premium optional extras. Creative people will want to try iMovie and GarageBand. Workaholics will love Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. There's also the largest drove of free education content available through iTunes U.

If yous love games, then we highly recommend the subscription service Apple tree Arcade, which gives y'all access to a slap-up library of games, complimentary of ads, for $v per month. Here are some of our favorite Apple tree Arcade games to whet your appetite.

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Moving photos, videos, and music

Backing upward your precious memories is vital. Earlier going further, accept a look at our guide at how to back up, speed up, and clean upwards your Android device. Generally, you lot don't need to manually move files from Android to iOS unless they're items you stored in the Downloads binder. All the music, movies, Tv set shows, east-books, and and so on y'all purchased through the Play Store are accessible through Google's apps for iOS — y'all tin can fifty-fifty download these items for offline employ. You lot don't need to consign and import media unless you want to carelessness Google altogether.

Meanwhile, your photos and videos taken with the Camera app can be accessed on an iPhone if they were backed upward using Google Photos or another cloud service. For instance, if you ready Dropbox for Android to automatically support your photos and videos, then they're stored in the Camera Roll folder and accessible from any other device, including your iPhone.

Before wiping your Android device, be sure to back up this content to the cloud if you have enough space. You tin get 100GB of Google One space for $ii per calendar month if you need more than, and you tin can always cancel the subscription at any time. This and similar services typically accept apps for Android, iOS, and iPadOS, making transfers easy.

For files yous manually downloaded to your Android telephone, your all-time option is to upload them to a deject service, like OneDrive or Dropbox, and and then re-download them to your new iPhone. Another choice is to transfer your downloaded files using a wired or Bluetooth connexion. We provide a guide on how to practise then for Windows, MacOS, and even Chrome OS. Y'all essentially copy the files from your Android device using a computer and then move them over to your new iPhone.

If you merely want to manually transfer your photos, we provide a lengthy stand-alone guide for moving photos to Windows, MacOS, and Chrome OS. Be certain to support whatever new photos you have on your iPhone commencement. Go along in listen that whatever y'all import into the Photos app on your iPhone is accessible on all other Apple devices, even a MacBook or iPod Touch.

Moving your text messages

You don't want to leave backside your old text letters when y'all switch to a new phone. Most of them won't be missed, simply sometimes you'll take that special goodbye or romantic message that you want to keep. Unfortunately, at that place's only one way nosotros know of to do this, and it comes straight from Apple. It's the aforementioned Move to iOS app, which can also transfer your contacts, photos, videos, mail accounts, web bookmarks, and calendars.

Welcome to iOS

Yous're well-nigh done -- congratulations on your new telephone. At kickoff glance, it'southward leap to look strange effectually these parts, and there are some things you'll probably miss about Android, but iOS is designed to be intuitive, so you shouldn't take too much trouble settling in. Let's see if we can brand information technology as soft a landing as possible.

Most modern Android phones have multiple navigational modes. For instance, Android 12 offers 3: Gesture only, ii-button, and three-button. If you're accustomed to using gestures merely, then treatment an iPhone volition be easy. If y'all typically navigate Android using the two-push button or 3-button layout, using an iPhone may be a little jarring given Apple ripped out the physical Dwelling house button starting with the iPhone X.

While Android crams the Quick Activity bill of fare at the top of the Notification Shade, Apple splits these two components apart, every bit you'll encounter on the list below. Here's how to navigate iOS on devices without the physical Home push button:

Become to the habitation screen: Swipe a finger up from the bottom.
See all open apps: Swipe a finger upwardly from the bottom, suspension, and lift when the apps appear.
Access search: Swipe a finger down from the eye of the screen.
Open the Control Middle: Swipe a finger down from the tiptop-correct corner. This is similar to the Quick Action card on Android.
Open your notifications list: Swipe a finger down from the peak-left corner.
Access Dwelling house View: This is Apple'due south version of Google Feed. Swipe a finger right from the left edge on the Home or Lock Screen.
Admission Siri: Press and hold the Power push button (although you can say "Hey Siri" and it responds).

Y'all'll find that the pull-down Notifications Bar is familiar to Android, simply notifications will evidence up by default on your lock screen besides. Y'all tin can always modify this in Settings/Notifications. Just call back that if you tap or swipe on the notification, information technology will probably open the relevant app. You have to tap the small cross at the top correct to dismiss a notification. Some popular-upwardly notifications practise offering interactions, so you can dismiss a notification or write a quick reply without leaving the app you're in.

You can also add widgets to the Home View screen. Here'south how:

Step 1: On the Domicile View screen, scroll down and tap the Edit button at the bottom.

Step two: Tap the + icon located in the elevation-left corner.

Pace three: Tap on a widget to add information technology to your Home View screen.

Footstep 4: Echo Step 2 and Step iii to add another widget, or tap Done to finish.

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Apps

This is probably the most jarring change for Android users: The lack of an App Drawer. Typically, apps are all accessed by swiping a finger upwards from the lesser. Non on an iPhone. On an iPhone, they are spread across multiple Home screens, then you lot must swipe left to correct to view your App Library.

In iOS 14 Apple tree, introduced the App Library and so you lot don't have to have screens full of apps. The App Library is placed on the furthest right Dwelling house screen, and using it allows you to slim down the amount of apps on multiple dwelling screens. We have a guide on how to utilise App Library, and as well one on how to organize iOS's Abode screens.

Most apps y'all obtained through Google Play are bachelor on the App Shop. In fact, you'll likely encounter more than recent versions on Apple'southward platform outset — Google Banana is the perfect example — because there are but a handful of different iPhone models available versus the uncountable numbers in the Android army.

To go y'all started, we provide a big list of the all-time iPhone apps and the all-time iPhone games.

Customization

Apple'south iOS (and iPadOS) don't support Launchers, then customizing your Dwelling Screen is limited. Your iPhone ships with shortcuts to Apple tree's stock apps on the Home Screen, like Postal service, Maps, Photos, Notes, the App Store, the iTunes Store, and and so on. Information technology's a fleck more cluttered than Android's Abode screen, but you can remove these shortcuts by doing the following:

Step 1: Long-press on an app icon.

Step 2: Tap Remove App.

Step 3: Tap Move to App Library.

This doesn't delete the app, only but removes the shortcut from your Home Screen and the associated pages. To delete an app, long-printing on the icon and then tap the X that appears as the icon wiggles in place. To create folders, drag ane shortcut icon onto another.

Wallpaper

Setting your iPhone wallpaper is easy. Here's how:

Stride one: Tap to open the Settings app.

Step 2: Tap Wallpaper.

Pace iii: Tap Choose a New Wallpaper.

Step 4: Select a wallpaper from Apple'south stock selection (Dynamic, Stills, or Live) or select one retrieved by one of your installed apps, like Photos, or Instagram.

If you want to make your own wallpaper, here are some instance resolutions:

iPhone 12 Mini: 2340 x 1080
iPhone 12/12 Pro: 2532 x 1170
iPhone 12 Pro Max: 2778 10 1284
iPhone 11: 1792 ten 828
iPhone 11 Pro: 2436 x 1125
iPhone 11 Pro Max: 2688 x 1242
iPhone SE: 1334 x 750

Y'all might desire to make your wallpaper slightly larger to account for the parallax effect, where the wallpaper moves slightly when tilting the screen.

Ringtones and widgets

For ringtones, you lot tin can choose whichever you like or brand your own. For more information, check out our guide on how to make ringtones for iPhone. Apple tree's iOS now supports widgets, only like Android. For more information most widgets, check out our guide on the all-time and nearly useful widgets in iOS. To add a widget to your Dwelling house Screen, exercise the post-obit:

Pace 1: Press and concord anywhere on the Home Screen.

Step 2: Tap the + symbol in the height-left corner.

Step 3: Tap on the widget you want to add.

Step 4: Select i of three sizes on the following screen.

Step 5: Tap Add Widget to complete.

Software updates

Both Apple and Google routinely update the software on your phone. The big difference is that on Android, updates must be integrated into third-party builds and so tested and approved by the carrier. That means Google'due south Pixel phones will see updates — new OS versions as well — first and then information technology trickles downwardly to phones made by other manufacturers.

With the iPhone, updates are universal and easy to apply. You lot have the option to update your phone wirelessly via Settings > General > Software Update, or you lot tin plug information technology in and update the software through iTunes. You volition be alerted when a new version is available to download on your iPhone.

MagSafe

If you have an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 serial phone, it comes with Apple's MagSafe technology. It's primarily used for wireless charging and holds your iPhone deeply on a wireless charging plinth, regardless of whether it's apartment on the table or at an angle like with some desktop stands. Information technology can too be used with MagSafe accessories like in-auto holders and cases for your phone.

Extra iPhone options and tips

You're almost gear up, simply a few last things to remember nigh as you lot start life with an iPhone. While Android has Duo, Apple provides FaceTime for video calls. Nosotros provide a guide on how to use FaceTime.

Blocking calls is dissimilar from Android, and we have a guide on blocking calls. In the unlikely event yous need to reset your iPhone, due to a malfunction or in preparation for sale, bank check out our guide on how to mill reset your iPhone.

Finally, if the iPhone turns out not to be for you lot and you decide to go back to Android i twenty-four hour period, nosotros also have a guide for switching from iPhone to Android. But we're certain you're going to be happy with your new iPhone for a while.

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