How to Switch iPhone into Android - Google Guide

When Apple finally released devices with 4.7 and 5.5 inch screens, it thought that it should publish a guide for Android users who were tempted to eat the fruit of Cupertino. In a reciprocal move, Google has now published a guide for iPhone users who want to migrate over to Android.

The new guide, called “Get going on Android”, covers transferring your photo stored on an iPad or iPhone, how to move from iTunes to Google Play Music, copying your contacts from iCloud, and how to set up email and messaging.

Google lets you transfer up to 20,000 of your songs from your iTunes library to Google Play Music for free.

To transfer your photos you just need to install the Google+ app on your iPhone or iPad and then set up the “Auto Backup” option. This will ensure that all your photos are copied to the cloud. To see your photos you just need to open the Photos app on your Android device and voilà.
Migrating away from iTunes is also quite simple. Google lets you transfer up to 20,000 of your songs from your iTunes library to Google Play Music for free. Once in Google Play Music you can access your collection from any web browser, on any of your Android devices, or even from your iPhone or iPad.

Copying over your contacts isn’t as seamless as the transfer of photos and music, however it isn’t hard. Basically you need to export your contacts in vCard format and then import them into your Google contacts.

To get access to your emails you just need to install the relevant app on your Android device. If you are using Gmail then there is not much to do as the Gmail app should come installed by default. If you are using a service like Yahoo! then you just install the Yahoo! app on your device. For iCloud email, install an email app that supports IMAP, POP3 and Exchange accounts.

Google’s final recommendation is to switch off iMessage before you move the SIM card from your iPhone to your new Android device. To do that go to “Settings”, then “Messages”, and set iMessage to “off”. For full step-by-step instructions read Google’s Get going on Android guide Below.

How to Transfer photos stored on your iPhone or iPad

Google+ Photos is a great way to have all your pics - past and future - in one place, with unlimited private storage* and accessible from any internet connected device. There are always lots more choices on Google Play to find the photo app that works perfectly for you.

*only photos over 2048x2048 pixels and videos longer than 15 minutes count against your 15 GB of free storage

• On your iPhone, download the Google+ app from iTunes.
• Open Google+ and sign in using your Google account (i.e., your Gmail address and password).
• Select "Auto Backup" for your photos by selecting the menu icon, followed by the gear icon at the top right. Now go to "Camera and Photos", touch "Auto Backup" and switch it on.
• Sit back as all your photos are being saved to the cloud.
• Open the Photos app on your new Android device to see all of your photos from your iPhone or iPad. 

How to Transfer your iTunes library

Easily transfer up to 20,000 of your songs from your iTunes library to Google Play Music for free. From there, you can access your collection on any web browser, any of your Android devices, or even from your iPhone or iPad.

• Make sure your iPhone or iPad is fully synced to iTunes on your computer. Your music should all be backed up on your computer when this is done.
• Install Google Play Music Manager on your computer. Music Manager will upload your iTunes music to the cloud. You can download Music Manager here.
• Finish setting up your Google Play account by creating a Google Wallet account*.

*Even though the standard version of Google Play Music is free, you'll need to input a credit card into your new account.

Keep all your contacts

If you don’t already know which account your contacts are saved to, you’ll need to check this in iOS. To do this on your iPhone or iPad, tap “Settings”, then “Mail, Contacts, Calendars.” Once you’re in the “Contacts” section, tap “Default Account” to see which account is selected. From the list below, read the instructions for your default account.

Contacts Account: Gmail

You’ll only need to sign in with your Google Account on your Android phone or tablet and all your contacts will be right there.

Contacts Account: iCloud

You can transfer your contacts from iCloud to Android as follows:

• Go to “Settings,” then “Mail, Contacts, Calendars,” then “Accounts” where you should see “iCloud” listed. Open iCloud and turn on the toggle for “Contacts” which will prompt you to “Merge” your device's contacts with iCloud.
• In a web browser, go to apple.com/icloud, login with your Apple ID, and click on "Contacts". In the lower-left corner, click on the wheel, “Select All”. Once selected, click the wheel again and choose "Export vCard".
• In a web browser, go to gmail.com, click on the "Mail" button in the top left and select “Contacts”. You should see a list of your Gmail contacts.
• Now click the "More" button above the contacts list and select "Import". Select "Choose File" and select your saved vCard file. When importing is complete, Gmail will display the number of contacts imported.
• Finally, delete any duplicates by using the “Find & merge duplicates” function under the "More" button above the contacts list.

Other

If your contacts are stored locally or you’re using an account other than iCloud or Gmail then one way to transfer your contacts to Android is through iTunes on your Windows or Mac computer.

• Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer.
• Open iTunes and navigate to the device screen by clicking "iPhone" or "iPad" in the upper right-hand corner.
• Open the Info tab and check the box next to “Sync Contacts with.”
• Choose "Google Contacts" from the drop down menu and enter your Google account credentials when prompted.
• Wait for your iPhone or iPad to sync.

You can also use a SIM card or third party apps to transfer your contacts if you’d prefer. Please see here for further info.

Set up Gmail

The Gmail app is ready to go when you set up your Android phone or tablet with a Google account. Simply open the Gmail app and sign in.

Set up iCloud email, Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook, or another email service

You can still access all your email accounts on your Android device by installing the app for your email service from Google Play. For example, just install Yahoo Mail. For iCloud email, install an email app that supports IMAP, POP3 and Exchange accounts.

Don’t forget to turn off iMessage

iMessage is an Apple messaging service. Don’t forget to turn it off, or SMS/MMS messages will continue to be directed to your old iPhone or iPad instead of being routed to your new Android phone.

Turn off iMessage before you remove the SIM on your iPhone or iPad by going to "Settings", then "Messages". Finally, set iMessage to “off”.

Find all your apps and discover new ones

Google Play has over 1.3 million apps to choose from so you can find all your favorites and discover new ones. For apps where you’re a subscriber, like Netflix, you can simply transfer your service over to Android for free. Just download the same app from Google Play and sign in to your app.

Hooray! Enjoy your new Android device. 

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