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How to switch from iPhone to Android?

So, you have decided to switch from the green land of iPhone to the promised land of Android. You can be sure that the switch is going to be as challenging as moving into a new country, alone.

Worry not. This guide is all set to make your transition easier. Follow the steps in this guide, and you can sync all your contacts, files, pictures, and videos to your new Android phone with ease. If you are very much invested in the iPhone fraternity, the switch is going to be difficult, but the final result is worth it. The question revolving around which is better; Android or iPhone, paves the way for another discussion at another time. Since you have already decided to switch to Android, let us make the process easier.

Using your new phones’ settings

Before discussing the ways to move over bits and parts of your iPhone data to your new Android phone, let us take a look at the features that your new phone provides.

Most Android devices have inbuilt apps that serve the purpose of easing out the process of shifting critical data from old phone to a new one. When you set up the new phone, you might be asked if you want to copy files from your old (Android or Apple) phone to a new one. This process makes the transition a lot easier.

If you buy a Samsung phone of the recent version, you will get a USB-OTG connector in the box which lets you plug in your iPhone to the new phone. With this, you can copy a lot of files and data to the new phone with ease.

If this process does not work, read on to know how you can transition from iPhone to Android in a breeze.

How to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android?

Before selling your iPhone, you will surely want to transfer your contacts to the new phone. The complexity of moving contacts depends on how you have stored it.

Google Account

Are you syncing your contacts regularly with your Google account? If the answer is yes, you can log in with the same Gmail account on your new phone to easily sync your contacts.

iCloud

If you have used iCloud to store your contacts, then the process of transferring contacts from iPhone to a new Android device is pretty simple too. To transfer contacts using iCloud:

1.     Turn on Contacts under Settings > Your name > iCloud on your iPhone.

2.     Log in to iCloud website on your computer.

3.     Click Contacts.

4.     Click the gear button on the bottom left side of the screen.

5.     Select Export vCard.

6.     Log into Gmail and tap the Gmail icon on the top left side of the screen.

7.     Click Contacts.

8.     Click More.

9.     Tap Import.

Third-party apps

You can also use third-party apps like My Contacts Backup app to transfer your contacts from iPhone to Android devices. Install the app, launch it, and carry out the steps that follow.

How to sync your calendar from iPhone to Android?

Syncing your calendar entries from iPhone to Android is also extremely easy if you have been doing so regularly.

Google Account

If you have been syncing your calendar with your Google account, you can transfer your calendar from iPhone to Android. Log in from the Google account in your new Android device, and your calendar is synced automatically.

iCloud

You can also use your iCloud account to transfer your calendar entries to the new Android device.

1.     Go to Settings > Your name > iCloud on your iPhone.

2.     Toggle on Calendars.

3.     Log in to iCloud website on your computer.

4.     Click Calendar.

5.     Click the Share Calendar button beside the desired calendar.

6.     Tick on the Public Calendar checkbox and copy the sharing URL.

7.     Paste the copied URL on a new tab of a browser.

8.     Change the term webcal in the URL to http and press the Enter key. The web browser downloads a file with random characters. This file is a copy of your iCloud Calendar entries.

9.     Save the file to a convenient folder.

10. Log in to Google Calendar in your web browser.

11. Click the plus button on the right of Other Calendars in the Google Calendar interface. Select the Import option.

12. Select the downloaded, exported calendar file.

13. Click the Import button to upload the downloaded file.

The imported entries are now listed in the Google Calendar web interface. Once you log in via this Gmail account, the new entries are also synced to your Android device.

How to transfer your photos and videos from iPhone to Android?

You can deploy many ways to transfer your precious photos from your iPhone to Android. You should follow the best approach to prevent the loss of your precious photos in the process of transferring them from iPhone to Android.

Conventional way

The conventional way of transferring photos and videos from iPhone to Android is to copy all your photos from the iPhone to a computer and transfer them to your new Android phone. This caveman approach works for sure, but it is the most time-consuming way to move your photos.

Google Photos app

You can use the iOS Google Photos app to effortlessly transfer your photos and videos from your old iPhone to your new Android phone.

1.     Download the iOS Google Photos app.

2.     Turn on the backup feature.

3.     Connect to a Wi-Fi network to ensure that your photos are uploaded to your Google account with ease.

4.     Download the Photos app on your new Android phone when all your photos from iPhone are uploaded.

5.     Set up the Photos app on Android with the same Google account.

All your photos and videos are synced to your Google account automatically. You can use Google Photos syncing as a way to always save and update your photos/videos.

How to transfer music files from iPhone to Android?

You would also want to transfer your saved playlists or music to your Android account. There are several ways to do that too.

Assuming that you are using iTunes, make sure that you download any music that you have purchased. Since iTunes music and audio files are protected by DRM, you might need to use the Apple Music App, or some other third-party applications to transfer music to Android.

Apple Music App

Apple has released the Apple Music app for Android devices. Just like the iOS version, the app allows you to create your personalised playlists and purchase iTunes music. Apple Music app also allows you to download tracks for offline listening. 

To enjoy Apple Music on Android devices:

1.     Download and launch the Apple Music app.

2.     Choose a membership plan.

3.     Click Start Trial.

4.     Click Use Existing ID. Enter the Apple ID and the password to log in. If you do not have an Apple account, click Create New Apple ID.

Now, you can easily enjoy your Apple Music on your Android devices, create personalised playlists, and download offline tracks.

Convert to MP3 and transfer to Android

Several Android devices do not support the Apple Music app. Hence, an alternative option to using the app is to convert Apple Music to MP3. Use one of the below-mentioned applications to convert iPhone music to MP3:

1.     TuneFab Apple Music Converter

2.     Apple Mac Soft

3.     Sidify Apple Music Converter

How to transfer text messages from iPhone to Android?

Transferring text messages is a lot trickier than transferring photos or videos. Some people like to save precious text conversions intact and transfer them to their new smartphones. It is possible using the iSMS2droid app. This method might not necessarily work for everyone as it requires you to back up your SMS to iTunes and to dig around to find the right file to convert.  

Another option is to use Samsung Smart Switch or Kies software to restore iPhone backup. Other premium software options allow you to copy text messages, contacts, photos, and call logs too. Some applications might work for you, while some might not. Regardless of the option you use, turn iMessage off before making the switch. If you don’t do so, your SMS and MMS messages might still go to your old iPhone if the sender is an iPhone user. Apple sends an iMessage instead of SMS or MMS when it detects that both devices are iOS.

To turn off iMessage:

1.     Go to Settings > Messages.

2.     Toggle iMessage off.

3.     Go to Settings > Facetime and toggle iMessage off.

Can you transfer apps from iPhone to Android?

iOS and Android are different to the core. Hence, the apps that run on them are extremely different too. You cannot transfer apps from iPhone to Android.

Popular apps for social network, games, editing tools, etc. exist both in Android and iPhone. You can check Google Play to ensure that the important apps that you use in the iPhone are available in your new Android phone too.

If the crucial app that you use daily is not available in the Android system, then there are a number of replacements that you can use for the app.

Wrapping up

Yes, the transition to Android from iPhone is surely going to be difficult. Switching to a new platform is tiring, but some tools will make your experience much smoother.

Firstly, you will have to re-download all your applications or leave behind some for good. Transferring everything else is easier as it depends on the cloud solution that you use. You can later download all the required files from the cloud as and when required.

You should also remember to turn off iMessage before leaving behind your iPhone. Avoiding this step might create issues with your SMS delivery.

There are some differences in the user experience of Android and iPhone. Learn the differences below:

Navigation

Navigation on Android differs from that of an iPhone. The Home button always takes you back to the home screen. The Back button takes you back one level, one page, or one screen. It can also be used to back out of apps.

Multitasking or recent apps can be found by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This screen showcases the latest apps that you were using, and you can quickly jump back to an app as and when required.

Customisation

Customisation and widgets in Android differ from that of the iPhone system. Android offers the ability to customise your smartphone and use widgets on your screen.

To customise your phone’s look and feel, tap, and hold an empty section of the home screen. A pop-up menu now allows you to set the wallpaper. You can also add apps, shortcuts, folders, and widgets into your home screen.

Widgets are small windows of applications that can bring new information to you automatically. Not all applications have widgets, but you can hold the empty portion of the home screen to select widgets, and to select how the widgets will appear on your screen.

You can also change the entire aesthetics of your new Android phone by exploring the world of launchers. There are a number of free launchers available, with special effects and styles to choose from.

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How to Remove Screen Lock from Android Phone Without Losing Data?

One of the most underrated yet a highly secure feature of Android phones is the lock screen feature. It acts as a barrier between your personal data and an unwanted user.

However, if you forget your lock screen password, PIN, or passcode, there is no way to unlock the device without resetting it. In this article, however, we discuss the methods that can be used to remove screen lock from an Android phone without losing data.

Method 1: Remove screen lock from Android phone without losing data – Using Unlock Tools

There are several Android screen unlock tools that you can use to remove screen lock without losing data. Some of these tools are mentioned below:

1. iMyFone Lockwiper
2. Dr. fone

iMyFone Lockwiper

iMyFone Lockwiper is an unlock tool for Samsung mobile phones. It has a number of features that can be used for unlocking a smartphone. iMyFone Lockwiper is a complete unlocking package and is recommended for the non-savvy.

The downside to this application, however, is that it offers screen unlock without data loss for Samsung phones. The screen unlock feature works for other Android smartphones but erases all data.

Features:

• Remove screen lock from Android phone without losing data – for Samsung devices.
• Fast bypass of screen lock, Pin lock, FRP lock, and password lock.
• Free trial version available.
• Works on most Android devices.
• Fluid and easy to use interface.

Steps:

1. Download and launch the iMyFone Lockwiper app on your PC.
2. Select the Remove without Data Loss mode for Samsung devices. Select the Remove Screen Lock for other Android phones.
3. Click Start.
4. Connect your phone to PC with a USB cable. If your phone is not recognized, then follow the link to put the device in recovery mode. Lockwiper detects your device info. Double-check to inform and click Start to Unlock.

Lockwiper downloads a data package and installs it into your device. The screen lock removal process completes after a few minutes.

Dr. fone

Dr. fone is another Android unlock app that removes pattern, pin and password lock on Samsung phones. It offers removal of screen lock on LG, Huwaei, Pixel, and other smartphones.

Features:

• Remove screen lock without losing data for LG phones.
• Remove screen lock, pin, and password without losing data for Samsung mobiles.
• Free trial.
• Easy to use interface.
• Fast bypass of screen lock, pin, and password lock.

Steps:

1. Download and launch the FoneCope app on your PC.
2. Choose the Lock Screen Removal icon from the home screen of the app.
3. Connect your Android device to the system using a USB cable. The software automatically detects the device.
4. Click Start to commence the lock removal process.
5. Enter the device into its Download mode. To do this, power off the device and hold Power, home, and Volume down button simultaneously. Press the Volume Up button to enter the Download mode now.
The interface starts downloading the recovery package as soon as your device enters the Download mode.
6. Perform the instructions on the screen to remove the device’s lock.

An on-screen message will indicate the completion of the lock screen removal process. You can now disconnect your device safely and access it without a lock screen.

Method 2: Remove screen lock from Android phone without losing data – Using Android Device Manager (ADM)

The Android Device Manager (ADM) is useful in situations where you need to ring, lock/unlock, wipe, and erase your device remotely. The only catch is that you need to have ADM enabled in your device for it to be usable.

You can enable ADM by visiting http://google.com/android/devicemanager. Your device must also be connected to the internet with GPS activated, and it should be running on Android 4.4.

Steps:

1. Visit http://google.com/android/devicemanager from a computer or a mobile.
2. Sign in with the account of the device you wish to unlock.
3. Choose the device and click on the Lock button.
4. Input a temporary password and type Lock again. A confirmation pop-up appears with the Ring, Lock, and Erase buttons.
5. Enter the temporary password on the phone screen.

After some time, the lock screen is successfully bypassed. You can now go to Settings and disable the temporary password.

Method 3: Remove screen lock from Android phone without losing data – Using Android Debug Bridge (ADB)

The Android Debug Bridge (ADB) method works if USB debugging is enabled on your Android device before you forget your screen lock or password. Another requirement for removing screen lock using ADB is to set your personal computer as a trusted device. This method also does not work for devices with encryption enabled. If all these requirements are met, you can easily remove screen lock from an Android phone without losing data.

Steps:

1. Plug the Android device to your trusted computer using a USB.
2. Open the command prompt (in Windows computer) or the terminal window (in Mac) in the ADB installation directory.
3. Type the following command and press enter:
adb shell rm /data/system/gesture.key
4. Restart your Android device. The secure lock screen is temporarily gone.
5. Set a new lock (password, pattern, or PIN) before restarting the Android device. If you set a new lock before restarting the Android device, your device will be locked again.

Method 4: Remove third-party app screen lock from Android phone without losing data – By rebooting mobile in safe mode

You can remove third party app screen lock of your Android phone (not the default screen lock), by booting your Android phone in Safe mode. Doing this will disable the third-party screen lock temporarily.

Steps:

1. Press and hold the Power button until the power menu appears on the Android screen.
2. Tap and hold the Power Off button.
3. Tap OK in the Do you want to reboot into safe mode? Confirmation box.
4. Uninstall the third-party screen lock application.
5. Restart your Android device.

You can later download the third-party screen lock app again and set up a new screen lock pattern.

Method 5: Remove screen lock from Android phone without losing data – Using Forgot Password feature and Google account

On devices running Android 4.4, you can reset your passcode by using the Forgot Password feature. To bypass Android lock without a reset, you can tweak this feature after successive failed attempts.

Steps:

1. Try to unlock the passcode five times with a wrong one.
2. Enter the wrong passcode one more time. You will be asked if you want to unlock with a security question or a backup PIN. With a security question or a backup PIN, you can easily unlock the screen. If you do not have the answer to the security question or a backup PIN, proceed to step 3.
3. Hit the Forgot Pattern button at the bottom of the page.
4. Input the Google account credentials and sign in to your account. You will obtain an email that will allow you to create a new passcode.
5. Configure the new login and use this code to bypass the previous Android lock screen without losing data.

Method 6: Remove screen lock from Android phone without losing data – Using Emergency Call trick

The emergency call trick is another Android feature that you can use to remove the lock from an Android phone without losing data. This method works only on Android versions 5.0 and 5.1.1. These versions have a bug that crashes the lock screen when too many characters are input into the emergency call field. Hence, this is a temporary solution that might sometimes work.

Steps:

1. On the lock screen, select the Emergency Call option.
2. A dialer pops up on the screen. Input 10 asterisks from the dialer highlight the asterisks, copy them and paste them to the dialer.
3. Keep pasting the asterisks until the field is full.
4. Return to the lock screen, open the camera and swipe down from the top of your screen.
5. Click the Settings icon from the notifications menu.
6. Paste the copied asterisks into the password field and continue doing so until the lock screen crashes and opens your home screen.

Remove screen lock from Android phone by a factory reset.

If any of the above methods do not work for you, you can also remove screen lock from Android phone by performing a factory reset. Please note that factory reset will erase all the data in your phone and you will be unable to access it if you have not backed up your data.

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How to backup Android smartphone data

Android phones are becoming extremely popular when it comes to storing personal data like a loved one’s contact information, embarrassing photos, funny personal videos, interesting chats, daily schedules, and what not. While many Android smartphones are getting smarter on backing up data, there is always the possibility that you might lose vital personal data by getting your phone stolen, accidentally performing a factory reset on your smartphone, or perhaps by dropping it into a swimming pool unintentionally.

Fortunately, there are many ways you can backup your personal data safely, to avoid accidental loss. These are some situations when you might need to backup your Android data:

• Before factory reset.
• Before selling your Android phone to another person.
• To transfer old phone data to a new phone.
• To clean up the memory of the phone when it is full.

Whether it be through Google, through a third-party application, or by merely transferring android data to a computer, use one of the numerous ways to backup Android smartphone data.

Google

Google is not just a library for everything possible, but also an easy way to take care of your smartphone backup woes. Backing up data with Google is pretty easy, and once you turn on the setting, you can forget about it before you need to restore the data.

Backing up photos and videos with Google

If you are one of the few people who do not use Google Photos, then you should adopt it at once. Google Photos is an excellent backup tool as it automatically uploads every photo or video on your device to Google cloud. Just turn on the automatic backup setting, and you are good to go.

1. Download the Google Photos app.
2. Open the app.
3. Click Settings from the menu.
4. Tap Backup and Sync.
5. Turn on the switch.

With Google Photos, you can upload as many files as you would like for free. The photos and videos can have a maximum upload quality of 1080p. To keep the original resolution quality, you can do so, but that will count against your Google Drive storage limits.

To check your Google photos upload quality:

1. Open the Google Photos app.
2. Click Settings from the menu.
3. Tap Backup and Sync.
4. Tap Upload size.
5. Choose the desired option. There are two available options:

  • High-quality upload with free unlimited storage.
  • Original quality upload with storage limits.
Backing up other files with Google

You do not just store photos and videos on your smartphone. To backup other smartphone data, you can use Google Drive.

Google Drive lets you store files in the cloud, meaning that it is accessible from any connected device. To upload folders and files manually, follow these instructions:

1. Download the Google Drive app.
2. Press +.
3. Click Upload.
4. Select the files that you want to upload.

The files are now uploaded to the drive and can be accessed and restored anytime in the future.

Backing up Settings and Applications with Google

You can use the Android Backup service to backup settings and applications of your phone to Google. Android Backup Service backs up the applications that you use and the settings you have selected in Google apps, making it easier to restore these settings to a new phone or the same phone after a factory reset.

The full list of the items that are backed up with Android Backup Service is:

• App data along with settings
• Contacts
• Call history
• SMS text messages
• Photos and Videos
• Device settings (Wi-Fi passwords, default apps, wallpapers, etc.)
• Google Calendar events and settings
• Wallpaper
• Display settings
• Date and time
• Language and input settings
• Settings and data for non-Google applications

There are different ways to backup your settings and app data using Android Backup Service. The method and the types of data that are backed up using the service vary from device to device.

Personal Computer

Another way to effectively backup your important smartphone photos, videos, and files are to upload everything to a personal computer. You can simply plug your smartphone to your PC or Mac and copy the files over to your hard drive.

While backing up essential data to a computer is not a long term or perfect solution, you can rest assured that simply losing your smartphone will not mean a total loss of all your essential data.

Plug in the smartphone to your computer. A pop-up should appear on the screen, showcasing your connected smartphone as a drive. You can then copy the content from this drive to your computer’s drive.

If the drive pop-up does not appear on the screen, pull down the notification shade on your smartphone. A notification that looks like Charging this device via USB appears on the screen. Tap on the notification and change the option to File Transfer. Your personal computer will now treat the smartphone as a drive, and you can copy your critical content to a safe hard drive with ease.

Third-party applications

Third-party backup and restore applications offer a more robust, comprehensive alternative to Google backup or PC backup. Numerous great apps can back up your data, and some of them are mentioned below:

My Backup Pro

My Backup Pro is a straightforward backup system for Android mobile phones, that effectively backs up smartphone data to take regular backups of your smartphone and store the backup to an SD card, the phone itself, or to the cloud.

My Backup Pro backs up the following:

• Photos
• App data
• Browser bookmarks
• Contacts
• System settings
• Home screen shortcuts
• Alarms
• Calendars
• MMS messages
• SMS messages
• Music

The good thing about My Backup Pro is that it allows you to take backups at convenient times, even when sleeping. Your backed-up data is instantly accessible from the My Backup Pro site. Hence, even if you lose your phone or switch to a new one, you can restore your backed-up data with ease.

SMS Backup and Restore

Do you want to save your very last message to a loved one for a long time? Use the SMS Backup and Restore app.

This free app integrates easily with your email account, Google Drive, or Dropbox. You can use the app to back up your SMS messages in XML format. The app can also schedule regular backups.

Backup the SMS messages in your computer and send them anywhere via email. You can view and restore your messages selectively, or you can restore everything all at once.

Super Backup and Restore

The Super Backup and Restore app allows you to selectively backup the items of your phone. You can choose to backup your apps, contacts, SMS, voice calls, calendars, etc. You can also select the location where you want to store your backed-up files. Schedule automatic backups at regular intervals and store your backed-up files to the cloud for safekeeping purposes. You can restore these backed-up files later, with ease.

Titanium Backup

Titanium backup is another awesome app that backs up app settings, Wi-Fi passwords, as well as system data along with the basics. Titanium Backup app sure looks a little outdated but is extremely powerful when it comes to taking care of your data.

Titanium Backup offers you the Batch Actions column, allowing you to select the items to backup. You can also opt to create a recovery compatible .zip backup. Doing this ensures that you can restore the backup with ease, even if your phone’s system file becomes corrupt.

Device Manufacturer’s Software

The last but not the least option for effectively backing up your crucial smartphone data is to use your manufacturer’s software. Almost every smartphone manufacturer offer their own backup solution. While manufacturer software was initially computer-based, all companies are slowly switching to creating easy to use backup apps that can store backups in the cloud and can be restored with ease. Some examples of device manufacturer backup software are mentioned below:

• Motorola Migrate
• LG Mobile Switch
• Sony Xperia Transfer
• Samsung Smart Switch
• HTC Backup
• OnePlus Switch
• Xiaomi Backup app
• Huawei Backup app

Backup Now

As mentioned above, there are a number of ways you can back up your Android data safely in a scheduled manner. You lose nothing by backing up your data, but not doing so always puts you at risk of losing your data. Backup now, don’t delay and save yourself from trouble today.

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