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Android is a fine OS, but the lure of a new iPhone may be too much to resist. If you’re going to make the switch, you won’t want to leave any scrap of your precious mobile identity in Android’s cold robotic embrace. Here’s how to pack up everything you’ll need to bring to your new life in Apple’s walled garden.
There are two ways to get your contacts and calendar dates from Android onto iOS. The exact method depends on how you store the info on an Android phone.
If your local data is synchronised online with a Google account:
- 1. On your iPhone select Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars.
- 2. Set up a new “Microsoft Exchange” account (yes, even if you’re trying to import from Gmail).
- 3. Input your email address and login info. Enter a domain if you have one for an actual ME server; Gmail users can leave it blank.
- 4. Select “Server,” then either input the ME server address or “m.google.com” for Gmail.
- 5. On the final screen, select what you want to import—Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and/or Reminders—then hit Accept.
If your contact information lives in the Android phone’s local memory:
- 1. Open the Contacts app on your Android, tap the menu key and select Import/Export.
- 2. Select the option to “Export to SD Card” (it should save as 00001.vcf by default).
- 3. Connect the SD card to your PC (either via the phone, through a USB cable, or with a card reader). Copy the .vcf file from the SD card onto your desktop.
- 4. Log in to your Gmail account and select Contacts from the drop down menu in the upper left corner of the screen. Choose Import from the More Actions menu bar. Select the .vcf file and import it.
- 5. With your contacts online, you can import them onto the iPhone. Follow the steps above.
You’ve got a couple options here. If you want to just move your photos and videos wholesale from Android to iPhone, iTunes is the way to go:
- 1. Plug the Android device into your PC and Sync it with Outlook or Exchange.
- 2. Unplug the Android phone, and connect the iPhone either through a USB or over Wi-Fi. Launch iTunes.
- 3. Select “Sync with iPhone.” Choose what you want imported onto the phone—Applications, Audio content, Bookmarks, Books, Contacts, Calendars, Movies and TV shows, Photos, Notes, Documents (File Sharing apps only), and Ringtones—and then let iTunes do its thing.
If you already keep a lot of your data in the cloud, your best bet is to leave it there. For storage lockers like Evernote, Amazon Cloud Player, and Dropbox, simply download the iOS version of the app. That data should sync automatically.
If you use Google Play, which Apple only partly supports on iOS, you may be out of luck—especially if you don’t want to pay for a service you previously got for free. You can always just manually load music onto your iPhone using iTunes. Download the Spotify app and listen to that while you get organised.
The biggest sticking point when migrating from one OS to another is reassembling your app collection. You should be able to duplicate many popular Android programs on the App Store—Intagram, Foursquare, Uber, Seamless and the like. But what do you do when you want to re-download your copy of FIFA 12, and EA asks for another five boomshakalakan bucks?
You politely ask them to comp it.
Call or email to their customer service centre to explain your position, highlighting the fact that you already paid for the Android version and are simply migrating operating systems. You want to continue using their excellent product, and you don’t want to be stopped by the small matter of a few pounds. If you ask nicely enough, you’ve got a good chance. But don’t be surprised if they scoff at you for requesting a 99-pence handout, since you were able to come up with £200 to spend on that shiny new phone.
[Apple 1, 2 - Business Insider - Everything iCafe - Sprint]
How to Make the Switch from iOS to Android
Google Makes Four Times More Money From iOS Than Android
SwipePad for Android: A Better Way to Switch Apps
Wow has anyone actually had any success asking for a different platforms version of the same app for free?
A more useful “how to guide” would be how to escape from apple’s prison.
I guess there are more people who need it since their “new” phone came out…
but Apples prison is like a Swedish prison, and nobody wants to leave one of those.
I do
(puts hand up)
Who isn’t into being butt raped while listening to Abba?
Darrell let me know if you need any help in the switching process..
No thanks Taf, won’t be needed, but if anyone else needs help with iPhone problems I’ll be sure to point them in your direction.
shouldn’t this be more the opposite? the the iPhone 5 is only on par with HTC and Samsung flagships, only with a more restrained and dated OS. if there’s any switching, I’m certain it’ll be the other way round. somebody wanna prove me wrong?
The numbers will prove you wrong. Outside of the techier types and the cheap end of the market, I think more people will be going Apple than leaving.
And The X Factor gets more viewers than anything else. The masses are idiots.
what numbers? there’s thrice as many activations of Android versus iOS with the Galaxy S3 garnering 9,000,000 pre-orders versus the iPhone 4S’ 4,000,000…
We weren’t talking activations, but transfers. While the iPhone 5 wasn’t massively exciting, you won’t get as many leaving for android as you will either jumping on the iPhone 5 bandwagon or picking up a cheap older model. Again, outside of the techier crowd as seen on here. But those numbers won’t actually be available I guess.
Nope. iOS market share dropped this year, and I expect it to fall again. The last properly good device iPhone released was two generations ago, and their declining market share is a direct result of people not renewing their contracts with a shiny new iPhone. Android OEMs have more than caught up with Apple – they’ve positively surpassed what Apple has to offer. Yes, the iPhone is a good phone in that it has a quick processor that’s enhanced by tightly integrated software, but better than Samsung and HTC flagships released MONTHS ago? I don’t think so, and neither do many others.
Market share may be dropping but their number of devices sold is still going up. Based on numbers alone, nobody is leaving either platform – there are only those joining from dumbphones and RIM, only joining Android at a slight greater rate currently.
As far as I’m aware, there is no data about the transferral between operating systems or devices, so this entire conversation is based on dodgy assumptions. If you can find some relevant data I’ll happily be proved wrong.
disagree. I understand that the Giz UK comments are more Android than iPhone, but how many geezas have left a comment saying “omg my S3 isn’t as good as this phone and I want it right now” in comparison to how many iPhone users comment on articles about the S3 and One X saying they’re more tempted than ever to switch?
I fully accept that I’m making assumptions, that’s why I originally asked someone to prove me wrong with facts. so far, nobody has.
I think you’re underestimated how skewed the iPhone/non iPhone user base is here. I don’t have many tech-savvy friends/work colleagues, none of whom would consider giving up theiir iPhone. The only reason most of the ones without iPhones don’t have them is because they can’t afford them. Most of them couldn’t name you the latest HTC/Samsung phone, let alone want it instead of the iPhone 5.
If you’re telling me that your friends haven’t heard of the Galaxy S3 then they need to get out more – scratch that, it’s across the telly every 15 minutes too. Maybe this time last year, before the release of the 4S, I’d fully agree with you. Now? Definitely not.
I think that the vast majority of people couldn’t name you Samsung or HTC’s latest handset.
You’re not just making small assumptions though – you’re judging the entire global mobile market on what no more than 20 people have said on a tech site – a very different group to your average joe. And saying you’re ‘tempted’ isn’t the same as actually making the switch.
Based on my personal experience I’ve seen a lot more people switching to iPhones than to android, but I’m not saying that is any sort of global trend as I know I have a very specific demographic of friends.
No, nobody can prove you wrong because I don’t believe the data exists, but that doesn’t prove you right either, you need the data to do that too.
It’s not the entire global market – it’s 2, maybe 3, phones out of hundreds currently on sale. The S3 outsold the iPhone the other month (not sure if global or American figures), the first handset to ever do that. The people who are buying the S3 aren’t really going to be coming from a 3-year-old Blackberry either – they’re either already on Android or on iPhone.
Also, I didn’t say I based my assumptions on the Giz comments (however it is obviously a factor), but rather used it as an example to prove my point. You also assume that raw data makes conclusions, when it doesn’t. Data used in conjunction with inference and assumption is how we get from figures to trends, the former being just a number and the latter something that we can assess.
I’m not saying raw data gives the answers, obviously you need analysis. But you can’t analyse data and draw trends if you don’t have any.
Considering Android make 1.3m activations a day for smartphones, that would be 475million per year, so technical speaking the only OS anyone can physically move from is Android. If Android dropped 50m users that is called a drop in the ocean, if Apple lost 50m users that is called game over.
Make sure you take backup and you’re not selling your Android phone as you’ll most likely need it back.
I wonder how much a gizmoron’s writer earn for a “post” like this. Does apple pays good money? Does apple pays at all? Or maybe the gullible morons do it for free?
Show some respect, don’t like It, don’t read the article… Simple.
It’s not as simple as that Taf. Suppose they do get paid for articles like this. What do you think it says about other articles? If there are paid articles here which are not tagged as “sponsored”, how do you separe the wheat from the chaff?
“the lure of a new iPhone may be too much to resist”? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I hope in the interests of balance they do a switching from iPhone to Android article which begins “iOS is a OK OS, but the disappointment of the new iPhone may leave you hankering for life outside the walled garden”.
I don’t enjoy the life outside the so called ios walled garden that is Android, the phone in the one x is nice all credit to HTC, but the apps and google play experience can’t touch a apple device, jail broken or not.
So your point is there’s no need or use in producing an oposite article in the interests of balance?
I suggest you read again.
The point us life outside the apple walled garden as Darrell puts it, it isn’t that great in the Android world.
Ok, you wrote your opinion on the title he choose for the “oposite article”, I got it. But what’s your opinion on the need for such article?
Anything that is helpful for a switch from os to os can only be a good thing… Regardless of the platforms involved.
This expert opinion fro the Times sums up the Apple market: “Guy Potter, director and market researcher at Usurv
We ran an immediate poll to gauge people’s instant reactions to the new phone and as with most Apple launches there seems to be a fair bit of positive excitement. The fact that 44pc of existing iPhone users already want to upgrade – without needing to think about it – shows the loyalty to the brand. However, none of the new features seemed to instantly grab people – with 39pc saying none of them really appealed.”
It doesn’t appeal to them, but it will be the next upgrade? Morons, plain and simple.
What about if you’ve spent hundreds on games, apps etc that tie you to the OS? While the iPhone 5 doesn’t have a killer feature that other smartphones don’t, those same phones don’t have any features important enough to tempt people away from their iOS investment.
Can we also have one of these for going from Apple to Android.
I went to Android, whilst continuing to use iOS, I think we need one of these for blaggin apps for both devices..
And why we’re at it, one should be done for going to Win8 as it looks like they may be attracting some new customers soon. Wouldn’t worry about BlackBerry though.
Should do an article on switching from android to a decent OS….
“How to make the switch from Ice Cream Sandwich to Jelly Bean”?
“How to switch from Android to WP8″?
spot on
“How to switch from iOS to WP8″?
and that too (Y)
WOW, another pro Apple post from Gizmodo UK – what a surprise.
Cheque’s in the post, is it?
Probably coz the new iphone was just announced recently. What else do you expect. It’s the other kind of articles u can complain about.
I don’t think we’ll see any pro-android post here anytime soon. Maybe when Apple loose most of it’s market share and advertisement budget, what end up happening to any company. But it seems it’ll take quite a long time, after all they just got to the top…
If we are talking the total mobile market apple is no where near android and even if we are just talking the smartphone market android is still well out in front. So its not if they lose market share its if they lose their value as a company which given the profit margins on an iPhone compared to a Samsung Flagship or similar is not going to happen as long as they maintain a certain level of brand loyalty.
Thanks mate! Your post points out perfectly what I should have said. Market share is certainly not what Apple is at the top.
‘but the lure of a new iPhone may be too much to resist’ – Whhat..? Either sarcasm doesn’t translate well, or you are a fucking sheep. I don’t think anyone with a S3/One X is tempted by the long phone 5..
I hope this post is just so you get on Apples good side after the iPhone 4 ordeal a while back..
I will be passing my one x to the wifey who is currently using the moto defy, I prefer iOS and the iPhone 5.. .
I bought a Samsung Galaxay S3 as I had finished my contract and I wanted to try out a new operating system, gave the old 3GS to my Mum. I have been using the phone since launch and whilst many features are great, I felt the screen was too big, it wasn’t comfortable to hold the phone for a long time. The predictive text was massively frustrating, giving me bizarre word suggestions. The app store isn’t as clean cut as Apple’s. The point that I’m trying to make is that I gave android a go, but I just prefer iOS and I have bought an iPhone 5. Sometimes restricting the OS can actually lead to a great user experience because it allows the user to do just the things they want to do. Where as with Android they allow you to change everything and about 50% of the options I had no idea what they did.
Why can’t everyone just agree that each OS is good for different reasons, there is no reason to get angry with someone because changing every part of their phone is not important to them. I run a business and the syncing of data, like contacts etc works very well with Apple devices. Anyway, rant over…can’t we all just get along?
Very true. I use every os before forming a opinion. Too many people hate on Apple but have never had the pleasure of owning a iOS device. Me, well I’m happy to pass my one x to the wifey, the whole package apple provide is far superior in my opinion
The user experience is more important than the technical spec in many ways, if the guts under the hood aren’t tuned correctly, the ride will never be smooth. S3 spec’s are by no means bad, but that alone does not cut it ..