Search Icon

How to switch from iOS to Android

Follow these easy hints and tips for moving over your contacts, music and photos in a quick and painless transition from iPhone to Android

Switching from iOS to Android is a straightforward process
Switching from iOS to Android is a straightforward process Credit: Photo: Reuters

Making the switch from an iPhone to an Android handset has never been easier. Follow the below simple steps to move your music, photos and contacts to the new platform.

How to transfer contacts
  1. Go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Accounts > iCloud. Open iCloud and turn on the toggle for Contacts, which will prompt you to Merge your device's contacts with iCloud.
  2. In a web browser on your desktop computer, go to icloud.com, login with your Apple ID and click on Contacts. In the lower left corner, click on the wheel, then Select All. Once selected, click the wheel again and choose Export vCard.
  3. In a web browser, go to gmail.com, click on the Mail button in the top left hand corner and select Contacts. You should see a list of your Gmail contacts.
  4. Click the More"button above the contacts list, then Import > Choose File > your saved vCard file. When importing is complete, Gmail will display the number of contacts imported.
  5. Finally, delete any replicated contacts by selecting the Find & merge duplicates function under the More button above the contacts list.
How to transfer photos
  1. Download the Google+ app from the App Store to your iPhone.
  2. Open Google+ and sign in using your Google account (i.e. your Gmail address and password).
  3. Select Auto­Backup for your photos by selecting the menu icon, followed by the gear icon in the top right. Then go to Camera > Photos > Auto­Backup and switch it on. Your photos will begin saving to the cloud.
  4. All photos from your iOS device will now be on your new Android handset.
How to transfer iTunes music to Google Play
  1. Make sure that your iPhone or iPad is synced to iTunes on your computer. Your music should be backed up when this is complete.
  2. Install Google Play Music Manager on your computer. Music Manager will upload your iTunes music to the cloud. You can download Music Manager here.
  3. Finish setting up your Google Play account by creating a Google Wallet account - which requires a credit card.
Don't forget to turn off iMessage
  1. If you don't turn off iMessage before stopping using your iPhone or iPad, text messages sent to your number from other iOS devices may continue to be routed to them. Turn off iMessage before you remove the SIM by going to Settings > Messages > set iMessage to off.
  2. You can deregister your phone number from iMessage here.