Migrating from Android to iOS or iOS to Android

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Making the switch …

Migrating from Android to iOS or iOS to Android can seem like a daunting task because everything from the software, to the apps, to the phone itself, is different. Whether you’re making the switch for your personal device, or your employer is providing a new device for work, you’ll want to make sure you’re set up for success on the new operating system.

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Best practices for making the jump …

▪ Backup the data from your apps into the cloud

▪ Backup the data from your device to a desktop computer or the cloud

▪ Backup your photos

▪ Backup your contacts

▪ Check to see if your vendor provides migration software

▪ If you’re an iOS user, don’t forget about iMessage

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Backup the data from your apps

▪ This is a relatively easy task because most apps like Dropbox (and apps that sync with these services) keep all your files in the cloud, so when you move to a new device, it’s a just a matter of logging in to access your data! 

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Backup the data from your device

▪ On Apple iOS, use iCloud to backup your phone to the cloud or use iTunes to back it up to your computer. This allows for easy recovery of any data if the device is lost, stolen or needs to be factory reset.

▪ Google also provides a way to backup your Android phone data to Google’s servers. That way, you can always restore any device from that backup. Some Android vendors provide a way to backup your device’s data to your desktop, but it is based on the vendor of your device. For example, Samsung provides a software application called Kies.

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Backup your photos

▪ There are several cloud providers that can automatically backup your photos to your private cloud.

▪ Google+ or Dropbox can automatically backup any photo you take on your phone, Android or iOS, to your private cloud. Therefore, you can access your photos from any number of devices, no matter the operating system.

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Backup your contacts

▪ Use a service like Gmail or Outlook to store your contacts in those address books. When you sync those accounts to your device, the contacts will easily transfer over. 

▪ Apple enables iCloud backups of contacts that make your address book available across all Apple devices and computers, but if you need the contacts on an Android device, your best bet is to backup with Google and sync all your devices with a Google account.

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Check if your vendor offers migration software

▪ Some vendors provide migration software to let you seamlessly transfer your data from one device to another.

▪ Motorola, Sony, HTC and Samsung all offer their own way of migrating data from iOS or other Android devices to their platforms. http://www.macworld.com/article/2684899/apple-offers-iphone-migration-guide-for-android-converts.html

▪ Take a look at Apple’s suggestion for migrating from your Android phone to iPhone: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6407?viewlocale=en_US

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Migrating from iOS? Don’t forget about iMessage▪ Despite the apps you may find in the Google Play Store, iMessage does not work on

Android. In order to switch operating systems, you need to make sure you turn off iMessage from all devices (phone, tablet, laptop, and desktop) where iMessage is enabled, before removing your SIM card or transferring your service.

▪ Once iMessage is deactivated, you can migrate to your non-iOS device, but it may take a day or so before messages start flowing correctly. In the meantime, you can figure out what messaging app/service to use next.

▪ More information on migrating off of iMessage can be found here: http://phandroid.com/2014/04/07/turn-off-imessage-iphone-to-android/

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Conclusion

Since most migration strategies involve use of the cloud, it is important to keep security in mind. To keep your data safe and private in the cloud, always enable two-factor authentication and use a password that can’t easily be guessed. Services like Google’s Authenticator App or Duo Security’s Duo Mobile make using two-factor authentication effortless.

If you are using a complicated password that is tedious to type, it may be best to use a cross-platform password vault app like 1Password or Password Box to quickly reference your password and store it securely across your devices.

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