How to Switch from iPhone to Android

Switching from iPhone to Android is more involved than switching between two Android phones, because Apple's ecosystem holds onto some data in ways designed for Apple devices. The good news: contacts, photos, videos, calendars, and most Google-based info transfer cleanly. The trickier parts are iMessage (it intercepts texts from iPhone users and sends them as blue bubbles, which will fail to reach your new Android if you do not deregister), paid apps (you have to rebuy Android versions), and iCloud photos (which need to be exported before they transfer).

The most important pre-switch step is deregistering iMessage on your old iPhone BEFORE you switch. If you forget, your iPhone friends will keep sending you "blue bubble" iMessages that silently fail to reach your new Android. And you will seem to have dropped off the face of the earth. You can deregister two ways: while you still have the iPhone, turn off iMessage in Settings → Messages; or if you already switched, visit selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage and enter your old phone number.

Google's "Switch to Android" app (free on the App Store) handles most of the rest. It will transfer contacts, calendar, photos, videos, and messages from your iPhone to your new Android during its initial setup. You can also use a USB cable directly between the phones for a faster transfer. Plan to set aside an hour total. After the switch, spend another hour signing into your apps, re-downloading the Android versions of apps you paid for on iOS, and setting up Google Photos as your photo backup.