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How to switch from iPhone to Android

You've decided to make the switch, but how do you transfer all your contacts, calendars, photos, and other content from your iPhone to your new Android device? Here are a few easy steps to help you transfer your important data.

Sharon Profis Vice President of Content, CNET Studios
As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure. Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.
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Sharon Profis
3 min read

You're tired of the dropped calls, tightly wound interface, and carrier limitations, and you're ready to ditch the iPhone and say hello to Android. But before you dive into your new smartphone's highly customizable interface, faster processor, nice camera, and free turn-by-turn navigation, there's some housekeeping to do.

Here are a video and six easy steps to follow to transfer your contacts, calendar, notes, photos, videos, music, and SMS messages (kind of) from your iPhone to your Android device:

Step 1. Google account
On your Android device, go to Menu > Settings > Accounts & Sync > Add Account > Google. If you don't have a Google account yet, you can create one here. Follow the onscreen instructions to associate your Gmail account with your new phone.

Step 2. Contacts
Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch iTunes. Click on your iPhone's name, then head to the Info tab at the top. Check "Sync Address Book Contacts," then check "Sync contacts with Google Contacts." Click Configure and enter the same account information you just configured on your Android device. Hit Apply and allow the iPhone to sync.

Step 3. Calendar and Notes
On your iPhone go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars. If the Gmail account you're using with your Android isn't here, add it by going to Add account > Gmail. Go back to Mail settings, tap the Gmail account, and turn syncing on for Calendars and Notes. Within a few minutes, your calendar will transfer to your Android device. Notes will be sent to your Gmail account and filed under a label called Notes.

Step 4. Photos and videos

  • Windows: Connect your iPhone to your computer. Open My Computer, right-click your iPhone, and select Explore. Drag and drop all the photos and videos to a new folder on your Desktop.

  • Mac: Connect your iPhone to your computer and open the application called Image Capture. Set a new folder on your Desktop as the destination and hit Download All.

Now, on either Mac or Windows, connect your Android phone to your computer, open the Android drive, and find the pictures folder. There's one titled "DCIM," but you can create your own folder if you'd like. Then drag and drop the iPhone photos from your Desktop to your Android pictures folder.

Step 5. Music
Keep your Android device connected. On your computer, find the Android's Music folder (if it doesn't exist, create one), and then drag and drop music files from your hard drive to your Android drive, which will put them on the device.

Step 6. SMS and voice mail
Here's the bad news: there's no simple way to transfer your SMS and voice mail messages to your computer or Android device (this process deserves its own How To). If there are specific important messages you want to keep, go to your iPhone's messages, select the conversation, and hit Edit at the top. Tap the message or messages you want to keep, then tap Forward. In the recipient field, enter your Google e-mail address, and send.