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With ‘mother of all upgrades’ expected, Apple courts Android switchers with iPhone transition guide

Android-transfer-guide-Apple

With iOS 8 set for public release tomorrow, Apple has posted a new guide on its website detailing the best way for Android switchers to move content from their old device to their new iPhone. The detailed guide includes instructions on transferring Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Photos, Videos, Music, Books, Documents, and Apps and highlights a number of third-party apps to get the job done.

In the guide, Apple recommends different iOS features as well as third-party apps like Copy My Data, Photo Sync, and AT&T Mobile Transfer for transferring content that iOS can’t handle itself.

Apple also highlights some of its own apps in the guide by recommending users download Numbers, Pages, and Keynote for document editing after transferring files over to a new iPhone. For music, Apple offers instructions for pulling music off an Android device using Android File Transfer and syncing it to an iPhone using iTunes. As for getting apps over to your new iPhone, you’re on your own:

You’ll probably find the apps you’re already using on the App Store. Go to the App Store, search for the apps you have now, and install them. Then sign in with your user name and password.

Apple published the new guide ahead of tomorrow’s public iOS 8 launch and new iPhone 6 models going on sale September 19You can view Apple’s full guide for transferring content from an Android phone to iPhone here.

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Comments

  1. William Dowell - 10 years ago

    Rather conveniently minimises – side steps completely – the need to rebuy those apps which are in the store of course !

    • chrisl84 - 10 years ago

      Since when do Android users “buy” apps. Everyone knows that its an operating system for poor people that pirate their apps for free. So they wouldn’t be rebuying anything. They’d be purchasing them legally for the first time.

      • Wow, what a thoughtful and intellectual analysis. How about some more brash generalizations? “[INSERT RACE] doesn’t buy clothes! They just steal them!”. Right? Even though Android accounts for 75% of all app downloads. Forget facts I guess.

      • chrisl84 - 10 years ago

        What a stooge, you must have serious underlying race issues to connect that to racism. Wow And the facts are that Android users DO NOT BUY apps they get cheap free versions or pirate the paid ones. THAT IS THE FACT.

      • mostling (@mostling) - 10 years ago

        Wow, what an asshole….

      • thejuanald - 10 years ago

        You are an idiot.

      • chrisl84 - 10 years ago

        Must be why Apple App Store has 85% more revenue than Google Play….yeah accept the reality that Google Play is for poor high schoolers who illegally download music and apps. Then they grow up get jobs and buy iPhones and start to follow the law. Its hard to accept at first, I know, but thats the techie life cycle.

      • puri517 - 10 years ago

        Hahaha :) Bravo, Chrisl! I agree with you!!

      • repentantgamer - 10 years ago

        Ladies and gentlemen – the pro-Apple version of herb.

        And this is why we can’t have nice things.

      • chrisl84 - 10 years ago

        Prove me wrong….I’ll wait for the facts that explain how Google installs more Apps but iOS has 85% more revenue from App sales….I’m quite sure you can find a free calculator on Google Play that can compute those numbers.

      • repentantgamer - 10 years ago

        Dude, no one’s saying that Android users pay more than iOS users. It doesn’t mean that the Android users who are willing to buy and iPhone this year never paid for any apps. There’s no need to generalise and insult people who happen to use another phone system – that’s a douchey thing to do, and is generally Samsung’s job.

      • patstar5 - 10 years ago

        Apple does what is good for them, on android, Google does not care what you do with it. It is open source! Freedom! I have an android phone and I still buy all my music legally and pay for apps. Look at the top paid apps on google play, some of them are really expensive.

      • ClikFire_ (@ClikFire) - 10 years ago

        And you guys wonder why Android Users hate on apple so much? You sir are a Prime Example. A Pure iDiot.

        And your comment couldn’t be further from the Truth. I use Apple Computers but Android Devices since 2009. I’ve owned the iphone 5 last year for a month and the 5s for a month this year around February. I am a tech enthusiasts and I like to give different platforms and devices a honest chance to woo me. Don’t get me wrong iphones aren’t bad but I currently have owned a Nexus 5 since selling the 5s in March and Couldn’t be happier with my purchase or experience. Its been far more pleasant than it was on the 5 or 5s. Only very few apps did I ever find that I wanted that were not on Android. OH And I do buy apps and music and Movies and TV shows thank you very much I just don’t have to pay for stupid apps like a calculator or flashlight like you do on ios which is just plain stupid. In fact I often found the Ad Infested ios apps were worst than Android’s.

        Just because someone uses Android doesn’t make them poor or Cheap My 3 year old Son has Better Logic and common sense than you. The HTC ONE M8, Galaxy S4, galaxy S5, LG G3, cost the same on and off contract as the iphone 5s and iphoen 6 cost. In Fact the Galaxy Note 3 cost even more than the iphone 5s last year.

        Just stop with the stupid comments seriously learn to be mature because then you just sound like a Mindless Sheep. Bahabahahaha.

      • dragonitedd - 10 years ago

        The “geek” down there who claims to be a guy with Mac + android phone must be a lier. Mac with android phone?? How is it possible for a true geek with such combination. LOL

      • Overlord - 10 years ago

        Sorry, dumb guy… but you can put illegal music on iPhone too.

        And pirated apps either.

    • iSRS - 10 years ago

      I agree. Would be interesting if Apple offered some sort of “discount” to switchers. Such as an iTunes gift card for a portion of the apps.

      • Dean Har - 10 years ago

        That would actually be pretty stupid. If anything it should be the 3rd party developers themselves that offer a discount, not Apple

  2. Taste_of_Apple - 10 years ago

    Ha ha great idea. They’re gonna be a lot of people needing this.

    • ClikFire_ (@ClikFire) - 10 years ago

      Nope mostly just former ios users who switched to android for a bigger screen which isn’t as many as you might think.

      • herb02135go - 10 years ago

        Totally.
        When I was initially considering a Galaxy phone, every customer I encountered was switching from iphone. They were all sick of having last year’s technology

        Funny thing is, the sheep here are buying technology that’s more than a year old.

  3. patstar5 - 10 years ago

    Apple, as a previous owner of an iPhone 4 , 4s, and 5 I did not leave just because of the small screen. I left because of the restrictive os you put on there and the crazy prices you charge. I have a oneplus one now and I love it! 64gb, 5.5 inch 401 ppi screen, swappable back covers, huge battery, cyanogenmod, snapdragon 801,3 gb ram, and it only costs $350. While it will cost me $850 to get 64gb iPhone 6+ then I have taxes and I am restricted to your ecosystem. Apple, I broke out of your trap. You are not getting me back in.

    On a side note: My IPad 2 is acting crazy, touches go all over the screen, should I erase and start from scratch or is the digitizer broken?

    • ClikFire_ (@ClikFire) - 10 years ago

      finally a voice of reason.

      • Jeremy (@_JeremyBlake) - 10 years ago

        Sounds like the voice of another poor/cheap person.

      • Bryan Hough - 10 years ago

        I buy my girlfriend all iOS things cause that’s what she likes. I personally prefer Android for the (what I feel is the) superior OS experience. I tried iOS when the 5s came out and found it too restrictive. I called it “a smart phone on training wheels. Flagship android phones cost the same as an iPhone so its foolish to say that Android is a cheap alternative. This was true maybe 5 or 6 years ago…not anymore. I pay for all of my apps and Google Play Music. For every pretentious iSheep out there like you, who thinks i buy android because its “cheap”, theres a fandroid like me who looks down on you for using an overly basic, easy to use OS that is usually 2 or 3 years behind on features.

      • Nycko Heimberg - 10 years ago

        Jeremy,
        The Apple users, who queue in front of the Apple store,
        With their old device….
        To receive cheaper the New One…..
        It is not a poor/cheap person without Money ?

      • Bryan Hough - 10 years ago

        Enjoy your trendy, hip, expensive, new iPhone 6. I’ll enjoy my new Moto X that’s 2 years ahead of it on features \ functionality. Thinking an iPhone is a cutting edge device is basically like thinking Nickelback is cutting edge rock music

    • flaviosuave - 10 years ago

      This is not Apple. This is an Apple rumor site. You are shouting futilely into the void.

      • repentantgamer - 10 years ago

        I believe “shouting futilely into the void” is the very definition of commenting online about electronics.

        People really need to calm their tits.

    • Max Mars (@devianter) - 10 years ago

      i hear this restricted this and restricted that. but what is restrictive? you mean you can put a picture in a background of your messages app? WOW! man, grow up. nobody cares here about restrictive or not. people buy an iphone because they have a life and don’t have all the time in the world you kids have to install cyanogen mod and UNrestrict your new shiny cool open source operating system. and since when open source is a good thing? when did it become more advanced and better and cool? all professional software i know is not open source. open source is for geeks without a life who love to modify things. we are different. we buy a phone which we expect to work no matter what and we need things done with this phone. you know, like, real things. go play in the backyard please.

    • dragonitedd - 10 years ago

      Android users never really understand “user experience”. They usually talk more about hardwares. Yep, better hardwares with worse experience…. However, I agree with one point. The price for the extra storages, but Apple get 21% of their profits from selling high storage models. I don’t think they will give them up easily. Maybe that’s why iPhone 6 still starts with 16GB, but with the 64GB model, I bet Apple will get more profit from high storage models this year.

      • herb02135go - 10 years ago

        Dragon – share your Android experience.
        Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t understand. You seem to just be taking out of your anus.

      • Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

        @herb,

        I swear, I am going to get you banned, I’ve had ENOUGH of fucking Fandroid trolls like you. Every Apple iPhone launch brings out your scum by the thousands, even at the Apple stores, and I’ve had enough.

  4. Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

    I really cannot freaking stand all these Fandroid douches who invade Apple news sites EVERY FREAKING TIME a new iPhone is launched to insult and bash Apple owners, you idiots are pathetic!

    • herb02135go - 10 years ago

      The feeling is mutual, asshat

      • Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

        You’re the biggest f’ing trolling asshat here, so you’re one to talk. Shut your pie hole and GTFO already.

  5. al0963 - 10 years ago

    As i was reading the comments i was so confused and i scrolled back to the top to see if i was in the right site for Apple news because most of the comments are from Android users, what is happening lately? Is nothing good on the Android blogs that this nice Android users have to switch to the Apple side?

    • herb02135go - 10 years ago

      Hi Edison, new user name. Cool.
      I hope your getting paid extra for having these user names.

      • Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

        And you’re dumb as sh*t too loser, that’s not me. That’s someone else, and I happen to agree with their sentiment 100%.

  6. accdla - 10 years ago

    Strange phenomena: Whenever an android/Samsung phone is released I see no apple fan invading their sites and arguing etc. BUT once an iPhone comes out, the phandroid come in hordes and argue it to death. why? inferiority complex??

    • herb02135go - 10 years ago

      Which Android sites do you visit?

      Do you know how to spell Android?
      Apple is so simple ….

      • Macdots (@macdots) - 10 years ago

        Android : Think Poor for Freedom
        Apple : Think Different

        LoL…..

      • shm1ck83 - 10 years ago

        Do you know how to read?

        He spelt Android, it’s the fifth word in the first sentence.

      • Edison Wrzosek - 9 years ago

        You’re such an abrasive, dumb Fandroid, I really hope you fall into a mud puddle in Manhattan somewhere…

  7. Terry Dell - 10 years ago

    Can’t wait to get my hand on the iPhone 6 plus!! I was worry about losing my contacts in my old Samsung Note 3 when transferring to iPhone 6 Plus. This article (transition guide) is very helpful to me. Thanks, 9to5.

  8. Chad Colliflower (@MRI3t) - 10 years ago

    This is the best and most tasteful way to bash Sam song and other competitors, I love this!!!! Because you know all those Shamesong posers will be just drooling over the website pictures! I can’t wait to find out how many Android users turn in their phones for a new iPhone 6, 6+

  9. Mail, contacts, calendars and documents should be fairly easy, especially with iOS8. Apple doesn’t have a market for these, so our life can be simple.

    Music will be a NIGHTMARE as always, with Apple luring Android users to put everything through its iTunes pinhole. How little they know…

    For any Android user who’s used to throwing a few directories of MP3s in an SD card and having them instantly available on their phone, here’s Apple’s take on the matter:

    1. in iTunes settings, (preferably) disable the copying of media files inside the iTunes folder
    2. create a nested structure of playlists in iTunes, one by one, that reflects your MP3 folder tree
    3. proceed to drag-and-drop the media, one folder at a time, to its respective playlist
    4. sync your iDevice
    – Each time you add/remove media from one of those folders, erase the contents of that playlist and go to step 3.

    Photos is an almost identical story, unless you have a Synology NAS, where you put everything in there and you’re all happy.

    On the topic of photos, they still haven’t resolved an ages-old “feature”. Everything goes inside the Camera Roll, be it photos you shoot with the phone’s optics, images you download or screenshots.

Author

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jordan Kahn

Jordan writes about all things Apple as Senior Editor of 9to5Mac, & contributes to 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, & Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series.