Migrating from Android to iOS or iOS to Android

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. Again, this may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.

Today, cloud and software can communicate with different devices, making the migration a little less scary. This also applies if you use both platforms simultaneously and want your life available across your entire ecosystem of devices. Click through the slideshow to understand the steps you can take when making the switch from one operating system to the other, as identified by Andrew Blaich, lead security analyst at Bluebox Security.

Migrating Between Mobile OSes

Click through for tips on how you can more easily migrate from one OS to another, as identified by Andrew Blaich, lead security analyst at Bluebox Security.

App Data

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

Device Data

Back up the data from your device to either a desktop computer or the cloud. On Apple iOS, use iCloud to back up your phone to the cloud or use iTunes to back it up to your computer. This allows you to recover any data if the device is lost, stolen, or needs to be factory reset. Google also provides a way to back up 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 back up 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.

Photos

Back up your photos. We take a lot of personal and work photos with our devices and store them on our phones, and they often just stay just there. Several cloud providers can automatically back up your photos to your private cloud. For example, Google+ or Dropbox can automatically backup any photo you take on your phone, whether Android or iOS, to your private cloud. Therefore, you can access your photos from any number of devices, no matter the operating system.

Contacts

Back up your contacts. This is important for everyone, but critically important if you’re in a profession, like sales, where you need to keep a digital rolodex of contacts no matter where you go (including a job move). This transfer can be the trickiest between platforms, but if you use a service like Gmail or Outlook, you can 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 back up with Google and sync all your devices with a Google account. It really comes down to finding an account or service you can use across all platforms.

iOS and iMessage

If you’re an iOS user and have already intertwined your phone number with iMessage, you need to take care of some housecleaning before making the switch to a new operating system. 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 has been 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/.

Vendor Software

Some vendors are now providing 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. You can also take a look at Apple’s suggestion for migrating from Android to iPhone.

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.