I used Android Switch to ditch my iPhone, and it couldn’t have been easier Chris Mendez | usagoldmines.com

As I’ve stated previously, I switch phones quite a bit — it comes with the territory. Normally, you’d suppose that will make me a professional at deciding what I wish to transfer between units and what I don’t, however that’s not the case. Previously, leaping from Android to iOS and again once more was sufficient of a headache that I got here up with a setup for my Pixel and a setup for my iPhone and stored them utterly separate. Now, although, Google is lastly excited about making life simpler. It utterly redesigned the Swap to Android app, renaming it Android Swap, and it tempted me to strive it. Right here’s how ditching my iPhone went this time round.

Earlier than we get into what I like about Android Swap, let’s speak about what it’s. If you happen to’ve ever arrange a brand new iPhone or perhaps a Samsung Galaxy system, you’ve in all probability seen an choice for Transfer to iPhone or Sensible Swap. Primarily, Android Swap is Google’s model. It makes it potential to tug messages, apps, contacts, and media out of your outdated cellphone (normally an iPhone) to your new one — a Pixel. It gained’t, nonetheless, put together you for among the fun features you would possibly acquire or lose.

The primary place you’ll in all probability see Android Swap — although it gained’t be known as Android Swap — is throughout the first few slides of the setup course of. If you’re prompted to maneuver apps and contacts and select whether or not you’re switching from Android or iOS, it’s time for Google’s revamped interface. Truthfully, although, I like that Google simply rolls your preliminary Android Swap expertise into the setup course of. If you happen to needed to go trying to find a approach to transfer apps and contacts afterward, I’d think about no person would do it, so that is a lot simpler.

When you begin your method down the Android Swap path, you primarily get two methods to maneuver your knowledge: one which requires the USB-C cable out of your earlier cellphone and one other that works wirelessly. If left as much as Google, it might relatively you are taking the wired route, which is quicker and a bit extra dependable, however the interface is actually the identical throughout each strategies. All that basically adjustments is that it’s important to scan a QR code to attach your outdated iPhone to your new Pixel by way of a non-public Wi-Fi community to soundly switch knowledge. From there, you’ll be able to select something and every part you wish to switch, then press the Copy Information button once you’re prepared to begin.

If you happen to determine to not copy apps proper off the bat, you’ll be able to at all times come again later to repeat your knowledge once you’re able to say goodbye to your outdated cellphone. You continue to have the identical choices for utilizing a cable or scanning a QR code, however you’ll have to go to the Settings app and discover Copy Information Utilizing Android Swap beneath the Google Play Companies header.

So, with that fundamental rundown out of the way in which, right here’s what I thought of utilizing Android Swap.

Properly, now that I’ve emphasised simply how easy the brand new structure for Android Swap is, you’ll be able to in all probability guess what I’ll say subsequent. Sure, utilizing Android Swap actually is that straightforward. It’s virtually the identical as once you’re establishing an Android cellphone for the primary time, and it’s important to tick off the containers of which further apps you wish to obtain, solely this time, they’re already your personal apps. You don’t have to fret about selecting bloatware since you’ve in all probability already been utilizing stated apps for some time.

Anyway, after I determined to make use of my iPhone 16 to arrange a brand-new Pixel 9, I figured I’d give it the whole run. I selected to repeat every part from images to contacts to messages to apps to see how lengthy it might take. The reply is that it took about 15 or 20 minutes. I set the 2 telephones aspect by aspect on my desk whereas I ate lunch, and the transfer was finished by the point I used to be able to return to my desk.

In actual fact, it was so easy that I ended the switch midway by way of to see how easy a wi-fi Android Swap is in comparison with a wired one. Truthfully, the one arduous half when restarting my switch was getting my iPhone to scan the required QR code, and that was solely as a result of I stored my Pixel 9 show so brilliant from some earlier testing. From there on out, I had no points pulling during the last of my images and messages.

That stated, I’m undecided if transferring knowledge wirelessly would have been as fast had I saved my apps for final. If something, I’d recommend you switch apps out of your outdated cellphone to your new one first, then fear about what messages and images you want later since they’re smaller and appear to ship quicker. Additionally, it doesn’t appear to be it’s important to obtain the Android Swap app in the event you do a wired switch, because the Pixel by no means requested me to open something particular on my iPhone earlier than it started to maneuver knowledge.

Both method, utilizing Android Swap to drop my iPhone 16 in favor of a Pixel 9 was about as easy because it might have probably been, and it’s making me rethink how I arrange new telephones for assessment. I by no means thought it might occur, however it may be time to share one setup throughout each Android and iOS.