Apple Preps For Android Refugees With iPhone Migration Guide

Android OEMs aren't the only ones worried about switchers getting lost on their first Android experience. Preparing for the possible flood of Android users switching sides to the now larger iPhone 6, Apple has put up a new support page dedicated specifically to help them move their precious data as painlessly as possible.

One of the biggest hurdles when switching between phones or mobile platforms has been the worry of having to copy contacts, calendars, photos, and the like from one phone to another, and all the work that entails. Android makes it somewhat easier, at least for those pieces of data you have agreed to let Google handle. Some OEMs also handle migration for you, but usually as long you're just switching phones from the same brand. Following that tradition, Apple is now providing Android users a sort of safety net to assure them that their move won't be as stressful as they might fear.

It is interesting to note that Apple isn't shying away from recommending the use of third party apps to do the job, or half the job in some cases. Knowing that Android users come from a different paradigm, it is suggesting apps like Copy My Data or AT&T Mobile Transfer, both available on both platforms, to help ease the burden. It even instructs switchers to use the Android File Transfer program for Mac to copy data from their Android phone to a computer. That said, in most of the cases, that is only half the process.

Unsurprisingly, the rest of the journey involves using iTunes, especially when it comes to media files. In a sense, this migration guide is a good way for Android users to familiarize themselves with the iOS flow, which practically all revolves around iTunes, especially when it comes to syncing things with a Mac or a PC. There is iCloud too, of course. Migrating contacts and emails are relatively easier, especially if you store them in someone else's cloud, whether they be an email provider or a social network. Simply add the email account or log into the social networking service and sync things up.

Apps, of course, are an entirely different story. Lucky if your favorite Android app is also available in the iTunes App Store, which might be the case for a lot of the popular ones, and store their settings and data on the cloud, which isn't always the case. If your app isn't on App Store, however, don't fret. Apple promises you will find something similar soon enough, one that is also exclusive, updated or released earlier, and sometimes even better.

SOURCE: Apple