[GUIDE] A guide for Mac/iOS users wanting to switch to Android

[petvas72]

I am a big Apple fan, love Macs and have always used iPhones. Having said that, I find many things in Android very well implemented, and last year I decided to start using an Android device as my daily driver. The M8 was the one that made me switch. I am sure there are many others like me, that would like to switch to Android, or want to, but have trouble leaving the Apple ecosystem, or think that it's impossible to use Macs with Android devices.

I will never ever stop using Macs. I love them. I will also always use the latest iPhone but I also like to have Android in my gear. Is it possible to make all these work together?
The answer is a clear yes if you are prepared to do some work. This thread is for Apple users that want to make their Android device work with their Apple ecosystem.
I will concentrate on the most important functions and features, hoping to cover as many topics as possible.

Mail
If you are using iCloud, then there are many options available for you in Android:

• Mailbox https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...apps/details?id=com.mailboxapp&token=I4uVB1Pd
• The Gmail App which supports IMAP: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...tails?id=com.google.android.gm&token=8M1nycw9
• CloudMagic: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...details?id=com.cloudmagic.mail&token=VttzUeav

If you are using Exchange, then there are many great apps, but my favorite is Nine: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...details?id=com.ninefolders.hd3&token=r15um5v4

Calendar & Contacts
if you are using iCloud for contacts and calendar, then SmoothSync is your best option:
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ails?id=org.dmfs.caldav.icloud&token=eFmSUnfu
&
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ils?id=org.dmfs.carddav.icloud&token=Wvnaa1Id

Tasks
If you are using Omnifocus, then there are some inofficial clients you might want to have a look at:
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...m.burgstaller.android.focusgtd&token=t6IEaKmZ
&
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...d=io.quantus.apps.androidfocus&token=Ft-VO2V5

Both apps work ok but do not support recurring tasks. If you absolutely depend on Omnifocus, then these apps are your only option in Android.

If you are using iCloud Tasks, then sync them with SmoothSync for iCloud Calendar and use any task app that supports tasks on your device.

Another good option would be to use Sol.Calendar: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...d=net.daum.android.solcalendar&token=QydytRqi
It offers support for iCloud calendar & tasks natively.

I personally use Wunderlist. It works across all major platforms and it has a very well designed Mac client too.
Music
If you are using iTunes, then your best option would be to use Google Play Music. Just download the client and let it upload your music to Google.
Use the Google Play Music App on your Android device to access your music.
https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1229970?hl=en
&
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...gle.android.apps.youtube.music&token=s2Eh0S5A

Photos

If you are using iCloud Photos and the new Photos app on your Mac, then there is not a lot you can do to keep them in sync with Android devices. The best thing would be to start using other cloud services additionally, so that your devices can at least communicate.
Google Photos, DropBox, Flickr are just a few of your options.
Especially Flickr has a sync tool that allows sync with the Photos.app on your Mac: https://www.flickr.com/tools/
Flickr gives you 1TB free and it allows for having an automated way to keep your iCloud photo library in sync with Flickr and your Android device.
You can also have the Flickr app automatically upload all pictures taken with it to Flickr and from there you can export them to your Mac desktop.

Notes
Evernote and OneNote are the choices here. I personally prefer OneNote.

Communication
iMessage and FaceTime are not available on Android, so you will have to use alternatives.
Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Skype, Viber are all valid options.

Handoff
Mac users can use Handoff to send and receive SMS from and to their iPhone. They can also start using apps on their iPhone and then continue on their Mac. There is an option that can at least give you most of the abilities of Handoff..
Pushbullet is a great tool and I suggest you try it! https://www.pushbullet.com
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...ails?id=com.pushbullet.android&token=dGEP4t7d


I hope I covered most of the issues Mac users are facing when switching to Android.

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: A guide for Mac/iOS users wanting to switch to Android

Very nicely done! I'm going to move this to the General Help forum and make it a sticky.

 

[srkmagnus]

Re: A guide for Mac/iOS users wanting to switch to Android

I agree, great write-up!

 

[petvas72]

Re: A guide for Mac/iOS users wanting to switch to Android

Thanks! I just felt that there is not a lot of concentrated information about how to switch over to Android if you are a Mac user. Most of the articles I found were outdated.

Anyway, I wanted to add Todoist to the list of task apps that work multiplatform.
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...re/apps/details?id=com.todoist&token=9FzSRlbA

As a general rule and if possible, always try to use apps that work across multiple platforms, but also take advantage of their unique features. For example, Wunderlist and Todoist do offer extensions for the Mac, and have widgets on Android.

 

[exapplerep]

Re: A guide for Mac/iOS users wanting to switch to Android

As a former iPhone user, I thought I'd chime in some suggestions:

Informant (app and widget) permits one app to handle both Android Contacts and Calendars. While you -can- set up a sync with a third-party server through the app, I just let it sync with my Google Contacts/Calendars. I believe it manages the changes on the phone and then the normal Google sync happens so it gets up to the cloud (or things you update in the cloud come down to your phone). Yes; you may use the separate apps you get on your Andoird phone for contacts and calendars but Informant really works well. Waiting for a bug fix in the widget (doesn't display events properly after an overnight date change) so, temporarily, there are free calendar widgets that work okay.

Snooze - Calendar Snooze from bitfire development (the free version) provides the ability to "snooze" an event triggered from the calendar so you get reminded in 15 min (or whatever time you choose - but the paid app provides more reminder time choices). This is an essential app as neither Android (nor iOS, for that matter) provide built-in snoozing for calendar events. I guess everyone at Apple and Google gets everything done on time. (Bwah-ha-ha-ha!)

QR Code Reader - Everyone needs one of these.

Cloud Magic - Very nice eMail app with a unified inbox (or view by account if you wish). Supported well.

Textra - Excellent SMS/MMS app.

 

[peroff]

Thank you.

 

[jstotts]

Very helpful. I wish I had this when I first transitioned over. I'm really happy on android now, but it wasn't a smooth transition for me.