Switching from IPhone 6+ to Note 8

[Luke18]

Hello all, I have done some research on this site regarding switching from an iPhone to a Note 8 but it seems like everyone’s reasoning is different in some ways. Well here are my concerns.

I have been an iPhone user forever, had a Droid X2 as my first smartphone and it was a horrible experience....with that said I switched to iPhone and have had nothing but success!

But....I’m really digging the Note 8, my concerns are, my wife and I have the same iCloud and iTunes account so we share everything....if I change phones will that make things difficult for her or I? I know I can transfer my personal information but I like being able to take pics and then those pics show up on all devices and vice verse....also when it comes to pics, is there an app that both my wife and I can access to see all of our pics that we have in our iCloud even if I only change phones? (Hope that makes sense)

I guess In the end besides pics, will I run into anything that will make things difficult for my wife and I?

Any info would be great! Thanks, new to this site but liking it so far and there doesnt seem to be a lot of fighting over people that iPhones vs Samsung/droid phines....which I like....I don’t want any debates on what is better then the other!! I’m think I’m tech savvy and again am really digging the Note 8 and all its features!!

Thanks!!

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! It looks like you can access iCloud photos via the browser this way: https://www.unlockboot.com/get-icloud-photos-to-android-without-computer/. But that's fairly clunky -- unfortunately, there are no Android apps that interface with iCloud photos.

For new pics you take on the Note8, the easiest thing to do would probably be to have your photos back up automatically to your Google Photos: https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6193313?co=GENIE.Platform=Android&hl=en. You could then share those photos easily with your wife. There is a Google Photos app available for iPhones (which is probably nicer than the one for Android phones!:'() https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-photos/id962194608?mt=8&at=10l3Vy

 

[jeetu4444]

Hello all, I have done some research on this site regarding switching from an iPhone to a Note 8 but it seems like everyone’s reasoning is different in some ways. Well here are my concerns.

I have been an iPhone user forever, had a Droid X2 as my first smartphone and it was a horrible experience....with that said I switched to iPhone and have had nothing but success!

But....I’m really digging the Note 8, my concerns are, my wife and I have the same iCloud and iTunes account so we share everything....if I change phones will that make things difficult for her or I? I know I can transfer my personal information but I like being able to take pics and then those pics show up on all devices and vice verse....also when it comes to pics, is there an app that both my wife and I can access to see all of our pics that we have in our iCloud even if I only change phones? (Hope that makes sense)

I guess In the end besides pics, will I run into anything that will make things difficult for my wife and I?

Any info would be great! Thanks, new to this site but liking it so far and there doesnt seem to be a lot of fighting over people that iPhones vs Samsung/droid phines....which I like....I don’t want any debates on what is better then the other!! I’m think I’m tech savvy and again am really digging the Note 8 and all its features!!

Thanks!!

U and your wife can use Google drive and both can excess same files

 

[Luke18]

Thank you all for the input. Downloading google photos as we speak to see how it works and if it will like we want it too! Is there anything else I need to have in place if I deceide to switch to the Note 8!!

 

[Luke18]

Also, to anyone that’s on here....what was it like switching and not having iMessage and FaceTime anymore? Thanks again for all the info!!

 

[bhappy11]

Also, to anyone that’s on here....what was it like switching and not having iMessage and FaceTime anymore? Thanks again for all the info!!

I found Google's app DUO. Pretty much FaceTime in a nutshell. Just have your wife download DUO in the app store. That's what I had my wife and family do. As I am the only one besides my brother that are on Android..

Also go into your text message app.
* click the 3 circles at the top right
* click on settings
* click on chat
* change image to original size

I have found since doing this I get full size quality pics that my family sends me now from their i-phones.
I am on T-Mobile. So your carrier may not support that.

As for i-message. I miss it.

Hope the above helps.

 

[Luke18]

I found Google's app DUO. Pretty much FaceTime in a nutshell. Just have your wife download DUO in the app store. That's what I had my wife and family do. As I am the only one besides my brother that are on Android..

Also go into your text message app.
* click the 3 circles at the top right
* click on settings
* click on chat
* change image to original size

I have found since doing this I get full size quality pics that my family sends me now from their i-phones.
I am on T-Mobile. So your carrier may not support that.

As for i-message. I miss it.

Hope the above helps.

Is there a messaging app comparable to imessage for android phones?

 

[B. Diddy]

Not quite. I still find Hangouts useful, since you can use it on different devices (like your computer or a wi-fi-only tablet), but the other person has to use Hangouts as well. You can also share videos relatively easily on Hangouts.

 

[bhappy11]

Is there a messaging app comparable to imessage for android phones?

Not the same but Google's allo app. Or Facebook's messenger app. But both require the other party to download those apps.

This is one area that really puzzels me and a lot of people I talk to. Why doesn't Google come up with a true i-message type app. As big as Google is.

 

[bigcanoe]

I just switched too. I am using Textra for texting. I never used FaceTime much.

 

[anon(20964)]

Just got my Note 8 today, so still very much on the learning curve after spending the last 3 months with iPhone 6s plus. Textra is text messenger I'm leaning toward to thus far. I think I will use Google Hangouts for Video calls with close family and friends when needed. Did that with daughter today and it worked great - she uses iPhone.
Of course they'll need to install Hangouts on their iPhone since Apple IOS is such a closed eco-system.

 

[B. Diddy]

I think I will use Google Hangouts for Video calls with close family and friends when needed.

You might want to try using Duo instead (which can also be installed to iPhones). It's supposed to be a much smoother video calling experience than Hangouts.

 

[Dooki]

You might want to try using Duo instead (which can also be installed to iPhones). It's supposed to be a much smoother video calling experience than Hangouts.

Duo is really nice and simple. the video call and voice calls are better than WhatsApp. Also, they are integrating duo into Google messages. I hope I see a plan forming with RCS.
Plus, Hangouts is virtually dead and it has never been a good app. Never understood why people love it so much. No matter how many times I tried to like it, I wanted to so badly.

 

[anon(20964)]

You might want to try using Duo instead (which can also be installed to iPhones). It's supposed to be a much smoother video calling experience than Hangouts.

Thanks for the recommendation. DUO works GREAT!

 

[B. Diddy]

Plus, Hangouts is virtually dead and it has never been a good app. Never understood why people love it so much. No matter how many times I tried to like it, I wanted to so badly.

I still really like Hangouts -- it's never been particularly glitchy for me, so maybe I'm lucky. But I use it primarily as a messaging app, rather than a video chat app. The Ambassadors here use it for video chat meetings, and it can be glitchy there (although still more convenient than other group video chat apps, of which there are very few). If only Duo allowed group calls ...

 

[Dooki]

I found that with Hangouts, when it allowed sms, if to many messages were sent within a close period of time it would not receive them. Tested it a few times. Same with Verizon messages. It was across multiple phone brands as well. Don't know why but I couldn't use it for work because of it.

Ha. I'm sitting in a best buy parking lot and someone in a nice shiny newer Dodge ram just ran into the back of my pickup, good thing I have a big ol hitch on my Dakota.

 

[B. Diddy]

Ha. I'm sitting in a best buy parking lot and someone in a nice shiny newer Dodge ram just ran into the back of my pickup, good thing I have a big ol hitch on my Dakota.

Oh no! But their truck probably got damaged more.:-\

 

[nucks26]

Not the same but Google's allo app. Or Facebook's messenger app. But both require the other party to download those apps.

This is one area that really puzzels me and a lot of people I talk to. Why doesn't Google come up with a true i-message type app. As big as Google is.

There's absolutely no reason why Google shouldn't fully implement this into a future OS update/ Google messenger update.

 

[Spencurious]

Apple tend to re-brand every-day functions from other systems as something special. For photos you could share a Flickr account, use Google cloud, Dropbox etc. For video calls you can use WhatsApp, Skype, DUO, Line etc

Then you can also talk to your poor relatives who don't have an iPhone.

 

[ocramida]

Also was on the iOS wagon. NIW the inky Android phone amo my a family using iPhones. Ultimately Apple's claim to fame is a totally integrated ecosystem. If you're looking for seamless interpretation between Android and iOS, it ain't going to happen. As others have pointed out though, there are android apps that can come close to providing decent integration. Just don't expect the tightly coupled experience Apple provides to keep people committed to their eco system.