Switching From iPhone To Android Has Never Been This Easy With The New Google Drive App Feature

By Precious Gem de Peralta
Google Drive for Mac
Google has added a new feature to its Google Drive app that makes it easier for iPhone owners to switch to an Android device.  Frederik Hermann via Flickr

Google has taken a step further on its rivalry with Apple. Other than a tutorial video on YouTube and a list of actions on its website in guiding iPhone owners to make a smooth transition to an Android device, the tech company has added a new feature to the Google Drive app. The downloaded app on an iOS device will help users back up their data and store it in Google’s cloud.

A post on Google’s Android website explains how iPhone device owners can “transfer your stuff from iOS in 3 easy steps”. Users are advised to download the Google Drive app to their iOS device and sign in with their Google account. Such account is required to be able to access Google Drive. You need to create one if you currently don’t have any. Also, you need to make sure that the Google Drive is up-to-date.

Once you have already opened the latest version of Google Drive, select Menu>Settings>Backup. This will set up the backup wizard. Then you will be able to select the data you want to backup. Or if you want to back up everything, just click Start Backup. Depending on the size or amount of files you are storing in the cloud, it may take several hours. If that’s the case, you need to connect your device to power and WiFi.

When that process is finished, turn off iMessage. Then you can switch onto your new Android device. Don’t forget to sign in on the same account that you used when you backed up your iPhone data. You can find your photos in Google Photos, contacts in Google Contacts and calendar in Google Calendar. Though you can use the Google Drive to back up your data from both your iPhone and iCloud account, the contacts and calendars you have on Facebook or Exchange will not back up.

According to The Verge, your texts and music library are also excluded. But if you want to transfer it, you have to plug your iPhone into the new Android device. The other limitation is the fact that the Google Drive must stay open and on the screen while the data are being stored in the cloud.

It should be noted that Apple also has an Android app that offers the same purpose. On the other hand, Google had released a promotional video back in October. It was directed to iPhone users who might want to switch to the tech company’s latest flagship devices Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL, according to the Android Headlines.

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