Why You Should Just Switch to Android Now
Apple is good at what they do. They make products that are easy to set up and use, but before you know it, you will feel completely locked into their ecosystem. For many of us, this is not so bad; the ecosystem has many benefits and life seems pretty good here. But for those of us who are looking for another technological opportunity, it may seem impossible. You might want a Galaxy Z Flip, but all your texts will be – ooh – green . Regardless, just do it. Come on, switch to Android.
Look, I get it — the transition from iPhone to Android seems monumental. Apple is acting strategically by putting real obstacles in your way when you change your SIM card. Right from the start, as soon as you connect your number to a non-Apple phone, you lose the ability to send and receive iMessage and FaceTime calls to those numbers. If you have other Apple products, your friends can still use these methods to contact you, but they must contact with your connected Apple ID email.
It’s a pain in the ass for several reasons. Chief among them is that your non-iPhone Apple devices are most likely not as connected as a smartphone. If you don’t have a cellular iPad, you’ll need to connect to Wi-Fi before you can receive recent iMessages in a group chat or be around to answer a FaceTime call. Even if you’ve kept your devices connected to your new phone’s hotspot, the setup will be less convenient than just keeping your iPhone connected all the time.
Speaking of other Apple devices, be prepared for the fact that your phone will no longer work with them. If you’re used to convenient features like AirDrop, Handoff, iCloud, and other Apple connectivity benefits, they’ll disappear from Android. Also, most of the things you’ve bought on your iPhone with your Apple ID are platform bound, so you’ll have to repurchase apps and games like Minecraft or FiLMiC Pro.
But honestly, so what?
You can easily switch from iPhone to Android
If you want to try another phone; if there is a new technology that looks so cool; if a company offers features that Apple simply can’t, then do it. It won’t be the end of the world. You probably know the people who made the group chat green, who made every iMessage reaction spelled out in text. And of course, there is disappointment, there are jokes, but your phone is cool . It does things that your friends’ phones can’t. Besides, it’s yours. What’s the difference?
But here’s my advice: do your best to convince your friends to agree to a third-party chat app. This can be a difficult task; switching chat apps is not something people like to do, especially in droves. However, it can help if you choose a platform that already runs most, if not all, of them. In many cases, this will be a meta property – WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger are probably your best options for rich text and video calls, no matter what phone everyone has.
If you use a Google account for your digital life, it will be easier for you to switch. Since Google makes Android, it’s like you’re already stepping into the Google ecosystem. If you’re already using services like Google Photos, Gmail, Google Drive, you can feel right at home on your new Android. Plus, most of the subscriptions you have through iOS can be accessed on their Android counterpart at no extra cost, which is definitely one of the perks of everything being free to download these days.
I’ve laid out some tips for switching between iPhone and Android here to make the transition a little easier.
Look, there’s a whole world of phones out there. Google, Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, and even Sony produce unique and interesting devices that add new features and options every year. If you’re looking for a new phone and one of them grabs your attention, go for it! You can always switch back to iPhone if you miss it.
If many of us buy the phones we want instead of sticking to certain platforms, maybe that will inspire Apple to make their OSes a little less exclusive. I don’t know if we’ll ever see true iMessage on Android, but if Apple could just support RCS , we could have simple text chats on all phones.