How is Google fixing the Stagefright vulnerability that affects 95% of all Android phones?
The Stagefright vulnerability is likely the biggest Android security scare we have seen in a years. And of course, this exploit leaves 95% of all Android users susceptible to attacks, which could easily be triggered by using a simple MMS message.
We know Google is working hard to keep Android and all its services as secure as possible. Google’s lead Android security engineer Adrian Ludwig reminded us of a few ways the Search Giant keeps us safe from hackers, just some days ago. He then took the stage at cybersecurity conference BlackHat, where he specified what Google is doing to fix this specific weakness in the Android ecosystem. Let’s dig into the details!
Security updates pushing out today!
Ludwig mentions the MountanView-based company has started sending out security fixes to Nexus devices this Wednesday, something we reported on today. In addition, these improvements have been sent out to all partners, allowing manufacturers to send out their necessary OTA updates.
It shouldn’t take long before all major smartphones get the highly anticipated upgrade. Google states most popular phones should be ready in August. This would include devices like the “Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, the Galaxy S5, the Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge, the HTC One M7, One M8, and One M9, the LG G2, G3, and G4, Sony Xperia Z2, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z4, and Xperia Z3 Compact as well as all Android One devices.”
In addition, Nexus devices will get security updates every single month. Samsung is doing the same.
Android Messenger app also being improved
The main issue about the Stagefright exploit is that it required no user interaction. An attacker could gain control of your device without you viewing, downloading or interacting with the handset. Hell, you didn’t even need to pull it out of your pocket! This raised immense security concerns, of course, and Google has decided to do something about this, as well.
While it’s convenient to have MMS files automatically downloaded and displayed, such is never the safest route. In wake of these risks, Google’s official Messenger app is being updated and stripped of the ability to automatically download video files from MMS messages. Now the user will have to to click on a video in order to view it.
Wrapping up
Of course, Ludwig goes on to talk about his awesome ASLR technology, which is said to protect 90% of all Android users from vulnerabilities like Stagefright. Regardless, it was important for these issues to be addressed, and we are glad Google took things seriously and fixed everything in a timely fashion. Now we can all take a breath and continue getting those memes from our friends!
Google commits to monthly security updates for Nexus devices
Security. We all worry about it, and we all leave our security in the hands of Google when we use Android devices. Our smartphones are continually gathering more information about us, from passwords to pictures and geotagging, to financial information such as credit card numbers and bank account numbers.
Security is absolutely crucial, and Google released an announcement today to make security a monthly update to Nexus devices after feeling the pressure from vulnerabilities in regards to libStageFright where malicious code could take over your device with just a text message.
Starting today, the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7, Nexus 9, Nexus 10, and Nexus Player will receive OTA updates each month with security as the key focus in addition to platform updates. This week’s update does contain fixes for the libStageFright issues, and the fixes have been released to the public via the Android Open Source Project.
Nexus devices will continue to receive major updates for at least two years and security patches for the longer of three years from initial availability or 18 months from last sale of the device via the Google Store.
I have a couple concerns I have about this commitment.
1. I use a Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. I am vulnerable to the libStageFright issue until Samsung decides to update their devices. Google needs to commit to reduce fragmentation to ZERO when it comes to security. Also, considering that Google is only committing the monthly updates to their devices, my next phone HAS to be a Nexus device because I do not know the commitment Motorola, Samsung(although Samsung did respond with a new process, but they will need to prove themselves considering their poor reputation for updating their devices), LG, HTC, etc. have to fixing their devices as well. It makes me rather disturbed knowing my Note Edge is vulnerable to libStageFright when I know there is a fix for Nexus devices.
2. Google just announced a lifespan of three years for Nexus devices. I can’t imagine one single person who would want a device that is vulnerable to security threats. If Google will not commit to security beyond 3 years, or 18 months after the device is last sold in the Play Store, they are basically telling us to buy a new device every three years. No one can store anything personal on a device that is susceptible to malware.
I seriously hope Google rethinks this commitment to security patches, because I know plenty of people who use phones and tablets beyond three years. Security is one area where users are not forgiving. Mess up once, and users will probably jump ship to another mobile platform.
If you’re interested in a security review from Google, check it out at this link.
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This is what the Nexus 6 would have looked like with a fingerprint sensor
It may have been a while since the Nexus 6 was ‘new’ news having been on the market already for around 9 months, but recent pictures of the device show that the original plan was to incorporate a fingerprint sensor into the Nexus 6 and got scrapped last minute.
You know that dimple where the Motorola symbol sits? That’s not just cosmetic design; that’s where the fingerprint sensor originally was positioned, and the recessed button housed the necessary sensors. However, at the time of the Nexus 6 being manufactured, Apple had lock down on the best fingerprint sensor on the market, forcing Motorola to go with a sensor that had a significantly worse user experience. As such, Motorola was forced to scrap their plans for a fingerprint sensor in the Nexus 6.
Nexus 6 Fingerprint Sensor
Here’s some pictures of a Nexus 6 prototype with the fingerprint sensor positioned clearly underneath that Motorola logo on the back.
So ignoring the fact that Android Lollipop doesn’t come with native fingerprint support, and I suppose if the Nexus 6 had a fingerprint sensor this would’ve changed, but would such a feature have changed the success story of the Nexus 6 as a device? Drop us a comment below and let us know.
Source: GforGames
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Samsung and LG now account for most Android smartphone sales in the US
A new report from Kantar WorldPanel is showing that Korean tech giants Samsung and LG now account for 78 percent of Android sales in the United States. Despite the huge figure, LG isn’t actually making much off of these sales.
Furthermore, LG has been able to double its market share in the US, and has surpassed Samsung as far as attracting first time smartphone buyers, goes. The report notes that the real success here is LG, not Samsung, as you might think.
“While the Android ecosystem in Europe and China continues to offer several brands to choose from, Android in the U.S. is undergoing its strongest consolidation yet, with Samsung and LG now accounting for 78% of all Android sales,” Milanesi added. “LG is the real success story of the quarter. Not only did it double its share of the U.S. smartphone market once again, but it was also able, for the first time, to acquire more first-time smartphone buyers than Samsung.”
Android holds quite the crown in China, as well. It accounted for 79 percent of smartphones sales during Q2 2015, and Huawei has actually taken the lead among some top smartphone vendors. Three of its smartphones, the Honor 4X, Honor 6, and Honor 6 Plus all made it into the top 10 smartphones league.
All of this goes to show that Android is doing extremely well across the globe. As Google and other manufactures continue to innovate, it will no doubt see a continued rise in popularity.
However, Google will no doubt see some competition with iOS 9 and the next big iPhone release this year.
source: Kantar
via: Android Central
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OpenSignal 2015 report showcases Android diversity and the trends that shape the industry
This graph showcases the staggering variety/fragmentation of the Android ecosystem
Android fragmentation is both a blessing and a curse for users and developers alike. OpenSignal’s latest report sheds some light on the huge variety of Android hardware out there, as well as a few interesting market trends.
Beginning with the big issue, Android is more fragmented than ever before. But this shouldn’t be so surprising, given the even wider selection of devices available and the launch of another version of the operating system last year. The researchers found that 24,093 distinct devices downloaded its app in the past few months, up from 18,796 from last year and 11,868 in 2013, suggesting that a broader range of handset is on the market right now that just two years ago.
Samsung’s Galaxy series still remains the most popular range of smartphones on the market, followed by LG’s flagship G series, Sony’s Xperia Z line-up and the various versions of the Moto G. Samsung retains is position as the dominant Android manufacturer, with 37.8 percent of the market, down from 43 percent last year. The rise of lower cost manufacturers can also be easily observed, with Lenovo, Huawei, Asus, Motorola, OPPO and TCT (Alcatel) all taking up big chunks of the global market this year.
However, it is not just big brands resulting in more diversification. OpenSignal counted devices from 1,294 distinct manufacturers, over 1,000 of which did not appear in the company’s first report back in 2012. New manufacturers, such as OnePlus, account for some of this, as does the rise in white box products that have cropped up as computing component and manufacturing costs have continued to fall.
Of course, more manufactures invariably leads to a wider range of hardware options. Research points to a growing selection of screen sizes available within the Android ecosystem, as you’ve probably spotted, which encompasses smartphones and tablets. Sensor technology also continues to expand, as customers look for new ways to interact with their smart devices.
5 to 5.5-inches has become the most popular size for smartphones, although there is still a good at both larger and smaller size. Most tablets have found a home in the 7-inch region, with larger tablets accounting for only a small portion of the market.
The move towards devices falling between 5 and 7 inches is supported by the popularity of devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note series. Many consumers appear to want devices that can fill dual roles as a phone and small personal computer.
As for sensors, step and motion sensors seem to be the most popular, which has helped to cater to customer demands for fitness orientated hardware and apps. Less useful sensors, such as barometers and humidity sensors seem to already be on the way out.
One feature that doesn’t appear in OpenSignal’s data but has cropped up in a number of smartphones this year is fingerprint scanning technology. As with much of these extras, falling hardware costs are gradually brining these previously high-end exclusive features to a wider range of handsets.
Turning to the Android operating system itself, the most recently published data from Google puts Android Lollipop at an 18.1 percent share of the market (combined for 5.0 and 5.1) and the operating system’s fragmentation has begun to heal slightly now that adoption is more widespread. Android KitKat still remains the more prevalent API level, with 39.3 percent of the market.
On the plus side, KitKat and Lollipop devices combined now account for 57.4 percent of the Android ecosystem. Half of all Android devices are now at least running a modern version of the OS. Somewhat unfortunately, the introduction of Android M later this year will likely upset the balance again.
For developers, the wide range of hardware options, display sized and API levels spread across the Android ecosystem is certainly a daunting task to tackle. Especially then it comes to trying to optimize for this many combinations. For consumers, new products, new companies, and a wide selection of hardware and price points has helped to bring more than one billion customers into the world of smartphones. Pros and cons I suppose.
How to restore an Android phone when you forget the unlock code
We need codes for everything nowadays. It’s good to keep all our data secure, but this cluster of random words, letters and characters makes it hard to keep track of all our security credentials. I can’t tell you how often I have to reset my passwords, and I have even been known to forget my smartphone unlock code from time to time. It may seem hard to believe, but it happens, and I am sure I am not the only one!
Stuck with a locked Android smartphone? Don’t you worry! There are multiple ways to restore usability after forgetting your unlock code. In this post we will cover the best ways to get out of these unpleasant situations and regain control over your phone.
Reset your unlock pattern using your Google account
Those running Android 4.4 KitKat or below will have it pretty easy. Android used to come with a built-in security measure that allowed you to bypass and reset your unlock pattern by simply accessing your Google account. Here’s how it’s done!
- Your device will need to be connected to the internet. If it is, keep reading.
- Enter a wrong pattern a few times.
- After some failed attempts, a new option labeled “Forgot pattern” will appear. Tap on it.
- Enter the username and password previously entered in the handset.
Restore the device to factory settings
Sadly, the rest of us will have to opt for more drastic measures, as there is really no other way to recover from a forgotten unlock code with the latest software versions. You will need to wipe the phone (otherwise known as performing a factory data reset). There’s a few ways to do this, so let’s take you through some of them.
Failed password attempt limits
Some of you are lucky enough to have a phone that will automatically perform a factory data reset if the password, PIN or unlock code (or whatever you are using) is entered incorrectly a set amount of times – usually 10 attempts. HTC and LG’s latest flagship phones are known to do this. If your phone has this features, just go at it trying to unlock it and eventually the handset will be automatically wiped.
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Using Android Device Manager
Android Device Manager is a life-saver. This is Google’s security tool, and it allows you to locate, ring, lock and wipe your device remotely. The only downside is that you have to set it up before-hand. If you were cautious and took care of business prior to getting locked out of your handset, just go to the Android Device Manager website and locate the device. After this, you will be given the “Erase” option. Simply select it and follow instructions. Your phone will then be completely wiped and you can set it up as if it was new.
Perform a hard data reset
If all else fails go ahead and perform a hard data reset on the phone. This will also wipe your device, but you will need to perform a series of button combinations and enter recovery mode. We can’t exactly give you step-by-step instructions on how to do this, though, as the process varies per device. Google is your friend!
Wrapping up
So there you have it, guys. These are the best solutions for gaining access to your smartphone after forgetting your password or unlock code. We know some of these are not the best solutions around, but keep in mind this is the best we can work with. We also have a guide for bypassing the unlock code using ADB, but that also takes a lot of work!
Let’s hear from you, though – what do you prefer to do when you forget your security credentials? Thank the tech gods for bio-metric solutions! We sure can’t forget those.
What is the least important feature on a phone? [Poll]
We spend lots of time talking about the best features on smartphones and what makes them so great. But what if we decided to turn the tables? Today, we are not talking about what feature has to be included on the phone you buy, but rather which feature you could live without. So here is the setup for this question.
Y
ou are walking through the woods when you come upon an old shack. Inquisitive, you decide to check out what is inside and discover an old magician sitting in the corner reading a book, Android for Dummies. He sees you and begs you to help him figure out how to use his new Android smartphone. As a self-proclaimed tech whiz, you get him all set up and prepare to leave. He says he must reward you and promises to create you the perfect smartphone. His describes the phone to you as he works his magic.
The screen is beautiful and perfectly sized for your hand. The gorgeous 2K resolution makes pictures and text pop. You are not sure what magical screen technology the wizard used, but the colors are perfectly accurate and the blacks are true. Even better, outdoor visibility is amazing!
The performance on this phone is second to none. No matter how much stress you put on it, you will never experience any lag. It flies through multitasking, gaming, web browsing, videoing, and anything else you can throw at it.
The build quality is strong yet light. You know that no matter what you do to this phone, it will never chip, scratch, shatter, or dent. The materials feel comfortable in your hand, and no matter how much you use it, the phone never gets hot.
The speakers make sound come alive and fill the room you are in. The audio quality would bring tears to an audiophile’s eyes. Best of all, the speakers are front-facing but take up no room on the bezel. Magic, you say? Well…yes.
The camera takes pictures that look more real life that the world outside. Every feature and add-on you want is already included, and there is not even a camera hump. Just for fun, the magician throws in a best-in-class selfie camera, too.
The battery life is unbelievable! No matter how much you use it, the phone will always last for days. When you do finally need to charge it, the charging technology is so good you can be back up to full in no time.
Finally, the software is top notch. It is running the latest version of Android, and if you want, you can add any skin on top. Updates become available the day they are announced, and the magician promises your phone will be supported forever.
All of this sounds amazing, and you are eager for the magician to finish his spells and hand over your new phone. Unfortunately, the magician is old and reluctantly tells you he cannot deliver on one of his promised features. In fact, he has to skimp on one of them to deliver the other features he offered.
So now the question is: Which feature would you give up in order to have an otherwise perfect phone?
To make this more interesting, I am going to tell you what you will have to endure depending on what you choose.
If you choose the screen as least important, the size will be unbearable for you. Either too large or too small, depending on which you hate more. The resolution matches 5-year-old budget phones, the colors look terrible, and you will never be able to see it outside.
For those of you who do not think performance is important, you will find yourself will a phone that cannot even handle basic tasks. Texting, browsing the web, using social media, and switching apps cause your device to lag and stutter until you are frustrated beyond comprehension.
Choosing build quality will give you the cheapest built phone you could ever imagine. The materials are flimsy and weak, and the phone creaks every time you touch it. It feels like the phone might just shatter if you set it down to quickly. And this is a problem that no mere case is going to fix, regardless of the brand or materials.
If you go with speakers/sound quality as least important, you will never want to listen to anything on this phone again. First, the speaker will be placed in a way that you will almost always muffle it. The audio itself is distorted, crackly, tinny, and just plain terrible. Unfortunately, the problem persists even if you use headphones or a Bluetooth speaker.
Choosing camera as unimportant will net you a camera that 2009 Android phones could beat. The megapixel count is extremely low, the sensor is absolute trash, the colors in every picture look wrong, low light performance does not exist, and you are stuck using a bare-bones camera app.
If you do not think battery life is important, you will be sorry once you have to use this phone. With top of the line specs, this phone will never last you through a day. When you are forced to charge during your lunch break, you will find no Quick Charge technology here. A slow trickle barely fills your battery at all, and you will be back to the outlet in no time.
Finally, choosing software as least important will leave you with an extremely powerful phone running an outdated, ugly, terribly skinned version of Android Froyo. With a guarantee that no updates will ever reach your device and absolutely no root community, you will be stuck in the past forever.
So now the time has come to vote! Which awful feature you choose to endure to have all the other features in the top list? Select you answer in the poll below, and they let us know what you chose and why down in the comments!
What is the least important feature on a phone?
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First 7 things to do with your new Android Phone
You’ve just lifted your new Android device from its packaging, and you are beaming. Perhaps your hands shiver with anticipation. Your mouth is dry and your pupils are dilated.
Okay, maybe you’re not that excited, but a new phone is certainly cause for celebration.
What comes next though?
The customization that makes Android so adaptable and powerful is the same thing that can make it a little intimidating at the beginning. Because so much customization is possible, it’s hard to know where to start! Fortunately, we have a list of the first things every Android owner should do with their phone as soon as they take it out of the box. These little exercises will ensure that you are getting the most out of your device from Day One.
Check Out Your Device
First of all, take a moment to really appreciate what you’re holding in your hands. You are now the casual owner of a portable device so staggeringly futuristic that no science fiction writers saw it coming. If you touch this thing’s screen in the right places, pizza will arrive at your front door. Or a man in Morocco will start talking to you. Or it will play videos of cats jumping into cardboard boxes. You are the all-powerful God of this tiny screen.
However, don’t let all this power go to your head. You need to keep your composure long enough to make sure your device came with all the correct parts.
Go through all of your phone’s packaging and take stock of everything you own. Review any warranty information, and take note of any extras that came with your device. Some Android phones come with a disassembly tool, so be sure not to throw that out in case you ever want to change the battery or install a new SIM card. You probably also got a micro-USB charger and maybe even a nifty set of earbuds.
Prep For Data Downloading
Go ahead and plug the phone in to get that battery charging. You’re going to be playing with your new toy for the next couple of hours, and you don’t want it dying on you right in the middle of a crucial process.
Also, you’ll probably want to connect to a wireless network if one is available. After all, most of us aren’t on those enviable unlimited data plans anymore, and you’re almost certainly going to be downloading a ton of data during your first day with your phone. It might be a good idea not to start eating into your limited mobile data right away.
Log Into Google and Let the Magic Flow
When you turn on your device for the first time, a walkthrough will guide you through the setup process. One of the first things it will ask you to do is log into your Google account.
You can skip this step if you want, but we seriously don’t recommend it. Logging into Google connects your device with a ton of other services, and it’s the first step you will take toward personalizing your phone. Activating this account will set up your email, calendar, and contacts list automatically, and it will prepare your phone to synchronize your identity across devices.
If you’ve owned an Android device before, then you’re about to witness some magic. After you log into your Google account, your phone will connect with the Google Play Store and attempt to download all the apps you are accustomed to using. Before your very eyes, this stock device will transform into a faster, sleeker version of your old phone.
Disable Bloatware
If you got your phone through a major carrier, odds are it came with some apps on it that you didn’t ask for and can’t get rid of (unless you decide to root). These apps take up space and can slow your phone down. To maximize your phone’s capabilities, you may want to ditch this stuff.
When you are going through your device’s initial setup, it may ask you to register for additional malware protection or other extra services. Feel free to skip these offers. You really shouldn’t have to sign up for anything beyond your Google Account during setup.
Once your phone is up and running, go to the Apps menu under your Settings and locate any apps that came pre-loaded on your phone. You might not be able to uninstall them, but you can disable them and uninstall any updates, which will keep the space they occupy to a minimum. A word of caution, if this is your very first Android device, you may not be completely familiar with all the pre-installed apps and might want to keep them around until you are sure you won’t need them, that they won’t break a key part of your phone’s experience, or until you’ve found suitable alternatives in the Play store.
Set Up Your Space
Now, just because your phone is installing all your old apps, it doesn’t mean you have to keep doing things the same way. Getting a new device is an excellent opportunity to kick some bad habits and start making some better life decisions. Or at least some better app decisions.
Still using Apex or Nova Launcher? That’s endearingly 2012 of you, but these days Google Now is pretty hard to beat. It helps along voice commands, which are better than they’ve ever been, and it regularly provides you with “cards” that anticipate your searches and interests. Pretty spiffy.
Also, instead of using your phone’s default browser, try giving Chrome a spin. It links up with any other devices you use Chrome on, and it’s lightning fast.
If you’re really feeling adventurous, a lot of users also like to grab a custom keyboard like Swiftkey or Swype. These can pay attention to your typing habits and make texting a breeze.
Secure Your Device
Your phone contains a lot of sensitive information, especially if you use it for banking or shopping or pizza delivery. For that reason, it’s important that you set up some solid security measures to protect your privacy and identity.
Access your phone’s security settings, and setup a PIN or pattern lock. This can be a little irksome, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
See if your device has Smart Lock capabilities. Smart Lock is a pretty cool feature that lets your phone bypass the lock screen in certain situations. For instance, you can set up your phone to remain unlocked if it’s in the vicinity of a particular Bluetooth device, like your car stereo. It may also be able to sense whether it has been set down or passed to a new user since the last time it was unlocked.
Get to Know Your Device
Take the time to investigate your phone’s settings. Sift through the menus and submenus, and make mental notes about where various features reside. This can save a lot of time later on, and you might discover some things about your new device that weren’t available on your old one.
The Ancient Greeks (and also the Oracle from the Matrix) had a saying: “Know thyself.” Since you put so much personal information on your phone, and since you will probably use it for so much of your interpersonal communications, your phone is a little bit like an extension of yourself. Don’t let it be a stranger!
Think of setting up a new phone like you would moving into a new place. Don’t just leave those rooms empty. Move in your old familiar furniture and hang a few new pictures. Spruce the place up, and give it a thorough cleaning. After all, you’re going to be living here for a while.
Setting up an Android device might seem overwhelming, but it can be nice to settle in and enjoy the process. What do you do first when you get a new phone? Did we miss anything crucial? Let us know in the comments!
18.1% of Android devices are now running Lollipop
Google usually list the Android distribution numbers, but decided to skip July’s. However, now it’s August and Google has updated them again. Lollipop is now installed on 18.1% of Android devices which is up from 12.4% in June.
KitKat has also moved up a little from 39.2% to 39.3%. Jelly Bean on the other hand has declined from 37.4% to now 33.6%.
Of course we can’t forget about the much older versions of Android. Ice Cream Sandwich is at 4.1% while Gingerbread has move down to 4.6% from 5.6%. Finally, aging Froyo is still installed on 0.3% of devices.
Source: Google
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How to switch from iOS to Android and keep all your stuff
Switching to a phone within the same ecosystem is a breeze, thanks to cloud synchronization and format compatibility, but what happens when you want to get a new handset that runs on a different operating system? A very common case is when people are trying to switch from iOS to Android.
This can become a convoluted process, so we thought we should give you some good tips. In this tutorial we will show you the best ways to transfer all your data from an iPhone to an Android device. Let’s jump right into the goods.
How to transfer contacts
This process’ simplicity will highly depend on your previous practices for syncing contacts. Are you synchronizing your contacts to your Gmail account? If so, getting your contacts on your brand new Android smartphone is a breeze! All you have to do is enter your Google account. All your saved numbers will be automatically downloaded.
If you don’t synchronize your contacts to Gmail, however, you will have to work a little harder. The easiest way would probably be to use iCloud to get a .CVF file and then import that to your Android phone (or Google Contacts).
- On your iPhone, go to your Settings app and select “Mail, Contacts, Calendars”.
- Go to Settings > iCloud and turn on “Contacts”.
- Your contacts will upload to Apple’s cloud services shortly.
- Now use a browser to go to iCloud.com and log in with your Apple ID.
- Select “Contacts” and then click on the gear icon in the lower-left corner.
- Click on “Select all”.
- Click on the gear again and select “Export vCard…”.
- When the .CVF file downloads, you can either import that file to your Google Contacts or straight to your phone.
- If you want to use Google Contacts, just go to contacts.google.com and click on “Import” and then “Go to old contacts”. Click on the “More” button and select “Import”. Select the file and you are done.
- To import the .CVF file directly to your new smartphone, just get the file into your phone using any methods such as transferring via a microSD card or by hooking up your phone to your PC. Once the file is on your device, you simply open your Phone app and tap on the menu button. There should be an option to “Import/export”. Select the file and be on your way.
How to transfer calendar
Just as it was with Contacts, your calendar can also be synced to your Google account, but that will only be convenient if you did it from the beginning. You don’t want to manually change all your calendar entries, so we will show you how to transfer all your calendar events in a batch. Oh, and we will use iCloud once again.
- Go to your iPhone’s Settings app and select “Mail, Contacts, Calendars”.
- Select “Add Account” and log into your iCloud account.
- Allow your iPhone to sync your local calendar files to iCloud.
- Use a browser to access iCloud.com and login with your iCloud account.
- Click the Calendar icon to open the Calendar interface.
- On the left pane, click the “Share Calendar” button beside the calendar that you want to export.
- In the popup balloon, tick “Public Calendar”. Copy the sharing URL that appears below it.
- On a new web browser tab or window, paste the copied URL.
- Change “
webcal"in the URL to “http"and press the Enter key to open the address. - Your Web browser will download a file with random characters as a file name. This file is actually a copy of your iCloud Calendar entries.
- Save the file to a convenient folder on your computer. For convenience, you may rename the file and add the
icsextension (e.g., calendar.ics). - Open and login to Google Calendar on your Web browser.
- On the left pane of the Google Calendar interface, click the menu arrow at the right of “Other Calendars”.
- Select “Import Calendar”.
- Select the exported calendar file that you downloaded from iCloud. You can also choose the destination Google calendar (if you have more than one) in the same dialog.
- Click the “Import” button to upload the file. Once importing is finished, you should be able to see the imported entries in the Google Calendar web interface. The new entries will also be synced to your Android device.
Transferring your photos
Oh, all those precious photos. It would be horrible to lose them in the process of switching to Android, right? You could probably do things the old way and manually transfer files… like a caveman. Or you can just take advantage of the awesome cloud storage services we now have access to.
You could just back up your photos to Drive, Drobbox or your service of choice, but I happen to prefer using Google’s new Photos app. This new service allows you to upload unlimited high quality images and sync them across smartphones. And yes, it’s available for both Android and iOS.
- Download the iOS Google Photos app.
- During set-up, the app will ask if you want to backup your photos. Go ahead and turn the feature on.
- Your photos will begin uploading. This will use a substantial amount of data, so be sure to connect to a WiFi network.
- When all images are uploaded to Google Photos, pull out your Android phone and download the Photos app from the Google Play Store.
- Go through the set-up process. Your images will be there.
Of course, you can also do it manually by using a PC.
- Connect your iPhone to your PC via USB cable. Do the same for your Android phone.
- On your Windows PC, open “My Computer”.
- You should be able to see two new drives or entries under “Portable Devices”. One is for your iPhone storage (usually labeled “Apple iPhone” or “Edgar’s iPhone” or something similar) and the other is for your Android. If you don’t see them, try installing the phone drivers.
- Open the iPhone’s storage in a new window.
- Open your Android’s storage in a new window.
- On the window for your iPhone’s storage, locate the folder named “DCIM”. You will find your photo folders inside the that folder.
- Simply select the photos that you want to transfer. Then, drag them from the iPhone images folder and drop them onto your Android images folder.
How to transfer music
You can always just transfer your music the old fashion way, as well – by manually moving files from phone to phone. It’s probably easier to simply upload your tunes to Google Play Music, though. Of course, this is given that you have all your music on your computer. We will assume you are using iTunes, for obvious reasons. Make sure to go to iTunes and download any music you may have purchased from your phone and isn’t saved locally.
After doing that, just use Google Music Manager to upload all your music to Google Play Music. This will sync across all Android devices, but the only main issue is that if the file is not downloaded, you will use up data while playing it. Make sure to pin or download songs you want to hear offline.
- Download Google Music Manager to your PC.
- Install the program and run it.
- During set-up, there will be an option to “Upload songs to Google Play”.
- Select “iTunes” and finish the initial set-up.
- Sit back and let the program upload all your songs to Google Play Music.
You will have to struggle with some things
Moving to a new platform can be a bit tiring and complicated. We gave you some tools that will make your experience much smoother, but know there are some things you simply can’t avoid. For one, you will need to manually find all your apps and install them. There’s no way to transfer applications from iOS to Android.
In addition, you should upload any documents and odd files to your cloud storage service of choice. You can easily download these from your Android phone using the official app.
All set? Happy transferring! Also, we know everyone has a different way of doing things. What other methods for transferring all your goodies do you use? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
AIVAnet 