Make your Android and Apple devices work together

This article has been updated. Originally published on March 22, 2018.

Android and Apple mobile devices require different applications, provide different features, and are best suited for use with different brands of computers and smart hardware. All of this makes them difficult to use together, but that doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to a company's plan. For example, you might want an iPad for streaming your favorite shows, and an Android phone for communication. Or you may not like to limit yourself to a Google or Apple-only tech ecosystem. For whatever reason, there are ways to get Android, iOS and iPadOS to work together.

1. Select your preferred platform

Don't try to see your competitors as equal: choose a OS that you like the most and use that phone or tablet as your primary device. This is where you store the most important data and applications, so it should be the device you feel most comfortable with, the longest use, or already have most of the information. The second device can be used as a backup with more limited application and data selection.

Some reasons prompt you to choose your favorite platform. First, the incompatibility between systems means you can't get all the applications you want on both devices. Additionally, some applications (such as Snapchat) allow you to log in on one device at a time. If you download these devices that limit the device on both devices, you must keep logging in and out.

2. Understand the limitations of the application

To allow Android and Apple devices to live in harmony, be familiar with applications that are only available on one or another. This may help you decide which device to use as the primary device. For example, you can download all Google apps to your iPhone, but only one Apple app can run on Android: Apple Music. So if you rely on Apple apps such as Pages or Numbers, you use Safari on your macOS computer extensively and want to sync your bookmarks and history to your phone, or you have purchased a lot of media content from Apple, you should choose iOS or iPadOS. You will not be able to access any of these content on your Android device.

[Related: Best Apple Music Tips and Add-ons]

Also note the apps we mentioned earlier that allow you to log in to only one device at a time (as opposed to programs like Instagram and Netflix that allow logging in on multiple devices). Review your most used apps to check how many logins are allowed. Then download the single login app to your primary device.

3. Install all Google apps on iOS

If you store your data primarily in Google applications such as Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Maps, you can access it on iOS, iPadOS, and Android. Google regularly updates its applications across all platforms, so you can (and should) download them to all devices regardless of the operating system.

Google automatically stores your data in the cloud and syncs it to multiple phones or tablets. In other words, you will get Google Drive documents, saved Google Maps locations, Google Photos images, and other information on every device you have. Even Google Assistant can run on iOS and iPadOS, but it won't integrate well like the system. For example, you won't be able to call Google Assistant unless the app is open - so a locked phone won't be able to use "OK, Google" or long press the home button to ask about traffic.

4. Access your Apple data on Android

Getting your Apple data to an Android device is not as easy as syncing your Google data to an iPhone or iPad, but it is still possible.

For example, the Gmail app for Android can access your Apple email. Click your avatar in the upper right corner or circle with your initial letter, and then click to add an account . Finally, select Other and enter your Apple login credentials.

Getting Apple calendar and contact information on Android is not easy, and any changes you make will not sync automatically. The following is the setup method. First, log in to iCloud in your web browser and export your data.

To share contacts with Google's operating system, select all contacts, click the gear icon in the lower left corner, and select Export vCard. Then open Google Contacts on the web and import the saved file by scrolling down the left menu and clicking Import .

In the Calendar app, click the Share button to the right of the calendar, then tick Public Calendar and copy the URL that appears. Next, open Google Calendar in your web browser and scroll down the left menu. Click the plus sign icon next to "Other Calendars", and then click from URL. Enter the URL provided by Apple Calendar. This data will then be synced to Google Calendar on Android. While you can edit and view them on your Apple device and view them on your Google Calendar, the synchronization is only one-way—your Android device cannot edit information on your Apple Calendar.

5. Select neutral application

As you will notice, syncing dedicated Google or Apple apps between operating systems can be a hassle. Try to use OS-independent applications where possible, which don't care whether they run on iPadOS, iOS, or Android. As long as you use the same login credentials, these applications will sync seamlessly between your devices.

For entertainment, you can watch movies on Netflix and listen to music on Spotify. For cloud storage, store your files in Dropbox. The same goes for messaging and calls: you can set up Skype for video calls and Facebook Messenger for sending text messages to friends. You can even choose a neutral digital assistant because Amazon's Alexa is available for Android and iOS.

6. Trust in the Cloud

The cloud is your friend when you use Android and Apple devices. The more data you store online, rather than locally, the more data you can access on any device.

[Related: Free up space on your laptop by moving all files to the cloud]

So if the application asks you where you want to save the backup or store the data, select the cloud option if it is available. Many applications now use cloud storage by default, but if you have this option, use it.

Also, don't bother paying for multiple cloud storage systems – the goal is to stick with Google Drive or iCloud. iCloud is currently priced at $1 per month, offering 50GB of storage, while Google will charge $2 per month (or $20 per year) for 100GB of storage. If you plan to use your iOS phone or iPadOS tablet as your primary device, you may have the option of iCloud, which only works within the Apple ecosystem.

7. Get help from your computer

If you have problems transferring files between Android and Apple devices, please seek the help of a mediator—i.e., your computer. When the direct connection between the phone or tablet fails, this third party can succeed.

You can use similar tricks to transfer notes between Google Keep and Apple Notes. If you keep your app on a separate device, synchronizing its content can be very difficult. However, if you perform transfers on your computer, it's easy. Open the website version of each application (Keep and Notes) on your computer's web browser. Log in to both sites to access your notes and copy-paste the text from one to the other.

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