Author Archives: Liza Ma

10 reasons to switch to Android

In the last year, over a billion new Android phones were activated. Ready to join the fun, but not sure which phone is best for you? Consider one that’s loaded with the best of Google, that can fold to fit in your pocket or fit your budget, or has a camera that can capture any shot. Regardless of which phone you choose, making the switch from iPhone to Android has never been easier.

Starting today, support for the Switch to Android app on iOS is rolling out to all Android 12 phones, so you can move over some important information from your iPhone to your new Android seamlessly. Once you’ve got your new Android phone, follow our easy setup instructions to go through the data transfer process. You’ll be prompted to connect your old iPhone with your new Android phone either with your iPhone cable or wirelessly via the new Switch to Android app. The instructions will walk you through how to easily transfer your data like your contacts, calendars and photos over to your new phone.

Once you’re all set up, you can get started on your new Android device by checking out our favorite features.

  1. Express yourself in new ways: With the Messages app and Gboard, it’s easy and enjoyable to send messages — especially between friends who use Android. Group chats, high-quality photo and video sharing, read receipts and emoji reactions are all available thanks to RCS, and thousands of emoji mashup stickers are there to help you express your feelings. (Rest assured, your iPhone friends will still receive your messages as well.)
  2. Video chat with anyone, anywhere: If your friends and family have Google accounts, it's easier than ever to video chat with Google Meet on Android. Or if you prefer FaceTime, you can still use that in the latest version of Chrome. Or with apps like WhatsApp in Google Play, you can chat with whomever you like for free around the globe. Android has so many options, it’s easy to stay connected with those that matter to you the most.
  3. Tune into your favorite music: Catch up on the latest hits with your preferred streaming service available on Android. And if you had previously purchased and downloaded music on your iPhone, your music will transfer over to your Android phone, as long as it’s digital rights management (DRM)-free. Your purchases and downloaded content from Apple Music will still be accessible on your new Android device by downloading the Apple Music app.
  4. Your favorite apps and more: With Google Play, you’ll find the apps you already use and love, and quickly start to discover so many more. Looking to plan an outdoorsy getaway? Hipcamp will help you book your next camping spot, Skyview Lite will be your stargazing guide to the sky, and AllTrails will help you find a hike that’s perfect for you and your friends. A summer of fun made possible with your new Android.
  5. A privacy-first approach: On your new phone, your data is proactively protected by Android. Android helps defeat bad apps, malware, phishing and spam, and helps keep you one step ahead of threats. Messages, for example, helps protect people against 1.5 billion spam messages per month. Android also provides timely recommendations, like prompting you to select your location-sharing preferences when opening an app to help you make the best decisions for your privacy. Read more about how to keep your data private and secure.
  6. More devices that work better together: Choose from a wide variety of Chromebooks, Wear OS smartwatches, Google TV devices and Fast Pair supported headphones, like Pixel Buds, that work better together with your phone. In fact, some of your Apple products will still work with your Android device, like AirPods.
  7. Get more done with Google apps and services: Traveling on vacation and can’t read the local signs? Scan the text forinstant translation so you can get to your destination quickly. Editing a Google Doc on your laptop, but need to finish on the go? You can easily keep work going on your Android phone, too. Google prides itself on being helpful, and the best of Google is built into Android phones.
  8. Share music, photos and more across devices: Nearby Share lets you easily share music, photos and other files between your nearby Android and Chrome OS devices. To share content like photos and videos with non-Android devices, you can easily use sharing built into Google Photos or several other apps that allow you to share with friends and family and keep them in an organized memory bank for the future.
  9. Customize your Home screen with Android Widgets: Widgets are helpful additions to any Home screen, putting the information that’s most important to you right at your fingertips. There will soon be 35 Google widgets available on Android, so whether you want to have easy access to Google Maps’ real-time traffic predictions or have translations at the ready so you can communicate with family and friends, Android is there to make your life a little easier.
  10. Technology that’s useful for everyone: Everyone has their own way of using their devices. That’s why we build accessible features and products that work for the various ways people want to experience the world. Whether you want to use your device without ever needing the screen using TalkBack, or you want to take what’s being said out loud and create a real-time transcript with Live Transcribe, Android has you covered when and how you need it.

And that’s not all. Between our major annual updates, we’re always adding new features to Android.

Get more done across devices with Android

Adding technology to your life should make every day a little easier. But that only happens if the devices are able to anticipate your needs and move smoothly from one activity to the next throughout the day. We’ve been hard at work building on our efforts to bring you even more simple and helpful ways for your devices to all work better together.

Instant setup for even more devices

We launched Fast Pair to remove the frustration out of pairing your Android phone with new Bluetooth accessories like headphones and speakers, and have already helped connect these devices over 175 million times. Earlier this year, we shared plans to expand Fast Pair support to more devices, so you can automatically detect and pair compatible headphones with your Android phone, Chromebook and Google TV with a single click.

Starting this fall, we’ll introduce built-in support for Matter on Android, so you can use Fast Pair to quickly connect Matter-enabled smart home devices to your network, Google Home and other accompanying apps in just a few taps. Whether you’re updating your current setup or building a new smart home network, consider light bulbs, thermostats and plugs from supported Matter brands like Eve, Yale and Philips Hue.

A phone showing the process of connecting a smart plug into the Google Home app with Fast Pair for Matter-enabled devices

Media throughout your day

Chromecast built-in is designed to help you easily share audio, photo and video content from your phone to supported smart speakers, displays and TVs. And the Google TV app will soon have the ability for you to cast shows and movies directly from your Android phone or tablet to your TV. In the future, we’re also working to bring casting to Chromebooks and cars with Google built-in so you can enjoy media on whatever screen is in front of you. This means you’ll be able to start watching your favorite team's game on your laptop at work, switch to your phone while you walk to the parking lot, and catch the final minutes on your car's display (while parked or charging) before driving home.

A tablet casting a movie from the Google TV mobile app directly to a TV.

At CES this year, we showcased how our technology can improve your experience on headphones and painlessly switch the audio between the devices you’re listening on whether it’s your Android phone or tablet. In the next few months, we’ll roll out the ability to automatically switch the audio on select headphones from Sony, JBL and Pixel. We’re also working with Qualcomm and other partners to bring this capability to more headphones with their technology chips.

Earbuds switching the audio from a recipe video on a tablet, to a phone next to it receiving a phone call

Your overall audio experience is also getting better with Android. With spatial audio on your headsets, you’ll be immersed into another world with sound adapted to your head movements and audio filling the space around you. Based on our collaboration with Qualcomm, we’re also adopting LE Audio, a new Bluetooth audio standard that results in lower latency than classic audio, provides higher audio quality and allows you to broadcast media to more than one person at the same time. We’re working with partners like Samsung, OnePlus and Sony to bring these technologies to the Android ecosystem.

Getting things done across devices

With Phone Hub, your Chromebook can already help you receive and send messages from your Android phone. We also have plans to expand Phone Hub’s capabilities to let you stay on top of all your chats by streaming messaging apps from your Android phone directly to your Chromebook — without having to install the app on your laptop.

A phone sending a chat message, with the replies appearing on a laptop for responding and continuing the conversation

And, we’re making it easier to help you get things done on the device that’s most convenient for you. You’ll soon be able to copy and paste a URL or photo from your Android phone to your tablet and vice versa. These features will roll out to Android phones and tablets with Android 13 this fall.

Odds are, you'll keep adding more connected devices into your home - and so will your family and friends. Whether these devices are for entertainment or productivity, we’re committed to work with our partners to bring you multi-device experiences that will make your life easier.

Source: Android