Easing the change: Tips on swapping from an iPhone to a Samsung handset

If you're an iPhone user looking to move to an Android handset, the swap can be a bit daunting. While you might have to repurchase a few of your favourite apps, the change isn't anywhere as scary as it might seem. Services like Gmail and Outlook.com making moving to Android easy, and if you're eyeing a Samsung smartphone such as the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ or the Galaxy Note 5, Samsung has an app that can further streamline the process.

This story was sponsored by Samsung Australia.

Firstly, there's a few things you won't be able to take across to your new Android-based phone. Your SMS history and call log are lost, as are any apps you might have bought or in-app purchases. Otherwise, most other content will come across with relative ease.

If you're already syncing your iPhone with a service like Gmail, Outlook.com or Exchange, a lot of the hard work is done. At the very least, this will carry over your email, and there's a good chance it could bring over your calendar, contacts, and notes too, depending on how you’ve got it set up. In order to do this, you'll simply need to add your Gmail, Outlook.com or Exchange account to your new phone's Account pane in the Settings app.

While you can use a cloud option such as Dropbox or OneDrive for moving photos, the easiest option is probably just backing up any iPhone photos you want to keep directly to your PC or Mac. After you've done this, it's just a case of copying them into the camera folder on your new Samsung device. At the very least, this should be faster, and save you a bit of data.

If you're not using one of the aforementioned email services, your best bet is using iCloud as a conduit for the transfer. If you're not already backing up your iPhone to iCloud, you can do using the iCloud option under Settings. You'll want to give it a little bit of time to make sure everything has synchronised before if you're just setting it up.

After, you'll want to install Samsung's Smart Switch app on your Samsung phone. You'll sign in with your Apple ID, and this will show you which iPhone backup you can import. If you've got a micro USB to Lightning connector, you can pair your old iPhone and your new Samsung for a direct, faster transfer.

For apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, simply downloading the app on your new phone and signing into the account will be enough to get them up and running.

Before you pull out your iPhone's SIM once and for all, you'll want to make sure you deregister iMessage. It can be turned off under the "Messages" menu in the Settings app. This will ensure messages sent to your number actually reach you on the Samsung phone.