How to switch from iPhone to Android

You're tired of dropped calls and a tightly wound interface, and so you're ready to ditch the iPhone and say hello to Android. But before you dive into your new smartphone's highly customisable interface, faster processor, nice camera and free turn-by-turn navigation, there's some housekeeping to do.

Here is a video and six easy steps to follow to transfer your contacts, calendar, notes, photos, videos, music and SMS messages (kind of) from your iPhone to your Android device:

Step 1. Google account

On your Android device, go to Menu > Settings > Accounts & Sync > Add Account > Google. If you don't have a Google account yet, you can create one here. Follow the on-screen instructions to associate your Gmail account with your new phone.

Step 2. Contacts

Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch iTunes. Click on your iPhone's name, then head to the Info tab at the top. Check "Sync Address Book Contacts", then check "Sync contacts with Google Contacts". Click Configure and enter the same account information you just configured on your Android device. Hit Apply and allow the iPhone to sync.

Step 3. Calendar and Notes

On your iPhone go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars. If the Gmail account you're using with your Android isn't here, add it by going to Add account > Gmail. Go back to Mail settings, tap the Gmail account, and turn syncing on for Calendars and Notes. Within a few minutes, your calendar will transfer to your Android device. Notes will be sent to your Gmail account and filed under a label called Notes.

Step 4. Photos and videos

Windows: connect your iPhone to your computer. Open My Computer, right-click your iPhone and select Explore. Drag and drop all the photos and videos to a new folder on your Desktop.

Mac: connect your iPhone to your computer and open the application called Image Capture. Set a new folder on your Desktop as the destination and hit Download All.

Now, on either Mac or Windows, connect your Android phone to your computer, open the Android drive and find the pictures folder. There's one titled "DCIM", but you can create your own folder if you'd like. Then drag and drop the iPhone photos from your Desktop to your Android pictures folder.

Step 5. Music

Keep your Android device connected. On your computer, find the Android's Music folder (if it doesn't exist, create one), and then drag and drop music files from your hard drive to your Android drive, which will put them on the device.

Step 6. SMS and voicemail

Here's the bad news: there's no simple way to transfer your SMS and voicemail messages to your computer or Android device (this process deserves its own How To). If there are specific important messages you want to keep, go to your iPhone's messages, select the conversation and hit Edit at the top. Tap the message or messages you want to keep, then tap Forward. In the recipient field, enter your Google email address and send.

Via CNET