How to make your new iPhone feel a bit more like Android

A few apps go a long way

It’s that time of the year when Apple steals headlines with its latest iterations of iPhone and iOS. While some of you may not care, it’s recently come to our attention that at least 25% of our readership have made the jump to Apple land. Whether you’re still getting your bearings on iOS or you’re a seasoned pro, here are some quick tips to ease the transition and make your iPhone feel a little more like Android.

1. Change your default apps

First up are your default apps. You may not be able to find every Google-made app on the App Store, but you can download the most important ones, like Chrome, Assistant, Gmail, Maps, and Google Photos. As long as you’re on iOS 14 and up, you can even set some Google apps as your system defaults, if you know where to look. (Keep in mind that this currently only works for your web browser and email client.)

To change your default browser from Safari to Chrome, you’ll need to open up the Settings app. Then scroll down to Chrome, select it, and change Safari to Chrome within the dropdown default menu. Voilà, Chrome is now your default browser on your iPhone. Repeat the same steps if you’d like to make Gmail your default email app.

Despite the progress Apple’s starting to make on finally letting users choose their default apps, you still can’t designate Google Calendar, Tasks, or Photos over Apple’s native offerings. Baby steps.

2. Install a new keyboard

Although Apple was far from first to the third-party keyboard party (that award goes to Android, of course), iOS has supported this feature since 2014. Today, you can find many of your favorite third-party Android keyboards on the Apple App Store, including Google’s Gboard, Microsoft’s SwiftKey, and Fleksy.

To swap out the default keyboard on your iPhone, first download the one you want from the App Store. Then open the Settings app, tap on the “General” tab, then “Keyboard,” and hit “Keyboards” one more time. From there, you’ll want to “Add New Keyboard” and choose the one you want from the list.

Once you’ve done that, tap on the keyboard you added one more time and “Allow Full Access.” Keep in mind that by doing so, you’ll be enabling the full breadth of features that come with every third-party keyboard. Apple warns, however, that in full access mode, each keyboard’s developer can technically log your keystrokes, so proceed at your own discretion.

Finally, open up any texting app on your phone where the keyboard pops up, tap the globe icon in the bottom left corner, and you’ll now be using your third-party keyboard of choice. Enjoy!

3. Swap Siri out for Google Assistant (sort of)

Everyone knows that Siri reigns as the dominant digital assistant in Apple’s ecosystem, but what many may not realize is that there’s a roundabout trick you can use to partially replace Siri with Google Assistant.

First, you’ll need to make sure you’ve downloaded Google Assistant and Apple Shortcuts from the App Store. Next, make a new shortcut by opening the Shortcuts app and hitting the plus icon in the top right corner. Click “Add Action,” choose “Hey, Google” from the list, and make sure the “Show When Run” toggle is enabled. Finally, name your Shortcut to “Hey, Google,” and click “Done.”

From here, you can either invoke Assistant by saying, “Hey, Siri,” and wait for the prompt before saying, “Hey, Google,” followed by your command. Alternatively, you can just hold down the side button on your iPhone to summon Siri and say, “Hey, Google,” wait for Siri to prompt you, and then speak your command.

Granted, Assistant won’t be able to handle system-level tasks — like activating your iPhone’s flashlight or sending an iMessage to a loved one — and it is a little slow since you have to wait for Siri to acknowledge your “Hey, Google” command before proceeding. That said, for Android-to-iPhone converts who really miss Assistant, this is a workable option for asking queries, controlling your smart home gadgets, and queueing up actions in other Google apps.

4. Make way for widgets

It only took Apple 13 years, but iOS finally has widgets! While the widgets in iOS may not be as interactive as they are on Android, Apple’s still brought a unique flair to the concept. For instance, Apple lets you “stack” several widgets on top of each other to conserve space while still allowing you to swipe through them for more information.

You can also place widgets on the homescreen, as well as within the pane to the left where an Android user would typically find their Discover Feed. Unfortunately, since this is Apple we’re talking about, something you can’t do with widgets is place them anywhere on your homescreens; they have to either go at the top of your display or be placed below a row of apps or folders. There’s currently no way to position a single widget by itself at the bottom of a homescreen.

There are a lot of great native and third party widgets to choose from, but staying in the Google camp, you should definitely try out Google Search, Gmail, Maps, and Chrome.

5. Clean up your homescreen

Before iOS 14, the only way to arrange an iPhone homescreen was to line up apps and folders side by side in a wall of static icons. Today, though, you can relegate most of your apps to the App Library, leaving you free to place only the apps and widgets you want on your main homescreen for a cleaner aesthetic, just like on Android.

Unfortunately, app positioning shares the same fatal flaw as widgets, in that you can’t place iOS apps in any area on your homescreen. They have to be lined up in a row, side by side, with no gaps or line spaces. Yup, it’s dumb, but at least Apple’s making progress.

6. Give up your GApps

A huge part of the Android experience revolves around Google’s first-party apps. While many of them are available on both Android and iOS, there are some you won’t find on any of Apple’s platforms. Luckily, there are some worthy alternatives. Here are just a handful you’ll want to check out.

Digital Wellbeing > Screen Time + Focus

Google’s Digital Wellbeing features are some of the best in the business, and if you’re switching to iPhone, you’re bound to miss them. Luckily, Apple also offers some powerful native digital health tools of its own.

Both of iPhone’s digital health features can be found in the Settings app. As its name suggests, Screen Time tracks the amount of time a device’s screen is active on a daily and weekly basis. It offers neat stats to let you know how your average screen time trends from week to week. It also allows you to set app usage limits and designate downtime.

New with iOS 15 is Focus, a rehashed version of Do Not Disturb that allows users to set a variety of schedules that disable certain notifications or even rearranges home screens, based on the time of day or during certain activities.

Find My Device > Find My

Sometimes your phone just disappears. Instead of searching in every crevasse and under every couch cushion, Google’s Find My Device app is an easy way to track down your missing phone. Apple’s iOS devices offer a similar feature with the Find My app. Once logged in, you can see a quick glance of all of your Apple devices, plus you can force any of them to sound off, making them easier to find if they’re hiding nearby.

Google Pay > Apple Pay

Fewer things are more convenient than tapping your phone against a payment terminal to fund your coffee addiction while both the cashier and patrons stare at your feat of digital wizardry. For these users who have grown accustomed to Google Pay’s simplicity, you’ll be happy to know that you can get similar functionality with Apple Pay.

All you have to do is add your credit card to the Apple Wallet app. From there, you can make payments at real-world locations as easily as you’d expect: Just take out your phone, hold it near a compatible payment terminal, authenticate your identity with Face ID, and done! You’re all paid up and on your way. Tap-to-pay transactions always work beautifully on the Apple Watch, if you happen to have one on you.

Personal Safety > Medical ID

In the event of a medical emergency, your phone can be a huge help to passersby and first-responders alike. While Android devices come equipped with the Personal Safety app, iOS devices include Medical ID.

This native feature lets you mark down everything from your organ donation status, to pre-existing medical conditions, to allergies, and even a comprehensive list of current medications. It also lets you designate your emergency contacts, who can be immediately notified — along with emergency services — if the Emergency SOS feature is triggered by pressing the Siri button five times in a row.

Family Link > Screen Time for Family

If you’re a parent — or even a child of a parent — you may be familiar with Family Link, Android’s solution to allowing parents to gauge how much their children use their phones. In the event that you and your whole family are switching to iOS, you’ll find a similar feature in Screen Time for Family. With the same functionality as the main Screen Time app we talked about above, parents can receive regular reports regarding their children’s screen time, as well as restrict certain apps and set downtimes.

More iPhone tips and tricks for Android users

Despite everything we highlighted in this guide, we’ve still only hit the tip of the iceberg. Similar to Android, you can also use the Google app to get a pseudo Google Discover Feed, or take advantage of icon packs to customize your iPhone’s homescreen, and a bunch much more.

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