I am currently an IOS user, however, as the title suggests, I wish to switch to android. This is because I would prefer to use free software and not be locked into the apple ecosystem. That being said I am already locked into apple and would like to know how anyone else here has managed the switch.
I for one know I will face problems regarding group chats with friends and family on IOS, I will lose out on iCloud+ features, I will have to buy a replacement for my HomePod, I will need to replace apple home, etc.
How did anyone else here who has made such a switch replace or solve these issues?
Apple’s Messages app is a total dumpster fire. Literally every other chat platform out there has figured it out. Snapchat, Telegram, FB Messenger, WhatsApp, Line, etc., all work just fine across platforms. Only Apple wants it to suck for their users whenever a non-Apple device enters the conversation. I can’t understand why people willingly subject themselves to that misery and still somehow feel smug about their iOS echo chamber. Pathetic.
pretty sure Snapchat is still not very cross platform, can’t use it on pc
Who is bringing a PC into a discussion about mobile cross platform apps? Many apps have the option, but I don’t think anyone primarily thinks of anything but being able to work across iOS and Android.
Plus it seems once it works outside of Apple’s fortress, it can find a way to work on a non mobile device. It’s kind of in the DNA.
It does matter. Take iMessage. It’s cross platform enough for most people. You can text an Android-using friend and they can text you back. There are annoying limitations, but if you use a Mac, having the same messages available on your computer while you’re sitting at your desk at work is a feature that you may use, and if so, that feature is probably more important to you than whether you can directly share a video clip at full quality versus having to share a link or whatever.
What are the chances that the decision to make it suck was deliberate? This is apple we’re talking about here, after all.
Probably because most people have iOS devices, atleast in the US. In my group of friends and acquaintances of say 30-40 people I am the only one with an Android phone.
I also work in IT services for small businesses (setting up email, etc.) and rarely come across Android phones. iPhones are everywhere.
So if everyone has iOS in the group chat it’s not really an issue.
Android market share is around ~45%. https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/north-america
Globally, Android is ~70%. https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/worldwide
There are regional bubbles for each of course.
I did this years ago and getting sms disentangled from imessage was a fucking nightmare. I don’t even remember how I finally managed it. Idk if it’s gotten any better, but don’t be surprised if there’s a headache. Good luck!
I’ve had this issue in the past. I had to spend hours on the phone with apple support to get them to manually remove my number from the iMessage database of known numbers. Then you also have to wait for that to sync back to everyone’s devices who has you as a contact. It was awful and still didn’t fix it 100%
The thing about the android side is that you’re pretty much locked into the Pixel and Google Fi if you want to avoid manufacturer bloatware or cell carrier bloatware. I did Metro PCS for a solid decade to provide service, but at the end, I was paying for unlimited and if I wasn’t on WiFi, the service over cellular was complete fucking garbage.
Google at least provides decent rates and their service is good when I need it Yes, all of the eggs are in the same basket, but at the same time, maybe it’s not a bad thing with the frequency of beaches these days. The Pixel? Best phone I’ve ever had (I only buy the “a” versions because I’m a cheap ass). It’s fast and has great battery life.
Good luck!
Welcome to the world of Sd cards and downloading what ya want. There’s google drive. Idk what apple home is cause i despise Macintosh, but there’s Chromecast and that stupid Alexa thing.
If you want to switch specifically for free software, make sure that the phone you’re buying is bootloader-unlockable. The Pixel phones (not from a carrier, but unlocked) are good options.
If not, you will simply be locked into Google’s ecosystem (along with whatever OEM, such as Samsung’s), which isn’t much better than Apple’s.
As for ROMs, I’d recommend either GrapheneOS or DivestOS. Both are free of all Google services by default, and are as FOSS as Android allows for in the modern age.
To deregister iMessage, visit this site: https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/
In the future, I’d look into Linux phones, but as of right now, they are not usable for daily driving IMO. You can also test Linux mobile on most modern Android phones using Halium with a distro like Droidian.
Also check out privacyguides.org for alternatives to proprietary apps/services.
This is indeed my main reason for a switch, so thanks for the recommendations! I really want to try a Linux phone when it’s ready with either phosh or gnome shell mobile (I love libadwaita), but it’s just not there yet for me.
I would definitely recommend trying Droidian (Mobian for Halium) and UBPorts (although UBPorts is less traditional Linux, as it uses Snaps and has an immutable filesystem by default).
Manjaro is also available, but I don’t recommend Manjaro in general due to untimely security updates.
You can use Waydroid as an Android compatibility layer.
