7 Potential Challenges You Might Face When Switching From Android to iPhone
Apple’s iPhones may have excellent cameras and build quality, intuitive user interface, and well-optimized third-party apps, but they’re far from perfect. If you recently switched from an Android device to an iPhone, chances are, it hasn’t been a walk in the park.
You may face some challenges along the way—things you hate about the iOS experience or Android features you miss when using an iPhone. Below, we’ll discuss some of the most common issues and some potential solutions, where possible.
1. Poor Phone Call Management
Although today’s smartphones can do almost anything, from browsing the internet and streaming videos to playing games and taking pictures, the ability to make and receive calls has always been its defining feature. This makes phone call management on any device a crucial matter.
Phone call management on the iPhone is one of the most annoying aspects of the device for those coming from Android. First, the Phone app on your iOS device only stores a few of your recent calls, which means you may not find calls made or received a few days ago.
In addition, unlike on Android, where calls from different apps (such as Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and Telegram, to name a few) are displayed on their respective apps, the iPhone displays calls from other apps in the Phone app. This makes it challenging to separate regular phone calls from VoIP or app-based calls and reduces the number of phone calls displayed in the Phone app.
Lastly, recording phone calls on Android devices is much easier, as you can easily download third-party apps to do this, while some Android devices come with a built-in call recorder. Although it’s more challenging on iOS devices, there areways to record phone calls and conversations on an iPhone.
2. Limited Keyboard Features and Layout Customization
Mirroring the simplicity inherent in other iOS apps and features, the iPhone’s keyboard can best be characterized as minimalistic. While this doesn’t seem bad at first glance, its lack of essential tools and the frequent need for extra steps to access specific buttons can be pretty frustrating.
For example, the iOS keyboard doesn’t have a number row, so you’ll have to switch back and forth between the numeric and alphabetic layouts every time you need to enter a number and a letter. Another frustrating limitation is the lack of a clipboard manager. Most Android keyboards have a clipboard button that lets you quickly access, edit, copy, and paste saved text.
Lastly, iOS keyboard customization options are severely limited compared to Android, which gives users more control over their keyboard’s themes, layout, and settings. One of the best ways to overcome these challenges and boost your typing experience is to download andadd a third-party keyboard on your iPhone, like Microsoft’s SwiftKey.
Download:Microsoft SwiftKey foriOS(Free)
3. No Custom Ringtones
If you recently switched to an iPhone, you may appreciate its looks. However, we bet you will find it annoying to hear the same old iPhone ringtones, especially when you’re in the midst of other iPhone users. Sadly, creating custom ringtones and alerts is not as straightforward as on Android, but it isn’t impossible either.
There are severalways to make and set custom ringtones on an iPhone. You can use iTunes to create or buy custom ringtones, or download a third-party app like Zedge to get ringtones. Once done, you can use your custom ringtones for specific contacts or as your default ringtone.
Download:Zedge foriOS(Free, subscription available)
4. No Sideloading
Previously, you could easily install apps from third-party sources besides the Google Play Store on your Android device. This is known as sideloading, and unfortunately, it is not available on iOS, at least at the time of writing, as some reports suggest that Apple may introduce the feature to comply with a new EU law.
Why is it such a big deal, though? Being able to download apps from multiple sources means more choices and options. More importantly, sideloading apps allows you to bypass App Store’s geographical restrictions and try out apps that are not available in your region. However, it’s worth mentioning thatsideloading or installing unofficial apps may put you at riskof malware and other security threats.
5. No Split-Screen Multitasking
The ability to use two apps simultaneously is a perk that Android users have enjoyed for years, but iPhone users are yet to get the privilege. This can be a major annoyance if you recently switched from an Android device to an iPhone, as you are restricted to using one app at a time.
For instance, you could easily watch a YouTube video on an Android device whiletaking notes on Notion or Obsidian. But on an iPhone, you must switch between apps whenever you want to do something else unless you download a third-party split-screen multitasking app like Split Screen - Dual Window.
Download:Split Screen - Dual Window foriOS(Free)
6. Siri’s Limited Functionality
If you spent a lot of time using Google Assistant on Android, you might be disappointed to find out that Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, is pretty limited. This is not to say Siri is bad, as you’re able to use it for many basic tasks, such as setting reminders, calling specific contacts, playing music, or asking about the weather.
However, Google offers a more comprehensive experience when it comes to voice assistants, as it’s generally faster and provides better responses to queries. Luckily, if you don’t enjoy using Siri, you can easilyset up Google Assistant on an iPhone.
7. Apple’s Lightning Connector
Unfortunately, switching to an iPhone also means having to switch cables. That’s because the iPhone still uses its proprietary Lightning cable, while Android devices use USB-C. So, gone are those days when you could use one cable for all your devices, from your Android phone to your portable speaker and laptop.
Instead, while using your iPhone, you are stuck using a cable with many flaws, at least when compared to its USB-C counterpart. For instance, the Lightning cable is notorious for breaking easily, is incompatible with several devices, delivers less power, and is more expensive to replace.
Switching to an iPhone Isn’t All Bad
Although transitioning from Android to iOS may not be smooth, there are still many reasons to love iPhones. Overcoming these challenges is part of a process that ultimately leads to an enjoyable experience, discovering all the great features that iOS and the Apple ecosystem—in general—have to offer.
What’s so special about iOS that people keep coming back to it? Let’s find out.
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