7 Reasons to Switch from Android to iPhone

When buying a new phone, most people end up choosing between Android and iPhone. If you are thinking about switching, here are seven reasons why moving from Android to iPhone can be a good idea, with what Apple says about each one.

1. Security and updates

Every app on the App Store goes through Apple’s App Review before it is published. Apple says that nearly 500 experts around the world review over 130,000 apps every week, and that in 2024 it rejected more than 1.9 million app submissions, for reasons that include privacy violations and fraudulent activity.

iOS updates come straight from Apple, and you can install them wirelessly from your iPhone. Apple also keeps supporting older models: iOS 27 runs on the iPhone 11, which was released in 2019.

The App Store is the main place to get apps, but not the only one everywhere. In the European Union, Brazil and Japan, Apple allows alternative app marketplaces and apps downloaded from developers’ websites. Your iPhone does not install them without your permission, and you can block them with parental controls. Apps installed this way go through Apple’s Notarization, but each marketplace decides how it reviews apps, so if you prefer the review described above, you can simply keep using the App Store.

2. The Apple ecosystem

iPhone is designed to work with Apple’s other devices. Continuity features let you move between your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and other Apple devices. With the same Apple Account on your devices, Handoff starts a task on one and continues it on another, AirDrop sends photos and files to nearby Apple devices, and Universal Clipboard lets you copy on one device and paste on another. Some features need specific models and software versions, and Apple lists the requirements for each one.

iCloud keeps your photos, files, notes and other data up to date across all your devices, automatically. It includes 5 GB of free storage; for more space you can subscribe to iCloud+.

3. Ease of use

iOS works in a similar way from one iPhone to the next, so moving to a newer model does not mean relearning the basics. If you already have an iPhone, Quick Start sets up the new one from the old one (see our guide on how to transfer data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone).

If you are coming from Android, Apple’s Move to iOS app helps you bring your content over. Apple lists contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, photo albums, files and folders, web bookmarks, mail accounts and calendars, among others. If they are available on both Google Play and the App Store, some of your free apps are matched, and you can download them from the App Store afterwards.

4. Your apps and the App Store

Many of the apps you use on Android are also on the App Store. When you move with Move to iOS, the free apps that exist on both stores are matched, and you can download them afterwards. Apple says that nearly 2 million apps are available on the App Store worldwide, and that every app has to follow its guidelines.

5. Apple Pay

Apple Pay lets you pay with your iPhone in stores, in apps and on the web. In a store you double-click the side button (the Home button on iPhones that have one), authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode, and hold the top of your iPhone near the contactless reader. In apps and on websites you tap the Apple Pay button and confirm in the same way.

6. Family Sharing

With Family Sharing, you and up to five other family members can share access to Apple services such as iCloud+, Apple Music and Apple TV. You can also manage a child’s device with Screen Time and parental controls, and a parent or guardian can respond to Ask to Buy requests when a child wants to get an app or other content.

When children start to go to school by themselves, family members can share their location with each other in the Find My app, and help find each other’s missing devices.

7. iPhones stay useful for years

Apple keeps supporting older iPhones with iOS updates: iOS 27 runs on the iPhone 11, released in 2019. A phone that stays supported for years is useful for longer, and it can still find a new owner when you upgrade.

If you are ready to switch, you can sell your old phone to Swappie: see our guide on how to sell your phone. If you would rather buy an iPhone, have a look at Swappie’s refurbished iPhones.