If you’re seriously considering ditching some (or all) of Apple’s products you’re definitely not alone, but it’s easier said than done. Cupertino’s done such a good job of wheedling its way into every facet of our digital lives that weaning yourself off of its ecosystem of products is a pretty serious endeavor.
With that in mind, we’ve scoured the internet for tips, tricks and guides to remove yourself from every single one of Apple’s apps, services and products. Ok, let’s start with a big one. If you’d rather try out one of Samsung’s bezel-less Galaxy phones, that process is pretty simple, too, thanks to a special Samsung Smart Switch app. All you need to do is backup your iPhone with iTunes and switch off iMessage. Then plug your new Android phone into the same computer and Samsung will handle the rest.
Google’s outlined a simple way to bring all your iPhone data with you in three easy steps using Google Drive. That said, you’ll still need your iPhone for transferring your data out of Apple Photos and Apple’s Podcasts app. So don’t give away your old phone yet. Leaving Apple means saying goodbye to the company’s overpriced laptops and desktops—though Microsoft does offer its own comparably high-end computers, too. Whether you opt for a fancy Surface or a cheaper PC, you’ll still have to do some work if you want to carry over all the information stored on your old Mac.
The first thing you’ll want to do is set up a Microsoft account to replace your old Apple ID. From there, you should connect your Mac to an external hard drive and transfer over all your files. This is actually a pretty complicated process, so head over to Laptop Magazine for a step-by-step guide. Once you’ve finished saving and formatting all your files, all you need to do is connect your external hard drive to your new computer and drag all your files onto your PC desktop.
Apple Messages (formerly, and forever in our hearts, known as iMessage) is probably the biggest single thing keeping most people from leaving the Apple universe. Deleting your account is easy, and the bugs that used to cause former iMessage users to miss out on text messages have been ironed out.
However, if the rest of your friends and family keep using iMessage you may have a bit of a disconnect due to the extra features Apple keeps adding to its messaging app. Outside of the U.S., most of the world already prefers third-party chat apps like WhatsApp. So maybe try convincing your social circles to try that app instead.
You could also just start relying more on Facebook Messenger (everyone already has a Facebook account, anyway). Regardless of which app you pick, it shouldn’t make much of a difference to your data plan since iMessage already uses data when you’re not already on Wi-Fi. If all else fails, you can just use regular SMS and accept that your iPhone-owning friends will probably judge you for your green bubble messages.
It shouldn’t be a significant financial issue, since almost everyone in the U.S. This is a big one if you’re switching to Android, since you’ll likely want to start using Google Apps instead. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t make it easy, either. The trick, according to Android Central, is to use desktop apps. The first thing you’ll need to do is download the Google Drive and iCloud Drive apps onto your computer.
Then open up both cloud storage services in separate Finder windows on Mac (or File Explorer windows on PC). Highlight all the iCloud Drive files you want to transfer and drag them into Google Drive. That’s it, you’re done. So do yourself a favor and just take the easy route. If you’re somehow still using Apple’s email service, it’s time to upgrade. Seriously, even if you plan on keeping your iPhone or iMac, you should really be using Gmail. Once it’s downloaded, connect your iCloud Mail account so your emails all show up in Thunderbird.
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