How to Keep Your iOS and Android Data Synced

With all the bad blood going on between iOS loyalists and Android fanatics, it’s easy to think these two camps are out to start WW III. Practicality dictates otherwise, however. Especially when you’re in the office or out with a friend. The difference in phone/tablet architecture should not be a stumbling block in your office effectivity or to your dwindling social life, for that matter.

Apparently, one of the immediate grounds of concern is data sync ability. For instance, it would be a lot easier for you to finish on a word document coming from your iPad-wielding boss if you just can edit it on your Samsung Galaxy Note.

To note, syncing from one Cupertino-made device to the other, is not an issue with iCloud. Nor is it on the other side of the fence, from one Android gadget to the other. However, full integration between these two giant ecosystems still leaves a lot to be desired and may take years - if at all.

But this is not a hopeless case (though getting irritated may not be a surprise), here are some tricks and treats that should get you started in that direction. 

Basics: Email, Contacts, Calendar

In any business or friendship, contacts is most essential. There are various ways to keep your contacts together even on different devices.

One way is to utilize an account that is powered by Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. Outlook.com,used to be hotmail.com, is capable of replicating contact data and make them available across multiple devices. Not much of a problem for iOS, importing these data into the right designated area (e.g., calendar, contacts, stock mail).

What may be a little challenging is with Android. Although the Google world is supportive of ActiveSync. You may have to make do. Use the feature slim email app, for instance or maximize a 3rd-party alternative choice found in the Play Store - like Touchdown,     for instance.

When you talk about Android to iOS, the set-up’s slightly different. Android devices gets all integrated via a Google account as many users will know. So setting up your Google credentials in your devices via your Gmail account ensures data connectivity between these electronic gadgets, be it a tablet, a smartphone or something in between (phablet).

However, getting your Google account connected unto that fave iPad on its iPad mini keyboard case gets a little bumpy. CalDAV and cardDAV are your best bet to migrate contacts and calendars. For the more sophisticated Google accounts however, be it Business, Education or Government you will have to utilize Google Sync to facilitate the exchange.

More Productivity

For starters, use Google Drive for data-syncing. Though the iPad version is still not as robust as the original app in terms of sophistication and features, the gap is closing fast. With that said, it would be easy to work on cross-platform devices with this cloud-based app, Google Drive.

Another alternative is to use other popular cloud-based services (e.g. Dropbox, Box). Just save your Office or other word files in these internet-based services. With these, at least getting your documents read is not a problem whether you’re utilizing an iOS or an Android-based device.

And if you want to some editing which is most likely, installing Quickoffice and Documents to Go are great choices. These two apps will work in across both OS platforms, allowing you greater latitude in work.

Increasingly, there are more and more apps that can be utilized in both giant ecosystems, Android and iOS. It seems that this is becoming some sort of a trend. You may have to dig a little deeper to find these cross-platform tools but it’s a small price to pay.