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Android on the Mac
- Thread starter jwolf6589
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I find Android works great with ChromeOS, Android works extremely well with Windows, and Android works fine (not great) with macOS.
iOS and macOS probably work the best of the bunch, but if you're in Android, that doesn't help you.
iOS and macOS probably work the best of the bunch, but if you're in Android, that doesn't help you.
What are you looking for it to be able to do? Of course, iOS/macOS have some native advantages (handoff, continuity, AirDrop, Apple Messages and Safari, iCloud Photos) but as far moving data/files back and forth, you have access to all of the third party cloud solutions as well as software (Android File Transfer, AirDroid) to assist with file transfer.
Personally, my Android phones are practically never connected to my Macs because I just don’t ever need to with nearly everything I do cloud based.
I agree with @tbayrgs in that my phone is hardly ever connected to my Mac. I've seen this question before in the same vague wording, we'd really need more detail about the ways in which you expect the phone to work with the OS, but as noted before it definitely won't have the same level of integration as iOS devices do.
All the common things you expect/have Iphone to Mac equally and in some cases more exist on Android to W10 now
There has always been workarounds on Android to W10 however Microsoft and Samsung have pushed this further of late and integration is far simpler now and has some extra features over Iphone to Mac
The problem of Android to Mac or even IPhone to W10 is not on the Android and W10 side its simply Apple make it hard to implement
I'm sure MS will be able to make Samsung/Android to MAC phone companion work but less doubtful for Iphone to W10 IOS phone companion
As others have noted depending on your workflow many actions are available via cloud solutions like onedrive
well I hope I will never have to use a Android as I never have used one. I love my iPhone.
OK, but what do you do now that sync between iOS and macOS that you're curious how it would work with Android? Or were you just looking to stir the "iOS/macOS integration is superior to Android/macOS integration" pot?
The nice thing about Google is that their services are cloud-based from the start, so as long as you are in a browser, you're good. Of course, this is assuming you are using all Google services like GMail, and syncing your photos to Google Photos, files with Google Drive, etc. As long as you can do anything on the browser via Google services, Android integrates really really well as everything is synced through Google's server.
Android doesn't "integrate" well enough, imo, with Windows. It's more like Android integrates WELL with the cloud, and you interface it via web browser. I would imagine it's the same with Mac.
That will probably take a whole new thread.
Some reasons why I use Android as my primary driver:
1. Dual physical SIM slot (most Android phones in Asia have dual physical SIM slot). For iPhones, only the Hong Kong version of the new iPhones have dual physical SIM slot.
2. Twin app, meaning I can have two Whatsapp (also Line, Facebook Messenger, Wechat, etc) accounts in one phone. This is not a stock Android feature though, more like a feature from some OEMs (Samsung, and most Chinese makers have this feature)
3. Some apps from the government institutions in my country are only available on Android
4. Customization. Don't like the OEM stock launcher, simply install a 3rd party launcher. Don't like the stock SMS app, install a different one. etc etc.
Also with Android, there are a plethora of models to chose from within any budget. I can get an Android phone for as little as $100 (Redmi 8) or as high as $1300 (Galaxy S20 Ultra), and anything in between.
Obviously, there are also disadvantage, mainly software support. My Android phone (Honor View 10, originally released in 2017) is stuck on Android 9 with December 2019 security patch, and I doubt it will see anymore updates. Meanwhile, I bought an iPhone 7 Plus (originally released on 2016) earlier this year, and it came with iOS13 out of the box.
Okay that might be off topic. Back to your main point about integration. The nice thing is that Google also supports iOS as a platform. So if you're a Google service users, I don't think there are major differences between iPhones and Android. In the end it's about preference of the hardware itself. If you have a Mac, of course it might be tempting to go with iPhone since you get the extra niceties from iCloud (eg. iCloud photos, Handoff, iMessage, etc).
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That will probably take a whole new thread.
Some reasons why I use Android as my primary driver:
1. Dual physical SIM slot (most Android phones in Asia have dual physical SIM slot). For iPhones, only the Hong Kong version of the new iPhones have dual physical SIM slot.
2. Twin app, meaning I can have two Whatsapp (also Line, Facebook Messenger, Wechat, etc) accounts in one phone. This is not a stock Android feature though, more like a feature from some OEMs (Samsung, and most Chinese makers have this feature)
3. Some apps from the government institutions in my country are only available on Android
4. Customization. Don't like the OEM stock launcher, simply install a 3rd party launcher. Don't like the stock SMS app, install a different one. etc etc.
Also with Android, there are a plethora of models to chose from within any budget. I can get an Android phone for as little as $100 (Redmi 8) or as high as $1300 (Galaxy S20 Ultra), and anything in between.
Obviously, there are also disadvantage, mainly software support. My Android phone (Honor View 10, originally released in 2017) is stuck on Android 9 with December 2019 security patch, and I doubt it will see anymore updates. Meanwhile, I bought an iPhone 7 Plus (originally released on 2016) earlier this year, and it came with iOS13 out of the box.
Okay that might be off topic. Back to your main point about integration. The nice thing is that Google also supports iOS as a platform. So if you're a Google service users, I don't think there are major differences between iPhones and Android. In the end it's about preference of the hardware itself. If you have a Mac, of course it might be tempting to go with iPhone since you get the extra niceties from iCloud (eg. iCloud photos, Handoff, iMessage, etc).
i see thanks. There has to be advantages because I see many use them out there.
So Androids are not all the same? Google Pixel is different than Samsung Android?
For example Huawei's and Sony's devices have their own software that work like iTunes.
Yes, Android's are different and tweaked differently and have different possibilities. For example some Android 10 devices have the dark mode while others do not etc.
This I did not know. I don't know much about Android as I have never used one, but I see people using them all the time. Why would some choose them over Apple devices as one of my brothers has? There are advantages as one poster pointed out.
Yes, there are indeed advantages to Android over iOS, but those advantages are highly subjective and dependent upon one's own priorities.
If a person likes to simply buy a phone and use it as the manufacturer intended without the hassle of figuring out how you'd like to use it, then the iPhone is perfect.
But for people who want to customize their user experience to fit their use cases and workflows, and have a choice of hardware, then Android-based phones are the way to go.
That's it in a nutshell.
I was an Android user very early on and went through phones every 6 months because I struggled to find a phone I liked. Eventually made the switch to an iPhone for 4 years which I loved but just found that you were so limited in what can be done. I went back to Android just over 2 years ago with a Samsung S9+ and found that Android was so much for customisable.
Decided to stick with it and upgraded to the S20 Ultra, sold my iPad and bought the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 which again offers good flexibility.
There are a lot of frustrating things with Android, one as mentioned above is the updates. The advantage is though you do have a wide range of companies and phones to buy from.
I do feel that I will slowly start making the transition back to Apple in the next year, have recently bought a MacBook Air which I am loving.
Going back on topic, I haven't explored the connectivity between the Samsung S20 Ultra but suspect as already mentioned it will only cloud based.
Interesting... But what of those that don't like to customize? Also one question. Since FaceTime is not available on Android how do these users video chat with each other?
I think for those that don't like to customise, iOS is probably the best shout. Obviously you could use Android and not customise it but iOS is much more user friendly.
I personally use Google Duo or Whatsapp to video call other users. Google Duo is pretty much the default video app on Google, which I believe is also available on iOS but can't confirm.
You hope you never have to use something that you admit you have no experience of? Very bizarre?
You know you could use one, then realise you love it even more and why oh why did you listen to those silly people on web forums for years telling you that a Locked down, overpriced Fisher price shackled OS was the best thing since sliced bread!!
Or maybe not, but you will never know will you!
Is this a genuine question, wow, talk.about living in a bubble.
Reminds me of an instance where a co worker told me she loves her iphone cos you can get ebay on it, and was genuinely shocked when I said you could get ebay on every smartphone!!! Bless..
You are not alone in your naivety about the tech options out there tho, another fellow co worker, just last week put on a group mail about thanking god she bought an iphone so she could video call her mum?
And a big deep breath and..... xoom, messenger. WhatsApp Video, skype. Vyber, google duos, Azarenka, justtalk, oovoo, tango, hangouts and on and on and on....
Next you will be asking how we send pictures without iMessage? Brilliant!!!