3 Easy Ways To Transfer Contacts From Android to iPhone

Got a new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c but wondering how you can transfer important data from your Android device? Making the big switch from Android to iPhone sound like a daunting task for most people. One of the main concerns when switching to a different smartphone platform is how to completely transfer contacts. Don't sweat it because it's not really that hard. Read on as we walk you through the steps on how to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone.

Easy Ways To Transfer Contacts From Android to iPhone

Via Google Contacts Service

The idea is simple enough: sync your entire address book from your Android device to the cloud Contacts service of Google, and then use Google Contacts to transfer the entries to the iPhone. So needless to say, you need to have a Google account. If not, you can always create one for the sake of this tutorial. While this guide focuses on Android smartphones and iPhone, the same process can be utilized for Android tablets/phablets and iPad/iPod touch.

Step 1: Syncing Android Contacts to Google Contacts

• On your Android phone, launch settings and navigate to “Accounts & Sync” or similar. Tap your Google account. NOTE: If you don't have a Google, simply tap the Add Account button found below the screen.

• On the next screen, tap “Sync Contacts” and wait for the syncing process to be completed. If you have many entries in your Address Book, the syncing process may take a few minutes.
• You should now have successfully synced your Android Contacts to Google. We can now proceed to transfer contacts to iPhone.

Step 2: Syncing Google Contacts to iPhone

• On your iPhone, open Settings then navigate to “Mail, Contacts, Calendars”, then tap “Add Account”.

• Tap Other, and under Contacts, you should see the “Add CardDav Account”, tap that.

• Under the CardDav details, enter the following details on the appropriate fields:

Server: google.com
User Name: (input your Google email address here e.g. jaxov@gmail.com)
Password: (input your password)
Description: (any description your want)

• Tap Next and syncing should commence immediately. You can exit Settings and open your iOS Contacts app to check the syncing progress. Again, large address books will take some time to sync.

Should you have any issues while syncing, navigate to Mail, Contacts, Calendars and make sure that syncing settings are utilizing SSL with port 443. You may also use these steps in reverse to transfer iPhone contacts to Android.

Alternate Solutions to Transfer Contacts to iPhone:

Export Contacts as .VCF File

For whatever reason that you are not keen on using Google Contacts to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone, you may export your Android contacts as .VCF file and retrieve it on your iPhone. Simply follow these steps:

• On Android, launch Contacts (make sure all contacts are visible).
• Tap the menu button, then the Import/Export.
• Tap Export to Storage (or Export to SD Card).
• Choose which contact file to transfer and tap OK.

This will save the .VCF file on your Android SD Card. You have numerous choices here. You can choose to transfer the file to your hard drive to be imported via your Mac's Contacts app. Or you can send the .VCF file to yourself through email. Then on your iPhone, open the email and tap the .VCF attachment, then select “Add all contacts”.

SIM Swapping

This method will only work if your Android phone is using the same sized SIM card with your iPhone (either a micro or nano SIM). You can of course opt to cut down the SIM to fit the iPhone but we don't recommend it. If you don't get the size right, your contacts will be gone for good.

First, save all of your Android Contacts to the attached SIM card. Once you have successfully transferred the SIM to the iPhone, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars, then look for "Import SIM Contacts". Once the import process is done, you can now replace the SIM from Android with your original card.

Was that easy or what? It's not all that hard to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone. Just choose which solution is best applicable to you. If you have any problems while performing the steps above or you have other solutions on how to transfer contacts from Android to iPhone to share, feel free to drop a comment.

5 Useful Siri Tips For Students

5 Useful Siri Tips For Students

Handy Dictionary & Spell Checker

You find yourself constantly stumped with certain words or their spellings? Well, Siri can definitely help you in this regard. Siri can act as your handy dictionary. Not only will she provide you with the definition of the word, she can also give you the correct spelling of the word. This is one of the most useful Siri tips when learning because it is beneficial when you know how to pronounce a word but not to spell it properly. To try this out, simply say something like "define autochthonous".

Solving Mathematical Equations & Statistics

If you have an iPhone 4S, you might be aware that Siri has close integration with Wolfram Alpha - the well-known computational knowledge engine. And because of this, owners of Siri-supported devices can perform mathematical equations and work with statistical data. So if you hate math, you'll be glad to know that Siri can help students solve their mind-numbing math problems. You may ask Siri questions like "what is 19% of 1378?" or "plot 7x + 14".

Show You An Image or Geometric Shape

Again, this is one of those Siri tips that can help with your math subjects, or pretty much any subject matter which requires you to visualize an image. With that said, you can ask Siri to present you an image of an isosceles triangle, Kronosaurus or perhaps Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. Siri will not only show you the image but also the accompanying pertinent information. Siri is an excellent way to view images of pretty much anything you want without having to browse textbooks.

Transform Your Voice Into Text

Siri is primarily a dictation software so you can trust that this is what Siri does best. Students will simply need to dictate whatever they want to say, and Siri will easily transform spoken words into text. This is definitely a huge time saver as opposed to inputting or writing the text yourself. You may also use Siri dictation within apps provided that you are allowed to type. Simply bring up the keyboard inside the apps and tap the microphone key which is located to the left of the space bar. If you are unable to find the dictation key, you might need to enable it first. Go to Settings > General and look for the Siri settings and toggle it ON.

Language Learning & Translator

As one joke goes, the best way to learn a new language is to get a foreign girlfriend or boyfriend. Well with Siri, you got the next best thing, a personal virtual assistant. In iOS 7, Apple has added new languages to Siri which is great for learning foreign languages. With the powerful Siri, you basically have a handy virtual translator in your hands. You can ask Siri questions like "how do I say hello in Japanese" or "how do I say how are you in Spanish?".

Final Thoughts

Many folks dismiss Siri as a gimmick and something unnecessary. That is quite understandable especially when there are many times that Siri just don't work. However when it does, it can be a very useful tool for learning, especially for students.

However, keep in mind that Siri is just that, a tool that helps you with the learning process. Students shouldn't treat it as the be all and end all of learning. That's just one way of saying that the learning process still needs to happen on the students themselves rather than completely relying on Siri or technology as a whole. Take it as an interesting and fun way to learn.

How to Block Texts, Calls and iMessages on iOS 7

Blocking texts, calls and instant messaging services is a standard feature among modern smartphones. Let's face it, there are companies or people that we just don't want to hear from, never again! So it's baffling that Apple hasn't allowed basic text and call blocking into iOS. Well, at least until iOS 7 came along. Now you can block annoying telemarketers, unrelenting exes, spammers, obnoxious friends and so on with iOS 7. Here's how to block texts, calls and iMessages on iOS 7.

How to Block Texts, Calls and iMessages on iOS 7

How to Block Texts on iOS 7?

To block texts on iOS 7, simply navigate to Settings > Messages > Blocked. Tapping Blocked will take you to the list of blocked contacts. Tap Add New to add existing contacts to your block list. And that's pretty much it. Note that the block list is universal which means that once you have added someone to it, they won't be able to contact you via text, call, iMessages or FaceTime.

How to Block Calls / FaceTime on iOS 7?

The process is pretty much the same when blocking calls / FaceTime calls on iOS 7. Just go toSettings > Phone / FaceTime > Blocked, and start adding contacts to your block list. Again, the block list applies to phone calls, text messages / iMessage, and FaceTime calls. This means that even if you have only added someone to keep him from sending you messages, his or her calls will be blocked as well. As of this time, there is no way to block specific phone functions.

How to Block Unknown Numbers on iOS 7?

What if you want to block someone who's not an existing contact? Again, the process is fairly simple. To block unknown numbers that have recently called you, go to Contacts > Recents > then you should see the"i" symbol located next to a contact's name. Simply find the contact that you need to block, tap the "i"symbol, scroll down and you will find the Block this Caller button. Tap the button and the Block Contactoption after.

To block someone who has recently sent you an annoying message, just go to the Messages app, find the contact, tap the conversation, and you should see the Contact button at the top right. Tap Contact and you should see the familiar "i" button symbol. Tap it, scroll down, and tap the Block this Caller button.

How to Unblock a Person on iOS 7?

Unblocking a person is just about as easy as blocking calls and texts on iOS 7. Go to Settings, tap either Phone, Messages or FaceTime, scroll down and tap Blocked. This is your official block list. To unblock a contact, simply swipe to the left on their names and a red Unblock button should appear.

As you can see, blocking texts and calls on iOS 7 is as simple as they come. However, we would definitely prefer if we are able to block certain phone functions in the future. But that's just us nitpicking. We're fairly happy that Apple has finally added basic blocking features.

How to Fix iPhone Boot Loop Issue

One of the most dreaded issues that you can encounter when working with your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is the infinite or endless reboot loop. It is the state where your iDevice is stuck at Apple logo, never proceeding and instead restarts. There are way too many variables that can lead to an iPhone boot loopsuch as installing jailbreak tweaks, custom firmware or changing themes. When faced with endless reboot cycles, there are several iPhone boot loop fixes that you can try.

How to Fix iPhone Boot Loop Issue

Hard Reset / Reboot

Top 11 iOS 7 Security & Privacy Settings You Should Know About

Apple's iOS  7 has brought plenty of new features into the table and amongst these shiny new stuff are privacy and security-related features. Many of these iOS 7 security features enables Apple to track and store information about you. So in this guide, we will walk you through the privacy and security features found in iOS 7 which you should know about. While many of these features have existed in previous iOS iterations, we feel that they're things that all iDevice owners should know.

Top iOS 7 Security Settings You Should Know About

11. Disabling Apps From Accessing Microphone

If you think that the world is out to spy on you, you might want to filter which apps can access your iPhone's microphone. Many apps will ask for permission to access your microphone but in order to enable/disable which apps can access your mic, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Microphone. Choose wisely which apps to disable. Some apps like Shazam becomes worthless without access to your microphone.

10. Passwords & Credit Card Autofill

For convenience, the iOS 7 Safari app will let you save your information to autofill such as names, usernames, passwords, and even your credit card numbers. Now, I probably don't have to explain the pros and cons of having this feature enabled, especially when you don't have a passcode on your device. To enable/disable this particular iOS 7 security option, go to Settings > Safari > Passwords & Autofill.

9. Block Cookies from Websites

Cookies allow websites to remember your login information like name, email and other preferences. If you are not too keen on the idea of having websites store important information on your iPhone, then you set Safari's cookie blocking capabilities according to your needs. Simply go to Settings > Safari > Block Cookies and select either Always, From third parties and advertisers or Never.

8. Erase Data After Too Many Password Attempts

Protecting the date stored on your iDevice is an immediate concern. One layer of protection that you can add on top of your Passcode is the Erase Data feature. Not exactly a new feature but iOS device owners should certainly enable this iOS 7 security feature. This setting will wipe the data from your iPhone after too many password attempts, 10 times to be exact. So in case your iPhone gets stolen, they won't be able to get their hands on your data, provided they have tried to access it way too many times. Jump to Settings -> General -> Passcode Lock and find an option called Erase Data all the way down.

7. Ad-Tracking

Wow, advertisers can track my every move so they serve me with advertisements based on my web habits and activities? Well, no thank you! If you share the same sentiment with me, you might as well enable the Do Not Track feature in Safari. With this iOS 7 security feature enabled, you don’t have to worry about third-party advertisers tracking your every move. To access this feature, go to Settings > Safari and enable Do Not Track.

6. Clear Web History & Cookies

Not exactly a new feature in iOS 7 but all iDevice owners should know that they can clear their browsing history and cookies in Safari. And you should do it as well on a regular basis if you don't want your browsing history to come back and expose your best-kept secrets. To do this, go to Settings > Safari > scroll down to see Clear History and Clear Cookies and Data. And if you don't want to deal with browsing histories and cookies, you can..

5. Use Safari Private Browsing Mode

Safari now gives the option to users to browse in Private mode so no information such as history, cookies, login status, autofill details will be saved. By default, Private mode also request websites and third-party advertisers not to track you and turns on cookie blocking. To access the Private browsing mode in Safari,tap on the tabs icon (the right most button at the bottom of the screen), then tap Private.

4. Frequent Locations

With Frequent Locations enabled, Apple will be able to track your favorite places and helps Maps provide you with quick traffic info and the likes. If somehow this particular feature gives you a creepy feeling, you can disable Frequent Locations by navigating to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, scroll all the way down then tap System Services. At the bottom, you should see Frequent Locations, disable it.

3. Location-Based iAds

iAds are those ad banners you see while you are using third-party apps which you have downloaded for free (although there are paid apps that also serve ads) from the App Store. With Location-Based iAds, you will be given ads that are more relevant based on your location. Turning off Location-Based iAds will not get rid of iAds for good but at least, you can prevent the system from tracking your location.

2. Find My iPhone

Find My iPhone is of course a feature which is not exactly new to longtime iOS users. Enabling Find My iPhone is probably one of the smartest things that you can do. Using Find My iPhone, you can remotely wipe out your device via iCloud or put it on lost mode. There is also a neat Play Sound feature which comes in handy in case your phone is simply buried in your couch or someplace else.

If your iPhone ever gets stolen, you can pinpoint its location by logging in to iCloud.com using your Apple ID. It's a good thing that Find My iPhone can't be disabled now without being logged in. To enable Find my iPhone go to Settings > iCloud > then enable Find My iPhone.

1. Passcode Lock

Perhaps the first and foremost security feature that you should enable after getting a new iPhone is to enable Passcode Lock. Yet, many folks seem to bypass this step. If you have some seriously sensitive date stored on your device, enabling the passcode is simply a no-brainer. Just be warned that a four-digit code can easily be cracked, so it is highly recommended that you disable Simple Passcode which will allow you to use a strong, alphanumeric code.

How to Charge Your iPhone Faster

Being able to do pretty much anything these days, smartphones can run out of juice at a rather fast rate. As smartphone manufacturers add more features and power into their gadgets, battery life in most cases, are unfortunately compromised. Therefore, we find ourselves charging more than we used to and charging takes time. So at some point, you have probably asked yourself, is there any way I can charge my iPhone faster? There's no mind-blowing secret to charge an iPhone faster, just the best practices so you can charge to 100% in less time.

How to Charge Your iPhone Faster

Turn Off the Device

70 Mavericks Tips and Tricks

70 Mavericks Tips and Tricks

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  7. Viewing Multiple Books at a Time
  Because the Mac has more screen real estate Apple has added the ability to view multiple iBooks at once. This great feature can be had by opening the first book, then pressing Command + L (to show the library), and double-clicking on a second book. You can keep doing this until you have all of the books you want opened on the screen.
• 8. Changing the Map Views
  Just like in the Maps application for iOS, the Maps app for OS X lets you switch between three well-known map views: Standard, Hybrid, and Satellite. To change these views, select either the Standard, Hybrid, or Satellite buttons in the toolbar; or use the keyboard shortcuts by pressing Command + 1, Command + 2, or Command + 3 to switch between those three views, respectively.

70 Mavericks Tips and Tricks

OS X Mavericks has proved once again that Apple not only cares about the Mac — it cares about making the best operating system in the world. Mavericks includes a ton of updates and tweaks that bring the beloved Mac OS one step closer to perfection. While many of the changes are under the hood, Apple also included some visible alterations and features that we’ll cover in this article. So get your boards ready, because we’re going surfing at Mavericks with 70 tips and tricks that you can apply to daily use to make your Mac even better.

70 Mavericks Tips and Tricks

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  1. Install Updates Automatically
  iOS 7 included the ability to automatically update apps, so it’s no surprise that this functionality would also eventually extend to the Mac. In System Preferences > App Store, you now have the ability to Install app updates, as well as Install system data files and security updates — all automatically. Check these boxes, and you’ll never be bothered with updates again.
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  2. Install Updates Later
  We’ve all been there: An important update popped up for an application that you’re currently using. Do you close your work, update the app, and continue your task? Or (more likely) do you just never update? Mavericks can help here as well. Open the Mac App Store and select the small drop-down menu on the Update button that appears. You can Install Now, Try in an Hour, Try Tonight, or the ability to set a reminder so you can do it at some point in the future.
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3. Purchasing iBooks
With Mavericks, iBooks has finally come to the Mac. In addition to viewing your purchased iBooks, you can also purchase new books right from your Mac and have them sync between your iOS devices. Simply open the new iBooks app, and select the iBooks Store button in the upper-left-hand corner of the window (or press Shift + Command + H). Peruse the iBooks Store, and purchase books with the same ease as the iTunes Store.

4. Viewing iBooks
To view your existing iBooks, navigate to the Library by pressing Command + L. Sign in with your Apple ID (do so in Store > Sign In), and all of your purchased iBooks will be shown in the Library view. Note: You may be required to authorize your computer to view these books — standard iTunes authorization applies, where only five machines can be authorized at any given time to view content.

5. Creating iBook Notes
All the conveniences of iBooks on iOS are also available on your Mac. One of these is the ability to add notes to your iBooks as you read them. To do this, select a portion of text and select “Add Note” in the popup that appears after selecting some text. This will automatically highlight the selected text, and give you a sticky note to begin typing your notes. Press Command + 4 to open the Notes panel to quickly view all highlights and notes.

6. Creating iBook Highlights
Adding Highlights to a section is as easy as adding a Note. Instead of selecting “Add Note,” select a highlight color from the selection popup. If you wish to quickly add a highlight without going through the popup menu that shows when selecting text, then hold down the Command key while you select a portion of text. This will automatically use your last highlight style to highlight the text without displaying the selection popup.