IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone or Google Pixel

Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

The BIGGEST question today is not about switching between Samsung S10 or Samsung S10 Plus or even to switch between Samsung and various other Android phones, but the biggest question today is to move from Android to iPhone.

The world is changing and Android lovers are making the switch. The options that most Android phones offered at one time are no longer lucrative. The iPhones have become affordable and Android phones have become expensive. This means users have now the option to move from Android to iPhones easily.

There are many reasons people are moving from Android to iPhone and the best ones are:

• Better performance

• Quality IT Support

• Enhanced camera

• Improved battery timings

Those who have decided to migrate from Samsung to iPhone are confused about one question and i.e. how to migrate their phones with minimal fuss. For most, migrating the contacts of smartphones can be a huge problem. For others, it can be the migration of their smartphone's memory. In this article, we will discuss all that. Our focus will be on:

• Migrating contacts from Samsung to iPhone

• Migrating data from Samsung to iPhone

• Using Cloud to move data and images between Samsung and iPhone

• Manually transferring data from Samsung to iPhone

---

Let’s get started migrating…

What things do you need to migrate from your phone?

Data experts warn that you should be removing EVERYTHING from your smartphone before you sell it. We will discuss the benefits of wiping out data completely from your mobile device later. These experts also emphasize that removing personal data from the phone is a MUST. This means:

• Smartphone images

• Smartphone contacts

• Smartphone Whatsapp data

• Smartphone files and folders

• Smartphone videos

• Smartphone logged-in credentials

The good thing with Samsung smartphones is that you can back-up almost everything to the Samsung cloud before you move to the new smartphone. It will back up the following items:

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone or Google Pixel

• Smartphone contacts

• Messages

• Contacts of Whatsapp and other smartphones

• SIM contacts

• Clock settings

Note: Your Samsung cloud won’t copy data from your memory card. To copy the data from the memory card of your smartphone, you will need a Google cloud or Dropbox cloud.

First, let's discuss the process of how to use the Samsung cloud to migrate from Samsung to iPhone. Then, we will discuss how to migrate the memory card data using the Google cloud and Dropbox cloud.

---

Transfer Data through Samsung Cloud

1. Choose Apps or Swipe up to access Samsung Cloud.

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

2. You can also go to Settings and select Accounts and Backups

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

3. Select Samsung Cloud storage and then select backup and restore option.

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

4. It will ask you about what type of data to back up. Select as is shown in the image below

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

5. Once you have selected the type of data that you want to upload to the Samsung cloud, select BACKUP.

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

That's it. The process of copying data from the Samsung cloud is fairly easy. You can copy all data from the cloud using this process.

Copy Samsung Memory Card Data to Google Cloud

You will need two apps to upload everything to Google drive.

• Google photos

• Google drive

The Google Photos app will automatically upload all your photos and videos to your drive. This is an autonomous process and you will not have to do anything. It may take some time for all the photos to upload to the drive. Once all these photos are uploaded, you can clear the memory card off these photos and videos.

Next, you will need to manually copy each folder to Google photos. Make sure to create a new folder in the drive named ‘Samsung drive’ and then upload everything to it. Once all the folders are uploaded to Google drive, you can wipe your phone clean.

There are a few apps that you can use to upload everything at once from the smartphone to Google drive. The name of the app is Auto Sync for Google. It is a third-party app, but you can use it to upload everything to the drive with minimum effort.

---

Transfer Data through Mobile Apps

We have discussed AutoSync for Google, Samsung Cloud, and Google Photos. Now let’s discuss a few more apps that you can use to migrate your smartphone’s data.

• Samsung Smart Switch

Another great app to move data between apps is the Samsung smart switch app. It doesn't copy all the data to the cloud, instead, it gives you the option to move everything from the smartphone to the computer system.

Go to Settings > Cloud and Accounts > Smart Switch > More > External Storage Transfer > Backup

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

• Autosync for Dropbox

You can use the Autosync for Dropbox app to automatically upload everything from your smartphone to the dropbox cloud. This app is also developed by a third party but it is one great way to migrate all your smartphone’s data at once to Dropbox.

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

• Transfer Samsung Data Manually with VCF File

This option can only be used to transfer contacts of your smartphone from one device to the other. You can use Samsung to import or export contacts.

Open Contacts > Settings > Import/Export > Export Contacts through VCF File

The VCF file will export all contacts of your smartphone on a single file. The file will be available on your memory card. You can copy this file to the cloud or to your computer system and when you buy an iPhone simply import the VCF file.

Now that we have already discussed all the ways to migrate your complete personal and technical data from Samsung smartphone device to iPhone, let us learn about the reasons you should be migrating.

---

Reasons to Migrate from Samsung to iPhone

• Android isn’t offering anything unique: Android has become stagnant. After the launch of Android 8 two years ago, it isn't offering any new OS feature worth praising. The battery has remained almost the same. The computing power has also not increased. Camera quality is dependant on the hardware and not software.

• iPhone offers faster performance: Then we have the iPhone. It offers everything that Android lacks. It has faster performance even with the same specs. The applications are lighter and much easier to load.

• iPhone is technologically more advanced: Android has mostly crappy apps. In comparison, Apple has a stringent policy of what can be uploaded on it or what can’t be uploaded on it. That’s what makes iPhone technologically a better smartphone then Android.

• iPhone has a better-integrated camera and battery: iPhone has a better camera than Samsung and other Android smartphones. Pictures taken from iPhone look more original and vibrant. This is because the iPhone retina display is upgraded from Apple researches with every release. That is not the case with Android as all of them are from different manufacturers.

---

Importing Data to iPhone

You can use the Google Drive app to import data from Samsung to iPhone.

• You will first have to download all the data from Samsung Cloud to desktop. Click here to download the data to the computer.

• Now, you can copy all the data using iTunes desktop software to your iPhone.

• It will take some time for the data to be copied automatically but once done, you will get everything you need.

Import VCF to iPhone

Similarly, you can import the VCF file to your iPhone.

First of all open Contacts on iPhone. Click on Settings > Import > Import using VCF file > Import

If you are using iCloud. Click on it and then go to iCloud Contacts.

On the left-side menu, click on ‘import using Vcard’

IT Support 101: Migrating from Samsung to iPhone

That’s all you need to know to transfer your Samsung smartphone to Apple iPhone. Now simply use these apps to create backups of all your data and then copy it to iPhone. Copying contact details to the iPhone is fairly easy. You have many options available to copy data to iPhone and most of these methods are self-explanatory.

---

Migrating your Samsung Phone to Google Phone

If you want to move from Samsung to Google phone i.e. from one android smartphone to the next, the migration process is even easier. This is because all the apps are compatible with Android devices. Google Pixel Phone comes with a new feature that automatically copies most of the data without copying it to a third party device. Users can directly copy data between the two smartphones using the Quick Smart Switch process. Let's learn how to migrate from Samsung Phone to Google Pixel Phone.

Copy Data from Samsung Phone to Google Pixel

Before we discuss what data can be copied from Samsung to Google Pixel, let’s discuss what files can be copied. These files include:

• App data

• Music, photos, and videos

• Google Accounts

• Contacts stored on your phone or a SIM card

• Text messages that don't have photos, videos, or music

• Most phone settings (varies by phone and Android version)

Now, let’s discuss what files cannot be copied from Samsung Phone to Google Pixel.

• Download folder including PDF files, eBooks, and other downloaded material

• Photos, videos, and music stored in hidden folders or folders not directly connected with any app

• Photos, videos, or music in text messages. The words in the MMS will transfer, but not the attachments.

• Apps that aren’t from the Google Play Store

• Data from apps that don't use Android backup

• Accounts other than Google Accounts and their data

• Contacts and calendars synced to services other than Google

• Ringtones

• WhatsApp old messages, images, videos, and even backups

You will need a USB cable and a Quick Switch Adapter to copy data from your current Android device, which in our case is the Samsung smartphone, to Google Pixel smartphone. The device will convert a USB A end to a USB C end, allowing for a smooth transfer of data.

1. Make sure that both the smartphones are fully charged.

2. You will need to update all the apps on your current smartphone so that the data can be copied easily without any popups or interference.

Open your Pixel Smartphone.

1. Add your SIM card to it and turn it on. The smartphone will automatically start the data copy process. If it doesn’t do that, you can learn how to get it down using the process available here.

2. Now click on ‘Start’ to start copying data from your Samsung smartphone to Google Pixel smartphone.

3. Tap Copy your data. You will get a prompt on your Samsung Smartphone to ‘Copy’ data. This is an indication that both devices are successfully connected and that you can start the device copying process easily.

The data copying process will take a few minutes. So, make sure that no one touches any of the devices. Follow the instructions on your Google Pixel smartphone to know about the duration. Google Pixel will notify you after the data is successfully copied from the old device. Google Pixel comes with a 24/7 active IT support team. If you need more help, ask them for interpretation.

Transfer Data from Samsung to Google Pixel Using Cloud

Now that you have copied most of the data to Pixel, what about the data that wasn’t copied automatically. How can you copy it to your new smartphone? There are many apps available to copy such data to your new device.

The first way is through Google photos.

Using Google Photos to Migrate Data

You can use Google Photos to migrate photos and videos from your device to Google Pixel. Install Google Photos on both mobile devices. Now, copy all photos and videos from Samsung to Google Photos. It will automatically sync all the files and clean your memory card once all the images and videos are copied.

Now, install the Google Photos to your Google Pixel smartphone. You can re-download all the photos and videos to your Google Pixel smartphone.

Use Google Drive to Copy Files & Folders to Google Pixel

There is a third-party app called Auto Sync for Google Drive. It allows Samsung users to copy all their data including files, folders, and downloads to the Google drive automatically. The app comes with an option to ‘Auto Sync’ files as soon as they are created on the smartphone. You can use it to copy all the data that is left out.

Once the data is copied to Google Drive, you will have to install the app on Google Pixel smartphone. Now, the Auto Sync app will act as a backup app. Use it to copy all the data to your new smartphone.

How to Discard Samsung Smartphone?

Now that you have the new smartphone available, how to discard the old phone. Should you simply sell it to someone who wants it? Or should you discard it like they do in FBI flicks?

The answer is that you need to be really careful when you give your old smartphone to anyone. There is software available that can bring back deleted data. This data is precious for many users and can include your personal information including your credit card info, bank account details, usernames and passwords of your accounts, and even compromising pictures and videos. In the wrong hands, this type of information can become a problem for you and your family. So, here is what you should be doing to safely remove data from your Samsung smartphone.

- Go to Settings > Factory Data Reset > Reset All > Delete

In case of any problem, contact the IT support team of Samsung smartphone.

Your data will get deleted from the Samsung smartphone. But, this doesn’t mean that the phone has completely deleted your data. Anyone smart enough to use data recovery apps can still get the data back. So, you need to fill the Samsung smartphone with fake data. This can be anything. The best way to fill this data is by adding a blue ray movie of 12 GB to 14 GB. The new data will fill your smartphone and overwrite the old deleted data. Now, perform another factory reset just as we have told earlier.

Now, your phone is safe for selling to anyone.

Which one is better: iPhone or Google Phone?

It depends on each user about what type of smartphone they want to buy. Some users would want to switch from Samsung smartphone to Google Pixel phone. Others will want to switch from Samsung smartphones to iPhones. Both Android and iPhone now offer similar features. iPhone has emerged as victorious in capturing images, OS management, performance, and battery timings, and IT Support, however, this doesn't mean that Android is any slow in processes.

We have told about the migration processes to both smartphones. Now it is up to you which one you will choose to migrate data from your Samsung Smartphone - iPhone or Google Pixel.

---

Bottom-line

We hope that you now understand how to migrate from Samsung to iPhone and Google Phone easily using the methods provided above. If you are still unsure how to migrate, simply comment below and we will reply to your query.

#itsupport #itblock #itservices #singapore

Easy way to spot phishing emails

Easy way to spot phishing emails

Phishing sounds like 'fishing'. It is the act of trying to fish out or acquire your details, data or credentials. Phishing is considered a type of social engineering attack. Which means it is not just a simple random act; this entire scheme planned before perpetration. They sought for you and looked for your email in particular.

Based on your profile, you seem like an easy target for them. Phishing emails are rarely sent to a person with IT experience Because of how ineffective or dangerous it could be for the perpetrator. If they tried to phish a white hat hacker, it would end up bad for them. So what do they do instead? They go on Linkedin or Facebook and look for those professionals who work for large organizations. They target sales, marketing, human resources, and what have you. They are looking for people who are as far away to be as technical as possible. Chances are these people would never be able to identify a phishing email and fall prey to them quickly.

And if you continuously receive these types of deceiving emails, we are sad to say you are on a 'suckers' list in the dark web. These lists are up for sale, and those who create phishing emails buy these lists all the time and send an email campaign targeted specifically to these individuals. Truly horrifying stuff, we know.

Rather than explain to you what phishing emails are, let us show you how to spot them. If you know what to look for, they are relatively easy to find.

---

Easy way to spot phishing emails

Email address

Always look at the email address of the sender before confirming anything!

Let's say you get an email that seems to be a marketing email from booking.com or Airbnb.com or hotels.com. There seems to be a great offer, and they are asking you to click on the link to check it out. But please wait. Have a look at who is sending you this email after all. It is not often that you get such emails or maybe you get them all the time. It does not change the fact that you should glance at the email address. If the email is really from booking.com, you should see abcd@booking.com. If it is from the Airbnb sales team, it should be sales@airbnb.com, for example. Or maybe a staff from hotels.com knows your direct email, and you see the email is james_oliver@hotels.com. If you are not sure about the website address, google for the website and compare the domain (domain is abcd.com) where 'abcd' is the domain followed by the .com.

If you see an Airbnb email coming from an email address 'airbnb_com@randomnumberandwordshere.com', that is a phishing email for sure. Or another example could be 'hotels@randomnumber-words.org'. Is the pattern becoming more apparent now? Let's try another one. Like 'microsoft@serviceexchange.com'. That does look legitimate, but it is not. And our personal favourite 'support@microsoftservice.com'. You see how close these email addresses can be to the real thing.

Easy way to spot phishing emails

Look at this. We could pay 1.99 to GoDaddy and buy the domain 'themicrosoftservice.com' and set up an email account. Maybe we send you an email from 'itdepartment@themicrosoftservice.com' where we ask you to re-confirm your username and password. Or maybe we ask you to open the attachment and install the program on your computer. Or better yet, we ask for your credit card detail for a one-time subscription offer. It is kind of funny and hilarious actually. People from third world countries who are looked down upon are smart enough to figure this out. They buy these domains and get you to transfer them some money. Of course, we are not accusing third-world countries. These cybercriminals and scammers are everywhere from every corner of the world. As long as there is a way for them to earn an easy way of living, they believe it is their right to do so. Now let us see the next method of identifying a phishing email.

---

Attachments - Spot a phishing email

Attachments

Sometimes these phishing emails come from legitimate sources. And if you really should know, this is because you are now dealing with a very high-level social engineering attack. Which means a hacker is now involved. The hacker was able to gain access to the email server of this organization and is not using its assets against them. They are now going after their subscribed clients and so happens you are one of them. But an instant giveaway is an attachment. Or attachments.

We don't mean those images that sometimes come through as attachments, those are annoying we know. We are talking about a zip file or something executable. The moment you see a zip file coming through unsolicited, even if it is from a legitimate email source. There is only one thing you can do. Ignore it. Yes, it is that simple. Just like a fish's only option at avoiding being caught to bait is to ignore it. So it is yours. You could take it one step further and report it to the relevant authorities or contact the company itself and forward them the email for them to investigate. Do not and never open any unsolicited email attachment.

---

Easy way to spot phishing emails

Anything that seems unusually helpful.

Yes, you heard us right. Sometimes you get these emails that ask you to click on a link to change your password. Or maybe it says your account is compromised and you need to change your credentials now for your well-being urgently. Companies are rarely that concerned about you unless it is for their interest. Of course, some companies are concerned, but the approach is never through email. Let's say there is a mass hack of personal data; commonly, large companies call out to their customers through news articles to make it official and ask you to log in to their portal directly. Or let's say if google needs you to change your password, you can guarantee a reminder to change it the next time you try to log in to your google account. They email you, plain and simple.

These days when you log in to your Gmail, for example, there is an annoying red bar at the top, prompting you for an immediate and urgent security action if need be. The same goes for almost every website account. None of the email you so stop thinking that you should press or click that link. Just stop it.

---

Easy way to spot phishing emails

Typos

Here is also another obvious giveaway—the moment you see an email with horrible grammar or a very obvious typo. Typos, in fact, all over the place. Rest assured, that is a phishing email. Or at the very least, no one blames you for ignoring that email.

Large companies and organizations have marketing department heads with a Masters's degree. If you think these individuals would have a poor command of the language you are reading, it is highly unlikely. Grammar and spelling are essential to companies and their reputation. So yeah, another reason to delete or send that email to spam. Anything you find spammy, spam it. Send it to your junk folder or your spam folder. No one owes you anything, nor do they owe you an apology.

---

This was a really fun blog for us to write. Because we don't really get a lot of phishing emails as you can guess. Which is sad really, we feel very unloved. Maybe someday if we finally get off Santa's naughty list.

The State of Blockchain in 2020

The State of Blockchain in 2020

Blockchain is one of the more significant, if not confusing, innovations of our time. What began as a way to transfer cryptocurrency has quickly expanded to cover many industries and applications. While many still do not understand blockchain and tend to avoid it due to a lack of knowledge, several industries are adopting the technology and seeing real results. Most recently, blockchain has been used in relation to the coronavirus pandemic. So, just what is blockchain and how is it being used in 2020?

---

An Overview of Blockchain

Blockchain Overview

In the most simplest terms, blockchain is a list of blocks, or records, that grows. These blocks are linked through cryptography, or methods of secure communication that prevents outside parties from reading the message. The blocks contain cryptographic hashes, or mathematical algorithms, from the previous block. They also contain a timestamp and data for a transaction.

Blockchain was invented in 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, though no one knows who or what is behind that name. The original purpose of blockchain was to act as a public transaction ledger for cryptocurrency, specifically Bitcoin. Blockchain serves as a payment rail, or a payment platform that can move money from a payer to a payee.

Peer-to-peer networks manage a blockchain as a distributed ledger. The network adheres to a protocol that governs inter-node communication as well as the validation of new blocks. Data is recorded in the open, distributed ledger and cannot be modified. Retroactively altering the data impacts all subsequent blocks, and any modifications require the consensus of the network majority.

---

Benefits of Blockchain

Blockchain benefits

Blockchain is still fairly new, and many shy away from it because of the unknown. However, there are considerable benefits for applying blockchain technology. The technology behind Bitcoin has expanded to serve many industries, bringing about more transparency and better security. The top benefits of blockchain include the following.

Security

Transactions are encrypted and linked to a previous transaction in a blockchain. Once formed, a blockchain cannot be altered, which eliminates a lot of the risk associated with corruption. Information cannot be falsified within a ledger and a blockchain is impervious to hacks.

A Trustless Nature

Parties are able to conduct transactions even if they do not trust one another. While many contracts or deals rely on signed paperwork or contracts, they also lean on a sense of trust. If one party delivers their end of the bargain, it is expected that the other party will do the same. However, with a blockchain, parties can safely conduct transactions without having to rely on trust.

Transparency

Blockchain records transactions in their entirety. The network is transparent, and every transaction or change within the network is visible for all parties involved. Blockchain is open to viewing, which adds accountability to all within the network.

More Efficient

There is no need for middlemen when it comes to blockchain. Transactions are facilitated much faster because digital currency can be transferred directly from party to party. Also, a complete record of ownership provides efficiency for some industries. The lack of middlemen also lowers cost by reducing the number of third parties involved in a transaction.

---

Companies Using Blockchain

Many industries have adopted the use of blockchain and many more are researching how blockchain can be incorporated into their practices. Some organizations have yet to adopt the technology because it is still mysterious for many, but early adopters are already seeing a real benefit from blockchain.

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, all rely on blockchain to make transactions. These transactions do not require a regulating authority, such as a bank, and greatly reduce the fees associated with transactions.

Trading platofiorms - Blockchain Cryptocurrency

Trading Platforms

Trading platforms, like Trade.io and WeTrade, are using blockchain to enhance their security. They can also lower costs, especially those associated with server maintenance.

Logistics

Blockchain stores data that cannot be altered or lost. Logistics and transport companies like MOVA and Arcade City are using blockchain to keep track of supply chain as well as transport history.

Fashion

Blockchain can increase trust among trading partners and consumers, which is being seen in the fashion industry. The entire lifecycle of a garment is visible because blockchain is able to streamline the supply chain.

---

Blockchain and the Coronavirus

Blockchain and Coronavirus

A recent study from NPR found that many people trust public health experts over world leaders, local officials, or news media for obtaining health updates. As the coronavirus changed life as we know it across the globe in early 2020, people became desperate for accurate and timely information. Blockchain technology may be able to provide a new layer of trust when it comes to tracking the coronavirus.

Jim Nasr, CEO of Acoer, uses blockchain for a data visualization tool. He is able to provide real-time information on COVID-19, creating a tracker for the virus that uses computational trust. Data is put into the system, which creates a reference file to match the information back to the source. The blockchain confirms the file and includes a timestamp. The information is then recorded securely and made available for public review. The log of data on the coronavirus is tamperproof, providing accurate information.

As the United States House of Representatives attempts to send direct subsidies to US citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are considering the use of the digital dollar. The use of digital wallets has been proposed as a way to ensure money reaches individual citizens, and Ethereum has been tapped as a potential provider.

#blockchain #corona #itblocksg #news #cryptocurrency