Like many, I also had an Android as my first smartphone! However, somewhere down the line, I switched to an iPhone, which became my daily driver for over five years — until April 2025, when I had to switch back to Android.

For the past 17 months, though, I’ve been using my Android smartphone to manage both personal and work domains. I’m currently at a point where I can switch back to an iPhone, but I realized I don’t really want to.

I’ve grown so used to some features on Android that I can’t imagine a smartphone experience without them. Here are four such features that make returning to an iPhone feel like a downgrade.

I sideload apps without asking Apple’s permission

No notarization, no developer account, no drama

Something I genuinely appreciate after using Android is that I can sideload Android apps without major restrictions. This is something I couldn’t have thought of while using an iPhone. It felt like Apple had more control over the apps I had installed on my smartphone. Sideloading essentially means I can download and install apps from sources other than the Play Store, Android’s official app marketplace.

Now, I don’t want to pretend that the Google Play Store is better than Apple’s App Store! On the bright side, however, I get to find amazing Android apps through trusted sources like F-Droid and Droidify. From privacy-friendly keyboard apps to search-centric Android launchers and simple utilities to powerful device managers, there are many options outside the official store, and Android lets me explore them with ease.

Sure, Google continues to block any app that runs counter to its vested interests, but as long as sideloading works, I’m happy to stick with Android. After getting used to this convenience, though, I really don’t want to go back to a situation where I have to meddle with developer mode and jailbreaking to install an app. This app doesn’t make it to the App Store.

My home screen looks like mine, not Apple’s

Icons, widgets, and lock screens, all mine to break

I also get to create a home screen that looks like mine, instead of something that fits Apple’s design aesthetic on Android. I get to change almost everything about the home screen, including icon packs, widget sizes, and animations. I can even install another app launcher if I like to explore something new. These are things I could not have done using an iPhone.

Even though iOS has improved its options in recent releases, they are not really comparable to what I can do on an Android smartphone. For instance, my Android phone lets me switch to a search-focused app launcher, where I can type the app name to find it. This kind of customization is not something I can afford while sticking to an iPhone. And this is also about the larger picture of customization, which extends to keyboards, browsers, and, more generally, the way my smartphone behaves.

I don’t mean to say that iOS doesn’t allow customization at all. The recent versions do, but it’s also true that you won’t have trouble recognizing an iOS home screen from ten feet away — because they are all very similar. With Android, on the other hand, you have endless possibilities, especially once you break away from what the Android skin dictates.

Customizable notifications and multitasking are addictive

Per-app channels and split-screen, not just banners

I do admit that the notification system on Android is far from perfect, but it feels far better than what you get on an iPhone. On the iPhone, I was always limited to banners and a few minimal options, and it always ended up with a bunch of notifications I would swipe away. On Android, however, I get the power of notification channels, which offer granular control over which notifications are shown and which are hidden. For instance, if I only want account-related notifications from an app, I can turn off all other channels.

Multitasking is also something I have explored rather generously after switching back to Android, thanks to features like split screen and floating windows. On iOS, these options are nonexistent. Of course, these features work better on a larger-screen smartphone, preferably a foldable one. I’m sure that iOS may introduce split-screen mode at a later date, especially as and when Apple launches a foldable phone, but you’d still have a better experience with Android at that point.

Following up on the customization aspect that I talked about. Android is also about what it allows to be modified. For instance, when the notification system isn’t working, I can always use an app like BuzzKill to customize how notifications behave. On iOS, everything is locked up, and I can’t do anything.

I can actually browse my phone’s file system

No iTunes, no cloud detour, just drag and drop

Another thing that stops me from switching back to an iPhone is the level of control I have over my phone’s file system on Android. With iOS, it’s always been a confusing journey between local storage, iCloud Drive, and everything else. I’d lost count of the minutes I spent finding a document I wanted to email or attach. The file system also makes it difficult to access content through third-party apps at times. And though I know AirDrop exists, you know how difficult it is to transfer content from my smartphone to a Mac or PC.

On Android, fortunately, I spend more time transferring data than worrying about it. I can simply connect a USB-C cable to the computer, and the folder will just appear. I don’t have to worry about the file app sandboxing or restrictions on third-party applications. Thanks to direct access to the file system, I can move things as I want. It has also led to situations where I have replaced the stock file manager applications with apps like Material Files to get additional features.

Going back to the restrictive, yet clumsy system on iOS is something I’d keep postponing.

I’m not pretending Android wins everything

The point of this article is not to say that Android is better than iOS — I don’t want to get into that debate. However, after trying both of these operating systems for a while, I’ve found some Android features so addictive that I crave them for a smooth smartphone experience. That doesn’t stop me from admitting where the iPhone excels, such as regular OS updates, resale value, and tighter ecosystem integration like AirDrop and Handoff. Yet, given the choice I currently have, I’d continue to choose the productivity Android offers over the optimization an iPhone may offer!