What app syncs with iTunes on Android?

A key challenge for many Android device users is not being able to directly sync iTunes content like music, movies, and audiobooks between an iPhone or Mac running iTunes and their Android smartphone or tablet. This is because iTunes was originally designed by Apple as a content management and synchronization ecosystem specifically for iOS devices and Mac computers.

However, while direct syncing from iTunes to Android is not possible, there are various ways Android users can still transfer and access iTunes content on their devices. These solutions rely on cloud storage services or third party sync apps to bridge the compatibility gap between the two platforms. With the right tools and setup, you can sync selected iTunes content or even your entire iTunes library to Android.

Why Sync iTunes Content to Android

A key reason to sync iTunes content to Android is access. Many people have libraries of music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, books, and playlists in iTunes. They’ve spent years building up that library. When switching to Android, it’s helpful to be able to still access that iTunes content on your new Android device.

Syncing iTunes to Android provides easy access to your existing iTunes music without having to repurchase content or rebuild libraries and playlists. It allows you to continue listening to the iTunes music, podcasts, and playlists you enjoy.

In addition to access, some other benefits of syncing iTunes to Android include:

• Access your playlists: Sync your curated playlists to enjoy on your Android device
• Listen offline: Take your iTunes music on the go without an internet connection
• Save time: Avoid manually rebuilding your libraries and playlists
• Save money: Avoid repurchasing the same content you already own

Overall, syncing gives you seamless access across devices to the iTunes content you know and love.

Direct Syncing Not Possible

iTunes is Apple’s proprietary media player and syncing software designed for iOS and macOS devices. Android is Google’s mobile operating system that runs on a variety of device brands and models. Because of the difference in operating systems, direct syncing between iTunes on a desktop computer and an Android device is not possible without additional software.

The underlying reason is that iTunes uses proprietary protocols and file formats specifically designed for Apple products like iPhones and iPads. For example, iTunes purchases and libraries utilize Apple’s FairPlay DRM encryption. Android devices can’t natively recognize or decrypt these iTunes files (such as m4p music files or m4v video files).

There’s also no built-in connectivity or plugins to allow Android devices to interface directly with iTunes in the way iOS devices can. Apple intentionally designs its ecosystems and apps like iTunes to only work within its own hardware and software ecosystem.

So in summary, the core OS differences and intentional lack of cross-compatibility in iTunes makes direct Android syncing not possible. Additional third-party software bridges are required to get iTunes content from a desktop computer onto an Android mobile device.

Using a Cloud Service is one of most popular methods for accessing iTunes content on Android. By uploading your iTunes content to a cloud storage platform like Google Drive or Dropbox, you can then access that content from your Android device.

Using a Cloud Service

One of the easiest ways to sync iTunes content from a computer to Android is by using a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox. The steps would be:

1. On your computer, upload your entire iTunes music library to Google Drive or Dropbox.
2. On your Android device, install the Google Drive or Dropbox app.
3. In the app, navigate to the folder where you uploaded your iTunes library.
4. You can now stream or download the music and access it on your Android device.

The benefit of using a cloud service is you don’t have to manually transfer files every time you add new content to your iTunes library. It will automatically sync across devices. This gives you access to your iTunes media on all devices connected to that cloud account.

Top Cloud Options

While iTunes does not directly sync with Android devices, using a third party cloud storage service is one of the most popular ways to move iTunes contents from a computer over to an Android device. Some of the best cloud storage options for this are:

• Google Drive – Google’s cloud storage service offers 15GB free and supports file syncing across devices.
• Dropbox – Dropbox offers 2GB free and easy automated syncing, making it a top choice for iTunes to Android.

These cloud services allow users to uploaded iTunes libraries and playlists from a computer, then access that content from an Android device for playback. Most also have mobile apps that allow instant syncing whenever files are added or changed.

Using a Sync App

One of the easiest ways to sync iTunes content from a computer to an Android device is by using a third party sync app. Apps like iSyncr, EasySync, and Sync My Tunes are designed specifically for transferring iTunes music, playlists, videos, podcasts, and more to Android.

iSyncr in particular is a very popular option with over 10 million installs on the Google Play Store. It allows wireless syncing directly to your Android device over your home WiFi network. Simply install the app on your Android device and the iSyncr Sync app on your Windows or Mac computer. Then you can select content from your iTunes library to sync.

The main advantages of using a dedicated sync app are speed, ease of use, automatic background syncing on WiFi, and flexibility to choose exactly which content to transfer from iTunes. Many also offer advanced management and organization options of your playlists, metadata, etc. on the Android side. For an easy yet powerful way to get iTunes content onto your Android phone or tablet, a sync app like iSyncr is likely the best choice.

Top Sync Apps

When it comes to syncing iTunes content to Android devices, there are a few top apps to consider. These apps make it easy to transfer your iTunes music, playlists, videos, podcasts, and more over to your Android phone or tablet.

iSyncr (iSyncr on Google Play) is one of the most popular and full-featured iTunes syncing apps for Android. iSyncr allows you to sync iTunes playlists, music, podcasts, videos, and more to your Android device. The setup requires installing the desktop app on your computer to connect your device via USB or WiFi.

Pros: Wide range of content types supported, convenient desktop app, large user base
Cons: Requires desktop app and USB/WiFi connection

Easy Phone Tunes is another option focused specifically on music. It can transfer iTunes playlists and music files to Android over WiFi.

Pros: Simple to use, free version available
Cons: Limited to music, no video/podcast support

There are also apps like SyncTunes Wireless and iMazing that take a similar approach to iSyncr but have slightly different features sets. Evaluating the pros and cons of each app can help you determine the best fit for your specific iTunes syncing needs.

Sync Specific Content

When transferring your iTunes library from an iPhone to an Android device, you may not want to sync everything. Selectively choosing which content to transfer allows you to save storage space on your Android device.

With an app like Droid Transfer, you can select specific playlists, artists, albums, genres, videos and more to sync from your iTunes library to your Android device. This allows you to only transfer the content you actually want to listen to or watch on your Android device.

To selectively sync iTunes content to your Android device:

1. Open Droid Transfer on your Windows PC and connect your Android device
2. Select “Music” and check the box next to playlists, artists, albums or genres you want to sync
3. Select “Videos” and check the box next to movies, TV shows or music videos to sync
4. Click “Sync” to start the selective transfer to your Android device

With this targeted sync, you can efficiently transfer your most-listened to or watched iTunes content without using up all the storage capacity on your Android device.

Automating the Sync

Auto syncing your iTunes content to Android allows you to ensure your devices stay continually synced without manual effort. There are some good options to enable automatic syncing:

• Many cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox allow you to set up automatic camera uploads, syncing iTunes files saved in a cloud folder. This keeps devices continually synced.
• Apps like doubleTwist have an option to enable automatic wireless syncing over WiFi whenever your Android device and computer are on the same network.
• If you sync iTunes through a USB cable, apps like Droid Transfer have scheduling options to automate syncing on routine intervals.

Setting up automated syncing rules and schedules takes the effort out of continually moving files between devices and ensures your content stays up to date.

Conclusion

In summary, while iTunes and Android devices cannot directly sync with each other, there are several alternative options for transferring and synchronizing iTunes content to an Android device.

The most popular solutions rely on either using a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox to store your iTunes files which can then be accessed on Android, or downloading a dedicated app like iSyncr that can transfer iTunes media and playlists to the Android device while keeping them in sync.

Both cloud services or media sync apps offer viable options – choosing between them depends on factors like whether you want automated syncing, to store your entire iTunes library for access from multiple devices, or only sync select playlists and content from iTunes.

For most users, a cross platform cloud storage service may provide the easiest and most seamless experience if you don’t require continuous real-time syncing. Meanwhile sync apps give more customization for power users who want finer control over transferring and syncing iTunes playlists and media to Android.