Start Integrating Your Devices

Our homes are full of digital devices. These include laptops, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, smart TVs and smart watches. Many of us have different files and photos spread across these devices. Integrating devices is a way of linking all of your devices up so that the same information can be viewed across any of them. This means that wherever you go, whatever device you’re using, you have access to the same information.

There are a few ways to link up your devices. This post explains some of the ways to start integrating your devices.

Should you stick to the same brand?

Sticking to one brand such as Apple or Microsoft can make it easier to share information across devices. This is because such devices are manufactured to work together, often saving files in the same format and using similar applications. When switching files between two competitor brand devices, there can be compatibility issues.

That said, you don’t have to pick one side. There are ways to make different branded devices play nicely together as the following tips discuss. 

Use cables and memory sticks

A basic way to transfer files from one device to another is to use cables and order memory sticks online. If you want to transfer files from your phone to your laptop, you can usually just use a USB cable. Memory sticks can meanwhile be used to transfer between two devices with a USB port.

Send files via email/social media

Another option is to send files via email or social media. The issue with this method is that it tends to be very slow and you may not be able to send files over a certain size. For individual photos or documents however, it could be a simple solution.

Store files on the cloud

A great way to access files on multiple devices is to store all files on the cloud. When it comes to how to download pictures from iPhone to computer, the best solution is often to store photos on iCloud and then download iCloud to windows. You can similarly transfer photos from a PC to an iPhone by doing this. You can use other cloud services in this way such as Microsoft Onedrive, DropBox and Google Drive.

Use file converters

Certain files are only made to work with certain programs (such as Microsoft Word documents). However, there are ways of creating files that can be used across multiple devices and applications. Converter tools are now easy to find and are capable of converting Word documents into Apple pages (and vice versa). Alternatively, you could store files that don’t need to be edited as PDFs.

Embrace IoT technology

IoT (Internet of Things) technology is drastically transforming the way in which our devices interact with one another. Using an app on your smartphone, you can now record TV shows on a smart TV or download games onto consoles. Other smart devices such as smart lighting, smart speakers, smart shutters, smart HVAC and smart locks could allow you full control of your home remotely from any device. It could be worth familiarizing yourself with this tech now – smart homes are the future. 

When you might NOT want to integrate

If you share a device with your family, you may or may not want to integrate. We have a family ipad and my iCloud account was used to register it and set it up. But I did not want that ipad to receive my texts or connect to my phone photos. So you might want to create a different account for a shared device or be sure to turn OFF integration features. It really all depends on your family’s needs!

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