Last Updated: Aug. 10, 2015

Deciding to buy an Android device rather than an iPhone doesn't necessarily mean you're turning your back on the iPhone/iTunes ecosystem. From music to movies, from apps to the iTunes application itself, some Android users may want to use iTunes. The question is: when it comes to iTunes and Android, what works and what doesn't?

Playing iTunes Music on Android? Yes

Music and podcasts downloaded from iTunes are compatible with Android phones in most cases.

Music purchased from iTunes is in the AAC format, while podcasts are MP3s; Android plays both formats. 

The exception to this are songs bought at iTunes prior to the April 2009 introduction of the DRM-free iTunes Plus format. These files, called Protected AAC, won't work on Android because it doesn't support iTunes' DRM. However, you can upgrade these songs to Android-compatible Purchased AAC files for US$0.30/song.

 

Playing Apple Music on Android? Soon

Apple's latest music venture, the Apple Music streaming service, is notable because it represents the company's first major Android app. In the past Apple has only made iOS apps, but since Apple Music replaces Beats Music, which ran on Android, Apple is doing the same here. The Android version of Apple Music isn't out yet, but expect to see it in the fall of 2015.

 

Playing iTunes Videos on Android? No

All movies and TV shows rented or purchased from iTunes have digital rights management restrictions. Because Android doesn't support Apple's iTunes DRM, video from iTunes won't work on Android.

Some other kinds of video stored in an iTunes library, such as that shot on an iPhone, are compatible with Android.

If you get software to strip out DRM or that does that as part of converting an iTunes video file to another format, you should be able to create an Android-compatible file. The legality of those approaches is questionable, though.

 

Running iPhone Apps on Android? No

Alas, iPhone apps don't run on Android. With the huge library of compelling apps and games at the App Store, some Android users might wish they could use iPhone apps, but just like the Mac version of a program won't run on Windows, iOS apps can't run on Android.

 

Reading iBooks on Android? No

Reading ebooks purchased from Apple's iBookstore requires running the iBooks app. And because Android devices can't run iPhone apps, iBooks are a no-go on Android (unless, as with videos, you use software to remove the DRM from the iBooks file; in that case iBooks files are just EPUBs). Luckily there are a number of other great ebook apps that do work on Android, like Amazon's Kindle.

 

Syncing iTunes and Android? Basically Yes

While iTunes won't sync media and other files to Android devices by default, with a little work and a third-party application, the two can talk to each other. Two apps that can sync iTunes and Android are doubleTwist from doubleTwist and TuneSync from High Wind Software (TuneSync is not currently for sale according to its developer, but it may still work with older versions of iTunes and Android).

To learn more about using doubleTwist for syncing, check out this video from About.com's Brent Rose.

 

AirPlay Streaming From Android? Basically, Yes

Android devices can't stream media via Apple's AirPlay protocol out of the box, but with apps they can. If you're already using DoubleTwist's AirSync to sync your Android device and iTunes, a $5 Android app adds AirPlay streaming. 

 

Want tips like this delivered to your inbox every week? Subscribe to the free weekly iPhone/iPod email newsletter.