With a new app “Switch to Android” Google wants to simplify the move from iOS to Android.
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Moving from iOS to Android might get easier in the future.
©Apple
April 14, 2022 update:
After almost nine months, Google has now published its “Switch to Android” migration app in the App Store. With it, it is possible to transfer iPhone data to an Android. The app supports all devices that support iOS 12 and newer. The app transfers your own contacts, calendar appointments, photos and videos from your iPhone. When switching, the app warns the user to turn off iMessage so that they can at least receive an SMS from their iPhone contacts. The photos and videos can also be downloaded from iCloud if iCloud Library has been activated, for this the app launches a standard request to the Apple service on behalf of the user. However, moving third-party apps is not possible. Whatsapp & Co. has to be laboriously moved separately.
Even if you’ve switched to Android, you don’t necessarily have to give up your iCloud account. We have described how to use the Apple account on Android here: “Sync iCloud with Android”.
Original message from July 28, 2021:
Moving from an Android smartphone to a new Android smartphone from another manufacturer is usually easy. Users can transfer apps, music, photos or contacts via an app that is installed on both devices. When moving from an iOS device to an Android smartphone, the switch usually does not go quite so smoothly. Previously, iPhone users could only upload their contacts, SMS and photos to Google Drive and then copy the content from there to their new Android smartphone.
A new app from Google could soon provide a remedy and more options when moving from iOS to Android. 9to5Google found evidence of this in the source code of the Google app “Data Recovery Tool”. This is where you can set up a WiFi network using the new “Switch to Android” app for iOS. According to a description hidden in the source code, “Switch to Android” will be available for download in Apple’s App Store. The “Data Recovery Tool” must then be installed on the new Android smartphone. Once the apps have been started on the old iOS device and the new Android cell phone, the data is copied directly over the WiFi network set up by the Android smartphone.
In addition to contacts, SMS and photos, the new app could also make it easier to move apps. According to the source code, the software could compare the list of apps installed on the iOS device with the Play Store and – if they are free apps – install them on the Android smartphone. It is still unclear when the new moving app for iOS will be available. An official announcement by Google is still pending.
