Google could soon make it a tad easier to switch from iPhone to Android

By Babu Mohan
published

iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro (Image credit: Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Google is working on a "Switch to Android" app to help users migrate their data from an iPhone to an Android phone.
  • The app is expected to work similarly to Apple's Move to iOS app for Android.
  • It will help users transfer apps, SMS messages, contacts, iCloud contacts, iMessage messages, and certain apps.

A teardown of Google's new Data Restore Tool update by XDA Developers has revealed that the search giant is developing an app called "Switch to Android" to help iPhone users migrate their data to an Android phone.

The strings found in the latest Data Restore Tool v1.0.382048734 suggest users will have to download the "Switch to Android" app from the App Store and go to Wi-Fi settings on their iPhone to connect to the best Android phones via a Wi-Fi hotspot. Apple's Move to iOS app, which helps Android users migrate their data to a new iPhone, also works similarly.

As you can see in the screenshots below, the app will enable iPhone users to transfer apps, SMS messages, and contacts to an Android device. Although no details are available at this point, it looks like the app will match apps installed on the user's iPhone with apps published on the Google Play Store. However, you won't be able to migrate certain apps, iCloud contacts, device contacts, and iMessage messages if your iPhone is encrypted.

Users will be required to remove device management in order to migrate everything over. It also appears that the app will allow users to move their WhatsApp chats using the Facebook-owned messaging app's upcoming "Move Chats to Android" feature.

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Currently, Google lets iPhone users back up their photos, videos, contacts, and calendar using Google Drive. Needless to say, the solution isn't quite as useful as the dedicated "Move to iOS" app that Apple offers for Android users switching to an iPhone. While the APK teardown confirms that Google is indeed working on a new "Switch to Android" app for iOS, there's no word on when it will be listed on the App Store.

Babu Mohan
Babu Mohan
News Writer
8 Comments
  • Nevermind a move from iOS to Android, Google needs to work on an iCloud style backup and restore system, because the current system is a shambles as far as cloud saves for games is concerned.
  • Yeah, considering Google is making Android sh*ttier and sh*ttier by the update, this is the most useless app they've ever made. An iPhone user would need to be out of his/her mind to switch from iOS to Google's poor copy of it.
  • I personally like Google's version of Android, I don't give a **** about the so called extra customisation and features that the others offer, I just want a clean, simple and bloatware free OS that's easy to use and only issue with not just Pixels but with Android in general is the crappy backup and restore system, Google should have something like Samsung switch or OnePlus switch that transfers all your data and apps from text messages to APKs installed outside of the Play Store like those apps do.
  • Google needs to focus on its Android apps, not its iOS apps, making sure Android apps gets the feature first.
    The problem with iOS is that Apple limits it to just its device as it doesn't license it to OEMs to way Google does.
    It is difficult to get dye hard Apple fans to switch. Microsoft failed to do so
  • Google should just get rid of their iOS apps or at least their most important one or at least bring features to Android first and maybe keep them exclusive to Android like PIP for YouTube, etc.
  • They should make one to go the other way. Honestly, it would get a lot more use.
  • Who would like to do that?
  • apple users are jailed, so... why?