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Google details 'Switch to Android' iOS app for easier iPhone app and message transfer

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Jul 28, 2021, 4:57 AM

Google details 'Switch to Android' iOS app for easier iPhone app and message transfer

Apple has exactly three apps for Android, one of which is called Move to iOS - yeah, for switchers. This must have annoyed Google to no end, as it is apparently working on its own "Switch to Android" app for iOS.

That's right, those crafty app installer parsers from 9to5Google have managed to spot mentions of the upcoming Switch to Android app in Google's latest Data Restore Tool update.

It will seemingly work as any self-respecting phone switch app does by creating a local wireless network between the two devices - an iPhone and Android phone in that case - and executing a fast transfer of contacts, messages, media, apps and settings between the two for easier transition.

How to transfer iPhone contacts, apps and messages with the Switch to Android app

Here's how Google says the Switch to Android from iPhone would work:

Get the Switch to Android app from the App Store.
Go to your Wi-Fi settings.
Connect to network ^1 and enter password ^2.
To transfer apps, SMS messages, and contacts, enter your iTunes backup password.
To transfer apps, iCloud contacts, device contacts, and iMessage messages, you’ll need to remove device management on your iPhone.

Google goes as far as warning that "your iPhone is managed by your organization and has encrypted content" when explaining the access level it needs to transfer iOS apps and iMessages, so it is genuinely expecting this to be a one-stop-shop tool for switching from an iPhone to a Galaxy, for instance.

Needless to say, some of the transferred apps will most likely just be placeholder icons, as most of these tools result in, so you'll still need to enter your login credentials and/or payment details if it's not a free app upon initial launch.

Thus, "Switch to Android" will still take much more time than upgrading to an iPhone but at least Google will be trying to make things easier for those who are eyeing a new Android phone coming from the iOS universe.

We'll see how it all pans out, as Apple's walled garden has built a very good fortress around its indispensable apps like iMessage so it would be curious to see how the smart guys over at Google have addressed that.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.