The long awaited and previously mentioned “Switch to Android” app designed to help iPhone and iPad users switch to the Android ecosystem, appeared quietly in the iOS App Store earlier this week – with a few caveats. The app’s description promises to help you move your photos, videos, contacts and calendar events to a new Android device without “flashy cables”, as well as instantly reminding you to turn off iMessage and ask for the appropriate permissions to move the rest of your data .
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But as TechCrunch reported, the app could not be found in the App Store by searching for it, nor was it displayed on Google’s developer page in the App Store, and could only be found by going to the direct link. Moreover, people over on Android Central reported being able to download the app but not being able to review the download flowwhich signals that the app is not quite ready for prime time.
Switching to the Android app from Google helps you quickly and securely move your most important data types – photos, videos, contacts and calendar events – to a brand new Android device without cumbersome cables.
The app also guides you through other important steps to set up your device, such as turning off iMessage so you do not miss text messages from friends and family.
The app will ask you for a number of permissions so that your iPhone’s data can be moved to your Android device.
Description of the “Switch to Android” app in the iOS App Store
Google later responded to TC’s request for the app “warn them that the app is not yet listed on the iOS App Store,” so I guess this must mean what I suspected all along, and it’s not meant for the app to be downloaded, much less used yet. I’m not sure why, if that is the case, it has not been pulled or hidden, even now that this discovery has made the technological innovation cycle.
I’m guessing we’ll have to wait and see if that means the app will be patched and officially released very soon. I’m curious to see how much traction it’s getting with the upcoming release of the more affordable Pixel 6a, which I suppose will bring some people over to the dark side.
