Recently, we learned that Google was working on an app that would make it easy to switch from iPhone to Android, and now that app has been launched so you no longer have to back up everything to Google Drive or mess around with cables.
The app, called Switch to Android, lets you choose what data you want to transfer, with options including contacts, calendar events, photos, and videos. It also provides tips such as turning off iMessage so you do not miss texts, and it provides information on how to transfer photos from iCloud.
So it sounds like a comprehensive app, and it’s one that Google promises is fast, secure, and wireless.
It is worth noting that the app will ask for a lot of different permissions, but there is probably no way around it in an app designed to move all your important data to a new phone and a new operating system.
So if you want to go from iOS to an Android phone, this is probably now the best and fastest way to do it.
Analysis: it will take a long time
While the Switch to Android app certainly looks promising, it’s also amazing that it’s taken so long to arrive.
Apple has been offering a very similar Move to iOS app for transfers in the other direction since 2015, and in the absence of an official Switch To Android app, some companies have created their own alternatives, such as Samsung with its Smart Switch app – however this of course, only helps you move to a Samsung phone.
Many other Android phone brands have so far been left with slower and more clumsy transfer methods, which is a bit ridiculous when you think about it. So it’s a good thing that Google is finally fixing this.