Recently we learned that Google was working on an app to make it easy to switch from iPhone to Android, and now that app has launched, so you no longer have to back everything up to Google Drive or fiddle around with cables.
The app, dubbed Switch To Android, lets you choose what data to bring across, with options including contacts, calendar events, photos, and videos. It also provides tips, such as turning off iMessage so you don’t miss texts, and it includes 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’s worth noting that the app will ask for a lot of different permissions, but there’s probably no way around this in an app designed to move all your important data to a new phone and operating system.
So if you’re looking to make the move from iOS to an Android phone, this is probably now the best and fastest way to do it.
Analysis: a long time coming
While the Switch To Android app certainly looks promising, it’s also baffling that it’s taken this long to arrive.
Apple has offered 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 – though of course this only helps you move to a Samsung phone.
Many other Android phone brands have until now been left with slower and clunkier transfer methods, which is a bit ridiculous when you think about it. So it’s a good thing Google is finally putting this right.
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