Google is getting ready to launch a model new approach to transfer from Apple’s iPhones to an Android gadget. Right here’s your first take a look at Google’s “Change to Android” app operating on an iPhone.
Replace: Google’s Change to Android app now helps all Android 12 gadgets, not simply Pixels.
When shifting from one Android gadget to a brand new one, it’s straightforward to easily join the 2 telephones collectively – both wirelessly or with a USB cable – to seamlessly copy over your entire apps, contacts, messages, photographs, and extra. Against this, copying your information from an iPhone to Android has not been almost as easy of a course of, involving backing up your information to Google Drive and restoring it manually. Android 12 made issues a bit simpler, permitting you to repeat over contacts, apps, and media, however solely by way of a Lightning cable connection.
In the other way, for over 5 years, Apple has supplied a devoted “Transfer to iOS” app for Android that makes an attempt to make it as straightforward as doable to affix Apple’s ecosystem. Again in July 2021, we reported that Google was working by itself app to assist new prospects make their subsequent cellphone an Android.
Change to Android has now been soft-launched into the App Retailer as an unlisted software – a function that Apple solely just lately launched – solely accessible via a direct hyperlink which our APK Perception group was in a position to uncover.
With that hyperlink, we had been in a position to efficiently set up Change to Android on an iPhone, and run it. Nonetheless, whereas the whole lot appears to be prepared on the iOS aspect of issues, Android’s setup and restore course of just isn’t but ready for the Change to Android app’s availability.
On the primary display, the app explains what precisely will probably be in a position to copy out of your iPhone to your new Android cellphone, together with “photographs, movies, contacts, and extra.”
The subsequent step asks you to scan a QR code which needs to be proven in your Android cellphone in the course of the setup & restore course of. Sadly, we had been unable to entry this setup circulation, however the fundamental gist is that your new Android cellphone would generate a hotspot to which your iPhone would join. As soon as linked, nearly all of your vital information could be transferred wirelessly.
We are able to see a preview of how this step will work due to screenshots included within the App Retailer itemizing. In them, we see toggles for “Contacts,” “Calendar occasions,” “Pictures,” and “Movies.” Beneath these toggles, there’s a disclaimer that solely the photographs and movies saved domestically in your iPhone will likely be copied over to your new Android, and that media in your iCloud will likely be dealt with later.
As soon as the copying is full, you’re reminded to disable iMessage, to make sure that messages from your mates who nonetheless have iPhones are literally delivered by way of SMS, somewhat than disappearing into the iMessage void. The ultimate step of the Change to Android course of is to request a switch of your iCloud information into Google Drive / Google Pictures. The “Begin request” button merely launches Safari to an iCloud help web page the place you possibly can “Request to switch a replica of your information.”
Replace 4/19: In an announcement given to TechCrunch, Google has mentioned that they’ve begun making Change to Android obtainable to iPhone house owners, steadily making the app publicly obtainable on the App Retailer. Within the meantime, the app is accessible to anybody via a direct hyperlink.
On Monday night round 6 PM PT, the Change to Android app started to roll out to the general public, Google tells us. The corporate says it expects this course of to achieve 10% of customers by the top of the day on Tuesday, April 19, and 100% of customers over the following couple of weeks.
After all, Change to Android doesn’t work by itself, requiring some modifications to the Android setup course of, that are presumably additionally rolling out now.
Replace 4/28: Beginning in a brand new tweet, Google is now actively selling its Change to Android app to potential Pixel prospects, in addition to via a brand new touchdown web page on the Android web site. By all indications, it ought to now be absolutely doable to repeat over a wealth of information out of your previous iPhone to a brand new Android cellphone, both wirelessly or with a cable. Particularly, you possibly can copy over the next:
- Contacts
- Regionally saved photographs
- SMS/MMS/iMessage message & media historical past
- Whatsapp message & media historical past
- Free apps which can be additionally obtainable in Play Retailer
- Customized wallpaper
- DRM-free music
- Name logs
- Alarms
- Some gadget settings
Replace 6/29: After initially solely advertising and marketing Change to Android to potential Pixel patrons, Google is now permitting the app emigrate information from iPhone to any gadget on Android 12 or newer. This even consists of gadgets on the inexpensive finish of the spectrum, constructed with Android 12 Go version.
All in all, Change to Android is a delightfully simple expertise, making it as straightforward as doable to depart behind the walled backyard of the iPhone ecosystem. It’s not clear presently when Google intends for Change to Android to launch extensively, however contemplating how lengthy Apple’s personal “Transfer to iOS” app has been within the Play Retailer, Google’s different is already arriving years later than it ought to have.
Dylan Roussel contributed to this text.
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