What you need to know
- Google is working on a "Switch to Android" app to help users migrate their data from an iPhone to an Android phone.
- The app is expected to work similarly to Apple's Move to iOS app for Android.
- It will help users transfer apps, SMS messages, contacts, iCloud contacts, iMessage messages, and certain apps.
A teardown of Google's new Data Restore Tool update by XDA Developers has revealed that the search giant is developing an app called "Switch to Android" to help iPhone users migrate their data to an Android phone.
The strings found in the latest Data Restore Tool v1.0.382048734 suggest users will have to download the "Switch to Android" app from the App Store and go to Wi-Fi settings on their iPhone to connect to the best Android phones via a Wi-Fi hotspot. Apple's Move to iOS app, which helps Android users migrate their data to a new iPhone, also works similarly.
As you can see in the screenshots below, the app will enable iPhone users to transfer apps, SMS messages, and contacts to an Android device. Although no details are available at this point, it looks like the app will match apps installed on the user's iPhone with apps published on the Google Play Store. However, you won't be able to migrate certain apps, iCloud contacts, device contacts, and iMessage messages if your iPhone is encrypted.
Users will be required to remove device management in order to migrate everything over. It also appears that the app will allow users to move their WhatsApp chats using the Facebook-owned messaging app's upcoming "Move Chats to Android" feature.
Let's see some screenshots showing the strings that @xdadevelopers found in #Google's Data Restore Tool app update 👀 https://t.co/nMN50nwlVI pic.twitter.com/KzCGKNJ7OBLet's see some screenshots showing the strings that @xdadevelopers found in #Google's Data Restore Tool app update 👀 https://t.co/nMN50nwlVI pic.twitter.com/KzCGKNJ7OB— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) July 27, 2021July 27, 2021
Currently, Google lets iPhone users back up their photos, videos, contacts, and calendar using Google Drive. Needless to say, the solution isn't quite as useful as the dedicated "Move to iOS" app that Apple offers for Android users switching to an iPhone. While the APK teardown confirms that Google is indeed working on a new "Switch to Android" app for iOS, there's no word on when it will be listed on the App Store.
