Switching between Android and iOS will become easier

Google and Apple have begun joint work on a new tool that will make it easier for users to switch between smartphones running Android and iOS. The new solution will allow data transfer during the initial setup of a device and will gradually replace the existing separate migration apps.

This was reported by 9to5Google.

Simplified transition from iPhone to Android

The companies are working on a unified approach to transferring information between platforms to make changing smartphones less painful for users. This involves the ability to transfer data directly during the initial setup of a new device — both on Android and iOS.

The first signs of this integration have already appeared in Android Canary 2512, which was received by all Pixel smartphones. On Apple's side, support for the new mechanism will appear in one of the upcoming developer builds of iOS 26. Before the public launch, the functionality is expected to expand: more types of data will be added for transfer between devices.

At the same time, both Android Canary and iOS developer versions are not intended for a wide range of users. Such builds may contain bugs and performance issues, so testing of new features is carried out on a limited audience. In Google's case, these updates will later move to Android Beta, and then to stable releases.

There is no exact timeline yet for the release of the final version of simplified switching between platforms. Support will gradually appear on Android devices, separately for different models. For now, users can continue to use the existing migration tools: the Move to iOS app on Android and Android Switch on iOS devices.

Read more:

• Apple may launch 4 new devices soon — hardware lineup revealed
• Switching to an iPhone — the most common mistakes