Last week, TechCrunch first discovered that the long-rumored “Switch to Android” app for iOS users had been quietly released on the App Store. The app helps users migrate important content such as contacts, calendars, photos and videos from an iPhone to a new Android device. But while the app is technically live, it’s not yet “officially” available to App Store users through search or discovery mechanisms. Now, that’s changing, Google said.
Google told us that the Switch to Android app began rolling out to the public around 6 p.m. PT Monday night. The company said it expects the process to reach 10% of users by the end of the day on Tuesday, April 19, and 100% over the next few weeks.
The app reportedly supports all the same data types as Google Drive. Previously, Google’s suggested process for migrating from iPhone to Android included letting users back up their contacts, calendars, photos and videos through the Google Drive iOS app before switching devices. Google says the new Switch to Android app does the same thing, but offers a “faster, more streamlined” experience.
Image Source: Google
Google also provides a way to physically connect devices to move more content, including music, audio, wallpapers, alarms, call logs, device settings and free apps. But the new app’s App Store description explains that it can be used in lieu of “cumbersome cables” to transfer.
In addition to mobile data, the new Switch to Android app provides additional instructions on the transfer process – such as how to unregister iMessage to continue getting texts on the new Android device.
Google said it plans to add support for more data types to the app in the coming months.
Data transfer from iPhone via the new app will initially support Google Pixel devices as target devices, but support for other OEMs will be added later.
The launch follows other efforts by Google to make it easier for users to stream their content to its own platforms and services through backend development. This includes a recent update to the Google Photos app, which offers mobile device owners a way to copy photos from rival cloud storage services, including iCloud, Facebook, and more.
