Migrating data from an old iPhone to a new iPhone is easy. Likewise, Google makes it easy to carry data from your old Android phone to a new one. But transferring data from an Android to an iPhone (or vice versa) remains a challenging task. Google and Apple want to make this easier and are working together to solve this problem.
The latest Android Canary build (2512) for compatible Pixels contains underlying improvements to the setup process that make importing data from an iPhone easier (via 9to5Google).
Apple will also roll out the enhancements as part of a future iOS 26 developer beta. The change is not a part of iOS 26.2 Release Candidate released this week. Instead, it will likely be included in the first iOS 26.3 beta.
The improved device switching experience on both platforms will only be available during the initial device setup. Both Apple and Google are currently testing the changes, and it’s unclear when the final version will go live for the public.
Both companies plan to further refine the migration process and add support for more data types before the feature rolls out widely.
More improvements to Android-iPhone switching are on the way
Google and Apple did not exactly specify what improvements they are making to make the Android-iOS device switching better. Still, given how bad the experience is right now, any improvement should be welcome. Currently, you must use Google’s Android Switch app or the Move to iOS app on iPhones during the initial device setup.
It seems as part of the improvement, the companies will do away with the requirement of separately downloading the Move to iOS or the Switch app.
Both apps are limited in the data they can migrate. They are primarily meant to transfer your photos, videos, WhatsApp history, call logs, calendars, messages, and mail accounts. And even then, the process is wonky and may not work reliably or take a long time to finish. With Google and Apple working together, though, hopefully this will no longer be an issue in the future.
Apple and Google’s collaboration on smoother device transfers could stem from regulatory pressures, as they are under pressure to reduce platform lock-in.
