Google quietly launched the Switch to Android app on iOS

Reports from last year trade started Google has been developing the Switch to Android app for iOS users who want to switch from an iPhone to a Google Android smartphone. Now this app has arrived. On Monday, Google quietly released a file Switch to the Android app On the App Store in a number of global markets, including the US, as expected, the app promises to make the transition between mobile platforms easier to manage by helping users import contacts, calendar, photos and videos to their new Android devices. the phone.

The app also instructs users how to disable Apple iMessage from receiving text messages on their new device and how to connect to iCloud to migrate their photo and video library to Android.

google Switch to Android site It has not been updated yet to indicate that the new app is available and the company has not officially announced its launch. The app also does not appear on the Google developer page in the App Store or in App Store search results. It can only be found if you click on the direct link.

Currently, the Switch to Android website guides users through the standard process of switching to Android, where users backup their contacts, calendar, photos and videos via Google Drive iOS app before switching devices.

The company’s plan to develop a standalone app for iPhone to Android converters was first revealed last year when 9to5Google Dig into the code in the official Android data recovery tool and find a reference for the Switch to Android app developed by Google for iOS. The site only last month orphan The app appears to have gained the ability to automatically migrate users’ photos and videos from iCloud to Google Photos, also based on entries in another Android app’s code.

There is further evidence that Google is making it easier for users to transfer media content to its platform and services through back-end developments. Recently, Google About updating the Google Photos app It offers mobile device owners a way to copy photos from competing cloud storage services, including iCloud, Facebook, and others. Previously, transfers had to come from Facebook or iCloud, not from the Google app itself.

Unfortunately, one thing that Google’s new Switch to Android iOS app doesn’t help is migrating user apps. This is likely due to restrictions on third-party apps that can be accessed on the user’s device. The apps are not supposed to scan the user’s iPhone for a list of all the other apps the user has installed.

In the App Store description, the new app improves on its ability to handle the transfer of user content between devices without the use of “complex cables,” meaning the two phones don’t need to be paired together to get the process done. to complete a job.

The Google app comes many years after the Apple app that helped Android users switch over to the iPhone. Back in September 2015, Apple Launched It’s a Move to iOS app For Android users, especially the first Google Play app (along with the Beats acquisition). Similarly, the app helped migrate user data including Camera Roll, Messages, Google Account, Contacts, and Bookmarks.

The app is publicly available from the URL here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1581816143†

Google did not comment prior to publication, but contacted us later to indicate that the app is not currently available for download on the iOS App Store – as we noted in our original story above.

Updated on 4/13/22 3:50PM ET with Google comment.