Google finally launches ‘Switch to Android’ app, 6 years after ‘Apple’s switch to iOS’

Apple has made it easy for those coming from the Android universe to transfer all their data from an Android smartphone to an iPhone. This transition is fairly smooth and is mostly possible thanks to the iPhone manufacturer’s “Move to iPhone”app. The app, released back in 2015, allowed Android users to move data such as messages, contacts, calendar data, Google accounts, and images.

Now, however, Google seems to have caught up with the game and has finally launched its counter app “Switch to Android “. This happened about six years after the launch of “Move to iOS “. This new app from Google is now on the Apple App Store and offers the same services for a smooth transition – in case the user moves from iOS to the Android universe.

Key features of the Switch to Android app

From the screenshots posted by Google on the App Store listing, you can see that the Switch to Android app helps users transfer their contacts, calendar events, photos, and videos. Surprisingly, it doesn’t include messages. However, many can do this through third-party apps.

Here’s what the app’s description says: “Google’s Switch to Android app helps you quickly and securely transfer your most important data types — photos, videos, contacts, and calendar events — to your new Android device without the hassle of cables. The app will also guide you through other important steps to set up your device, such as turning off iMessage so you don’t miss text messages from friends and family. The app will ask you for a series of permissions so that your iPhone data can be transferred to your Android device.”

The Switch to Android app is free to download and is 39MB in size. Also requires an iPhone or iPod Touch running iOS 12.0 or later.

Adding to the Google Apps package

With the launch of Switch to Android, Google has definitely made the cumbersome task of backing up Google Drive data while transferring data easier. The firm already has a bunch of apps in the App Store. These include Google Search, Google Drive, GBoard, Google One, Google Maps, Stadia, Podcasts, YouTube, and more. In addition to a suite of apps for the iPhone and iPad, the firm also has apps for the Apple TV and Apple Watch platforms.