Why Apple just made it easier to switch from iPhone to Android | Information Age
Why Apple just made it easier to switch from iPhone to Android | Information Age
Publish Date: 2026-02-15 23:27:00
Source Domain: ia.acs.org.au
Apple and Google’s mobile operating systems are playing a little nicer, amid regulatory pressure. Image: Shutterstock
Consumers can now more easily transfer their data from an iPhone or iPad to a device running Google’s Android operating system after Apple released a new tool worldwide for moving from iOS and iPadOS, amid pressure from European regulators.
Apple’s release of iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3 on Thursday included a new ‘Transfer to Android’ tool integrated into each mobile operating system, allowing users to switch to Google’s platform without needing a separate app.
The new system allows for the transfer of data such as messages, contacts, call history, photos, some apps, accessibility settings, wallpaper, home screen layout, and phone numbers.
However, it will not transfer a user’s health data, details of devices that have connected through Bluetooth, or protected items such as locked documents.
Why are Apple and Google working together on this?
Apple and Google announced their rare collaboration on data transfers in December 2025, before the European Commission claimed its Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations had resulted in a victory for consumers and developers.
At the time, the commission told 9to5Mac the new data transfer tools and previous eSIM transfer tools were both “the direct result of the DMA, which requires designated services (including iOS and Android) to ensure effective data portability”.
“These solutions were possible thanks to extensive engineering work and collaboration between Apple and Google, as well as intensive discussions with the commission for the past two years,” the commission reportedly said.
Apple had previously flagged it was “developing a device switching solution” in its March 2025 DMA compliance report, in collaboration with Google.
Aside from regulatory pressure, creating such a solution may have also been inspired by concerns about the security or capability of Google’s…
