Apple’s latest iOS 26 update, iOS 26.3, has done away with a decades-long concern: transferring data to an Android phone, and it does so with a cool new tool for anyone who wants to switch from iPhone to Android.
The clever iOS 26.3 feature for data migration was first spotted in a beta release in 2025. It allows users to easily migrate data such as messages, notes, photos, and contacts to an Android device in just a few steps.
Easy data migration between iPhone and Android
Before this emerged, users had to install Google’s Android Switch app to transfer data from an iPhone to an Android device. Thankfully, the new built-in tool doesn’t require that hectic, as users simply need to place their devices next to each other to get started.
Now, iPhone-to-Android data migration is easier than ever. Users just have to connect their iPhone by scanning a QR code displayed on the Android phone using their iPhone or by entering a session ID and pairing code.
Once connected, users can select the data they want to migrate, including photos, messages, notes, apps, passwords, and contacts.
Limitations of data migration between iPhone and Android
But that’s not without some limitations: the tool does not transfer health data, paired Bluetooth devices, or protected items such as locked notes.
The second boundary is that both devices should run the latest software versions with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled.
Google’s new tool for data transfer from Android to iPhone
This transfer tool stems from a collaboration between Apple and Google, simplifying data transfers for users switching between Apple and Google. To even the score, Google has implemented a similar feature in Android to facilitate data transfers for users moving to an iPhone.
The development puts an end to Apple’s years of reluctance about data portability between ecosystems.
By simplifying the data transfer between their smartphone, Apple and Google are believed to encourage more users to switch platforms without the hassle that existed for decades.
