Google and Apple team up to make switching between Android and iPhone easier (Updated)

Update: December 9, 2025 (2 AM ET): We’ve updated the original article with a screenshot and additional details showing a new “Copy data” option for iPhone-to-Android transfers in the latest Android Canary build. While it still appears to be a work in progress, it signals that a new switching method is actively in development.

Original article: December 9, 2025 (1:15 AM ET): Google and Apple are reportedly working together to improve the process of switching between Android phones and iPhones.

Currently, users have to rely on Google’s Switch to Android app or Apple’s Move to iOS app to transfer data between devices. However, switching between the two ecosystems isn’t always as straightforward as using these apps. Users often face issues like incomplete data transfers, lost photos or messages, app incompatibilities, iMessage and SMS glitches, and more. These transfers can also be very slow, adding to the frustration of an already unreliable process.

But Google and Apple have now confirmed to 9to5Google that they are collaborating to make these transitions easier and more efficient.

While specific details remain under wraps, the report notes that the latest Android Canary build for Pixel devices already includes this work, though it doesn’t reveal exactly how the new switching process will function.

Meanwhile, we’ve noticed a new “Copy data” option in the latest Android Canary build, suggesting that a new switching method is in development. This option appears when you go to Settings > tap your Profile name and photo > All Services > Pair with iPhone or iPad.

In the current stable Android 16 QPR2 build, this menu only offers a Transfer eSIM option. The latest Canary build, however, adds the Copy data option, which initiates a new wireless data transfer method. Users are prompted to enter a session ID and passcode, and the page notes that the iPhone must be running iOS 26 for the transfer to work.

This method also appears during the device setup process in the latest Android Canary build if you select “Copy data using Android Switch” > Choose iPhone or iPad as the restore option > and tap on “Can’t scan QR code.” Essentially, the session ID and passcode act as a handshake between the devices to ensure the phones can connect securely.

While this isn’t necessarily the final method Google and Apple may be developing, it does indicate that work is underway, as 9to5Google notes. When the new process launches, it’s expected to be integrated into the device setup experience.

The report adds that this initiative is expected to debut with a future iOS 26 developer beta, enabling easier switching with expanded functionality, including support for transferring additional types of data.

On Google’s side, these improvements are likely to appear first in an Android beta before rolling out in a full release.