Google's Android Switch will let you transfer data from an iPhone anytime you want

Are you switching from an iPhone to an Android phone and need to transfer your old data? As the saying goes, there's an app for that. And it will even let you choose when to move everything over, at least if you have the right phone.

Available at both Google Play and the App Store, Google's Android Switch app allows you to transfer photos, videos, contacts, calendar events, and other info from an old phone to a new one. Normally, you would kick off this transfer during the initial setup of your new Android phone. In this respect, the app should work with any model Android device.

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With the latest version of Android Switch, you can transfer the data anytime after the setup is complete. You can also use both phones until you're ready to commit to the new one. However, there's a catch.

According to a blog post published Wednesday, the ability to delay the data transfer is available only with a Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, or Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, Google promises that this option will be rolling out to more Android phones in 2025.

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If you have a Pixel 9 series, here's how this works: After completing the initial setup of your new phone, bypass the option to transfer your data if it appears. When you're ready to fully move over, fire up the Android Switch app. You'll then be able to connect to your old iPhone and transfer whatever information you need.

You can perform the migration wirelessly with both phones on the same Wi-Fi network. But if you choose to take the wired route via a USB cable, Google says that the transfer will be 40% faster than it would have been last year.

What if you're upgrading from one Android device to another? Google offers an express setup option -- you can move the information stored on the old device and none of the data stored in the cloud. Plus, Pixel Watch owners will receive a prompt from their watch reminding them to transfer the data at the end of the setup process.

Also: The end of ChromeOS is a new dawn for cheap Android laptops

Whether you use an iPhone or Android device, one feature that's been improved is text messaging. With iOS now supporting the RCS standard, you can send and receive high-resolution images, videos, and emoji reactions between the two types of phones. Also, you can more easily manage group chats that include iPhone and Android users.