Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

[jdclifford]

Will Android ever get iMessage support? Only thing holding me back.

I think you answered your own question. iMessage is Apple’s hook into its ecosystem. I’ve been avid Apple user since original Mac in 1984 however I do like to play with Android devices ( I have a Galaxy Z Fold 7). I find it quite annoying not to be able to have my iMessages flow over. I’ve tried a few hacks to make it work and 1 or 2 did for awhile but I gave up trying.

I doubt Apple will ever make it easy to flow back and forth between Android and IOS.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

YUP! Because, and here’s the part that may be hard to understand. People that want Android, buy Android. Why not, nothing prevents them. Those that don’t want Android, don’t buy Android. Well, I suppose there are a FEW that don’t want Android but buy it anyway because they have to have something to complain about in their lives.

But, yes, the group of people that buy things they don’t want (especially expensive things) is pretty darned small.

A coworker of mine has an iPhone and has told me several times that wants to go back to Android. He only has an it because his wife and kids want iPhone and they want to share their One plan, and have Find Me support between them.

It’s been at least a couple years since he switched, but was still complaining a few days ago.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

A coworker of mine has an iPhone and has told me several times that wants to go back to Android. He only has an iPhone because his wife and kids want iPhone and they want to share their One plan.

It’s been at least a couple years since he switched, but was still complaining a few days ago.

So, he might not like it, but if they didn’t want to do it (share their One plan), they wouldn’t be doing it. Or, again, there’s an edge case that says he doesn’t want to share their One plan, but does it anyway.

As I mentioned, some people need to have something to complain about in their lives. Perhaps in that case it could be why they got married and had kids?

 

[ProbablyDylan]

This is great. I love it when my devices work together. Less friction for users is always better.

 

[DutchApplePie]

Thought I had read a story about something like this a few months back. Although I can't recall if it was specifically for transferring the eSIM from one to the other.

 

[bLackjackj]

Will Android ever get iMessage support? Only thing holding me back.

Sure, about the same time that Google Wallet arrives in the Apple App Store 🙄🤦‍♂️

 

[nxt3]

Will Android ever get iMessage support? Only thing holding me back.

You hear your question right?

If Apple supported iMessage on Android you'd leave Apple. Why would that benefit Apple?

 

[zakarhino]

They're collaborating to help each other avoid monopoly lawsuits. We're going to see more of this going forward I suspect.

 

[dominiongamma]

This sucks. I don't want anything to be "easier" for Google gathering information/data. Sharing = more leaks/backdoors. I don't want Apple getting cozier with Google, I want them to create compelling products and software free of garbage ads and bloat that make me never consider leaving the walled garden in the first place.

It’s not about you, it’s about users having options. You don’t have to use it

 

[NVDA]

You hear your question right?

If Apple supported iMessage on Android you'd leave Apple. Why would that benefit Apple?

Ask yourself, how much money could Apple make licensing iMessage to Android? Less than whatever loss of a small percentage of people who would switch over to Samsung/Google hardware?

 

[Reason077]

What’s also needed is an easy and fast way to move an eSIM between Apple and Android devices, without having to visit a carrier website or whatever.

 

[tbayrgs]

But when will it move MVNO eSIMs without asking me to contact my carrier? That's the biggest pain point when switching/upgrading and needs to be 100x easier and more reliable.

That’s all on the carriers for implementation. I was able to transfer my eSIM from Android to iPhone and vice versa on T Mobile and US Mobile, either directly between devices or via their website.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

They're collaborating to help each other avoid monopoly lawsuits. We're going to see more of this going forward I suspect.

Which leaves them with control of mobile tech worldwide. For fans of Apple or Google, great!

Governments around the world have created systems whereby only the current market leaders can succeed. So much for “increased competition”.

 

[sleeptodream]

Ask yourself, how much money could Apple make licensing iMessage to Android? Less than whatever loss of a small percentage of people who would switch over to Samsung/Google hardware?

Apple wouldn’t license it to Google, they’d have to develop the app themselves and then maintain it for two different platforms, it would be costly. And Apple is a hardware company, unlike Google they rely on hardware sales. They’d lose hundreds of dollars for every one person who decided to try an Android now that iMessage is there. Even if they charged $5 per month or something, I think it would be a net negative for them

I’m sure they’ve run the numbers, if it made sense they would have done it by now

 

[Mousse]

Will Android ever get iMessage support? Only thing holding me back.

Remember Beeper? The Devil will skate to work, pigs will sprout wings, the Sun will rise in the West before Apple makes iMessage for android. There are plenty of universal chat/messaging apps that works with android, iOS, Mac and PCs.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

This sucks. I don't want anything to be "easier" for Google gathering information/data. Sharing = more leaks/backdoors. I don't want Apple getting cozier with Google, I want them to create compelling products and software free of garbage ads and bloat that make me never consider leaving the walled garden in the first place.

For those who want switch? Screw them? Choice for the consumer is better than lock-in, always. No exceptions.

 

[tyranne201]

This is actually a great thing. It doesn't matter what phone you choose to use (the fact there are options is already a good thing), being able to switch as you choose is a great thing and consumer friendly.

Everyone should be able to conveniently choose what hardware or software they wish to use.

This is actually a DUOPOLY being born.

Have another OS? Too difficult to Migrate.

I hope people can see that this is just a protection, a comrade deal to prevent other players.

 

[MarkNewton2023]

Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta.

Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android device to an iPhone, while Google has an Android Switch app that can migrate data from an iPhone to an Android smartphone. The new method will apparently replace the existing apps, offering a transfer function when setting up a new iPhone or Android device.

The collaboration will apparently add "more functionality" and support for transferring data types that are not available to transfer with the current tools.

Both Apple and Google are facing regulatory pressure around the world, with multiple countries scrutinizing practices that might keep customers locked into a platform. Making it simpler for users to transition from one platform to another will be beneficial to both companies.

Article Link: Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Hopefully soon, there is a feature to easily transfer phone number eSIMs from iPhone to Android similar transfer feature between iPhones and androids.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I just spent the last several months trying to switch to Android with the Z Fold 7. It’s not the data migration that was the difficulty…it’s the fact that many shared apps on the Android side are just inferior. They are often buggy or lacking features found in the same app made for iOS. E.g., my work scheduling app on the Android phone has to be restarted each day for information to be displayed, and some days it displays the wrong day; the same app works flawlessly on iOS. I love the hardware on the Android side, but the better functionality of Apple software keeps me in the ecosystem.

This is what brought me back to iOS after several years on Android as well. A lot of the best apps were and still are iOS first or only, and a lot of the Android apps seemed like an afterthought.

 

[Digital Dude]

Sounds good to me. I find myself increasingly drawn to Android forums and the pace of their development. After 42 years in the Apple ecosystem, I have wanted an Android phone for the past seven years or so. Apple may still make the better mousetrap, but I no longer care for the company, and that matters to me. For the first year, I will likely run both devices and see how it goes…👨‍🔬

 

[polyphenol]

Hopefully soon, there is a feature to easily transfer phone number eSIMs from iPhone to Android similar transfer feature between iPhones and androids.

How about between IOS and iPadOS!

Why can I not easily move my eSIM(s) across all my devices that can connect to mobile networks?

 

[Markwebbvt]

from the perspective of someone that has no interest in switching off of Apple, this is definitely a net positive for the whole phone industry. Making it easier to switch keeps Apple fighting harder to keep existing customers.

While they rely on Google for their AI.

 

[Markwebbvt]

This sucks. I don't want anything to be "easier" for Google gathering information/data. Sharing = more leaks/backdoors. I don't want Apple getting cozier with Google, I want them to create compelling products and software free of garbage ads and bloat that make me never consider leaving the walled garden in the first place.

They have to since Apple is failing with AI.

 

[Markwebbvt]

I just spent the last several months trying to switch to Android with the Z Fold 7. It’s not the data migration that was the difficulty…it’s the fact that many shared apps on the Android side are just inferior. They are often buggy or lacking features found in the same app made for iOS. E.g., my work scheduling app on the Android phone has to be restarted each day for information to be displayed, and some days it displays the wrong day; the same app works flawlessly on iOS. I love the hardware on the Android side, but the better functionality of Apple software keeps me in the ecosystem.

Too funny. That may have been 5-7 years ago but I have both iPhone and Android with the same apps. The only difference is they are slightly laid out differently but full functionality is present. No problems whatsoever!