Key Points
- Tech rivals Apple and Google may be working together on a new feature. The goal is to make it easier for users to switch between Android and iPhone devices.
- The new transfer tool was discovered in a very early test version of Android called Canary.
- Google has confirmed the feature’s existence but hasn’t provided details.
- Since the feature is in a very early stage, it could change before being released to the public.
Apple and Google have long been tech’s biggest rivals, rarely seeing eye to eye on anything. But a discovery suggests the two giants might finally be calling a truce on one of the biggest headaches for phone users: switching between an iPhone and an Android.
The hint of this surprising collaboration comes from the latest test version of Android, known as “Canary,” which is a very early, experimental build for developers. The new feature seems designed to make it much easier to transfer your data when you’re setting up a new phone, whether you’re moving from Android to iOS or the other way around. It is also expected to appear in a future test version of Apple’s iOS.
A Google representative confirmed the news but didn’t share any specific details on how it would work. Currently, both companies offer their own apps—”Switch to Android” and “Move to iOS”—to help people make the jump.
However, building this function directly into the operating systems could make the process much smoother and allow for more types of data to be transferred seamlessly.
Don’t get too excited just yet, though. Features found in these very early developer versions can change a lot before they ever reach the public. Android Canary is the first step in a long development process, so what we see now might not be what we get in the final release.
Still, for anyone who has ever dreaded the chore of moving their life from one phone to another, this is a promising sign of cooperation from two companies that usually prefer to compete.
