Hi Reddit,

At The Android Show | I/O Edition earlier this year, we announced an upgraded switching process that makes it easier to transfer your data from your iPhone to your new Android device. We worked with Apple to build a new iOS-to-Android transfer process from the ground up that allows more of your data to be wirelessly migrated, such as your favorite apps, passwords and passkeys, messages, files, homescreen layout, and even your eSIM profile.

Today, I wanted to share more details with this community about the upgraded migration experience, which is part of a new version of Android Switch available with Android 17. 

Previously, when you switched from iPhone to Android, you had the option to copy data from your old phone with or without a cable. Many people didn’t have the right cable or dongle at hand when setting up their new Android device, so they opted to transfer data wirelessly. We designed that wireless experience to help you easily and securely move your most important data to your brand new Android device, but due to constraints with iOS, the types of data you could transfer was very limited. For example, you couldn’t transfer your alarms, apps, call history, or files, among other things. This forced you to spend more time manually setting up your new Android device.

To address these limitations, we worked with Apple to build a ground-up new transfer process built directly into the core of both Android and iOS. The new Android Switch migration experience supports transferring even more of your data, either via cable or wirelessly. No matter which method you choose, you’ll be able to transfer the same data via either. All of this works without needing to download a separate app or grant complex permissions. The new experience supports transferring new types of data like your Google Account, passwords and passkeys, and Wi-Fi credentials. Plus, both platforms support new APIs that developers can use to migrate in-app data securely across platforms.

Here’s a full breakdown of what data can be transferred from your iPhone to your new Android device based on which method you choose to transfer data:

The upgraded Android Switch experience is available in Android 17 and has already started rolling out to the Pixel 8 and newer. It will also be available via Samsung Smart Switch on the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 series devices and will come to more Android devices soon. 

If your device is eligible for the upgraded migration experience, you’ll get a QR code immediately after you choose to copy data from an iPhone during setup. Visit our Help Center for more information.

Note 1. You can search for previous daily threads.

Note 2. Join our IRC and Telegram chat-rooms! Please see our wiki for instructions.

Please post your questions here. Feel free to use this thread for general questions/discussion as well.

I have a recent experience with trying to save a phone with smashed display. The phone (pixel 6a) didn't have hdmi-over-usb-c, and enabling talkback (pressing up-down buttons together) from lockscreen didn't work either. Luckily by pressing the right spot, I got a few pixels working and I managed to enable talkback, then usb/wireless debugging and finally scrcpy.

Even after finally transferring stuff to the new phone, of course some apps didn't fully. Banking needs reinitializing - either by confirming it on the broken screen (scrcpy cannot mirror it, it's flagged as "secure"), or sending the bank photos of IDs. WhatsApp sync was only up to the last backup, and then broke down because the sim card was already in the new phone probably.

I cannot imagine how stupidly complicated this is if you completely destroy/lose the phone, and/or you are not nearby the second device to confirm your identity (to transfer stuff from google backups).

I get it, 2FA and all is needed for security. But IMO this should come with some "safety token" to restore the base google account. Maybe friend's account setup as backup confirmation. It's far too easy to lose basically your whole e-identity. God forbid you are in a vacation and don't have flight tickets, credit cards etc.

Don't get me started with all the 2FA services, where each requires you to store some hashes somewhere safe, and then find them in 10 years. I somehow manage, but it's completely non-realistic requirements for layman people.

Rant over.

How do you guys keep your phone backed-up? Adb cannot even do full backups these days... Do you ever try restoring from backups? Or are you reconciled with some loses after each voluntary/forced phone change?

Note 1. You can search for previous daily threads.

Note 2. Join our IRC and Telegram chat-rooms! Please see our wiki for instructions.

Please post your questions here. Feel free to use this thread for general questions/discussion as well.

Every time a new phone launches, it feels like we're getting the same design again and again. A punch-hole in the middle, a punch-hole in the corner, or sometimes a notch. That's it.

Then I remember my favorite phone, the OnePlus 7 Pro.

That phone felt years ahead of its time. A true edge-to-edge display with no notch, no punch-hole, no distractions. Watching movies, gaming, and even everyday scrolling felt so much more immersive. The pop-up camera wasn't just a gimmick, it made the phone feel futuristic.

I understand why companies moved away from it. Water resistance, durability, cost, and thinner designs all played a role. But I still feel like we lost something special.

Now almost every smartphone looks identical from the front. The excitement and uniqueness are gone.

If a brand released a modern flagship with:

A reliable pop-up selfie camera

Latest Snapdragon flagship processor

Excellent cameras

Big battery with fast charging

IP rating

I'd buy it without thinking twice.

Am I just being nostalgic, or are there still people who'd choose a pop-up camera over a punch-hole display today?

What's your favorite pop-up camera phone? Mine is still the OnePlus 7 Pro.

Got the new fold in Australia. Happy to do a short QnA :)

Cheers,

Berry.

I’ve been comparing video recorded on recent Android flagships vs. iPhones, and one thing that immediately stands out is how jarring the lens switching is on Android.

When you zoom in or out while recording on an iPhone, the transition between the Ultrawide, Main, and Telephoto lenses is almost seamless. On Android, though, you can literally see the exact frame where it snaps over. There’s a jarring jump in exposure, a slight color shift, and a visible perspective shift/stutter.

Why is there such a noticeable difference, and why haven't Android manufacturers fully solved this yet?