The Apple ecosystem is famously seamless. However, if you’ve tried switching from iOS to Android, that smooth experience suddenly takes a hit and becomes extremely tricky. Sure, not everyone is itching to leave Apple—it’s comfortable, sleek, and hard to beat—but for those who do want out, their background music suddenly switches to a line from Hotel California: “you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.” Moving your contacts, photos, messages, and apps from an iPhone to an Android device was always a hassle, requiring third-party apps, cables, or complicated workarounds.
Now all that is about to change. With the upcoming iOS 26.3 update, Apple is introducing a new “Transfer to Android” feature designed to make the process far easier.
You won’t have to stress about which apps or files will make it, no more juggling multiple tools and apps—this new system will handle the heavy lifting for you.
Of course, there are still a few limitations—things like health data, paired Bluetooth devices, and certain locked notes don’t move over. But compared to the old, cumbersome process, this is a huge leap forward for anyone thinking about switching ecosystems.
Interestingly, Google has been working on similar tools from their side, which means switching between iOS and Android (and back again) could become surprisingly smooth in the near future.
While Apple hasn’t officially confirmed how widely this feature will roll out as it’s still unclear whether all Android devices will be supported from day one, or if the feature will appear device by device. Either way, for anyone who’s ever considered switching from iOS to Android, this is a major step toward making the process less of a headache—and finally giving users more freedom to move between ecosystems without losing years of data.
iOS 26.3 update is expected to arrive at the end of January 2026 or early February. So if you’ve been waiting to leave the Apple ecosystem for Android, just wait a little longer.
