Cupertino-based tech giant Apple has quietly released the first beta of iOS 26.3, which has a built-in “Transfer to Android” feature. The new feature can be found in Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone and helps iOS users migrate important content such as messages, notes, photos and contacts to a new Android device.
The Transfer to Android feature works wirelessly by establishing a peer-to-peer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection (similar to how AirDrop works for iOS devices). While Apple offers a “Move to iOS” app on the Google Play Store to make it easier for Android users to migrate to iPhones, this is the first time the company has made it easier for users to exit its ecosystem.
Transfer to Android empowers user choice
For years, people had to use third-party apps or a wired connection to transfer their data from an iPhone to an Android phone, which wasn’t as convenient and seamless as native iOS to iOS data transfer. However, Apple has fixed the long-standing issue with iOS 26.3 and offered a first-party solution that bridges data transfers between platforms.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the new “Transfer to Android” tool is driven in part by regulatory pressure (through Europe’s Digital Markets Act), which has encouraged Apple and Google to collaborate on data portability tools. The result? End users like you and me, carriers, device manufacturers and app developers all benefit from a built-in tool to help switch operating systems.
If you’ve ever thought about trying out a new Google Pixel phone or Galaxy S25 series phone but were worried about losing or not being able to migrate your contacts, messages or media files, the iOS 26.3 update could finally make the switch feel safe and convenient. However, you should also know that the tool cannot transfer health data, the list of paired Bluetooth devices, or locked notes.
Beyond the broadcast tool, the latest iOS 26.3 beta also includes notification forwarding to third-party wearables and refined lock screen background options. In other words, iPhone users can finally consider third-party smartwatches from various companies without losing the ability to view notifications.
While iOS 26.3 is still in beta, a public launch is expected in early 2026. As we get closer to the public launch, Apple and Google are likely to refine the cross-platform data transfer tool and potentially expand the types of data files users can migrate. Meanwhile, Google recently updated Quick Share to allow sharing files with iPhones via AirDrop.
