Apple says it plans to make it easier for users to switch to Android as a result of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect today. Along with support for alternative app stores, new business terms for EU app developers and mobile browser selection screens, among other things, the iPhone maker said it will also add to its data portability offerings, including “user-friendly” data portability from iPhone to another non-Apple device.
This solution isn’t available yet, but Apple is committed to having it ready by the fall of 2025, the company says. The announcement was made in a document detailing Apple’s plan to comply with the new EU law, which aims to increase competition in the app ecosystem by requiring Apple to loosen its grip on the App Store and iOS. Apple has cleverly sidestepped DMA’s potential financial impact on its business by adding new fees for developers who want to switch to DMA rules, despite opposition from developers.
In addition to the App Store, DMA also deals with data portability. For that matter, Apple’s data and privacy website is being updated to allow users to export data from the App Store to authorized third parties, the document said. Today, users can request to transfer their iCloud photos to Google Photos or download various data collected by Apple’s apps, such as Notes, Calendar, Contacts, Maps, Wallet activity, Mail, Safari bookmarks and reading lists, and more. Apple says users will also be able to schedule daily downloads of their App Store data for 30 days or weekly downloads for 180 days, and the data provided is continuously updated to be the most recent.
As for the move to Android, Apple hasn’t said much about the new project other than to say that its solution will help other “mobile operating system providers” build better solutions for transferring data from an iPhone to a non-Apple phone. Apple doesn’t actually use the term “Android” in the document, but it’s clear that Google’s mobile OS will benefit the most from such a system.
In addition, another solution to export browser data to a new browser on the same device will be ready later this year or in early 2025, Apple noted.
Today, Android users can use Google’s iOS app “Switch to Android” to move important content, such as contacts, calendars, photos, videos, messages, and more, to a new Android device. But some less critical data is still missing and users need to disable iMessage to make sure their new messages arrive on their Android. It’s unclear whether Apple’s new solution will address those areas, since Apple hasn’t yet said what, specifically, it wants to improve.