Apple just made it simpler to move from iPhone to Android with iOS 26.3 beta: here's how it works

Just days after releasing the iOS 26.2 update, Apple has begun rolling out the iOS 26.3 beta updae to eligible devices. There are a few notable improvements in the new update including notification forwarding, update to the Sports app and Wallpaper categorization. However, one particular feature has garnered the spotlight which is the Transfer to Android functionality which makes it easier to transfer data like photos, messages, notes, passwords and apps to an Android device.

Once users reach that page, they will be greeted by the message, "Make sure everything's ready to transfer to a new iPhone, even if you don't currently have enough iCloud storage to back up."

"Place your Android device next to this iPhone to get connected and begin the transfer process." Apple's message on the next screen reads

"Once you're connected, you can choose what you want to transfer, such as your photos, messages, notes, apps, and more. You can also transfer your phone number. Health data, devices paired with Bluetooth, and protected items, such as locked notes, are not available for transfer." it adds

Apple also warns that Health data, devices which are paired with Bluetooth and protected items like locked notes are “not available for transfer”

The update by Apple comes shortly after Google also recently added an option to make it easier to transfer data to an iPhone with the latest Android Canary 2512 build on Pixel devices. Previous reports have stated that the two companies plan to give users the option to easily migrate data between Android and iPhone during the device set up process in the futur. However, we don't have a fixed timeline for that at the moment.

In case you are wondering, the iOS 26.3 build is likely to make it through the stable channel by January when it should be available to download via the software update option on all devices.

If you want to try out the Transfer to Android or any other new features before that you'll need to link your Apple ID to a developer account which Apple allows users to do without any additional cost. In order to gain access to a developer account, visit developer.apple.com and login with your Apple ID.

You'll then asked to agree Apple Developer agreement and after comleting the requisite steps, you will be able to download the new update by navigating to the Settings menu by clicking on Software Update> Beta updates.