7 ms·

Google's Switch to Android Is on the App Store

81 points by nateb2022 4y ago

6510 4y ago
Needs IOS 12 :P If you are on an iphone 5 it ain't happening.
patmcc 4y ago
Apple has the same thing on the Play Store - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.movetoios&hl=en_CA&gl=US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.move... - so really seems only fair.
- adamrezich 4y ago
  now each walled garden has an escape hatch into each other
  - cowtools 4y ago
    Is android a walled garden? There are open-source distributions of Android like CalyxOS (https://calyxos.org/ https://calyxos.org/), LineageOS (https://lineageos.org/ https://lineageos.org/), GrapheneOS (https://grapheneos.org/ https://grapheneos.org/)
    - _ea1k 4y ago
      Its a walled garden with a relatively accessible door. And the garden's pretty nice too, nice enough that most don't leave for the perilous world outside of it. Unfortunately, some of the security related moves lately have also made living outside of it a little more difficult.
      - highwaylights 4y ago
        Android isn’t the walled garden. The Play Store is.
        enragedcacti 4y ago
        More generally its Google Play Services as a whole and how it gobbles up increasingly large parts of OS-level functionality into closed source and EULA guarded code
    - kevin_thibedeau 4y ago
      They are neutered by threats from Google. Lineage had to remove the ability to spoof permissions to appease their overlord.
      - Dig1t 4y ago
        Wow I didn't know that, do you have a link?
    - charcircuit 4y ago
      >Is android a walled garden? I would say that devices that are Play Protect certified are a part of a walled garden.
    - scarface74 4y ago
      No company could sell an “Android” phone in the US in any significant number that didn’t come with Google Play Services.
63 4y ago
I still recall the outrage when Apple published their first app on Android and it turned out to be Move to IOS. It seems strange that it took so long for the opposite service to appear.
- cowtools 4y ago
  It's not strange to me. iOS is far more restrictive in the type of programs it allows you to run and distribute, whereas Android allows sideloading and rooting. It's a variant of popper's paradox I suppose.
  - JacobThreeThree 4y ago
    >iOS is far more restrictive in the type of programs it allows you to run and distribute, whereas Android allows sideloading and rooting. True, although lately they've been under more regulatory scrutiny so I highly doubt something like this would get disallowed, especially if the equivalent app is allowed on Android.
    - cowtools 4y ago
      Depending on the government to step in and regulate corporate control is a fail-deadly system for freedom and should be avoided. The likelihood of the ruling government to support the interests of its citizens is dependent on the power (negotiating leverage) that the individual citizens have over large government-controlled institutions (inc. coporations). Authoritarian systems produce generally compounding effects, so the idea that we should just sit around and do nothing while they compound is dangerous. When the time comes that protesting surveilance, censorship, etc. is dire then it already be too late because government will have the powers of surveilance, censorship, etc. on its side to squash dissent. It is better to depend on systems (like FOSS) that are fail-safe for freedom. That is- they naturally err on the side of individual liberty. This is because authoritarian societies are non-recoverable and have to be rebooted by adjacent (free) societies.
  - mtgx 4y ago
candiddevmike 4y ago
It drives me nuts that folks create marketing copy in the screenshots of app stores. Why even have the screenshots enforced for the size of the phone if they don't enforce them being actual screenshots.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- esprehn 4y ago
  Unfortunately data shows they convert better. Same with scenes that span multiple screenshots.
- 3-cheese-sundae 4y ago
  Wouldn't a real-screenshot requirement be quickly and trivially worked around by adding demo modes with the marketing copy within the app?
ksec 4y ago
It doesn't list what information is transferred. Does it also download all the Apps I have on iOS if the same App is available on Play Store? ( Probably Not ). Doesn't support Whatsapp. The biggest lock in problem on Smartphone platform. Not that I think Google cares or Apple would allow it anyway.
- Anunayj 4y ago
  Google recently with Android 12 added a way to transfer whatsapp from a iOS to Android (12) device [1], you however require a USBC to lightning cable. I don't know any details of how it works. 1. https://blog.google/products/android/whatsapp-chat-history/ https://blog.google/products/android/whatsapp-chat-history/
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- weikju 4y ago
  > It doesn't list what information is transferred. Sure it does, it's in the first screenshot: > Contacts > Calendar events > Photos > Videos > small text that says it only copies photos that are on the phone, iCloud instructions are shown later
nvrspyx 4y ago
I find it strange that it doesn't show up in search results on the App Store at all. I searched "switch to android" and scrolled for a good few minutes and never saw it. Even if you search "switch to android google", it shows a single third-party app. It seems the only way to actually find it is by going to Google's developer page.
- 0x0 4y ago
  The app store search function often needs up to 24 hours to index newly published apps. Check again tomorrow?
  - kaba0 4y ago
    Though let’s add that the AppStore’s search functionality is worse than anything I can think of. Unless you literally enter the exact name of the app, there is a good chance it won’t list it.
- livinglist 4y ago
  It took 1 month or so for my app to be indexed in App Store searches…
tjbiddle 4y ago
First negative review is hilarious: >Downloaded it to give it a shot and it ask you for everything! All your private data! Pictures, private messages, etc.. It's an app to move all your data, but you're surprised to see it asks for your data? If you're trying to switch to Google anyway, then they'll have your new data anyhow...
- jmtucu 4y ago
  People is really stupid sometimes...
kramerger 4y ago
I cant believe this was approved!! In past Apple has rejected apps for _mentioning_ Android in their about page (things like "we are also available on android"). --- A recent example by u/SpaceHonk: "I have two apps that are accessories to the physical, analog card game "Android: Netrunner". Updates got rejected regularly because mentioning other operating systems is VERBOTEN, even though I explain the necessity and the origin of the name in my review notes."

81 points by nateb2022 4y ago

6510 4y ago

Needs IOS 12 :P If you are on an iphone 5 it ain't happening.

Apple has the same thing on the Play Store - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.movetoios&hl=en_CA&gl=US https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.move... - so really seems only fair.

adamrezich 4y ago
now each walled garden has an escape hatch into each other
- cowtools 4y ago
  Is android a walled garden? There are open-source distributions of Android like CalyxOS (https://calyxos.org/ https://calyxos.org/), LineageOS (https://lineageos.org/ https://lineageos.org/), GrapheneOS (https://grapheneos.org/ https://grapheneos.org/)
  - _ea1k 4y ago
    Its a walled garden with a relatively accessible door. And the garden's pretty nice too, nice enough that most don't leave for the perilous world outside of it. Unfortunately, some of the security related moves lately have also made living outside of it a little more difficult.
    - highwaylights 4y ago
      Android isn’t the walled garden. The Play Store is.
      - enragedcacti 4y ago
        More generally its Google Play Services as a whole and how it gobbles up increasingly large parts of OS-level functionality into closed source and EULA guarded code
  - kevin_thibedeau 4y ago
    They are neutered by threats from Google. Lineage had to remove the ability to spoof permissions to appease their overlord.
    - Dig1t 4y ago
      Wow I didn't know that, do you have a link?
  - charcircuit 4y ago
    >Is android a walled garden? I would say that devices that are Play Protect certified are a part of a walled garden.
  - scarface74 4y ago
    No company could sell an “Android” phone in the US in any significant number that didn’t come with Google Play Services.

63 4y ago

I still recall the outrage when Apple published their first app on Android and it turned out to be Move to IOS. It seems strange that it took so long for the opposite service to appear.

cowtools 4y ago
It's not strange to me. iOS is far more restrictive in the type of programs it allows you to run and distribute, whereas Android allows sideloading and rooting. It's a variant of popper's paradox I suppose.
- JacobThreeThree 4y ago
  >iOS is far more restrictive in the type of programs it allows you to run and distribute, whereas Android allows sideloading and rooting. True, although lately they've been under more regulatory scrutiny so I highly doubt something like this would get disallowed, especially if the equivalent app is allowed on Android.
  - cowtools 4y ago
    Depending on the government to step in and regulate corporate control is a fail-deadly system for freedom and should be avoided. The likelihood of the ruling government to support the interests of its citizens is dependent on the power (negotiating leverage) that the individual citizens have over large government-controlled institutions (inc. coporations). Authoritarian systems produce generally compounding effects, so the idea that we should just sit around and do nothing while they compound is dangerous. When the time comes that protesting surveilance, censorship, etc. is dire then it already be too late because government will have the powers of surveilance, censorship, etc. on its side to squash dissent. It is better to depend on systems (like FOSS) that are fail-safe for freedom. That is- they naturally err on the side of individual liberty. This is because authoritarian societies are non-recoverable and have to be rebooted by adjacent (free) societies.
- mtgx 4y ago

candiddevmike 4y ago

It drives me nuts that folks create marketing copy in the screenshots of app stores. Why even have the screenshots enforced for the size of the phone if they don't enforce them being actual screenshots.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
esprehn 4y ago
Unfortunately data shows they convert better. Same with scenes that span multiple screenshots.
3-cheese-sundae 4y ago
Wouldn't a real-screenshot requirement be quickly and trivially worked around by adding demo modes with the marketing copy within the app?

ksec 4y ago

It doesn't list what information is transferred. Does it also download all the Apps I have on iOS if the same App is available on Play Store? ( Probably Not ). Doesn't support Whatsapp. The biggest lock in problem on Smartphone platform. Not that I think Google cares or Apple would allow it anyway.

Anunayj 4y ago
Google recently with Android 12 added a way to transfer whatsapp from a iOS to Android (12) device [1], you however require a USBC to lightning cable. I don't know any details of how it works. 1. https://blog.google/products/android/whatsapp-chat-history/ https://blog.google/products/android/whatsapp-chat-history/
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
weikju 4y ago
> It doesn't list what information is transferred. Sure it does, it's in the first screenshot: > Contacts > Calendar events > Photos > Videos > small text that says it only copies photos that are on the phone, iCloud instructions are shown later

nvrspyx 4y ago

I find it strange that it doesn't show up in search results on the App Store at all. I searched "switch to android" and scrolled for a good few minutes and never saw it. Even if you search "switch to android google", it shows a single third-party app. It seems the only way to actually find it is by going to Google's developer page.

0x0 4y ago
The app store search function often needs up to 24 hours to index newly published apps. Check again tomorrow?
- kaba0 4y ago
  Though let’s add that the AppStore’s search functionality is worse than anything I can think of. Unless you literally enter the exact name of the app, there is a good chance it won’t list it.
livinglist 4y ago
It took 1 month or so for my app to be indexed in App Store searches…

tjbiddle 4y ago

First negative review is hilarious: >Downloaded it to give it a shot and it ask you for everything! All your private data! Pictures, private messages, etc.. It's an app to move all your data, but you're surprised to see it asks for your data? If you're trying to switch to Google anyway, then they'll have your new data anyhow...

jmtucu 4y ago
People is really stupid sometimes...

kramerger 4y ago

I cant believe this was approved!! In past Apple has rejected apps for _mentioning_ Android in their about page (things like "we are also available on android"). --- A recent example by u/SpaceHonk: "I have two apps that are accessories to the physical, analog card game "Android: Netrunner". Updates got rejected regularly because mentioning other operating systems is VERBOTEN, even though I explain the necessity and the origin of the name in my review notes."