Apple will soon give iPhone users a more straightforward way to switch to Android in the EU. With the Digital Markets Act now in effect in the region, a new document outlines a few other changes the Cupertino firm will add in the coming months and years.
The compliance document published by Apple (and spotted by The Verge) shows the company plans a “browser switching solution” to transfer data between browsers on the same iPhone until early the end of 2024. The document says:
Apple also plans to enable users to completely delete Safari from iOS,
should they wish to do so. Apple aims to make this option available by the end of 2024
With that, not only will users be able to change the default browser on iOS, but even forget that Safari was ever an option (Microsoft Edge supremacy).
In addition to that, the company explains that it “plans to make further changes to its user data portability offering.” Currently, Google offers a tool to help iPhone users switch to Android, although some data is still left behind, such as apps downloaded.
Apple states that it plans to make this solution available by fall 2025:
Apple plans to make further changes to its user data portability offering. Third parties offer
migration solutions that help users transfer data between devices with different operating
systems. To build on those options, Apple is developing a solution that helps mobile
operating system providers develop more user-friendly solutions to transfer data from an
iPhone to a non-Apple phone. Apple aims to make this solution available by fall 2025.
Apple is also creating a browser switching solution for exporting and importing relevant
browser data into another browser on the same device. Apple aims to make this solution
available by late 2024/early 2025
With these changes, it will be easier for some iPhone users to leave Apple’s walled garden and move to Android. That said, it’s likely that the opposite could also be true. Still, it’s unclear if this change will be available outside the EU or only for the region.
If you live in Europe, iOS 17.4 gives the first steps to an open iPhone and App Store, with sideloading availability, third-party stores, third-party payment systems, and more.
