After getting my Galaxy Z Flip 8 review unit, I did something I havenโt normally done when switching from iPhone to Android: I used the updated Samsung Smart Switch app to transfer my personal data from my iPhone to the Android phone. This improved process has made it much easier to transition my habits and conversations, which is often a major pain point when switching.
I regularly swap from iPhone to Android when reviewing devices, a process thatโs usually so cumbersome and prone to breaking my chats that I typically prefer to just set up an Android phone from stock or rollover a prior Android backup.
But as part of Samsungโs July Unpacked event, where the company unveiled the $1,200 Z Flip 8 alongside the $1,900 Z Fold 8 and $2,100 Z Fold 8 Ultra, the company said that its Smart Switch app now works natively with iOS 26โs new Transfer to Android feature. And compared with the old way โ where you also needed to install Smart Switch on an iPhone and hope your data made its way over โ this new process is significantly streamlined and transferred more than I expected.
Appleโs iPhone is now directly involved
Itโs strange that the iPhone can now directly help when switching to an Android phone, but Appleโs direct assistance appears to be key to bringing over so much of my data more easily than before.
As with many Android phone setup processes, after first booting up the device, I selected the option to transfer from an iPhone. Historically, the next step would be hardwiring the phones together with a cable. Instead, Samsung directs you to open the Settings menu on an iPhone, select Transfer to Android, and a QR code scan connects the phones wirelessly.ย
On the iPhone, I opted to only transfer my…