- Google’s Data Transfer Tool (also called Pixel Migrate on Pixel devices) is adding support for transferring Live Photos from iOS to Android.
- Live Photos will be converted to Motion Photos during the data migration process and transferred phone-to-phone without needing any cloud services in the middle.
- This feature is not currently live and will be rolled out in the future.
The battle between iOS and Android has been on for decades now, and most people have their feet set in one camp or the other. But plenty of people switch allegiances ever so often, trying to see if the grass is that much green on the other side. For iPhone users switching to Android, the move is filled with a newfound freedom, but it also comes with certain inconveniences from the ecosystem lock-in. For example, iOS Live Photos are not migrated properly when you move to Android. Google could be working on a solution for Android users that properly migrates Live Photos over as Motion Photos.
If you have been an iPhone user for a while, there’s a good chance that you have accumulated a lot of Live Photos. Live Photos capture what happens just before and after you take a photo, and they are enabled by default. You can convert Live Photos to videos or gifs, apply effects, or use the actual photo you clicked. So you can see why Apple users wouldn’t like to lose all of their Live Photos when they migrate to Android.