Apple has announced plans to simplify the switch from an iPhone to an Android smartphone in the EU next year. This is part of the implementation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect at the end of last year. The solution will be available from autumn 2025 to make it easier to move back and forth between the two operating systems.

Until now, there has been a Google app for switching from an iPhone to an Android device, but not all data was transferred. Apple plans to change this and transfer data from one web browser to another, which has not been possible until now. The DMA aims to increase competition in the web browser sector. The new, stricter rules for large online platforms have been in force in the EU since Thursday.

The EU Commission has so far identified 22 services from six companies as so-called "Gatekeepers" for which the new requirements apply. Among the affected companies are the American tech giants Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, and the Facebook group Meta. Additionally, the video app TikTok from the originally Chinese company Bytedance has been added to the list.

Among the requirements of the DMA is, among other things, that "gatekeepers" may not favor their own services and thus disadvantage competitors. These new rules are meant to ensure that competition in the market is fair.

With the improved user-friendliness in smartphone brand switches, Apple not only meets the requirements of the DMA but also sets an important signal for consumer-friendliness. The simplified transfer of data between different operating systems makes the switch more attractive for consumers and thus promotes competition in the market.