Key Takeaways

  • You can now transfer iPhone Live Photos to Pixel 9 models and older Google phones.
  • This is due to an upgraded setup tool and the rebranded Android Switch app, which makes switching from iOS easier.
  • The tools also offer faster data transfers and a streamlined setup process.



There are several good reasons to ditch iOS and switch to Android, but if anyone cites the friction involved in the migration process as a reason they haven’t done it, I can’t blame them. It can be a hassle to set up a new Android phone, especially when you’re coming from an entirely different ecosystem, but fortunately, Google is working on making the iOS to Android migration more seamless. For example, migrating from an iPhone to a Pixel phone in the past would result in your Live Photos not carrying over, but that’s thankfully no longer the case.


Live Photos importing confirmed for Pixel 9 and older models

When Google launched its Pixel 9 series earlier this year, the company quietly debuted an upgraded Android setup tool on the devices that lets you transfer data at any time and go through setup more quickly using a new ‘Express’ setup option. Paul Dunlop, the Product Manager for Onboarding and Switching on Android, revealed on social media that the upgraded setup tool on the Pixel 9 also includes some other changes, such as the ability to transfer a “carbon copy” of your message history, the ability to simultaneously transfer data over both USB and Wi-Fi, and new additions to the setup wizard.


What many of us missed is that Dunlop also revealed that the Pixel 9’s upgraded setup tool can transfer Live Photos from your iPhone. In response to a question on Threads, Dunlop confirmed that “support for migrating Live Photos from iOS when moving to Pixel is live for Pixel 9 customers” and that “this is also rolling out to older Pixel devices over the next few weeks.”

These comments were made in late August following the launch of the Pixel 9, so these changes should already be live. I asked Dunlop about the status of the feature and whether it’ll be coming to other Android devices, and he confirmed that Live Photos migration is “available through Android Switch on all Pixels” but that Google will be “expanding access to the feature over the next few weeks to more devices.”


A Pixel 9 Pro XL next to an iPhone 15 Pro Max

Related

More Android phones are picking up the Pixel 9’s flexible data transfer next year

Smoother phone upgrades ahead

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In case you missed it, Google rebranded its Data Transfer Tool as Android Switch last week and said that the Pixel 9’s flexible data transfer feature will be coming to more Android phones next year. It seems users of other Android devices won’t have to wait too long to take advantage of the app’s new Live Photos migration feature, though, as Dunlop said it’s rolling out over the next few weeks. It’s likely the feature is available as part of the overall upgrade to Android Switch, which also brings a streamlined onboarding process and faster data transfers when using a cable.



While I haven’t tested the Live Photos migration feature myself, it’s not difficult to imagine how it’ll work. After all, both Live Photos on iOS and Motion Photos on Android are basically just still images that have a short video clip attached to them. What makes them different is how the files are structured and encoded. It’s likely that Live Photos are converted to Motion Photos so they can be opened by any Android gallery app that supports them.

If you’ve recently migrated from iOS to Android, let us know in the comments below if your Live Photos were carried over!