Android Users Protest Apple By Leaving One-Star Reviews For ‘Move to iOS’ App
Apple's first foray into Google Play isn't going so well. The company made its introduction to Android users with "Move to iOS," an app designed to help Android users transfer their photos, messages, contacts, and other data over to an iPhone, the presumption being that they've seen the light and it shines brighter with iOS.
"Everything about iOS is designed to be easy. That includes switching to it," Apple states on the app's Google Play listing. "With just a few steps, you can migrate your content automatically and securely from your Android device with the Move to iOS app. No need to save your stuff elsewhere before switching from Android. The Move to iOS app securely transfers all kinds of content for you."
You won't find an Android doppelganger of the Move to iOS app in Apple's App Store because Apple prohibits developers from calling attention to competing platforms. In section 3.1 of Apple's developer guidelines, it states that "apps or metadata that mentions the name of any other mobile platform will be rejected."
Some Android users have called Apple out on what they view as hypocrisy.
"Come on. Google has supported your platform with services from the start, even as your rival. I barfed a little in my mouth when I heard that this would be your first app on the Android platform, but this is what I've come to expect out of Apple as a company," one of the user reviews for Move to iOS reads.
Out of more than 27,600 reviews, Apple's app has a 2-star rating. They're mostly split between 1-star (22,338) and 5-star (4,658) ratings with around 650 people giving it 2-4 stars.
The perceived hypocrisy isn't the sole reason for the large number of 1-star ratings. Many of the so-called user reviews bash Apple's app simply because they prefer Android over iOS. Here's a look at some of them:
Protesting a platform through 1-star user reviews that ignore whether or not the app works as intended is petty and incredibly unhelpful to those who might benefit from such an app. As much as Android users might loathe the idea, there are people who switch from an Android device to an iPhone, just as there are people who switch from an iPhone to Android. I've gone both directions, and done so more than once. Big whoop.
To be clear, I'm in no way suggesting that iOS is the superior mobile platform. Android and iOS each have their pros and cons, as does Windows Phone and BlackBerry. My point is that the reviews section for apps is not the place to debate the merits of one over the rest. I would be equally critical if a Move to Android app appeared in the App Store and scored a low rating from angry iOS users basing their evaluations on platform preference rather than how the app actually performs.
"Everything about iOS is designed to be easy. That includes switching to it," Apple states on the app's Google Play listing. "With just a few steps, you can migrate your content automatically and securely from your Android device with the Move to iOS app. No need to save your stuff elsewhere before switching from Android. The Move to iOS app securely transfers all kinds of content for you."
You won't find an Android doppelganger of the Move to iOS app in Apple's App Store because Apple prohibits developers from calling attention to competing platforms. In section 3.1 of Apple's developer guidelines, it states that "apps or metadata that mentions the name of any other mobile platform will be rejected."
Some Android users have called Apple out on what they view as hypocrisy.
"Come on. Google has supported your platform with services from the start, even as your rival. I barfed a little in my mouth when I heard that this would be your first app on the Android platform, but this is what I've come to expect out of Apple as a company," one of the user reviews for Move to iOS reads.
Out of more than 27,600 reviews, Apple's app has a 2-star rating. They're mostly split between 1-star (22,338) and 5-star (4,658) ratings with around 650 people giving it 2-4 stars.
The perceived hypocrisy isn't the sole reason for the large number of 1-star ratings. Many of the so-called user reviews bash Apple's app simply because they prefer Android over iOS. Here's a look at some of them:
"Go home, this is not your place! We do not want rotten apples..."This is one of those stories where I feel compelled to interject an opinion, and what I see here is the ugliness of the mobile platform wars. Sure, it's pretty audacious of Apple to introduce itself to Google Play with an app designed to help users move to an iPhone, especially since Apple wouldn't allow a "Move to Android" app in its App Store, if one existed. But that's Google's problem, not Apple's. Though it may be in bad taste, Apple isn't breaking any rules here.
"We don't like your kind around here!"
"They must be joking. You'd think people would be glad that once you had escaped the tyranny of iOS, they could be free of it for good. Why would anyone move to iOS out of choice?"
"Great, an app for herding sheep. I'm actually surprised this is a free app."
"For no reason. Just wanna see if this goes for the lowest rated app on the Play Store."
"Love Android. Just an expression of my opinion that Android is the better platform!"
Protesting a platform through 1-star user reviews that ignore whether or not the app works as intended is petty and incredibly unhelpful to those who might benefit from such an app. As much as Android users might loathe the idea, there are people who switch from an Android device to an iPhone, just as there are people who switch from an iPhone to Android. I've gone both directions, and done so more than once. Big whoop.
To be clear, I'm in no way suggesting that iOS is the superior mobile platform. Android and iOS each have their pros and cons, as does Windows Phone and BlackBerry. My point is that the reviews section for apps is not the place to debate the merits of one over the rest. I would be equally critical if a Move to Android app appeared in the App Store and scored a low rating from angry iOS users basing their evaluations on platform preference rather than how the app actually performs.
