Google Brings Apple AirDrop to Android

Google is bridging the iPhone/Android divide with Quick Share, an AirDrop compatible file transfer capability for Android.

“When it comes to sharing moments between family and friends, what device you have shouldn’t matter — sharing should just work,” a new post to the Google Keyword blog explains. “But we’ve heard from many people that they want a simpler way to share files between devices.”

Apple has long offered a feature called AirDrop that accomplishes this within its ecosystem of devices. And Google followed suit with Quick Share (originally called Nearby Share), first for Android and ChromeOS and then more recently on Windows and Windows 11 on Arm. But now Google is expanding Quick Share to include all AirPlay-compatible Apple devices too. It’s rolling out first on Pixel devices.

“We built this with security at its core, protecting your data with strong safeguards that were tested by independent security experts,” Google says. “It’s just one more way we’re bringing better compatibility that people are asking for between operating systems, following our work on RCS and unknown tracker alerts.”

You can learn more on the Android Help website.

And Google, I am begging you: Figure out a way to get Apple’s AirPlay on Android too. Just a thought. ?