Android-iPhone file sharing possible: Quick Share-AirDrop

Google says it will soon roll out Android-iPhone file sharing, starting with Pixel 10 smartphones. This comes after the US tech giant made Quick Share in Android compatible with the iPhone’s AirDrop feature. The interoperability between these two file-sharing features enables users on Google and iOS to share files between their devices.

To make this welcome-worthy thing happen, Google updated its Quick Share app. At first, the new update will make Pixel 10 phones work seamlessly with iPhone, iPad, and macOS devices.

How will Quick Share in Android work with AirDrop in iPhone for file sharing?

For Android-iPhone (Quick Share-AirDrop) to work for file sharing, iPhones need to make their handset discoverable to others using AirDrop’s “Everyone for 10 minutes” mode. This makes the iPhone visible to Pixel 10 users and allows them to share files. Google says that Android users can share photos, videos, and files. To ensure security, Android users can see the device name on the screen before confirming to share files.

“This implementation using ‘Everyone for 10 minutes’ mode is just the first step in seamless cross-platform sharing, and we welcome the opportunity to work with Apple to enable ‘Contacts Only’ mode in the future,” Google said in its blog post.

The feature works both ways. That means iPhone users can also send files to a Pixel phone, but it requires the same thing. The iPhone user must set the device discoverable to receive files from the other user. The Android vs iOS debate is a debate, but the cross-platform compatibility for file sharing is cool.

In the meantime, read this post to know the easy way you can share files from Windows to Android with Nearby Share App

Quick Share-AirDrop is direct, peer-to-peer communication, hence safe

Google further adds that the two-way communication is peer-to-peer, so the user data doesn’t pass through a server. The company maintains that user security is at the core.

“We built this with security at its core, protecting your data with strong safeguards that were tested by independent security experts,” Google wrote in the blog post. “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.”

For years, the file-sharing ability between Android and iOS (iPhones) has been difficult, with users having to apply third-party apps or workarounds. But Quick Share and AirDrop compatibility for file sharing could likely be a major step in the right direction. Google hasn’t shared how it cooperated with Apple for this, but it should certainly make users happy.

Google says that it will expand the feature to more Android models in the near future.