Google on Thursday announced one of its biggest moves to enable cross-platform sharing between Android and iOS devices. Android users can now securely and wirelessly share files with iPhone users and vice versa using Quick Share and AirDrop, according to the Mountain View-based tech giant. However, the new features are currently limited to the Pixel 10 series. Android rolls out fast sharing support for AirDrop, making this move possible.
Quick Share now works with AirDrop
Google said in a blog post that the added support for AirDrop in Quick Share enables file transfers between Android devices and iPhones. Additionally, the feature is also available on iPadOS and macOS devices. On Android, it’s currently only available on the Google Pixel 10 series, which includes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
However, the company says it will roll out support for more Android devices in the future.
Quick Share is available for 10 minutes each Modes in AirDrop. It does not use workarounds, but point-to-point connections. According to Google, this means data is not routed through servers and shared content is never logged.
How to send files to iPhone using Quick Share
Pixel 10 series users can use Quick Share to send files to their iPhone, iPad, or macOS device. Here’s how to do it.
- iPhone, iPad or macOS users are asked to open their AirDrop settings and select “Everyone” for 10 minutes.
- On your Pixel, open the content you want to share, then tap Share > Quick Share.
- Select an iPhone, iPad, or macOS device from the list of nearby devices.
- Wait for the recipient to tap or click Accept on the AirDrop notification on their iPhone, iPad, or macOS device.
Google says Quick Share cross-platform sharing has built-in security and privacy protections and has been independently tested. The tech giant partnered with third-party penetration testing firm NetSPI, and the assessment concluded that interoperability between Quick Share and AirDrop is secure, “significantly stronger” than other industry implementations, and does not leak any information.
