Android has its own AirDrop-like feature called Quick Share (formerly Google Nearby Share), but until recently, it couldn’t communicate with Apple’s AirDrop. As we reported in November, the EU required Apple to implement the Wi-Fi Aware standard in AirDrop, which enabled Google to add support for the Pixel 10 lineup. Google confirmed that it doesn’t need to work with Apple at all to do this.
as part of Quick Share update, Google has added an extension to the Play Store that allows Quick Share to work as a full, updatable APK rather than an element of Play Services. This will make it easier to roll out new features across the entire Android ecosystem. Currently, the extension only supports a few Android phones, but we can expect this list to expand as AirDrop comes to more devices this year.
With AirDrop support, Android devices can send files to iOS and macOS devices without downloading third-party apps. However, the functionality requires Apple users to enable the “Everyone for 10 minutes” connectivity option. Although Google can integrate Android into a Wi-Fi aware system, it can’t use Apple’s contact-based sharing options. This probably won’t change with the pending update.
Of course, “very soon” can mean many things according to Google. The company likes to pair Android ecosystem updates with Pixel drops, and the next of those updates is expected in March, with changes to location privacy, at-a-glance, and more.
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