Google’s AirDrop support for Pixel 10 likely exists because of the EU’s Apple ruling

Out of the blue, Google brought cross-platform AirDrop support to the Pixel 10 this week, allowing the company’s latest lineup of flagships to securely send photos, files, and more to the iPhone. Although it initially seemed like this was a rogue move by Google to force Apple to make another boundary-breaking decision, it may actually have been part of the fallout that led to the adoption of USB-C and RCS on the iPhone.

If you’re scratching your head trying to figure out How – not to mention Why — Google was able to turn it around, the answer may be a little simpler than you think. While this certainly jogged memories of Beeper’s attempt to run iMessage on Android two years earlier, as well as Palm’s fight over iTunes support in the early days of the Pre, it seems this particular example was much less hostile towards Apple than its predecessors, all thanks to some changes made by the EU.

As reported Ars TechnicaThe answer to this week’s mysterious instant share upgrade lies in the EU’s interoperability requirements designed for DMA. The European Commission’s decision prompted Apple to begin supporting interoperable wireless standards with this year’s set of OS upgrades, replacing the previous proprietary standard that the company had used to power its various Continuity features. This forced Apple to add support for the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Aware standard for multi-directional file sharing, at the cost of eliminating its previous walled-in protocol entirely.

So yes, while Apple wasn’t officially involved in opening up the AirDrop client for Android, it’s a bit unfair to portray this company as having no involvement in it. Thanks to actions being taken by Apple under the DMA in Europe, Pixel 10 users – and soon, Android users at large – are now effectively getting native AirPlay support via Quick Share without any sacrifice to security, as long as the hardware has proper support for Wi-Fi Aware.

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Still, just because it’s not the cool solution some of us might have assumed Google was relying on doesn’t mean you should expect Apple to join in on the fun any time soon. As Ars Technica As its report notes, Europe is rethinking its harsh approach toward tech companies, particularly in reaction to the absence of AI-focused firms in the region — and Apple, for its part, still wants to revoke the DMA. Try AirDrop, Pixel 10 owners, as long as your phone supports it. Although it seems unlikely, you never know if it could disappear overnight.