In summary:
- Tech Advisor reports that Google is expanding AirDrop compatibility to more Android devices through Quick Share integration, starting with Pixel 10 series in November.
- Qualcomm announced AirDrop support for Snapdragon-powered Android phones, while older Pixel devices and Nothing brand phones are also gaining compatibility.
- This cross-platform file sharing expansion aims to simplify switching between iOS and Android ecosystems, with broader rollout expected by 2026.
Google has confirmed that its support for Apple’s AirDrop file sharing feature is coming to more Android phones “very soon”.
During a press briefing at Google’s Taipei office, Vice President of Engineering for the Android platform Eric Kay revealed that the ability for Android Quick Share to work with iOS AirDrop would be coming to non-Pixel smartphones in 2026.
As reported by Android Authority, Kay revealed that the main engineering problem was getting the feature to work, not just between Android smartphones and iPhones, but with iPads and Macs as well.
“Now that we’ve proven it out”, Kay said, “we’re working with our partners to expand it into the rest of the ecosystem, and you should see some exciting announcements coming very soon”.
A recent history of Android AirDrop compatibility
Support for Apple’s AirDrop file sharing protocol arrived on the Google Pixel 10 smartphone series back in November.
Days later, chip maker Qualcomm revealed that the feature would be making its way to non-Pixel Android phones running on Snapdragon chips “in the near future”.
Around this time, British tech brand Nothing separately confirmed that it would be adding AirDrop compatibility to its devices, and we hoped that more brands would follow in short order.
AirDrop compatibility started to arrive on older Pixel devices just last month, but we’ve been keeping an eye out for firm news on wider compatibility.
In this unusual spirit of enabling seamless data transfers between the two rival platforms, the Google executive also revealed that Google was working to make it even easier to switch between iOS and Android – something more people seem to be willing to do than ever before.
Author: Jon Mundy, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Jon is a freelance journalist who got his start covering mobile games at the dawn of the App Store. He has since covered everything from smart home tech and laptops to food and culture, but always seems to return to his fascination with smartphones.