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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Android and iPhone users can now share files quickly and easily.
- Currently, only Pixel 10 phones support the feature.
- Google says it will expand the tech to other Android devices.
I use an iPhone as my primary mobile device. From my phone, I can easily share files with another iPhone, an iPad, or a Mac. However, I’d also like an easy way to share files with Android devices, whether one of my own or those owned by an Android-loving friend or relative. Now Google is taking the first step toward making that capability a reality.
In a blog post late last year, Google announced that iPhones and Android devices will finally be able to share files. Great, you say. However, before you get too excited, there is a catch. At this initial stage, only Google’s latest Pixel 10 series supports the feature. Android users with a different Pixel or Android phone are out of luck, at least for now.
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Until this feature release, iPhone users could only share files with other Apple devices thanks to Apple’s AirDrop. Android users could only share files with other Android devices thanks to Quick Share. But never the twain would meet. Now, Google has apparently found a way for Quick Share to play nicely with AirDrop, paving the way for the new sharing method.
How to AirDrop from Android to iPhone
So, how does this capability work? Based on the video in Google’s blog post and hands-on testing, you first fire up Quick Share on the Android device and then select the file or files you want to share.
Quick Share then scouts around for nearby devices, including iPhones and Macs. When the right iPhone appears, select it on the Android phone. AirDrop then appears on the iPhone, prompting you to accept the transfer. Accept the transfer, and the file completes the trip.
How about security? Here, Google said it has implemented strong safeguards to protect your files during the transfer. Outside security experts tested these safeguards.
This feature marks the latest development in an ongoing effort to bring iPhone and Android users together. In May 2024, Apple and Google both rolled out a feature designed to alert iOS and Android users of any Bluetooth-enabled tracking devices tracking them without their knowledge or consent.
With the release of iOS 18 later in 2024, Apple finally brought RCS, or Rich Communications Service, to the iPhone, allowing iOS and Android users to exchange rich text messages with each other.
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These are big steps toward compatibility, as Apple and Google have long been fierce competitors in the mobile landscape. They’ve battled not just in the marketplace but in the courtroom. But even rivals sometimes realize they need to stop fighting long enough to do what’s in their users’ collective best interests.
What does the future hold for this technology? Google said it’s looking forward to improving the experience and expanding it to other Android devices. For now, Pixel 10 owners who want to use this feature should check out the video displayed in the blog post to see how it works. You can then try it yourself with a friendly, neighborhood iPhone owner.
