According to TechCrunch, Google has updated its Quick Share feature to work directly with Apple’s AirDrop system, enabling file and photo transfers between Android and iPhone devices for the first time. The new functionality is launching initially with the Pixel 10 lineup and works with iPhone, iPad, and macOS devices. Currently, iPhone users need to set their AirDrop to “Everyone for 10 minutes” mode to be discoverable by Pixel devices. Google confirmed this is a direct peer-to-peer connection that doesn’t route data through servers or log shared content. The company plans to expand the feature to additional Android devices in the future while hoping to work with Apple to enable “Contacts Only” mode eventually.
Why this matters
This is honestly huge for anyone who lives in a mixed-device household or workplace. Think about it – how many times have you tried to share photos from an Android phone to an iPhone and ended up using some clunky workaround? Email compression, messaging apps that downgrade quality, or third-party services that feel sketchy. Now there’s finally a native solution that actually works.
Here’s the thing though – the “Everyone for 10 minutes” requirement is a bit of a hassle. It’s basically the same security setting you’d use at a conference or public event when you want to be temporarily discoverable. Not exactly the seamless “just works” experience we’d hope for, but it’s a start. And Google acknowledging they want to work with Apple on “Contacts Only” mode suggests this might be the best they could get Apple to agree to initially.
Security and privacy
Google’s being pretty transparent about the security here, which I appreciate. They published a detailed security blog post explaining that the connection is direct between devices and that your data isn’t routed through any servers. That’s important because it means your photos and files aren’t sitting on some cloud server where they could potentially be accessed later.
But let’s be real – the security model relies heavily on users actually verifying they’re sending to the right person by checking device names. How many people actually pay that close attention? Still, it’s better than the alternative of no cross-platform solution at all.
What this means for the future
This feels like part of a bigger trend where Google is pushing hard for interoperability between platforms. They’ve been championing RCS messaging to replace SMS, they worked with Apple on unknown tracker alerts, and now this. It’s almost like Google is trying to position itself as the company that bridges ecosystem gaps while Apple maintains its walled garden approach.
The big question is whether Apple will actually play along beyond this initial implementation. They’ve been notoriously resistant to opening up AirDrop to non-Apple devices. The fact that this exists at all suggests there might have been some behind-the-scenes negotiations, though TechCrunch notes that Google’s announcement doesn’t detail any collaboration with Apple.
For enterprise and business users, this could be a game-changer. Companies that issue Android devices but have executives who prefer iPhones now have a much simpler way to share files securely between platforms. No more needing to rely on cloud storage or email for quick transfers of sensitive documents.
The bottom line
This is one of those features that should have existed years ago. The fact that we’re just now getting easy file sharing between the two major mobile platforms in 2025 is kind of ridiculous when you think about it. But better late than never.
The implementation isn’t perfect – that “Everyone for 10 minutes” requirement is clunky – but it’s a solid first step. If Google can expand this beyond Pixel 10 devices and get Apple to open up the “Contacts Only” mode, we might finally have the cross-platform file sharing solution we’ve been waiting for. For now, Pixel 10 owners get to be the lucky testers of this long-overdue bridge between mobile ecosystems.
