Android works with Apple AirDrop now, all because of Google

In shocking information, Google has introduced that Quick Share, its in-house wi-fi file sharing protocol for Android and ChromeOS, will now begin working with Apple’s proprietary AirDrop characteristic. Beginning with the Pixel 10 familyof smartphones, customers will have the ability to beam paperwork, pictures, and extra to any modern-day iPhone mannequin immediately through Android’s Fast Share interface.

“We constructed this with safety at its core, defending your information with robust safeguards that have been examined by unbiased safety consultants. It’s only one extra manner we’re bringing higher compatibility that persons are asking for between working techniques, following our work on RCS and unknown tracker alerts,” says Google in a blog post.

In a separate Security Blog post, Google goes on to verify that Android-to-iPhone wi-fi sharing requires iPhone customers to toggle on “Everybody for 10 minutes” inside their AirDrop settings, and that it’d “welcome the chance to work with Apple to allow “Contacts Solely” mode sooner or later.”

In a later assertion made to Android Authority, a Google spokesperson additionally confirmed that AirDrop compatibility inside Fast Share was carried out independently by the corporate and with none enter or sanctioning from Apple. As such, it is unclear whether or not Apple will try to squash compatibility through a future software program replace, or if it’s going to decide to affix forces with Google to deliver “Contacts Solely” mode to the characteristic stack at a later date.

In the meanwhile, there isn’t any phrase on how lengthy it’s going to take for this cross-device wi-fi switch performance to make its method to the broader ecosystem of Android-powered smartphones and tablets. With no public assertion created from Apple as but, both, there are nonetheless questions surrounding the characteristic’s efficacy and long-term availability.

Androids and iPhones can lastly peacefully coexist

The (potential) begin of a brand new cross-platform file switch period

Personally, I am delighted to listen to of this Fast Share improvement by Google. As somebody who continuously makes use of quite a lot of smartphones, tablets, and PCs, and who sends and receives recordsdata between stated units frequently, the flexibility to have my Android and ChromeOS devices work extra seamlessly with iPhones, iPads, and Macs is extremely welcome.

Over on the Windows 11 aspect of issues, Google has already constructed a devoted Fast Share utility for PC customers, which sidesteps Microsoft’s personal Nearby Share protocol. I have been counting on Fast Share to reliably ship screenshots to and from my Surface Pro 12-inch and my Pixel 10, and I am unable to wait to start out testing interoperability between my Pixel 10 and my iPhone 15 Professional within the close to future.

In an ideal world, I would love for Apple AirDrop, Google Fast Share, and Microsoft Close by Share to all work in concord with each other, as to streamline wi-fi information switch for all customers of all cell computing platforms throughout the board. Whereas being separate, unbiased protocols, the three techniques do all depend on the identical base Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct applied sciences for peer-to-peer (P2P) information sharing, in spite of everything.

In any case, and assuming there isn’t any huge tech headbutting on the horizon, AirDrop assist inside Fast Share is a step in the fitting path for the trade, and I hope to see Google and Apple work collectively versus individually to additional bolster cross-platform experiences equivalent to this one.