Google has announced that it is adding support for AirDrop to Quick Share, allowing Android phones to transfer files with Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and macOS products. The cross-platform sharing functionality will work with all phones in the Pixel 10 lineup first, as the search engine giant is prioritising its latest flagships.
At the moment, the feature only works when both devices are set to be discoverable to everyone for 10 minutes. Once both the iPhone and Pixel 10 are configured correctly, the sender can initiate the file transfer. The recipient can accept or decline as usual. Basically, file-sharing works as it normally would, with both Android and Apple device able to send and receive data.
In Google’s security blog, a post explained that the company did not rely on any workarounds. Rather, the connection is direct and peer-to-peer. The company assured that no data is routed through servers, and that the data shared is not logged. The blog post also emphasised that the implementation is secure, with built-in safeguards. Furthermore, Google mentioned enlisting NetSPI to conduct an independent security assessment.
It is worth noting that the company apparently did not involve Apple in the feature’s development. For now, it is uncertain how the bitten fruit company will react to this development. Either way, Google is looking to expand the feature to more Android devices in the future. Additionally, the company has gone on to say that it “welcomes collaboration opportunities to address interoperability issues between iOS and Android”.
