One of the more surprising tech developments in 2025 was Google bringing two-way support for Apple’s AirDrop functionality to its Pixel 10 series of phones. At the time, Google said it intended to expand the feature to other devices at a later date, and that date could be just around the corner.
At a press briefing attended by Android Authority at Google’s Taipei office, Eric Kay, Android’s Vice President of Engineering, confirmed that AirDrop interoperability will expand in 2026. “We spent a lot of time and energy to make sure that we could build something that was compatible not only with iPhone but iPads and MacBooks,” he said. “Now that we’ve proven it out, 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.”
Right now, Pixel 10 users can send and receive files and photos between Apple devices and Android using Quick Share. For an Android device to receive from an iPhone, they have to set their Quick Share visibility settings to “everyone for 10 minutes” and make sure they’re in “receive” mode on the Quick Share page.
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It’s a similar story for an Android-to-Apple file share. You have to set your iPhone, iPad or Mac’s Airdrop visibility to “anyone for 10 minutes,” which enables someone from outside your contacts to use Quick Share on their Pixel 10.
When this feature launched, it wasn’t clear how much involvement, if any, Apple had had, or if the infamous walled garden would once again banish Android-minded intruders in a subsequent software update. But that hasn’t happened, and back in November, Qualcomm confirmed that devices powered by its Snapdragon chips would also soon be able to transfer files to iPhones using Quick Share, suggesting that Pixel exclusivity wouldn’t last for much longer.
Google’s own willingness to play nice with Apple gear is seemingly a move designed to make the lives easier of anyone thinking about making the jump from an iPhone to an Android device. As reported by Android Authority, Kay also said his company was committed to making it as simple as possible to transfer data when switching.
It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of Apple and Google teaming up to make device-hopping more consumer-friendly was the stuff of fantasy, but in December it emerged that the longstanding rivals were working on a new simplified data transfer system. Each company already offers a method for swapping ecosystems, but a new build of Android Canary hinted at something that would work at the operating system level.
Last month, Apple and Google also released a joint statement confirming previous reports that the new version of Siri will utilise Google Gemini’s models, effectively resulting in a Google-powered voice assistant on your iPhone.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: engadget.com
