Google hints at big AirDrop expansion for Android “very soon”

AirDrop came to the Pixel 10 last year, and more Android phones will join the party in 2026.

See full article...

 

[J4yDubs]

Extension link returns 404.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.mosey

 

[RickyP784]

As someone with a non-Pixel 10 (but still a Pixel) Android phone with a MacBook Pro, I look forward to this rather than relying on Dropbox to sync my latest picture.

 

[forkspoon]

Thanks again, EU! For this, USB-C sanity, and more.

It’s such a radical concept in North America, but there are things of great value beyond corporate self interest.

 

[Isildur981]

Instead of using either of Apple or Google's proprietary local sharing protocols, use an open source one. I've been using LocalSend for a couple of years at this point. In addition to phones, you can also install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

 

[vought1221]

It’s nice to see Google and Apple trading marbles; I use AirDrop constantly in my job, and it’s a really handy way to get things done in a world with no wires.

I’d honestly like to see the companies collaborate on more ways to make life easier for customers instead of giving them products that get canceled a few years later after people have come to rely on them.

 

[luckydob]

Now, please put the fingerprint reader back onto the back of the phone

my pixel 4a can't hold out much longer

It's not coming "back"...just like the headphone jack. Upgrade or look for some Motorola / Sony / Chinese unit that still has it.

 

[Taunted Happy Fun Ball]

Instead of using either of Apple or Google's proprietary local sharing protocols, use an open source one. I've been using LocalSend for a couple of years at this point. In addition to phones, you can also install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

Which is great if you control both endpoints, but is useless if you need to quickly beam squirt AirDrop something to someone you just met, which is the whole point of an ad-hoc instant sharing feature.

 

[chickenboo]

It's not coming "back"...just like the headphone jack. Upgrade or look for some Motorola / Sony / Chinese unit that still has it.

SD card slot is gone too save for select units. It's sad.

 

[vought1221]

Which is great if you control both endpoints, but is useless if you need to quickly beam squirt AirDrop something to someone you just met, which is the whole point of an ad-hoc instant sharing feature.

Exactly. Stuff like this isn’t terribly useful if you commonly airdrop with new devices. authentication is just a matter of touching the devices together at that point.

No third-party download from Github sketchy stuff for everybody to pause five minutes for.

This is the kind of stuff Apple is really good at. I have practically no security concerns with AirDrop since I get to be the boss and initiate Or refusethose connections; The ability to connect is flexible and built-in with most of the people I want to connect with.

I cannot imagine telling someone to go download a thing in order to share a file with another mobile phone user. might as well email it to them at that point.

 

[vodem]

Instead of using either of Apple or Google's proprietary local sharing protocols, use an open source one. I've been using LocalSend for a couple of years at this point. In addition to phones, you can also install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

Me too! And as long as you’re on the same network, you can send or receive from a device as long as one of them has this installed. No proprietary apps or companies to rely on at all!

 

[agt499]

As someone with a non-Pixel 10 (but still a Pixel) Android phone with a MacBook Pro, I look forward to this rather than relying on Dropbox to sync my latest picture.

Kdeconnect , which works on Linux, windows and I think has a Mac beta, is great for things between your own devices.
Not just files, but clipboard, notifications, remote control too.

 

[chris__]

I’d honestly like to see the companies collaborate on more ways to make life easier for customers instead of giving them products that get canceled a few years later after people have come to rely on them.

This wasn't a collaboration. The only thing Apple have done to help is not lock airdrop down further

Edit source

 

[barich]

By whose authority is Apple obligated to open up functionality to competitors, especially a competitor such as Alphabet? If you're frustrated that your Android phone can't do something that an iPhone can, switch.

Switching doesn’t get you cross platform functionality. Other people will still have Android phones.

And this isn’t about functionality that’s missing on Android. Quick Share is basically the same as AirDrop, just between Android devices. And now between Android and iOS as well.

 

[adespoton]

Instead of using either of Apple or Google's proprietary local sharing protocols, use an open source one. I've been using LocalSend for a couple of years at this point. In addition to phones, you can also install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

Is LocalSend going to be adding Wi-Fi Aware? It's an open standard, and adding it means that you can interoperate with AirDrop-capable devices for basic functionality, which is useful to be able to send the person the LocalSend binary to enable a richer file sharing experience.

If they're not, why not?

 

[adespoton]

Switching doesn’t get you cross platform functionality. Other people will still have Android phones.

And this isn’t about functionality that’s missing on Android. Quick Share is basically the same as AirDrop, just between Android devices. And now between Android and iOS as well.

Except... Quick Share isn't the same as AirDrop. It's fully proprietary, and only works on Android. The AirDrop/Wi-Fi Aware/NAN standard is cross-platform and works on pretty much every OS at this point (look up NAN clients for Linux). NAN is not only an open standard, it's also security reviewed. The only reason Android didn't support it in the past is that they had their own solution that was incompatible with everyone else's. So I'm glad they've fixed that.

 

[Hoptimist]

There, I fixed it for you. Let the flamewars begin! Vim is better than Emacs!

Edit: And before Apple fanboys downvote this into oblivion, I would like it duly noted that Alphabet is the one providing this compatibility (which is true for most phone compatibility things). Apple can't be bothered to do similar on their end. Or use open source protocols where available. Or open up their own where they aren't published.

Fanboys indeed. Apple implemented an EU required standard as the article notes. Subsequently Google made changes to allow the file sharing interoperation. That is what standards are for. No need for any flame wars.

 

[rwhitwam]

Extension link returns 404.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.mosey

I think you have to be logged into a Google account.

 

[J4yDubs]

I think you have to be logged into a Google account.

I'm logged in. I tried it on my Android phone and also get the 404.

 

[barich]

Except... Quick Share isn't the same as AirDrop. It's fully proprietary, and only works on Android. The AirDrop/Wi-Fi Aware/NAN standard is cross-platform and works on pretty much every OS at this point (look up NAN clients for Linux). NAN is not only an open standard, it's also security reviewed. The only reason Android didn't support it in the past is that they had their own solution that was incompatible with everyone else's. So I'm glad they've fixed that.

What? AirDrop uses AWDL, which is proprietary. Apple only added Wi-Fi Aware to iOS as of iOS 26 at the behest of the EU. Android has supported Wi-Fi Aware since 8.0 in 2017.

 

[ocramc]

I really hope this comes to Windows too. It’s incredibly convenient for sharing links and files between iOS devices

 

[tu2thepoo]

By whose authority is Apple obligated to open up functionality to competitors, especially a competitor such as Alphabet? If you're frustrated that your Android phone can't do something that an iPhone can, switch.

inb4 the obvious gotcha: Yes, in this case, the EU is that authority. I don't consider the EU to have a moral leg to stand on in this or many other matters, but apparently Apple feels it's not worth the effort to fight them in this case.

Look, as an avid Apple user (who read every Ars article about SMS/RCS/iMessage and Google’s multiple chat failures) - sometimes you have to have someone step in and say “this is good for everyone even if it’s not 100% ‘fair’ to this entity.”

My GF uses Android exclusively and even just the forced RCS interoperability has made it much easier for us to share stuff (while reducing reliance on WhatsApp). I’m really looking forward to her being able to Airdrop pics/videos of our dog without it being compressed to hell and back!

 

[M@yeulC]

Android has its own AirDrop-like feature called Quick Share (formerly Google Nearby Share), but until recently, it couldn't communicate with Apple's AirDrop. As we reported in November, the European Union required Apple to implement the Wi-Fi Aware standard in AirDrop, which enabled Google to add support for the Pixel 10 lineup. Google confirmed it didn't need to work with Apple at all to make that happen.

I was under the impression that your previous statement was false: this has nothing to do with a European court injunction, and Google just reverse engineered Airdrop. Others have done it before: https://owlink.org/

Either way, it's easy to disprove: does this implementation work with older apple hardware? Some commenters mention it works on iOS 15: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46062504

It would be nice to get a definitive answer. Is there any source stating that they are changing this thanks to a switch to Wi-Fi Aware?

I am quite excited about the possibilities brought forth by Wi-Fi Aware (or NAN without the commercial label: neighbor area networking), especially when combined with mesh overlay. networks such as yggdrasil, or sneakernet protocols such as Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB). Unfortunately the uptake has been very slow, and HW supporting it is relatively uncommon; the software stack isn't mature either, and it isn't well documented.

I hope this means manufacturers will bring firmware updates to support NAN or ADWL, as the owlink project usually uses monitor mode, and IIRC can't explicitly ACK packets, which causes suboptimal performance (including for power usage).

Anyway, watching this with interest, from the sidelines.

 

[Tinkiewinkle]

Instead of using either of Apple or Google's proprietary local sharing protocols, use an open source one. I've been using LocalSend for a couple of years at this point. In addition to phones, you can also install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

Localsend requires a WiFi network. AirDrop automatically handles the connection between the phones. If the other person needs to install an app, I might as well just text it to them.

I’ve used localsend to send links to my android tablet, but the experience isn’t the same. With airdrop between two iPhones, you can just click the share button in any app and tap your phone to the top of the iPhone you’re sending to.

I was under the impression that your previous statement was false: this has nothing to do with a European court injunction, and Google just reverse engineered Airdrop. Others have done it before: https://owlink.org/

Either way, it's easy to disprove: does this implementation work with older apple hardware? Some commenters mention it works on iOS 15: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46062504

It would be nice to get a definitive answer. Is there any source stating that they are changing this thanks to a switch to Wi-Fi Aware?

I am quite excited about the possibilities brought forth by Wi-Fi Aware (or NAN without the commercial label: neighbor area networking), especially when combined with mesh overlay. networks such as yggdrasil, or sneakernet protocols such as Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB). Unfortunately the uptake has been very slow, and HW supporting it is relatively uncommon; the software stack isn't mature either, and it isn't well documented.

I hope this means manufacturers will bring firmware updates to support NAN or ADWL, as the owlink project usually uses monitor mode, and IIRC can't explicitly ACK packets, which causes suboptimal performance (including for power usage).

Anyway, watching this with interest, from the sidelines.

https://meincmagazine.com/gadgets/202...tandards-and-now-android-can-support-airdrop/

As linked in the article, this answers your questions.

 

[starglider]

Say what you will about the EU's penchant for regulation, but they have unquestionably made Apple's products a whole lot better over the past few years.

 

[starglider]

Instead of using either of Apple or Google's proprietary local sharing protocols, use an open source one. I've been using LocalSend for a couple of years at this point. In addition to phones, you can also install it on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.

LocalSend is great, but it's not quite the same thing: both devices need to be on the same network. It doesn't use the internet, but it's more akin to something like SMB where the devices communicate over a preexisting network that does things like DHCP, routing, etc.

Airdrop and Quick Share are a bit different: the devices use Bluetooth to create their own little private ad-hoc wifi network and then share files over that, no infrastructure needed at all, and sharing isn't subject to other network traffic saturation.

My wife and I ended up sitting on opposite sides of an international flight a few years back (big 787 with the pods, so getting to the other aisle involved walking up to the galley, through it, and back down the other aisle), and BA in classic BA fashion hadn't yet installed WiFi. We just airdropped text files back and forth as a crude way to communicate.

Edited to add: this also explains why Airdrop is uniquely censorship-resistant. There's no need for a centralized network at all, so it's very difficult to block devices from communicating without jamming the wifi/bt frequencies. Protestors in China and HK were using Airdrop for this exact reason, and the government's frustration with this is why Apple added a 10 minute limit on accepting comms from any device not already in your contacts. Apple's management were authoritarian lickspittles long before Tim started attending Melania showings.

 

[James Shewey]

By whose authority is Apple obligated to open up functionality to competitors, especially a competitor such as Alphabet?

Customers that care about interoperability and compatibility?

Not really aware of other serious competitors besides alphabet... WebOS and FirefoxOS are defunct. I think there was a Canonical project that was cut. Is Windows phone still a thing? The point is to acknowledge that Apple is doing that as a choice to lock people into their walled garden. Not that Alphabet never does this, but not nearly as aggressively. And it's hard to fully wall off that garden when your operating system at the end of the day is open source like Android is. Anyone can come along and send a PR for merging those improvements.

 

[James Shewey]

Which is great if you control both endpoints, but is useless if you need to quickly beam squirt AirDrop something to someone you just met, which is the whole point of an ad-hoc instant sharing feature.

File sharing: Now with blue or green bubbles. Or use Whatsapp...

 

[James Shewey]

I cannot imagine telling someone to go download a thing in order to share a file with another mobile phone user. might as well email it to them at that point.

This is great if you only communicate with iPhone owners. Before being forced by the EU, wasn't Apple essentially doing something much worse: telling you to go buy a new phone to share a file with another mobile phone user? Downloading a thing seems much more palatable than that. Kind of like how we have to download meet/zoom etc if you want to video chat with an Apple user...

 

[James Shewey]

I really hope this comes to Windows too. It’s incredibly convenient for sharing links and files between iOS devices

Wikipedia says QuickShare works with Windows 10 onward... At least for Android users. Presumably MS could update their software to leverage this the same way Alphabet is.

 

[bb-15]

Apple have given iPhones various privacy features including Apple’s Lockdown Mode.

https://meincmagazine.com/tech-policy/2026/02/fbi-stymied-by-apples-lockdown-mode-after-seizing-journalists-iphone/

I’ve discussed privacy issues with phone users from Europe for years and almost all of them do not care about privacy. Google/Android has dominated European smartphone sales and because Google uses customer data for targeted ads, when the government asks, Google will give up customer data.

So, I’m not interested in this European vision where iOS becomes Android.

Edit to put in the correct link.

 

[vought1221]

This is great if you only communicate with iPhone owners. Before being forced by the EU, wasn't Apple essentially doing something much worse: telling you to go buy a new phone to share a file with another mobile phone user? Downloading a thing seems much more palatable than that. Kind of like how we have to download meet/zoom etc if you want to video chat with an Apple user...

… this article is literally about Google and Apple systems working together. That is the state of things now and the situation I was relating.

“I’m very happy that Google/android will now work with AirDrop, so I don’t have to ask someone to download a thing” might have been more clear. Apologies for the confusion.

 

[ej24]

Now, please put the fingerprint reader back onto the back of the phone

my pixel 4a can't hold out much longer

The new ultrasonic under screen fingerprint reader implemented on the Pixel 9 and later is flawless. The optical fingerprint reader that was put under screen on Pixel 6-8 was miserable. I had Pixel 6 and dearly missed the backside fingerprint reader from my Pixel 3 series. Now on Pixel 9 Pro, I don’t miss the backside fingerprint reader at all because the new under screen unit is so damn good.

 

[_crane]

The new ultrasonic under screen fingerprint reader implemented on the Pixel 9 and later is flawless. The optical fingerprint reader that was put under screen on Pixel 6-8 was miserable. I had Pixel 6 and dearly missed the backside fingerprint reader from my Pixel 3 series. Now on Pixel 9 Pro, I don’t miss the backside fingerprint reader at all because the new under screen unit is so damn good.

under screen is also better ergonomically imo, and I find it less prone to accidental activation while putting my phone in my pocket.

 

[Rosyna]

I was under the impression that your previous statement was false: this has nothing to do with a European court injunction, and Google just reverse engineered Airdrop. Others have done it before: https://owlink.org/

Either way, it's easy to disprove: does this implementation work with older apple hardware? Some commenters mention it works on iOS 15: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46062504

It would be nice to get a definitive answer. Is there any source stating that they are changing this thanks to a switch to Wi-Fi Aware?

I am quite excited about the possibilities brought forth by Wi-Fi Aware (or NAN without the commercial label: neighbor area networking), especially when combined with mesh overlay. networks such as yggdrasil, or sneakernet protocols such as Secure Scuttlebutt (SSB). Unfortunately the uptake has been very slow, and HW supporting it is relatively uncommon; the software stack isn't mature either, and it isn't well documented.

I hope this means manufacturers will bring firmware updates to support NAN or ADWL, as the owlink project usually uses monitor mode, and IIRC can't explicitly ACK packets, which causes suboptimal performance (including for power usage).

Anyway, watching this with interest, from the sidelines.

Yeah, Ars’ claim that it has anything to do with Wi-Fi Aware is false. It’s a reimplementation of Apple’s AWDL as it works with Macs too (Wi-Fi Aware is limited to iOS devices in the iPhone 12 and later timeframe).

It’s absolutely unrelated to any EU directives.

 

[vought1221]

Yeah, Ars’ claim that it has anything to do with Wi-Fi Aware is false. It’s a reimplementation of Apple’s AWDL as it works with Macs too (Wi-Fi Aware is limited to iOS devices in the iPhone 12 and later timeframe).

It’s absolutely unrelated to any EU directives.

I’d love to know more because the scolds in here are telling me it’s because the EU forced Apple to open things up or something, even though I can’t find anything that comes remotely close to finding that from any authoritative source.

Google appears to a largely reverse engineered this software and has built something that is cooperative with it. I’m all for it, but it doesn’t appear that Apple was compelled to do anything or that they have a serious problem with this.

Yay Google, I guess. They’ll probably cancel it in 18 months.

 

[Hoptimist]

This is great if you only communicate with iPhone owners. Before being forced by the EU, wasn't Apple essentially doing something much worse: telling you to go buy a new phone to share a file with another mobile phone user? Downloading a thing seems much more palatable than that. Kind of like how we have to download meet/zoom etc if you want to video chat with an Apple user...

You're shocked to learn that Apple would like to make money selling premium phones. Generic homogeneous phones do not sell at a premium. You have to differentiate your product from other products to justify a higher price. Freely sharing your differentiating features with your competitors is not the path to money. When there is an international agreed upon standard, you should comply with it. That standard is the level playing field for competitors large and small, not just Google and Apple colluding on how they can work together.

Remember this is simply a matter of Apple originally offering a convenience feature for file transfer - it's not as if there existed no other way, there are lots of ways to move files. As the author said, there is very little functional difference between iOS and Android these days. Hence we have increasingly trivial flame wars over minor conveniences. We can save the hyperbole for more meaningful issues.