Android’s Quick Share feature now works with AirDrop for iPhone, starting with the Pixel 10 lineup

In a surprising but welcome move, Google has done just that Quick share update To work with Apple’s AirDrop, allowing users to more easily transfer files and photos between Android and iPhone devices. The new functionality is rolling out for the first time in the Pixel 10 range and works with iPhone, iPad and macOS.

Google plans to expand the functionality to additional Android devices in the future.

The company says the new feature allows users to quickly share their photos, videos, and files without worrying about what type of phone the other person is using.

The Quick Share feature currently works with AirDrop if an iPhone owner changes their settings to make their device discoverable to anyone using AirDrop’s “Everyone for 10 Minutes” mode. The Pixel user will then be able to see the iPhone as an available device when Quick Share is selected.

“This implementation of Everyone for 10 Minutes is just the first step in seamless cross-platform sharing, and we welcome the opportunity to work with Apple to enable Contacts Only mode in the future,” Google explained in a statement. Blog post.

The tech giant says you can make sure you’re sharing with the right person by confirming their device name on your screen.

Google points out that the update allows for two-way communication, which means iPhone users can send files to Pixel phones as well. Your Pixel device will also need to be set as discoverable in order to receive a file.

Google says the feature does not use a workaround, and the connection is direct and peer-to-peer. This means that data is never routed through the server and shared content is never recorded.

“We built this with security at its core, protecting your data with robust safeguards tested by independent security experts,” Google wrote in the blog post. “It’s just another way we’re providing better compatibility that people have been asking for between operating systems, following our work on RCS and unknown tracking alerts.”

It’s worth noting that Google’s blog post doesn’t include details on how it will work with Apple to launch the new functionality. TechCrunch has reached out to Apple for comment and will update if one is made available.