Google brings AirDrop support to more Android phones with QR sharing
▼ Summary
– Google is expanding cross-platform support between AirDrop and Quick Share to devices from Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, and Samsung beyond its latest flagship.
– Starting today, Android users can generate a QR code in Quick Share to share files to iOS via the cloud, and Quick Share will appear in third-party apps like WhatsApp.
– Google is improving the switching experience from iOS to Android through a partnership with Apple, enabling wireless transfer of passwords, photos, messages, and more.
– The company is building on its success with RCS to reduce barriers between platforms, having already added AirDrop support to Quick Share on its own and Samsung devices.
– The cross-platform Quick Share and AirDrop compatibility works easily and effectively, with Google appearing to have developed this feature independently.
Google is steadily chipping away at the wall between Android and iOS, and the latest update brings AirDrop compatibility to Quick Share for a much wider range of devices. After initially rolling out cross-platform file sharing to its own Pixel lineup and recent Samsung flagships, the company is now extending support to phones from Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor. Samsung remains part of the announcement as well, likely covering models beyond the Galaxy S26 series, which gained the feature back in March. Given that the functionality recently appeared on the Oppo Find X9 Ultra and Vivo X300 Ultra, this expansion makes sense. Once fully live, it will cover the vast majority of Android phones on the market, making simple, platform-agnostic file sharing an everyday reality.
But Google isn’t stopping with device-by-device rollouts. Starting today, any Android user can generate a QR code within Quick Share to send files to an iPhone over the cloud, even if their hardware hasn’t received the direct AirDrop integration yet. This provides an immediate workaround for cross-platform transfers. Additionally, Quick Share will begin appearing as a share option inside third-party apps, with WhatsApp named as the first partner.
I’ve been genuinely impressed by how seamless the Quick Share and AirDrop integration has been since it first launched. The fact that Google built this compatibility largely on its own, and that it works as smoothly as it does, is a pleasant surprise. It’s rare to see such frictionless cross-platform functionality, and it’s only getting better.
Looking ahead, Google is also making the switch from iPhone to Android less painful. Thanks to a partnership with Apple, a feature that entered testing back in December will allow users to transfer passwords, photos, messages, apps, contacts, eSIMs, and homescreen layouts without needing a cable. It’s a major upgrade for anyone considering leaving iOS behind, though a firm release date has not yet been announced.
(Source: 9to5google.com)
