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A lot of misinformation around this.
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AirDrop is a proprietary Apple ecosystem thing, everyone knows that. It’s basically just Bluetooth for discovery and a proprietary Apple WiFi protocol for transfer.
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In the EU, Apple was forced to switch from that proprietary WiFi tech to another WiFi tech that Apple is also involved in. Someone else named it, it’s called WiFi Aware.
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Google made Pixel 10 (and only that model) compatible in such a way that it can AirDrop to and receive AirDrops from an iPhone.
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Nothing has to be done on the Pixel to receive the AirDrop.
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To receive AirDrop from a Pixel 10, the iPhone must be set to allow AirDrops from anyone for 10 minutes. It does not work if they’re in your Contacts — that method requires iCloud authentication (same with iMessage and FaceTime). So even if they’re in your contacts, iPhone users have to allow AirDrop from everyone for 10 minutes to receive.
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WiFi Aware is supported all the way back in Android 8. But it requires an iPhone running iOS 26 or later. That’s either the iPhone 11, or the iPhone 12, or newer. I wanna say 11 because SE 2 got 26 and that’s got the same chip as the 11, but I’m really not sure on that point.
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Anyone who’s anyone in tech doesn’t give two shits about AirDrop. AirDrop just makes it easy. I’m an Apple guy. I use Universal Clipboard more than AirDrop. I have an iPhone (16 Pro Max) and an Android phone (Galaxy S10, from 2019). I never use AirDrop to send files between them. Obviously because I can’t. But I mean, it’s no problem to have one host, the other log into the first, and send/receive files. It’s easier if the iPhone hosts because the Android file picker is basically more open (I use Solid something or other, I forget the exact name, used it for over a decade though). That said, since the last iOS or the one before, the iOS Files app isn’t bad. They’re both capable enough. Anyway, it’s trivial for me to copy stuff over. Both ways. And from the Galaxy S10 to the Mac or vice versa. This has never been a problem for most techs. It’s just about making it easier for older folks… who would be better served by Apple products (because they’re basically easier).
Also QuickShare is not an Android feature, it’s Google Play Services (GMS) feature, it doesn’t work on degoogled android phones.
Here is the issue about implementing it in microG: https://github.com/microg/GmsCore/issues/1272
Such a pain in the ass just to share some files.
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So… EU forced them to do that?
This is based on Wi-Fi Aware: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Alliance#Wi-Fi_Aware
Some background: https://www.ditto.com/blog/cross-platform-p2p-wi-fi-how-the-eu-killed-awdl
On the Apple side, this was prompted by the EU Digital Markets Act: https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/questions-and-answers/interoperability_en
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Starting with Pixel 10 family and coming to other Androids or just Pixel?
still can’t use it on degoogled android phones /:
You can on GrapheneOS with sandboxed Play Services
Can you? The blog post says it only works with Pixel 10 devices, which GrapheneOS doesn’t support yet. There’s no explanation for why it might need a specific model of phone.
I don’t want google play services on my phone at all, sandboxed gps still sucks ass for privacy
Adversarial interoperability FTW
Never thought this day would come…
Makes sense for the US audience where Apple devices are common.
For people that (understandably) don’t want to go on the hellspace that is Xitter, here is a screenshot:
I don’t see the screenshot :c
Oh weird, it looks like it didn’t paste properly.
The image didn’t load for me, but xcancel is still working:
Here’s the Google blog post announcing it: https://blog.google/products/android/quick-share-airdrop/
