Google is breaking down the iOS-Android barrier at scale. After quietly testing AirDrop compatibility on its Pixel 10 lineup last year, the company just confirmed it's expanding Quick Share integration to third-party Android manufacturers - potentially bringing seamless file transfers between iPhones and hundreds of millions of Android devices. Eric Kay, Google's VP of engineering for Android, told Android Authority that "a lot more" devices will get the feature "very soon," marking a rare moment of détente in the decades-long iOS-Android rivalry.
Google just made its biggest move yet to erase the blue bubble-green bubble divide. The company confirmed it's bringing AirDrop compatibility to Android devices beyond its own Pixel lineup, a shift that could fundamentally change how billions of people share files across the iOS-Android chasm.
Eric Kay, vice president of engineering for Android at Google, dropped the news during a press briefing this week. "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," Kay told Android Authority. "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."
The timing is strategic. Google first rolled out AirDrop support to its Pixel 10 devices in late 2025, positioning the flagship as the only Android phone that could natively communicate with Apple's proprietary wireless transfer protocol through Quick Share - Android's answer to AirDrop, previously known as Nearby Share. The pilot program apparently went well enough to warrant a full ecosystem expansion.
But Google isn't naming names yet. While the company hasn't revealed which manufacturers are getting Quick Share-AirDrop integration first, the breadcrumbs are already visible. London-based teased AirDrop support back in November, and chipmaker - whose Snapdragon processors power most flagship Android phones - hinted at similar compatibility around the same time. That suggests devices from Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, and other Android heavyweights could be next in line.
