Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has announced that Android’s Quick Share is now compatible with Apple AirDrop, finally solving the file-sharing divide between the platforms.
- Apple was not involved in the update, as Google said it built the feature independently to address interoperability issues.
- It’s possible Google reverse-engineered AirDrop’s technology to make this work, though it’s unclear if Apple will retaliate against the move.
Update 1, November 20, 2025 (1:18 PM ET): Google reached out to Android Authority to share a follow-up statement, confirming that it added AirDrop compatibility into Quick Share on its own. Here’s the statement in full:
“We accomplished this through our own implementation. Our implementation was thoroughly vetted by our own privacy and security teams, and we also engaged a third party security firm to pentest the solution.”
Original article, November 20, 2025 (12:46 PM ET): Google just dropped a bombshell announcement: Android’s Quick Share now works with Apple AirDrop. For years, the “green bubble” divide has extended to file sharing, with Apple users lamenting the inability to easily AirDrop files to their Android friends — a point of friction often used to pressure Android users into switching to iPhone. That’s why Google’s announcement that Quick Share is finally gaining AirDrop compatibility is massive news.
Amidst today’s news blitz, there was total silence from Apple regarding its role in this cross-platform bridge. One might assume such a significant interoperability play would involve the company. After all, Google and Apple worked in tandem to bring RCS messaging and unknown tracker alerts to both ecosystems. However, it appears Apple had little interest in helping Google close the Quick Share gap.
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Immediately following the announcement, we contacted Google to ask about Apple’s involvement. A spokesperson provided the following statement:
“Our goal is to provide an easy and secure file sharing experience for our users, regardless of who they are communicating with. Like with RCS and unknown tracker alerts, we always welcome collaboration opportunities to address interoperability issues between iOS and Android.” – Google spokesperson
Reading between the lines, Google implies it built AirDrop compatibility on its own. While the method it used to do so is unknown, we’ve known for a while that Google has been working to bring iOS and macOS compatibility to Nearby, the core communications library powering Quick Share. It is possible Google did a clean-room reverse engineering of AirDrop’s underlying technology to implement compatibility without Apple’s direct input.
Although AirDrop’s underlying technology (AWDL) is proprietary, it relies on open standards like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct, making unauthorized support theoretically possible. Implementing this legally — and ensuring Apple can’t easily break it — is another challenge entirely. We will be watching closely to see how Apple retaliates to this news. We’ll keep you posted.
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