Google has taken a significant step toward challenging Apple’s walled-garden approach with a new feature that allows its Pixel phones to share files directly with iPhones via Apple’s AirDrop protocol. The move, announced Thursday, bypasses the need for cloud services or third-party apps, offering a more seamless file-sharing experience between the rival platforms and highlighting the ongoing push for greater interoperability in the tech industry. While Apple has yet to comment, the development signals a potential shift in how users share content across different mobile ecosystems.
Google has developed a way for its latest Pixel smartphones to exchange images and other files with iPhones using Apple’s AirDrop protocol, a move that challenges the exclusivity of Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem. The development underscores the ongoing battle for interoperability between the tech giants and offers users more flexibility in how they share content.
AirDrop, which has been a feature of Apple’s software platforms for over a decade, enables quick and wireless file transfers between iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Google offers a similar function for Android devices called Quick Share.
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“When it comes to sharing moments with family and friends, it shouldn’t matter what device you have—sharing should just work,” Google announced Thursday. A Google spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg News that Apple was not involved in the development of the feature.
“We achieved this through our own implementation,” the spokesperson said, adding that Google engaged a third-party security firm and that the setup was “thoroughly reviewed by our own privacy and security teams.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“This feature does not use a workaround; the connection is direct, peer-to-peer, meaning your data is never routed through a server, shared content is never logged, and no additional data is shared,” Dave Kleidermacher, Google’s vice president of platform security and privacy, wrote in a separate blog post.
To receive files from friends and family using Android phones, iPhone users must configure their AirDrop settings to show them as recipients for “Everyone for 10 Minutes.” As with any normal AirDrop transfer, users can accept or reject incoming requests based on the sender’s name displayed on their screen. The feature currently requires a recently released Google Pixel 10 device and is rolling out gradually.
Initial tests showed that sending images back and forth between a Pixel 10 Pro and an iPhone 17 Pro Max worked as advertised. The Pixel was also able to send files to a nearby Mac. As a privacy measure, AirDrop reverts to receiving from “Contacts Only” each time the 10-minute window expires. Users will need to ensure it’s set to “Everyone for 10 Minutes” each time to send and receive files from a Pixel 10.
Google is positioning its new solution as a win for consumers, allowing them to comfortably share multimedia files regardless of operating system. The company draws a parallel to the adoption of RCS (Rich Communication Services), which has simplified messaging and high-quality photo and video sharing between iPhone and Android users. Apple implemented the standard last year following pressure from regulators.
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Previous attempts to replicate Apple’s iPhone features haven’t been well-received by the company. In 2023, a messaging app called Beeper attempted to bring iMessage compatibility to Android, but Apple quickly thwarted the effort.
Beeper is now owned by Automattic Inc, which has avoided relitigating the public dispute. And when Palm Inc. was still in the smartphone business, it attempted to make its Palm Pre compatible with synchronization via iTunes. That solution was also shut down.
Read more at Bloomberg.com
