Skip to main content

Google may make it easier to share files between Android and iPhone

Android 14 logo on the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Wish it was easier to share files between Android and iPhone? Android Authority says a file-sharing service designed for Android devices may eventually become available on Apple products.

During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, Google announced its collaboration with Samsung to introduce a new feature called Quick Share, which aims to simplify file sharing. This feature offers a unified solution for sharing files across Android devices, Chromebooks, and Windows systems, making the process seamless within these ecosystems. Think of it like AirDrop but for Android.

Recommended Videos

Quick Share is unavailable on Apple devices such as the iPhone and Mac since it launched earlier this year. However, it looks like that could change in the future.

Recently, a Google engineer shared insights on the company’s “Nearby” repository on GitHub, hinting at the possibility of launching Quick Share on Apple devices. Specifically, the engineer said that for “iOS and macOS, the device name is already localized and generally works well for Quick Share purposes (i.e., “Niko’s MacBook Pro”), so avoid using the non-localized account name and device type concatenation.”

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro in hand.
Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

While the engineer did not specifically state that Google plans to bring Quick Share to iPhones and Macs, the mention of iOS and macOS here makes it apparent that Google is at least thinking about bringing the feature over.

So, this is big news, right? The issue is that Quick Share is quite similar to Apple’s AirDrop, which raises questions about its potential market on Apple devices.

Apple introduced AirDrop in 2011, initially allowing file transfers only between Macs. However, with the release of iOS 7, the service expanded to support other Apple devices, including iPhones and iPads. With AirDrop, you can wirelessly send files such as photos, videos, contacts, documents, and more to nearby Apple devices.

Since AirDrop is available on Apple devices by default, there likely aren’t many Apple users who would find Quick Share beneficial. However, there may be a market for people who use multiple operating systems. For instance, someone who uses an Android or Windows-based computer for work and an iPhone for personal use might appreciate this feature. Alternatively, it could simplify sharing files between two people if one person has an iPhone and the other has an Android phone.

Again, there’s no guarantee Quick Share is coming to the iPhone (and if so, we don’t know when), but this is potentially something to look forward to.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
A hidden iOS 18.1 upgrade made it harder to extract data from iPhones
A person holding the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Apple Intelligence was the most notable upgrade that arrived on iPhones with the iOS 18 series of updates. But it seems Apple reinforced the security protocols in the background that could prevent bad actors from gaining unauthorized access to iPhones that haven’t been unlocked in a while by their legitimate owner.

Earlier this month, 404Media reported that law enforcement officials are troubled by iPhones that are mysteriously rebooting. Citing a report courtesy of officials in Michigan, the outlet notes that the reboots are hampering the ability to access what’s stored on the phones through brute-force unlock methods.

Read more
The iPhone 18 Pro may get a camera feature never before seen on the iPhone
A close-up of the cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro.

Our iPhones are our primary devices to check the latest news, connect with friends on social media, and capture important memories through photos.

A significant camera upgrade is anticipated for the iPhone Pro series; however, this enhancement will not be available on the current iPhone 16 Pro or the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro series. Instead, the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to introduce a main rear camera with a variable aperture for the first time. This information comes from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who shared the details on Medium.

Read more
iOS 18.2 may make charging your iPhone even easier. Here’s how
A close-up view of the App Library page on the iPhone 16.

We've all been in a situation where we need to charge our phone quickly, but it can be hard to gauge just how much time it needs to spend on the charger before it gets a usable amount of juice. A feature coming to iOS 18.2 will tell you how much more time your phone needs, although we aren't quite sure yet when it will be released.

On Monday, iOS 18.2 beta 2 was released to developers. 9to5Mac spotted the codebase for this feature in their breakdown, stating that it will calculate the amount of time needed to reach a certain charge threshold based on how powerful the charger is. The framework was dubbed "BatteryIntelligence" within the code, but although it was present, the feature isn't finished. That likely means it has been added in for testing purposes, but won't be ready for full deployment for some time yet.

Read more