Last year, Apple finally added support for Rich Communications Services (RCS) texting to its platforms, improving consistency, reliability, and security when exchanging green-bubble texts between the competing iPhone and Android ecosystems. Today, Google is announcing another small step forward in interoperability, pointing to a slightly less annoying future for friend groups or households where not everyone owns an iPhone.
Google has updated Androidâs Quick Share feature to support Appleâs AirDrop, which allows users of Apple devices to share files directly using a local peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection. Apple devices with AirDrop enabled and set to âeveryone for 10 minutesâ mode will show up in the Quick Share device list just like another Android phone would, and Android devices that support this new Quick Share version will also show up in the AirDrop menu.
Google will only support this feature on the Pixel 10 series, at least to start. The company is âlooking forward to improving the experience and expanding it to more Android devices,â but it didnât announce anything about a timeline or any hardware or software requirements. Quick Share also wonât work with AirDrop devices working in the default âcontacts onlyâ mode, though Google â[welcomes] the opportunity to work with Apple to enable âContacts Onlyâ mode in the future.â (Reading between the lines: Google and Apple are not currently working together to enable this, and Google confirmed to The Verge that Apple hadnât been involved in this at all.)
This is an interesting development in the tech world! It’s great to see how collaboration and new standards can enhance user experience across different platforms. Looking forward to seeing how this impacts connectivity and communication!
Absolutely, itâs exciting to witness these advancements! The adoption of new Wi-Fi standards could really enhance cross-platform compatibility, making it easier for users to share across devices. This could lead to a more unified experience for everyone, regardless of their device choice.
You’re right, it is exciting! The shift to new Wi-Fi standards not only enhances connectivity for Apple users but also promotes greater interoperability with Android devices, making it easier for everyone to share files seamlessly. It’s a win-win for both ecosystems!