Android Might be Getting an iOS NameDrop Equivalent

According to Android Authority, iOS’ NFC contact sharing feature called NameDrop might be coming to Android.

The feature on iOS allows easy contact sharing by holding your devices close together. It works using Near-Field Communication, a technology restricted to very close proximity wireless communication.

The iOS feature allows you to choose specifically what you want to share, and it appears the Android version works similarly.

NameDrop on iOS also requires Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to be activated in order to work. It’s unclear if Google will use NFC or rely purely on Bluetooth/Wi-Fi to facilitate the feature.

Notably, on Android NFC can be disabled system-wide, a feature lacking on iOS, so security-conscious users could theoretically keep it off and only turn it on when they want to share contacts.

This feature will be a welcome addition to Android I think, sharing contact info directly in-person rather than over a messaging app or, god forbid, email, prevents a man-in-the-middle attack where your messages are intercepted and read by a third party. Most people don’t verify their keys on the messaging apps they use (although they should). In fact, the in-person meeting could be a good opportunity to verify each other in your messaging app of choice.