Google Expands Quick Share’s AirDrop Support to Pixel 9 Series

Google is expanding support for Quick Share and AirDrop compatibility between Pixel phones and iPhones to include Pixel 9 phones as well.

Previously, the feature was limited to the Pixel 10 series.

Quick Share allows Android devices to quickly send files over a local ad-hoc WiFi connection. AirDrop works the same way, but is limited to Apple devices.

Sending files over a local connection like this means your files will never touch a remote server, and you can even transfer files with no internet connection or router at all.

In Google’s previous announcement, they released a post on their security blog going over the considerations that were made during the development process:

We built Quick Share’s interoperability support for AirDrop with the same rigorous security standards that we apply to all Google products. Our approach to security is proactive and deeply integrated into every stage of the development process.

Of note is their use of Rust, a popular memory-safe programming language, in designing the feature. When designing a feature that parses data, memory safety bugs are one of the biggest sources of high-severity security issues. Writing in Rust eliminates entire classes of vulnerabilities.

The feature is part of Google’s wider effort to eliminate memory safety bugs in Android by adopting Rust.

Google also engaged a third-party firm, NetSPI, to conduct an independent security assessment, which only found 1 low-severity vulnerability which Google fixed.

Currently, the feature only works with the “Everyone” mode, but Google invites Apple to help implement and interoperable “Contacts Only” mode.

Google has also now disabled the Everyone on by default mode in Quick Share, a move that Apple made in AirDrop a while ago. Now, you can only enable the Everyone option for 10 minutes, matching AirDrop.

Apple since added a feature to securely share files with a code so that both parties must confirm the sharing beforehand, and you can be sure you’re sharing with the correct person.

The move was much-maligned when Apple did it, although the feature had been abused to send unwanted files to people’s phones.

With any luck, the AirDrop interoperability will eventually be rolled out across the Android ecosystem. Google has said they plan to expand to more devices.

Since iOS 26, iOS supports the Wi-Fi Aware standard, so it should be completely possible to design an interoperable feature using what’s already built into the operating system.