Google has surprised many by announcing that its Pixel 10 series phones can now share files and photos with Apple devices using the iPhone's AirDrop feature. This new integration is a result of Google's implementation of Android Quick Share, which was developed independently without any input from Apple.
The process works by having both the sending and receiving parties set their Airdrop visibility preferences to "anyone for 10 minutes". This allows users outside of their contact list to initiate an AirDrop or Quick Share transfer. From there, Pixel 10 users can see the receiving Apple device when they go to share things via Quick Share as normal.
It's unclear whether this new feature was developed in collaboration with Apple or if Google worked on it alone. The company has stated that its implementation was thoroughly vetted by its own privacy and security teams and that a third-party security firm also reviewed the solution.
The integration will enable seamless file sharing between Android and iOS devices, but it raises questions about potential security implications. If Apple decides to take action against Google's work, it could lead to another round of bickering over security versus openness.
In a statement, Alex Moriconi from Google confirmed that the company developed the feature on its own. "We accomplished this through our own implementation," he said.
The process works by having both the sending and receiving parties set their Airdrop visibility preferences to "anyone for 10 minutes". This allows users outside of their contact list to initiate an AirDrop or Quick Share transfer. From there, Pixel 10 users can see the receiving Apple device when they go to share things via Quick Share as normal.
It's unclear whether this new feature was developed in collaboration with Apple or if Google worked on it alone. The company has stated that its implementation was thoroughly vetted by its own privacy and security teams and that a third-party security firm also reviewed the solution.
The integration will enable seamless file sharing between Android and iOS devices, but it raises questions about potential security implications. If Apple decides to take action against Google's work, it could lead to another round of bickering over security versus openness.
In a statement, Alex Moriconi from Google confirmed that the company developed the feature on its own. "We accomplished this through our own implementation," he said.