Google confirms AirDrop support coming to "a lot more" Android phones in 2026

Google is finally ready to break AirDrop out of Pixel 10 jail. The company has confirmed that its cross-platform file sharing feature will expand to a much wider range of Android devices this year, ending months of speculation about when other manufacturers would get in on the action.

Eric Kay, Google's Vice President of Engineering for Android, made the announcement during a press briefing in Taipei. "Last year, we launched AirDrop interoperability. In 2026, we're going to be expanding it to a lot more devices," he said, adding that "exciting announcements" are coming very soon.

The feature already works—just not on your phone yet

Since November 2025, Pixel 10 owners have been able to send files directly to iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks using Quick Share, Android's answer to AirDrop. The catch has been that literally no other Android phone could do the same, making it feel more like a Pixel perk than a platform feature.

That's changing now. According to Android Authority, Google has been working with manufacturing partners to bring the functionality across the Android ecosystem. While the company hasn't named names yet, both Nothing and Qualcomm have previously teased support for their devices. Since Snapdragon chips power most flagship Android phones—including Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 and OnePlus 15—the rollout could be massive.

Apple's walled garden gets a backdoor

Here's the best part: Google didn't need Apple's blessing to make this happen. Thanks to EU regulations forcing Apple to adopt the Wi-Fi Aware standard in AirDrop, Google found a way in on its own. iPhone users do need to set AirDrop to "Everyone for 10 Minutes" to receive files, but that's a minor inconvenience compared to downloading third-party apps or emailing files to yourself like some kind of caveman.

Kay also hinted that Google is working on better data migration tools for iPhone switchers, suggesting the company is serious about chipping away at Apple's ecosystem lock-in.

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