Was Apple Sidelined From Google’s Quick Share To AirDrop Bridge?

Google has announced that its Quick Share feature on the new Pixel 10 series can now directly connect with Apple’s AirDrop, marking the first official, first-party file-sharing bridge between Android and iOS devices.

As per the tech giant, this step simplifies transferring files between iPhones and Android phones, with the connection using robust, independently audited protections. The feature will first arrive on Pixel 10 devices, with the rollout beginning immediately.

Google added that the file-sharing feature underwent third-party penetration testing and was reviewed by its internal privacy and security teams. It also added a security blog post released alongside the launch.

However, in a rare twist, it appears that this interoperability wasn’t a joint Apple-Google project. Google built the entire Quick Share to AirDrop bridge unilaterally and unveiled it publicly without any co-announcement from Apple. 

Google told Android Authority that “We accomplished this through our own implementation. Our implementation was thoroughly vetted by our own privacy and security teams, and we also engaged a third party security firm to pentest the solution.”

While Google may have given Apple a courtesy heads-up, the absence of Apple’s participation or acknowledgment may be a hint that the iPhone maker wasn’t interested in collaborating on the solution.

Historically, Apple has opposed third-party attempts to bridge iPhone-Android gaps and actively blocked efforts like Beeper’s 2023 iMessage-for-Android service after the latter reverse-engineered Apple’s protocols.

Nonetheless, Google and Apple have in the past collaborated on multiple cross-platform initiatives, such as RCS messaging, eSIM transfers, and unknown tracker alerts. Google mentioned the same in its blog: “It’s just one more way we’re bringing better compatibility that people are asking for between operating systems, following our work on RCS and unknown tracker alerts.”

As of now, there is no word from Apple, and whether or not it will oppose the Quick Share to AirDrop bridge remains to be seen.