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Google Expands Quick Share to Work With AirDrop and Starts QR Sharing Rollout

Direct iPhone transfers reach more Android flagships, with a cloud fallback for the rest.

Overview

  • Google, which announced the changes Tuesday during The Android Show at I/O, began rolling out a Quick Share QR option that lets any Android phone send files to iPhones via the cloud.
  • The QR feature will reach all Android phones within about a month, and it works by generating a code that an iPhone scans to retrieve the file from the cloud.
  • Native AirDrop‑style sharing is expanding this year to more flagship Android phones, with Google naming Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi and HONOR and listing Galaxy S24, S25 and recent Fold/Flip models among those up next.
  • Many mid‑range and older phones will not get direct AirDrop compatibility because it requires Apple’s AWDL wireless support at the chipset level, so the QR fallback covers those devices.
  • Later this year, a revamped iPhone‑to‑Android switch will debut first on Pixel and Galaxy, moving passwords, messages, apps, eSIMs and even home screen layout wirelessly.