A futuristic illustration of Samsung Galaxy and Apple iPhone devices sharing files wirelessly using Quick Share technology.
Google has officially announced the list of Samsung Galaxy devices that will soon enable users to share files with Apple in a similar manner as AirDrop does for their iOS devices. The announcement marks a significant development in Android to Apple file sharing.
They added the feature to their Samsung Galaxy S26 series earlier this year with the Samsung Quick Share. However, Samsung was not the first Android brand to offer something similar to AirDrop, with its features. Google is already beginning to add the feature to Android and, of course, the Google Pixel 10 series are the first Android device to officially support the feature. Google has now added more support for premium Samsung phones.
Galaxy Devices Getting AirDrop Support
At the Android Show | I/O Edition 2026, Google Product Manager Alanna Veiga revealed that a handful of premium Galaxy smartphones and foldables are getting AirDrop support for sharing via Quick Share.
Availability of the feature has begun on some devices this week as part of the stable One UI 8.5 software update, and will roll out to more devices over time. The following high-end Galaxy devices are currently supported:
- Samsung Galaxy S24
- Samsung Galaxy S24+
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S25
- Samsung Galaxy S25+
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
- Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
The list is dominated by Samsung’s flagship and foldable products, implying the feature is not being pushed as a mainstream Android standard, but is being promoted as a high-end feature.
Several Galaxy Devices Are Missing
From the list of what Google doesn’t say, one of the most interesting is that it doesn’t mention a new release for the Kindle. The Samsung Galaxy S23 series and other older foldables such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 are not compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S24 yet.
The rollout does not include mid-range and budget Samsung devices. This includes Galaxy A, Galaxy F, Galaxy M and Galaxy Tab A series. Interestingly, there’s no mention of any Galaxy Tab S devices, anyway, at this stage of deployment. Many of the older or lower-end devices are missing, leaving some Samsung users wondering if the support will come in the future.
Why AirDrop Support Is Limited to High-End Devices
It’s not just a software choice. Google claims that AirDrop support for Android doesn’t just depend on an update to enable Quick Share. The technology relies on the ability of the chipset to support high-speed wireless networking to duplicate Apple’s proprietary wireless communications system, called AWDL or Apple Wireless Direct Link.
The AirDrop peer-to-peer networking technology used by Apple to sync iPhones, iPads and Macs. It is similar to Wi-Fi Direct but was designed for Apple’s ecosystem and optimized for seamless local file transfers.
It appears that Google was able to use a secure networking framework built in Rust to reverse-engineer portions of AWDL. By doing so, the Android devices with Quick Share can communicate directly with Apple devices, bypassing the need to store files on cloud servers or other third-party networks.
The advanced features for networking optimizations may not function with the same level of quality on older chipsets and lower-end processors, due to these technical requirements.
Cross-Platform File Sharing Finally Improves
AirDrop has been one of the most favored features of the Apple ecosystem for years. It made it easy for users to instantly share photos, videos, files and links between Apple devices with little setup. Android users, on the other hand, didn’t have a way to join that ecosystem in a reliable manner. Typically, file sharing between Android and Apple devices involves sending files via messaging apps or cloud storage services or third-party transfer apps.
Dynamic changes with Quick Share’s new compatibility. The new system will make it simpler for Apple to communicate with Galaxy devices that are compatible with it when transferring files wirelessly locally, reducing friction between different ecosystems. This is especially important given the efforts of Android handset manufacturers to close holes in the Android ecosystem, which have been more favorable to Apple devices in the past.
Samsung and Google Continue Ecosystem Collaboration
The introduction also showcases the growing collaboration between Samsung and Google in the Android ecosystem. Samsung’s local file sharing service was Quick Share, while Google’s was Nearby Share, the latter of which is no longer available. In the long-term, both systems were combined into a single Quick Share brand to make Android file sharing easier.
Touched by AirDrop compatibility, this is another significant leap in that partnership. The feature is welcome for Samsung, as it aims to make the Galaxy phones more competitive in terms of seamless ecosystem experience with Apple devices. For Google, it makes Android more usable, and diminishes one of the many benefits of Google staying within Apple’s ecosystem.
Could More Galaxy Devices Get Support Later?
The rollout is limited to the premium Galaxy devices, but Google hasn’t said no to expanding in the future. There is a possibility that other devices may become compatible in the future, if hardware support becomes available. The feature will, however, rely a great deal on networking hardware and optimisation at the chipset level, and may not be a universal feature for all Galaxy devices.
Also, the hardware requirements needed to support inter-platform sharing will be more likely to be built into future Samsung smartphones and tablets from the outset, especially if it becomes a more significant competitive advantage. But, for the time being, it seems to be targeted towards Samsung’s flagship ecosystem.
Conclusion
Google’s inclusion of AirDrop support for more Samsung Galaxy devices is a big step toward Android-to-Apple interoperability. The feature will enable quicker and more effortless wireless transfer between ecosystems and eliminate one of the top headaches for users migrating files between Android and Apple devices.
Due to the complex networking requirements of the devices, support will only be provided for some of the high-end Galaxy phones and Galaxy foldables. As of yet, the rollout is being postponed on the more affordable Galaxy models, as well as on the flagship devices.
Features such as cross-platform capability are more important as Android and Apple battle it out for ecosystem experience. Google has recently made some significant strides to address the convenience gap that previously worked significantly in Apple’s favour with AirDrop, as revealed by the latest update to Quick Share.
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