Google could soon make sharing files from Android to iPhone much easier

Quick Share may be expanding

· TechRadar

News By David Nield published 2 November 2024

Quick Share supports Android, ChromeOS, and Windows (Image credit: Google)
  • Quick Share could come to iOS and macOS soon
  • It enables speedy file transfers between devices
  • Third-party alternative tools are already available

Quick Share on Android is the equivalent of AirDrop, enabling files to be easily transferred between Android devices, Chromebooks, and Windows – and there are signs that Google is planning to add support for iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

As spotted by the team at Android Authority, a comment left by a Google engineer on code essential to Quick Share mentions iOS and macOS specifically – a comment which would make more sense if an app for these platforms was in the works.

It's not the biggest of hints, but there could be something to it. There's already an official Quick Share for Windows app, so it's not too much of a stretch to imagine Google rolling out additional apps for Apple devices along the same lines.

As yet there's no official word from Google about this, but we'll let you know if that changes. Quick Share was originally called Nearby Share, and having launched out of beta in 2020, is now available on the majority of Android phones and tablets.

It's good to share

Samsung phones now fully support Quick Share too (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

Apple wouldn't build something like this into its own software of course, so it would require iPhone, iPad, and Mac owners to download a separate app for this to work – which might be something of a stumbling block.

However, users with an Android phone who also make use of an iPad or Mac, for example, would most likely be happy to download and install another app if it meant more seamless file sharing between all of their devices.

As pointed out over on 9to5Google, there are already third-party tools available to do the same job. An official option from Google would probably offer a more convenient and seamless experience though (like Google's tools for switching to iOS).

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