I’m amazed by Google’s bold Pixel AirDrop move, but I have 3 big concerns

Google surprised everyone this week by doing the unthinkable and rolling out AirDrop support for the Pixel 10 without any hacks, directly through Quick Share. If you have a Pixel 10 like me, now you can Quick Share with any iPhone, iPad, and Mac, or even AirDrop back from Apple devices to your Pixel. And even though it requires enabling sharing for “Everyone for 10 minutes” on both devices, it’s seamless and brilliant, and makes me wonder why we couldn’t have had this years ago.

However, the unexpected news has certainly left many of us scratching our heads. We first suspected the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) had something to do with it, but since Google essentially went rogue and implemented it without Apple’s help, it seems that’s not the case. The timing is certainly “interesting,” though. Still, I have some questions and concerns about this bold Google move.

The first question on everyone’s mind right now is: Will Apple block it? More importantly, can Apple block it?

Google’s chess move was brilliant and well-calculated, too. It had to be sure it couldn’t possibly look stupid by Apple blocking it right away, and there’s certainly a complex contingency plan ready at Mountain View for any potential Apple response. But that brings me back to my question: What will Apple’s response be? Can it block this without looking like the bad guy in front of Android and iPhone users alike, and without triggering an anti-competitive lawsuit from Google in the EU? Or will it embrace it publicly and even extend a hand in making it a bigger reality? Or maybe silence is the best approach?

It must sting Apple, though. First it was unknown tracker alerts, then USB-C, then RCS and message interoperability — many of the company’s walled garden fences have fallen in the last few years. Even though they’ve made no dent whatsoever it its bottom-line or its public perception in its biggest markets (US and China), it certainly doesn’t sit well with the execs and shareholders that Apple always appears to be losing out in these battles. You can put a marketing spin on a loss, but it’s still a loss.

So far, Apple’s deafening silence has all of us catching our collective breaths. And if you needed proof that Cupertino had no idea this was happening, its silence is already a big sign. If Apple knew, it would’ve been prepared with an answer, either embracing the good-guy attitude and welcoming Android interoperability with iPhones or pretending it’s a security breach and blocking it right away despite Google’s thorough security vetting. Instead, we have nothing. So, how will Apple spin this? I can’t wait to see.

For now, only a subset of Android users can try this Quick Share-AirDrop interoperability, but from the way it’s been implemented, it seems that there’s no real reason why it couldn’t roll out to more Pixels and all Android phones.

Google has added the functionality by updating the Quick Share Extension from a system app stub to a proper APK with a Play Store listing. Making it a Quick Share feature — and not a “Pixel app” feature — indicates it’s not linked to the Pixel series and doesn’t require anything Pixel-specific to work. Quick Share is managed through Play Services, which is available on all Android phones. Although some Pixel-only features have rolled out to Play Services in the past, most of its features are more widely available across all Android phones, such as Cross-device services, Passkeys, the Find Hub network, and Theft Protection.

I understand why Google had to limit the AirDrop compatibility to the Pixel 10 for now — testing for bugs, and limiting the public damage if Apple blocks the feature — but common sense and previous history says Google should expand this soon once it knows the coast is clear. It might spread to older Pixels first then to more Android phones, or Google might go berserk and just say, “Duck it; all Android 10 phones and above can now AirDrop!” and then watch it all burn. Personally, I’d love to see that, but I’m suspecting the more cautious rollout would be much more realistic. So, which one will it be, Google?

We know the DMA’s Interoperability Act is forcing Apple to adopt the more open and interoperable Wi-Fi Aware 4.0 with iOS 26 for proximity-based file sharing, on top of its existing proprietary Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) that powers AirDrop. Because of the “Everyone for 10 minutes” limitation, though, the ongoing theory is that Google isn’t using the sanctioned Wi-Fi Aware 4.0 implementation (or it would work no matter the setting). Instead, it seems like Google has managed to find a backdoor to AirDrop, reverse-engineering the proprietary AWDL to make the Pixel 10 mimic an Apple device and its AirDrop handshake. This theory also explains the lengthy security vetting.

On paper, Google has proven you can pick the lock to Apple’s entire Continuity castle. Maybe Universal Control will be next and third-party screens and devices will be controlled with the same keyboard as your Mac. I can’t wait to move my cursor from my Pixel Tablet to my iMac on my desk; that would be a game-changer. Maybe AirPlay won’t be so exclusive anymore, so you could stream videos from your Galaxy phone to your friend’s Apple TV without even being on the same Wi-Fi network. Or maybe Handoff and Universal Clipboard will work seamlessly with Android devices, too. As someone who lives the Android + Mac life, I’d love to open a Chrome tab on my Pixel 10 Pro XL and find it on my iMac, or copy text on my Macbook and paste it on my Pixel. And what about using my iPad in SideCar mode with my Pixel?

I know I’m getting way ahead of myself and Google has made no indication that it plans to adopt anything beyond the simple AirDrop, but who knows?

Beyond this, could Microsoft replicate this to bring AirDrop to Windows? Could Samsung? Could Sony, DJI, or Insta360 implement this to transfer large files from their cameras to an iPhone, iPad, or iMac without using their clunky apps? Could Valve and Nintendo use it to make transferring screenshots from a Steam Deck and Switch to an iPhone easier? Could Amazon use it to AirDrop books to a Kindle, or Meta to AirPlay videos on the Quest? Could Tesla do it for AirDropping videos recorded in Sentry Mode without using a USB drive?

There are so many questions about the implications of this. This just feels like a suspended moment in time where we’re seeing a small pindrop — Pixel 10 + AirDrop — but we could be on the verge of an avalanche. Only time will answer all of these questions.