Google announced today that Android’s Quick Share now works with Apple’s AirDrop system on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac to allow for easy file transfer between platforms/operating systems.
On Android, Apple devices will simply appear in the fullscreen Quick Share interface and be selectable as sharing targets if AirDrop’s “Everyone for 10 minutes” mode is active. After the iPhone user accepts (in the example below), the transfer will be received. Similarly, Android devices will appear on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
This two-way sharing between Android and Apple devices works on photos, videos, and other files. Google explains how:
This feature does not use a workaround; the connection is direct and peer-to-peer, meaning your data is never routed through a server, shared content is never logged, and no extra data is shared.
However, Google did not partner with Apple on this interoperability, with the company telling 9to5Google today that it would “welcome collaboration opportunities to address interoperability issues between iOS and Android.”
Specifically, the Android maker would “welcome the opportunity to work with Apple to enable ‘Contacts Only’ mode in the future.”
This interoperability is born out of Google’s continued work to “make cross-platform communication more seamless for users.”
This new feature makes it possible to quickly share your photos, videos, and files with people you choose to communicate with, without worrying about the kind of phone they use.
On the security and privacy front, Google notes how this Quick Share-AirDrop interoperability is “protected by a multi-layered security approach to ensure a safe sharing experience from end-to-end, regardless of what platform you’re on.”
- Secure Sharing Channel: The communication channel itself is hardened by our use of Rust to develop this feature. This memory-safe language is the industry benchmark for building secure systems and provides confidence that the connection is protected against buffer overflow attacks and other common vulnerabilities.
- Built-in Platform Protections: This feature is strengthened by the robust built-in security of both Android and iOS. On Android, security is built in at every layer. Our deep investment in Rust at the OS level hardens the foundation, while proactive defenses like Google Play Protect work to keep your device safe. This is complemented by the security architecture of iOS that provides its own strong safeguards that mitigate malicious files and exploitation. These overlapping protections on both platforms work in concert with the secure connection to provide comprehensive safety for your data when you share or receive.
- You’re in Control: Sharing across platforms works just like you’re used to: a file requires your approval before being received, so you’re in control of what you accept.
In addition to “internal threat modeling, privacy reviews, and red team penetration tests,” Google sought to verify this system’s security with independent experts:
…we engaged with NetSPI, a leading third-party penetration testing firm, to further validate the security of this feature and conduct an independent security assessment. The assessment found the interoperability between Quick Share and AirDrop is secure, is “notably stronger” than other industry implementations and does not leak any information.
Overall:
Based on these internal and external assessments, we believe our implementation provides a strong security foundation for cross-platform file sharing for both Android and iOS users. We will continue to evaluate and enhance the implementation’s security in collaboration with additional third-party partners.
Quick Share-AirDrop interoperability is first available on the Pixel 10 series, and will expand to more Android devices in the future.
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