Does Android have AirDrop?

Not by that name, but it now has the next best thing. Android's built-in equivalent of AirDrop is Quick Share, which sends files between nearby Android phones, Chromebooks, and some Windows PCs. Since 20 November 2025, Quick Share can also send to AirDrop on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but only from a list of supported phones: as of 25 October 2026, Google names the Pixel 8a and later, plus certain models from Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus, vivo, Xiaomi, HONOR, Transsion, and Motorola. Every other Android phone can still share with Apple devices through a Quick Share QR code, which goes through Google's servers instead of directly.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 25 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What is Android's version of AirDrop?

Quick Share. It is built into Android, and Google's Quick Share help page says it is available on "Android 6+ devices, Chromebooks, and on select Windows PCs." You open a photo or file, tap Share, then Quick Share, and pick a nearby device. The other person accepts, and the file arrives in Downloads, in a Quick Share folder.

Like AirDrop, it has a setting for who can see you. Google's page lists three choices under Who can share with you: Your devices, Contacts, and Everyone for 10 minutes.

So the plain answer to "does Android have AirDrop" used to be "it has its own version that does not talk to Apple." That changed in late 2025.

Can Android phones AirDrop to an iPhone or a Mac now?

Some can. The dates, from the companies' own announcements:

• 20 November 2025. Google announced "a way for Quick Share to work with AirDrop," rolling out first to the Pixel 10 family.
• 23 March 2026. Samsung announced AirDrop support in Quick Share, starting with the Galaxy S26 series, and said its Share with Apple devices setting is on by default.
• 12 May 2026. Google said it would expand to Samsung, OPPO, OnePlus, vivo, Xiaomi, and HONOR "this year."

Google's help page now has a section on sending to "an iPhone, iPad, or macOS device," so a Mac counts as a receiver. The person on the Apple side does not install anything. They set AirDrop to receive from everyone and accept the transfer as normal.

Google's security write-up says the connection "is direct and peer-to-peer" and that data is "never routed through a server." It also says it works with AirDrop's "Everyone for 10 minutes" mode, and that Google would "welcome the opportunity to work with Apple" to enable Contacts Only later. That tells you Contacts Only does not work yet.

Which Android phones have AirDrop support?

Google's two pages describe the same list at different levels of detail. On 25 October 2026:

Google's compatible devices page names the models. For Samsung it lists the Galaxy S24, S25, and S26 series, the Galaxy Z Flip6, Z Fold6, Z Flip7, and Z Fold7, and the Galaxy Z TriFold. The other makers have one or a few recent flagships each, and several more are marked "coming soon." Our AirDrop from Android to a Mac guide keeps the full model-by-model table, and the AirDrop Android checker lets you look up your phone.

Google's page also warns that availability varies by region, carrier, and device. If your phone is listed and Apple devices do not appear, update the phone and check again.

Does Samsung have AirDrop?

Recent Galaxy flagships do, through Quick Share. Samsung's own announcement covered the Galaxy S26 series from 23 March 2026, and Google's device list now includes the S24 and S25 lines and recent Z Fold and Z Flip models. Turn on Share with Apple devices in Quick Share settings if it is off; Samsung says it is on by default, and Google says to make sure it is on. Older and lower-priced Galaxy models are not on the list.

What does Apple say about Android and AirDrop?

Apple's pages say nothing about it. Apple's AirDrop guide for iPhone and its AirDrop guide for Mac describe sharing between Apple devices and do not mention Android. We found no Apple announcement about AirDrop working with Android, and Google's posts do not say Apple took part. What Apple's pages do tell you is how the receiving side behaves:

• AirDrop needs Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, and Apple's Mac guide says devices should be within 30 feet (10 meters).
• On an iPhone, Everyone for 10 Minutes switches back to Contacts Only (or Receiving Off) after ten minutes. On a Mac, the choices are Contacts Only and Everyone.
• From iOS 26.2 and macOS 26.2, someone who is not in your contacts needs an AirDrop code to send to you. Google's help page does not mention codes, so if one appears, follow what is on screen.

My phone is not on the list. What can I use?

The Relay does not speak AirDrop and will not make your phone appear in a Mac's AirDrop list. It is an Android app and a Mac app that put the phone's storage in a Mac window, so you drag files either way over your own network, and it also syncs the clipboard, shows notifications and texts, and copies login codes on the Mac. If your phone is on Google's list and you only send the occasional photo, you do not need it: Quick Share is free. The Relay is one subscription through Google Play that covers your phone and your Mac, with a 7-day free trial.

Questions people ask

Is Quick Share the same as AirDrop?

No. Quick Share is Google's sharing feature and AirDrop is Apple's. They are separate systems that now work together on supported Android phones. The comparison is in Quick Share vs AirDrop.

Can a Pixel AirDrop to a Mac?

A Pixel 8a or later can send to a Mac, according to Google's help page. Receiving from a Mac needs a Pixel 9 or later, excluding the Pixel 9a. The Mac must have AirDrop set to Everyone.

Do I need an app to AirDrop from Android?

No app on either side if your phone is supported. You share with Quick Share on the phone, and the Apple device receives a normal AirDrop. On an unsupported phone, the Quick Share QR code needs only a browser on the Apple side.

Will my older Android phone get AirDrop support?

Google has not said which older models, if any, will be added. Its 12 May 2026 post promised more partners in 2026, and its device list marks a few upcoming phones as "coming soon." Check the list rather than assuming.

Is sharing to AirDrop from Android secure?

Google says the connection is direct and peer-to-peer, not routed through a server, and that an outside security firm reviewed it. Apple says AirDrop transfers are encrypted. Neither company's statement is a guarantee, and setting AirDrop to Everyone means any nearby device can offer you a file, so switch it back when you are done.