Pixel 10 phones are now compatible with AirDrop

Sharing? Across platforms? In this economy?

Google just announced some unexpected and invited news: Pixel 10 owners tin present nonstop and person files with Apple devices implicit AirDrop. According to Google, this works with iPhone, iPad, and macOS devices, and applies to the full Pixel 10 series. It’s constricted to Google’s latest phones for now, but Google spokesperson Alex Moriconi says, “We’re bringing this caller acquisition to Pixel 10 archetypal earlier expanding to different devices.”

In bid to nonstop a record from a Pixel 10 telephone implicit AirDrop, the proprietor of the Apple instrumentality volition request to alteration their settings to marque their instrumentality discoverable to anyone — there’s an enactment to bash this with an automatic bounds of 10 minutes. Then, the Pixel 10 proprietor should beryllium capable to spot the instrumentality utilizing Quick Share and nonstop it. On the different side, it seems that it’ll look conscionable similar immoderate different AirDrop petition that the idiosyncratic tin o.k. to commencement the transfer. 

According to support documentation, it goes the different way, too. Likewise, the Pixel 10 instrumentality volition request to beryllium discoverable to anyone oregon successful person mode. Then the Apple instrumentality proprietor starts an AirDrop transfer, the Pixel proprietor accepts, and voila: cross-platform sharing.

A post connected Google’s information blog goes into greater item astir however it’s implemented, claiming “This diagnostic does not usage a workaround; the transportation is nonstop and peer-to-peer, meaning your information is ne'er routed done a server, shared contented is ne'er logged, and nary other information is shared.”

What it doesn’t say, however, is that it was added with immoderate engagement from Apple — lone that “we invited the accidental to enactment with Apple to alteration ‘Contacts Only’ mode successful the future.” The blog station details Google’s reasoning for wherefore this implementation is secure, on with mentioning an autarkic information appraisal from NetSPI (pdf), preemptively pushing backmost connected reasons Apple mightiness mention to artifact compatibility. We’ve reached retired to Apple for remark connected this announcement, and volition update if we perceive anything.

Notably, this isn’t an Android diagnostic yet — it’s presently constricted to Google’s ain phones, and the latest procreation astatine that. Still, it’s benignant of immense quality for Android users. Seamless sharing betwixt Apple devices with AirDrop is 1 of those highly adjuvant features that’s been kept wrong the walled plot until now. With RCS present wide successful usage connected iPhones, making cross-platform messaging easier, it seems similar different meaningful measurement guardant to lowering those plot walls.