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.
Do you think Apple will try to block AirDrop on the Pixel 10? 2337 votes Of course. Apple still hasn't outgrown its "doesn't play well with others" phase. 34 % Yes, but it will frame it as a "security upgrade" that just happens to break Android support. 47 % Maybe, and it will depend on how Apple users react to the news. 10 % Nah. Apple's got more important things to care about than what Android's up to. 9 %
Will Apple block AirDrop on Android?
Joe Maring / Android Authority
The first question on everyone’s mind right now is: Will Apple block it? More importantly, can Apple block it?
Google caught everyone off-guard. There was no tease, no press release under embargo, and more importantly, not a single leak. Even our sleuths Mishaal Rahman and AssembleDebug hadn’t seen a hint of this in their Android and APK code digging. Google said to everyone, “Hi, AirDrop support is rolling out now,” and all hell broke loose. As a tech writer, it’s something I haven’t seen in years. The entire Android Authority team scrambled for hours trying to understand what just happened, how everything works from a user-facing perspective, and what are the limitations. If our small team was on high alert, I can’t begin to imagine what went on inside Cupertino.
Google caught everyone off-guard. If Apple suspected any of this, it would've been ready with an answer.
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.
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