Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR Google has added AirDrop-related Quick Share system files to the Pixel 9 series firmware with the latest Android Canary build.
Pixel 9a and Pixel 8 series devices don’t yet have these files, suggesting support isn’t reaching older Pixels yet.
When Google announced Quick Share interoperability with Apple’s AirDrop late last year, the feature was introduced as a Pixel 10 exclusive. But new evidence suggests that exclusivity may not last very long. We’ve found signs that AirDrop-style sharing between Android and iPhone is now being prepared for older Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 9 series.
While digging through the latest Android Canary build (ZP11.251212.007), we discovered that Google has added new system files required for Quick Share to send files from Android to iPhones for the Pixel 9 series, excluding the Pixel 9a. These files weren’t present in earlier firmware for the older Pixels.
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Unfortunately, the new system files enabling AirDrop-style transfers aren’t yet available for all older Pixels just yet. We checked the firmware of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro and couldn’t find the required files there. While we haven’t checked every Pixel release, this strongly suggests that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series devices also lack the groundwork needed for the feature. That doesn’t mean they’ll never get the feature. It simply means that Google has probably not yet laid that foundation for them.
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
Google previously promised that support would be rolled out to more Pixel devices over time. However, it didn’t share any concrete timelines for when this would happen.
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