Sharing a photo or video between two Android phones is easy. The same is true between two iPhones.
Sharing between Android and iPhone, however, has traditionally been more awkward But that is starting to change.
Google’s Quick Share can now work directly with Apple’s AirDrop on supported Android phones. This lets an Android user send a file to an iPhone through Quick Share while the iPhone receives it through the familiar AirDrop interface. On supported devices, files can also travel in the other direction, from an iPhone to Android.
Google also provides a QR-code option for Android phones that do not support direct AirDrop sharing, giving Android users another way to send files to an iPhone without installing a separate file-sharing app.
How Quick Share and AirDrop Work Together
Quick Share is Android’s built-in system for sharing photos, videos, documents, links, and other content with nearby devices.
AirDrop performs a similar job on Apple devices.
Previously, the two systems operated separately. An Android phone could not normally appear as an AirDrop destination, and an iPhone would not appear as a Quick Share device.
Google began changing that in November 2025, initially adding Quick Share-to-AirDrop compatibility to the Pixel 10 family. Support has since expanded to additional Pixel phones and devices from Samsung and several other Android manufacturers.
On a compatible Android phone, the process now feels much closer to sharing between two phones running the same operating system.
The Android user chooses Quick Share, the nearby iPhone appears as a destination, and the iPhone user receives an AirDrop request.
Sharing Files
For direct Quick Share and AirDrop transfers, you need:
- A supported Android phone
- A nearby iPhone
- Quick Share available on the Android device
- AirDrop enabled on the iPhone
- Bluetooth enabled
- The devices close enough to detect each other
The iPhone user also needs to temporarily set AirDrop visibility to Everyone for 10 Minutes when receiving a file from Android.
Some Samsung phones have an additional setting called Share with Apple devices that needs to be enabled in Quick Share settings.
Which Android Phones Support AirDrop Sharing?
Direct Quick Share-to-AirDrop support is still limited to certain Android devices, although Google has been expanding the list.
Google currently lists support for recent devices including:
- Google Pixel 8a
- Pixel 9 series
- Pixel 10 series
- Samsung Galaxy S24 series
- Samsung Galaxy S25 series
- Samsung Galaxy S26 series
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and Flip7
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Fold7
- Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold
- OnePlus 15
- Xiaomi 17T Pro
- Selected recent OPPO, HONOR, and vivo devices
Additional Android phones are expected to gain support as manufacturers roll out updates. Because compatibility is expanding, it is worth checking Google’s current Quick Share compatibility information if your phone is not listed here.
If your Android phone does not support direct AirDrop sharing, you can still send files to an iPhone using Quick Share’s QR-code method.
Send Files from Android to iPhone with Quick Share
If your Android phone supports direct AirDrop sharing, the process is simple.
1. Choose What You Want to Share
- On your Android phone, open the photo, video, document, or other file you want to send.
- Tap the Share button.
2. Open Quick Share
Select Quick Share from the Android sharing menu.
Your phone will begin looking for nearby devices.
3. Set the iPhone to Everyone for 10 Minutes
On the iPhone, open Control Center and access the AirDrop settings.
Set AirDrop to Everyone for 10 Minutes.
This temporarily makes the iPhone discoverable to nearby devices that are not already recognized as contacts.
4. Select the iPhone
Return to the Android phone.
The nearby iPhone should appear in Quick Share.
Tap the iPhone you want to send the file to.
5. Accept the File on the iPhone
- The iPhone user will receive an AirDrop notification showing that someone wants to share a file.
- Tap Accept.
The transfer will begin, and the received item will be handled in the same way as a normal AirDrop transfer.
Send Files from iPhone to Android
On compatible Android phones, sharing also works in the opposite direction.
The iPhone user starts the transfer through AirDrop, while the Android phone receives it through Quick Share.
1. Turn On Quick Share Receive Mode
On the Android phone, open Quick Share and make sure Receive mode is enabled.
If you are using a supported Samsung phone, also make sure Share with Apple devices is enabled in the Quick Share settings.
2. Choose the File on the iPhone
Open the photo, video, or other content you want to send.
Tap the Share button and select AirDrop.
3. Select the Android Phone
The nearby Android device should appear as an available AirDrop destination.
Select it.
4. Accept the Transfer
A Quick Share request will appear on the Android phone.
Accept the request to begin the transfer.
Google’s current instructions confirm that compatible Android devices can both send to and receive from Apple devices through the Quick Share and AirDrop connection.
Use a QR Code If Direct Sharing Is Not Available
You do not necessarily need a supported AirDrop-compatible Android phone to send something to an iPhone.
Quick Share also includes a QR-code sharing option.
This method is particularly useful if the iPhone does not appear in Quick Share or your Android phone does not support direct AirDrop integration.
1. Open Quick Share
On the Android phone, open Quick Share and select the files you want to send.
2. Choose Use QR Code
Tap Use QR code.
A QR code will appear on the Android phone’s screen.
3. Scan the Code with the iPhone
Open the iPhone’s Camera app and point it at the QR code.
Tap the link that appears.
A Quick Share page will open in the iPhone’s web browser.
4. Download the Files
The transfer will begin through the Quick Share webpage.
Once it is complete, the iPhone user can save the files to the device.
Unlike direct Quick Share-to-AirDrop transfers, the QR-code method uses the internet. Google says the files are end-to-end encrypted, temporarily stored on Google servers, and remain available for download for up to 24 hours. The company currently allows up to 10GB of files to be shared with Apple devices during a 24-hour period.
This also means the QR-code method is not quite the same as a direct nearby transfer. Both devices need internet access, and mobile data charges could apply if Wi-Fi is not being used.
If Phone Does Not Appear in Quick Share
If direct sharing is supported but the iPhone does not appear, check a few basic settings first.
- Make sure the phones are physically near each other.
- Check that Bluetooth is enabled.
- On the iPhone, make sure AirDrop is set to Everyone for 10 Minutes rather than Contacts Only or Receiving Off.
- On the Android phone, make sure Quick Share is active and updated.
- Samsung users should also check for the Share with Apple devices option in Quick Share settings.
If the phones still cannot detect each other, use the QR-code option instead.
Is Quick Share the Same as AirDrop?
No. Quick Share remains Google’s file-sharing system for Android, while AirDrop remains Apple’s file-sharing system for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
What has changed is that supported versions can now communicate with each other. From the user’s perspective, the distinction is fairly simple. Android users start with Quick Share, while iPhone users continue to use AirDrop. The two systems handle the connection in the background.
Can You Share with an iPhone That Does Not Have Quick Share Installed?
Yes. There is no Quick Share app that the iPhone user needs to install for direct sharing.
When using a compatible Android phone, the iPhone receives the file through AirDrop. When using the QR-code method, the iPhone simply scans the code and opens the transfer in its web browser.
That makes the process considerably easier than asking someone to install a third-party file-sharing app just to exchange a few photos.
Does Quick Share Work with iPad and Mac Too?
Yes. Google’s current documentation says supported Android devices can also use Quick Share with AirDrop on iPads and Macs.
The process is similar to sharing with an iPhone. The Apple device needs to be discoverable through AirDrop, and the Android device starts the transfer through Quick Share.
The QR-code option can also be used to send files from Android to iPad or Mac through a web browser.
A Much Easier Way to Share Across Phones
Sharing files between Android and iPhone has long been one of those small annoyances that users simply learned to work around.
People resorted to messaging apps, email attachments, cloud-storage links, or uploading files somewhere just so a person standing a few feet away could download them again. Quick Share and AirDrop interoperability removes much of that friction on supported Android phones.
The experience is not completely universal yet, and direct support still depends on which Android phone you have. But even without direct AirDrop compatibility, Quick Share’s QR-code option gives Android users a straightforward way to send files to an iPhone. As support expands to more Android devices, sharing a photo between Android and iPhone is increasingly feeling like a simple nearby file transfer, what it should have been all along.
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