Since July 2011, Apple users have used AirDrop, a dedicated feature for transferring files between Apple (iOS) devices. Nearly a decade after its launch, Samsung announced Quick Share, a peer-to-peer wireless data transfer utility for Android, Windows, and ChromeOS.
Then, Google got involved and, working with Samsung, the two companies were able to extend Quick Share to all Android devices. But now, it seems that Google wants to bring the feature to Apple devices as well.
Like many of Google’s projects, parts of Quick Share are open source, so they’re available on GitHub and in Google’s Nearby repository. This means that Google is regularly updating it to add new backend features and fix bugs.
However, in one of these bug fixes, Android Authority pointed to a Google engineer’s comment in the Quick Share code that mentioned iOS and macOS, hinting at this possibility. While this isn’t the most telling note, it’s typical for Google to integrate its services into as many places as possible, such as developing a Quick Share app for Windows. However, it’s not entirely clear how Google intends to get Apple to adopt the app.
Quick Share on iOS: Pros and Cons
Due to differences between iOS and Android, it may be difficult to introduce Quick Share to Apple devices. Google may have to integrate it into one of its existing services, such as Google Search, or develop its own apps for iOS and macOS.
Additionally, because apps are designed differently on both operating systems, Quick Share may only allow users to send images, documents, and other files excluding apps.
Still, the feature could be useful for those who use both platforms, such as iPhone users with Windows laptops, as it simplifies file transfer between phones and computers and vice versa.
While some apps, such as Xender, do what Quick Share eventually offers, many believe that this route from Google could provide a more seamless and overall better experience.
But until we get confirmation from Google themselves, we don’t really know if this is all just dust under the bed or if Google has finally unlocked a file-sharing system that goes beyond Airdrop. But according to Backlinko, Quick Share is currently available on over 3 billion active devices that use Android, or 70.69% of the global smartphone market.
