From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Sat, 22 Nov 2025 22:20:35 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote:

On 22.11.25 14:31, Carlos E.R. wrote:

Google has managed, without help from Apple, to make AirDrop file
transfer possible in the Pixel 10, in Quick Share. It only works while
the iphone activates "all for 10 minutes" in AirDrop.

Activation is always necessary for unknown phones/users even iPhones.

It is possible that now Apple does something to make it fail.

How do you come this conclusion?

It says so in the article, it is not my conclusion. However, I agree; it
was done without permission.

This is my response, to the same news on the Apple newsgroups where I agree with Frank that it's no different than how Airdrop works other than the 10-minute limitation (and there are very many file type limitations too).

On Tue, 25 Nov 2025 07:55:18 -0500, badgolferman wrote:

The lack of a common communication standard between Apple and Google
devices restricted users to sharing files with peers in the same ecosystem.

Thanks badgolferman for that information, where I think this is good news
for "lazy" people who want a sharing solution designed by MARKETING people.

The good news is the specific Pixel 10 and iOS devices can share files both ways directly without third-party apps, which we can presume will reach
other high-end Android devices in the future.

Apparently it combines Quick Share (formerly Nearby Share), using Bluetooth
and WiFi Direct, with AirDrop and the Rust language (to parse wireless data packets) for 10 minutes at a time (for peer-to-peer connections).

Given iOS sucks at working in the real world (e.g., compare plugging an iOS device into a PC compared to plugging in Android to that same PC), this is
a very small step in the right direction of interoperability.

The manual verification step is still a weak point as users must be careful
not to beam files to the wrong nearby device. But it's consistent with AirDrop's existing flow weaknesses, so that doesn't change with this news.

Bear in mind LocalSend exists, which is a community-driven, open-source solution that works across Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and macOS. It
exists precisely because Apple won't provide a native cross-platform tool.

So why did Apple do this given Apple abhors working in the real world?
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From Newsgroup: comp.mobile.android

On Sat, 22 Nov 2025 14:31:17 +0100, Carlos E.R. wrote:

Google has managed, without help from Apple, to make AirDrop file
transfer possible in the Pixel 10, in Quick Share. It only works while
the iphone activates "all for 10 minutes" in AirDrop.

It is possible that now Apple does something to make it fail.

Source: <https://www.xataka.com/moviles/google-ha-conseguido-integrar-android-airdrop-apple-ayuda-permiso-apple>

I agree with Carlos that this appears to be a Google-only effort, without
any help from Apple, who can break it but who apparently isn't blocking it
due to the fear of EU digital rights being forced upon them.

To flesh that out, here is a post I sent to the Apple newsgroups on that subject of how much "cooperation" is from Apple (i.e., none, as usual).

On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:34:29 -0000 (UTC), Chris wrote:

Maybe Google has taken the first step toward cross platform
interoperability and put the ball in Apple's court. Didn't something
like that happen with RCS?

Apple almost never responds to direct requests from the media. Nothing to interpret here.

Given Apple products almost never work in the real world, I looked it up yesterday as to WHY Apple would ever allow any interoperability given
Apple's longstanding abhorrence of working in the real world.

We don't have any official word from Apple but we all know Apple gets on standards committees expressly to stymie and prolong the process (until
laws are made to force Apple to interoperate such as recent EU/UK laws).

Searching yesterday, I could find no formal Google:Apple agreements to
share the API, so, as noted, Apple can break it tomorrow if they want to.



Recent examples are USB-C on all mobile devices, RCS, App Store, etc.,
where only a fool would claim Apple devices work in the real word (where
Apple essentially claims that Linux doesn't exist and it won't work with a
PC by USB cable because that works too damn well with everything else).

We can also note here that Apple has been caught lying in court where Apple execs *love* to sow FUD purposefully among its users. In this case, the
Apple user has to be in enable 'Everyone for 10 minutes' mode. That's sure
to scare the pants off the typical Apple owner who is afraid of everything
and wants Apple to protect them from the evil outside world of interoperabililty.

Unlike native AirDrop, this cross-platform link has restrictions in discoverability, rollout scope, and ecosystem integration.
<https://blog.google/products/android/quick-share-airdrop/>

On Apple devices, AirDrop works instantly with 'Contacts Only' or
'Everyone' modes, where no temporary toggle is needed. Also Apple's AirDrop
on Apple devices is always two-way, with no special modes required beyond standard AirDrop settings. By way of contrast, Apple devices can only send files back to Pixel 10 if Quick Share is set to 'Receive' mode. So Apple
makes it "appear" that working with the real world is complicated for its simplistic scared-sheep user base.
<https://hypebeast.com/2025/11/android-quick-share-connects-pixel-10-directly-to-airdrop>

As to why Apple would work even this badly in the real world, apparently
the EU's Digital Markets Act pressured Apple to work in the real world,
however crappily this new interoperability is.
<https://techstory.in/googles-airdrop-support-for-pixel-10-likely-driven-by-eus-apple-decision/>
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