Samsung Galaxy Devices Expected to Receive AirDrop Support
A few months back, Google introduced AirDrop like compatibility to its Quick Share feature though the functionality was initially restricted to Pixel 10 devices. The company has now confirmed plans to roll out this capability to a wider range of Android smartphones and tablets. This upcoming expansion will include non Pixel phones as well with Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets likely to be among the first to benefit.
While visiting Pixel Labs, Eric Kay who serves as Vice President of Engineering for the Android platform confirmed to Android Authority that support for Quick Share’s AirDrop interoperability will reach many additional devices in 2026. Google invested considerable time and resources to ensure the feature functioned smoothly and reliably across iPads, iPhones and Macs. With that stability now well established, the company is moving ahead with plans to roll out the feature across the wider Android ecosystem.
Historically, Samsung’s Galaxy phones and tablets have been quick to adopt new features introduced by Google for the Android platform. In a similar scenario, support for Quick Share’s interoperability with AirDrop could debut on Galaxy devices before expanding to other Android manufacturers.
The South Korean company could roll out the feature as part of the One UI 8.5 update or include it in the One UI 9 release expected later this year. An announcement could also coincide with the upcoming Galaxy S26 series launch scheduled for later this month. However, until Samsung makes an official statement these details remain speculative.
Eric Kay said “Last year, we launched AirDrop interoperability. In 2026, we’re going to expand it to many more devices. We spent a lot of time and effort making sure we could build something compatible not only with iPhone but also with iPads and MacBooks. Now that we’ve proven it works, we’re partnering with others to expand it across the rest of the ecosystem and you should see some exciting announcements very soon.”
He also noted that Google is putting significant effort into simplifying the process for users who want to move from iPhones and iPads to Android devices. These efforts build on earlier collaborations between Apple and Google aimed at making device switching between their platforms less complicated. Despite this, Apple is not involved in developing Quick Share’s compatibility with AirDrop and there are concerns about whether Apple might choose to restrict or block the feature in the future.
