Nothing to add AirDrop-compatible sharing to its phones

So far, Nothing is moving to make AirDrop-compatible sharing a feature for its smartphones, in what seems to be an uncommon case of at least part of the long-stagnant wall between sharing files with Android and iPhone users falling down. Nothing CEO Carl Pei recently told X that the company will support a similar cross-platform offering soon, after Google’s Pixel 10 lineup became capable of aiming for AirDrop recipients by way of a recent update to Quick Share.

But assuming the rollout sticks, owners of Nothing Phone devices may soon be able to beam photos and files into their neighbors’ iPhones and Macs when AirDrop is set to “Everyone for 10 minutes.” It’s a small toggle, but a significant turnabout: for years AirDrop lived snugly in Apple’s ecosystem and Android’s sharing tools cooked up links only with Android, ChromeOS, and Windows.

What Nothing is preparing for AirDrop-style Quick Share

Pei’s public statement matters so much because it is the first direct sign that a major third-party Android OEM besides Google is actually gearing up to implement Quick Share’s new AirDrop interoperability. In reality, it would probably come in the form of software support, potentially an update to Nothing OS running above a refreshed Google Play Services package that insulates Quick Share.

Nothing hasn’t specified timing or device eligibility, but the Nothing Phone (2) and Phone (2a) are the most likely initial candidates because they continue to have an upcoming update cadence. Nothing has a history of chasing cross-ecosystem convenience — recall its (short-lived) iMessage experiment in the form of Nothing Chats — and AirDrop-compatible Quick Share fits with that trajectory, minus the security baggage that brought down earlier attempts.

How Quick Share now communicates with Apple’s AirDrop

Google’s update makes it possible for Pixels to detect the presence of Apple devices nearby if those iPhones or Macs are broadcasting themselves as available under AirDrop’s discoverability setting. On Android, Quick Share manages discovery by searching with Bluetooth Low Energy to discover devices and then ramps up transfers over high-speed Wi-Fi, usually Wi-Fi Direct or Wi-Fi Aware. AirDrop on iOS and OS X (Yosemite) uses a two-step handshake too.

The catch is discoverability. In order for transfers to function, recipients on the Apple side will need to have “Everyone for 10 minutes” activated. That does add a bit of welcome friction, and it hands Apple levers to pull when tailoring the experience; it’s also an eventual step toward practical cross-platform sharing that doesn’t require cloud uploads or messaging app compression or QR code loops.

Why This Is Problematic For Android OEMs

Android reigns supreme on a global scale — StatCounter places Android in control of about 70% of active smartphones, with iOS hovering around 29% — but millions of homes, schools, and workplaces live in the sweet nectar that is mixed-platform environments. We have also needed a fast, onboard way to pass files back and forth between Android and Apple devices without storing them in the cloud for over a decade.

And if Nothing does so, implementing AirDrop-compatible Quick Share will immediately raise expectations for something similar from Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and more. Samsung already co-owns the Quick Share branding (with Google) and has a strong Windows integration — expand that to AirDrop recipients as well, and its Galaxy might be the primary beneficiary. OEM adoption could transform this from a relatively obscure Pixel perk into an ecosystem standard within a single update cycle.

Security and UX considerations for cross-platform sharing

Both Quick Share and AirDrop use encrypted, device-to-device transfers and proximity-based discovery in order to minimize exposure. Apple has an “Everyone for 10 minutes” limit designed to stop unsolicited spam (they learned the lesson of high-profile AirDrop being spammed) and the window that tells those who are sending unwanted stuff, “I can no longer reach you.” For Android, Quick Share also has contact-based controls and PIN pairing for more secure sharing.

The user path still requires some polishing. It’s not as easy as one would like to tell a person with an iPhone all about opening settings and getting ready before the file comes, and who knows if Apple will ever brighten up and make it possible for non-Apple devices to always be discoverable, while passive. Still, for rapid back-and-forths at work, in classrooms, and between friends, the decrease in friction compared with email or chat attachments is significant.

Regulatory and industry backdrop shaping interoperability

In Europe, regulatory pressure is also nudging platform gatekeepers toward more openness, with the Digital Markets Act encouraging companies to reduce lock-in and enhance interoperability. Apple hasn’t announced any specific new cross-platform local sharing standard, but the timing of broader connectivity improvements and discoverability changes indicated a more bridge-friendly environment.

Analysts from firms such as CCS Insight and IDC have long contended that real interoperability breeds satisfaction and lowers churn. At the end of the day, cross-platform sharing can be a very quiet feature that tips an upgrade decision in one device’s favor — especially in a house where family members switch between platforms, or businesses start to adopt BYOD policies.

What to watch next as AirDrop-Quick Share interop expands

Watch Nothing’s software roadmap, Google’s Play Services release notes for Quick Share, and whether Samsung ever publicly commits to the same. Another tell is Windows: Google’s Quick Share app for Windows already supports Android-to-PC transfers; if AirDrop interop blossoms, momentum toward easier Android-to-macOS workflows should pick up too.

For now, Google showed that the bridge does work on Pixel 10. If Nothing delivers, that could elevate cross-ecosystem sharing from a niche demo to an everyday Android feature — at long last making it possible for users to share without giving a hoot which logo happens to be on the back of whichever phone they’re interacting with.