Out of nowhere, Google brought cross-platform AirDrop support to the Pixel 10 this week, allowing its new flagship lineup to securely send photos, files, and more to the iPhone. While it initially seemed like an unexpected move by Google to force Apple into another boundary-breaking decision, it may actually be part of the fallout that also led to the use of USB-C on the iPhone and the adoption of RCS.
See also: Google fixes vulnerability in Quick Share that causes DoS
If you're wondering how Google managed to pull this off, the answer may be simpler than you think. While this certainly brought back memories of Beeper's attempt to enable iMessage on Android two years ago, as well as Palm's attrition war over iTunes support in the early days of the Pre, it seems that this particular example was far less hostile to Apple than any of its predecessors, all thanks to some changes made by the EU.
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As Ars Technica, the answer to this week’s mysterious Quick Share update lies in the EU’s interoperability requirements designed for DMA. The European Commission’s decision prompted Apple to start supporting interoperable wireless standards starting with this year’s set of operating system updates, replacing the previous proprietary standard the company had been using to power its various Continuity features. This forced Apple to add support for the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Aware standard for multi-directional file sharing, at the cost of completely removing its previous closed protocol.
So while Apple wasn't officially involved in opening up AirDrop clients to Android, it's a bit unfair to portray the company as not participating at all. Thanks to actions Apple was required to take under the DMA in Europe, Pixel 10 users — and soon, Android users in general — now have essentially native AirPlay support via Quick Share without any sacrifice in security, as long as the hardware has the proper support for Wi-Fi Aware.
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However, just because this isn't the quiet solution some of us might have assumed Google was counting on doesn't mean you should expect Apple to join in on the fun anytime soon. As Ars Technica points out in its report, Europe is reconsidering its strict approach to tech companies, especially in response to the lack of AI-focused companies in the region — and Apple, for its part, still wants the DMA repealed. Try AirDrop while your phone still supports it, Pixel 10 owners.
