Samsung has announced the addition of native AirDrop support to the Quick Share feature on the Galaxy S26 devices , marking a significant advancement in interoperability between Android and iOS devices. The new feature is rolling out starting in Korea and will gradually expand to other regions worldwide, including the US , Europe , Southeast Asia and Latin America .
The update will allow Galaxy S26 , S26 Plus , and S26 Ultra owners to share files with Apple devices over a fast wireless connection, eliminating the need for third-party apps or cloud services. With this move, Samsung becomes the second Android smartphone company to offer native AirDrop support , following Google which developed its own interoperability solution in 2025. This development reflects the industry’s shift towards greater interoperability between ecosystems.
AirDrop support on Galaxy devices is not enabled by default for security and privacy reasons. Users can enable the feature by going to Settings and selecting Connected devices > Quick Share > Share with Apple devices. A “switch” to enable AirDrop will then appear, along with information notifying the user that both Apple and Samsung devices must set their sharing settings to “Everyone” mode in order to transfer files between them.
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Historical Background and Evolution of Quick Share
Samsung 's Quick Share was introduced in 2020 with the Galaxy S20 series and One UI 2.1 , replacing the previous Link Sharing service, to simplify peer-to-peer file transfers over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct . The platform has gradually evolved, adding support for larger files and improved security. In January 2024 , Google merged Nearby Share into Quick Share , unifying it across Android , ChromeOS , and Windows via Google Play Services for broader compatibility and a better user experience.
AirDrop interoperability arose from the requirements of the EU 's Digital Markets Act , which requires major tech companies to open up their platforms. Google first enabled it in November 2025 , for Pixel 10 devices running iOS 26 compatible hardware, allowing encrypted sharing across platforms. Samsung 's implementation follows a similar architecture, leveraging the same security protocols.
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For optimal security, users are advised to enable the feature only when they need to share files and disable it after use. Additionally, it is important to ensure that both the Samsung and Apple devices have the latest security updates installed. The encryption used is compliant with AES-256 standards , ensuring that data remains protected during transfer.
Impact on the Market and Future Prospects
With AirDrop support, Samsung is making “sharing content between devices much easier,” while also strengthening its competitiveness against other Android manufacturers.
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This move significantly strengthens the competitiveness of Galaxy devices against the dominance of the iPhone, especially in households where devices from both ecosystems coexist.
It is expected to be rolled out to more Galaxy devices and regions by mid- 2026 . In the long term, Quick Share – AirDrop could standardize cross-platform sharing, a development that could push Apple to further open up its ecosystem, according to The Verge.
