SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 8, 2026, 03:43 (PST)
- Code in Google’s latest Android Canary build suggests Pixel 9 phones may gain Quick Share-to-AirDrop transfers.
- The groundwork does not yet show up for Pixel 9a or the Pixel 8 line, a report said.
- Google has said it plans to expand the feature beyond Pixel 10, but has not given a timetable.
Google is laying groundwork to bring AirDrop-style file sharing to the Pixel 9 lineup, after new Quick Share system files linked to iPhone transfers showed up in the latest Android Canary build, Android Authority reported on Thursday. The outlet said the feature could reach users in a later Android update, potentially in a quarterly Android 16 release (a periodic platform update between major versions) or Android 17. Android Authority
The move matters because file sharing remains one of the stickier frictions between iPhone and Android users, especially in mixed-device homes and offices. Google said in November it had made Quick Share work with Apple’s AirDrop, starting with the Pixel 10 family, and it said it would expand the capability to more Android devices. Blog
The Pixel 9 clue surfaced inside Android Canary 2601, a test build that also points to a wider clean-up of everyday software, including a revamped Settings layout and a new toggle for Circle to Search — Google’s feature that lets users search what’s on screen by circling it — FindArticles reported. FindArticles
Google’s Canary channel is aimed at developers who want the newest Android builds and early access to changes that could affect apps, the company says. It warns users to expect issues and breaking changes, and says these builds are not a good choice for a primary device. Android Developers
PhoneArena, citing the Android Authority report, said the AirDrop-related Quick Share files were found for the Pixel 9 series but not in the Pixel 9a’s build. It said the same components were also absent from Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro firmware images that were checked. PhoneArena
Google has not announced when Pixel 9 owners would get the feature, but it has previously described the Pixel 10 rollout as the first step. “We’re bringing this new experience to Pixel 10 first before expanding to other devices,” Google spokesperson Alex Moriconi told The Verge last year. The Verge
On Pixel 10 devices, Google’s support documentation says users can send to an iPhone, iPad or Mac by selecting Quick Share and asking the Apple user to set AirDrop visibility to “Everyone for 10 minutes.” The same page notes Quick Share was previously known as Nearby Share and says Wi‑Fi may disconnect during cross-platform sharing before reconnecting after users leave the Quick Share screen. Google Help
Google has also tried to pre-empt security questions around the bridge to AirDrop. “Our goal is to provide an easy and secure file-sharing experience for our users,” a Google spokesperson told WIRED, while Dave Kleidermacher, the company’s vice president for platforms security and privacy, wrote that “overlapping protections on both platforms work in concert” to keep data safe; Google said it used security firm NetSPI to validate the feature. WIRED
But code appearing in a Canary build is not a product launch, and features can ship late, change scope, or get pulled if they prove unstable. Android Authority said Canary releases are early previews and typically carry bugs and unfinished parts. Android Authority
The push to make iPhones and Android phones play nicer has also been nudged by regulators, with EU antitrust officials ordering Apple in 2025 to open up parts of its ecosystem to rivals under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. For Google, pushing AirDrop interoperability beyond the Pixel 10 line would widen the addressable base — if it makes it from test builds into mainstream software. Reuters
