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Android's Quick Share is receiving an important security update inspired by Apple's AirDrop

You now have one less receiving option in Quick Share.

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By Aman Kumar

Published: Feb 16, 2026, 10:43 AM

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Quick Share functionality on an Android phone. | Image by Google

Ever since its introduction, Quick Share has been one of the best options for sharing files between Android smartphones. Its functioning is similar to AirDrop, the feature you get on Apple devices, which enables wireless peer-to-peer file transfers between nearby devices. Google has now reportedly made a change to Quick Share that seems inspired by AirDrop.

It's actually good for security

If you've ever used the Quick Share feature, you must have noticed that you get four options for configuring who can share files with you. These are:

Your devices: It basically means that files can be shared between two Android devices that are signed in with the same Google account.
Contacts: All the contacts that are synced with your Google account can send files to you.
Everyone: Anyone within range of your smartphone can share files with you.
Everyone for 10 minutes: It is similar to the Everyone option, but it keeps the option enabled only for 10 minutes.

While all these options can prove helpful in different situations, the "Everyone" option also poses a security risk. If you have it selected, you might receive malicious files from someone nearby. The files would definitely not be received until you hit the accept button in the pop-up that appears, but malicious actors could trick you into hitting that accept button through social engineering.

To mitigate this from happening, Google has now removed the "Everyone" option from Quick Share. Interestingly, AirDrop never had the "Everyone" option. You get three receiving options in it: Receiving Off, Contacts Only, and Everyone for 10 minutes.

Which of these is most important to you when it comes to file sharing?

Quick Share is getting many useful updates lately

Quick Share receiving window in Pixel 10. | Image by PhoneArena

I used an iPhone for almost five years before switching to the Pixel 10 last year. In addition to the performance and camera, I've really liked its AirDrop feature, which allowed me to quickly share files with friends who also own an Apple device. Honestly, on any day I would still prefer AirDrop over Quick Share.

However, the Android sharing option is getting some noticeable upgrades recently that could definitely help it become even better than AirDrop sometime in the future. For instance, if you have a Pixel 10 or Pixel 9 series phone, you can now transfer files between Quick Share and AirDrop.

Google reportedly also has plans to expand this functionality to more Android devices in the future. Now, with the removal of the "Everyone" option, Quick Share has come even closer to AirDrop, prioritizing security more than ever before.

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Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.

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