Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 owners are reporting a surprising new feature

Google may bring AirDrop over Quick Share to older Pixel phones after all.

A man holding a Pixel 7 and a Pixel 8 in his hand.
Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 | Image by PhoneArena
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Late last year, Google started allowing Pixel 10 phones to use Quick Share to share files with iPhones over AirDrop. The feature eventually expanded to other devices, like the Galaxy S25, OnePlus 15, and Motorola Razr Fold, but it never reached Pixels older than the Pixel 8a. Now, this appears to be changing.

Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 appear to get AirDrop over Quick Share support


Older Pixel phones are starting to get the ability to share files to AirDrop from Quick Share. Android Authority reports that users of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 7 Pro are seeing notifications that the feature is now available on their devices.

While users are reporting seeing such messages, it appears that the feature doesn’t actually work for some of them. This could be a signal that Google is preparing to launch the feature with a software update that hasn’t been released yet.

Since the company hasn’t officially announced older Pixel phones will support transfers between Quick Share and AirDrop, this could also be a mistake. However, Google usually releases new features gradually, so this may be the beginning of a phased rollout that’ll take some time to reach everyone.

The Pixel Tablet may also get the feature



In a similar vein, a Pixel Tablet user has also reported receiving a notification for the feature on their device. This would make the otherwise abandoned Google device the first Android tablet to support transfers to AirDrop.

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Google’s Quick Share with iPhone FAQ page doesn’t mention any of the phones nor the tablet in the list of supported devices. However, the fine print at the bottom of the page says the feature is available on “mobile devices and tablets.”

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AirDrop over Quick Share is supported by a growing list of devices, including the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S25, and Galaxy S26 series, the Oppo Find X9 series, and the vivo X300 Ultra. The feature is expected to launch on the Honor Magic 8 Pro, Oppo Find X8 series, and several other devices soon.

Unsurprisingly, owners of the 2023 Pixel 8 Pro were particularly mad about not getting the feature when it launched on the mid-range Pixel 8a. While some users on Reddit noted that they were never promised AirDrop support, others saw this as a great way for Google to alienate its users.



Better late than never


Considering it’s been almost a year since Google first launched AirDrop over Quick Share support, I’m very surprised the feature is expanding to these older devices. It would’ve been better if this had been announced a bit earlier, but it’s certainly better to have it now than not have it ever.
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