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Pixel 9 gets one of Apple's most iconic features

Android's Quick Share-AirDrop interoperability is now available on Pixel 9 phones.

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By Aman Kumar

Published: Feb 18, 2026, 5:50 AM

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Pixel 9 in lemongrass color. | Image by PhoneArena

If you own an Android smartphone, you would know how inconvenient it is to send files to an iPhone. You either need to look for a dedicated file-sharing app that is available for both Android and iOS or rely on applications like WhatsApp for sharing files. Google is fortunately addressing this pain point for its Pixel 9 series phones, as they will now be able to send files directly to an iPhone without requiring any workaround.

Quick Share in Pixel 9 is now compatible with Apple's AirDrop

In November last year, Google surprised everyone by announcing that Android Quick Share would now also support Apple's AirDrop. However, there was a big catch in this announcement. The cross-platform file-sharing feature was only compatible with the Pixel 10 lineup. There wasn't any mention of when or even if the feature would be rolled out to older Pixel models and other Android devices as well.

A ray of hope came when the system files required for Quick Share and AirDrop to work together were found in an Android Canary build available for the Pixel 9 series. Just over a month after this was discovered, Google officially confirmed that Quick Share on Pixel 9 series phones is now compatible with AirDrop. That means you can now transfer files from the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold to different Apple devices that support AirDrop, including iPhones, Macs, and iPads.

The Pixel 9a unfortunately isn't getting this upgrade yet. While there isn't a concrete reason from Google behind this move, Alex Moriconi, a communication manager at Google, reportedly said, "Looking forward to improving the experience and expanding it to more Android devices over time."

Eric Kay, who is the vice president of engineering for the Android platform, also reportedly stated that AirDrop interoperability isn't going to remain exclusive to Pixel phones. Instead, it will be rolled out to more Android devices in 2026. Both of these statements suggest that we could actually see it landing on the budget model of the Pixel 9 line soon, as well as on more Android phones.

Will you consider a Pixel over Samsung just because it has an extra ability to transfer files to an iPhone?

Sharing files to iPhone has never been this easy

Sending files from Pixel 10 to an iPhone. | Image by Google

Before Google made Quick Share compatible with AirDrop, I used to rely on cloud platforms like Google Drive to share files from my Pixel 10 to an iPhone. The whole process, however, was very time-consuming, as I had to first upload the files to my Google Drive account, share the link with the person with whom I wanted to share the file, and then that person would download the file on their Apple device.

Now, I can officially transfer files without relying on any other workaround. And in case you are wondering how Google actually managed to bring in a feature that has been exclusive to Apple since its inception, I would recommend that you read this article. (Hint: The European Union played a major role in the whole story.)

All that said, transferring files from your Pixel 9 to an iPhone or vice versa is quite straightforward. The only requirement is that the Apple device to which you are sharing the file must have its AirDrop visibility configured to "Everyone for 10 Minutes." The same needs to be selected in the Quick Share settings on Pixel when receiving a file from an iPhone.

Once you have taken care of this, you can transfer the file the regular way using Quick Share or AirDrop. For instance, if you are sharing files from your Pixel 9 to an iPhone, you need to open Quick Share, select the file, and then choose the iPhone whose name appears under the "Send to nearby devices" section. Next, tap the "Accept" button from the pop-up that appears on the iPhone to start receiving the file.

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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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