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ZDNET Highlights
- Samsung is introducing AirDrop capability for older phone models.
- This can be tested through OneUI 8.5 beta, which is now available for free.
- It will be officially launched later, possibly this summer.
After Samsung announced in March that the Galaxy S26 series phones would be gaining Instant Share capabilities for Apple devices – effectively giving you AirDrop access to iPhones, Macs, and iPads – the company has confirmed that more devices will be gaining support with the latest OneUI beta.
This is a big thing because earlier the options for sharing data between iOS and Android were not good. You can text a file, email it, or, if you’re me, use the Google Photos link, which worked pretty well with my mom, except it doesn’t really.
Also: How to AirDrop from Android to iPhone
It’s not all as easy as AirDrop. This requires setting the recipient phone to “Everyone for 10 minutes”, and then it works most of the time. It would be best if we could all wave our phones at each other and transfer data like you can from iPhone to iPhone, but we’ll take what we can get.
Until now, this capability was limited to Google Pixel phones and the latest Samsung flagships, but this latest announcement extends it to older models like the Galaxy S24 series.
Supported models
Galaxy S24 series from 2024.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Samsung has shared the list of devices compatible with the new Quick Share feature:
- Galaxy S25
- Galaxy S25 Plus
- Galaxy S25 Ultra
- galaxy z fold 7
- galaxy z flip 7
- Galaxy S24
- Galaxy S24 Plus
- Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold 6
- galaxy z flip 6
Notably, the Galaxy S25 FE and S24 FE are not on the list, nor is the older Galaxy S23 series. Still, it’s good to see Samsung bringing a useful software feature to its foldable models.
How to enroll in OneUI 8.5 beta
To get early access to features like advanced Quick Share, you’ll need to enroll in Samsung’s OneUI 8.5 beta.
Like any beta version of software, you should download it with the understanding that it has performance and functionality risks, such as occasional app crashes, stuttering and, in the worst case, data loss. Therefore, it is always best to backup your phone before downloading any in-development software.
Also: How to Share Your Location on Android: 5 Quick and Easy Ways
To enroll, go to the Samsung Members app, scroll down to the Beta Program section, tap Join and follow the steps to proceed. Ideally, your phone should have at least 50% battery, as the download and update process may require a substantial amount of power.
Democratization of file sharing
This is a huge deal for the industry, because beyond Apple, Samsung holds a large share of the smartphone market in the US and abroad. Therefore, bringing AirDrop compatibility through Quick Share is a great way to increase adoption and awareness of the utility.
Of course, the rollout will be limited to those who have the S26 series initially, so it’s not as exciting, but Samsung compatibility will fuel this movement.
Plus, this is great news for people who use MacBooks with Galaxy smartphones, which isn’t as small an audience as you might think. The current file transfer method from Android to MacBook uses an app called “Android File Transfer”, which is not a good app. “Bizarre” would be a good way to describe his behavior. This is why I usually rely on Google Photos or Google Drive to transfer files between devices.
Also: I tested Gemini on Android Auto and now I can’t stop talking to it: 5 functions that are inherent in it
In related news, Oppo recently announced that it will unlock the same capability. Meanwhile, Honor demonstrated its ability to transfer files between Honor phones and Apple devices. This was one of the ways Apple wowed MWC without showing off. There is clearly a demand for this to happen. It turns out that Google launching it for Pixels was just a preparatory act.
great first step
Once it spreads to all Android phones, it will enable easy file sharing between devices regardless of platform. Adding this capability to a massive ecosystem like Galaxy will help those seeds take root among the smartphone-toting population, bringing us one step closer to being platform agnostic — at least from a file-sharing standpoint.
Of course, it might be better if Google and Apple could work together to make the integration more seamless. So far, Apple has remained silent on this capability, although given that it has allowed it to exist for so long, perhaps it points to a more cooperative future.
