Sharing between Android and iPhones is easier than ever

The past few months have been good for Android-to-iPhone sharing: Late last year, Google figured out how to make AirDrop work with the Pixel 10, and since then, the functionality has spread to many other Android handsets. Many more models will gain similar capabilities in the coming months. Apple hasn’t put a lot of time into iPhone-to-Android sharing, but we can’t have everything. At least there is now support for end-to-end encryption over RCS, introduced with the iOS 26.5 update.

There’s another good news for those who want to share from Android to iOS, and who can’t get the AirDrop feature (or don’t have it yet): Google is introducing an improved sharing method that works using QR codes. In just a few taps, you can send files, links, contacts and more. The update was announced as part of the Android Show: I/O Edition that Google presented last week, and it looks like hang out Now for all Android handsets. If you haven’t seen it yet, it should appear soon.

How to Share from Android to iPhone with QR Code

This updated functionality is appearing as part of the Quick Share option on Android. Whenever you tap the Share button anywhere on Android or in your installed apps, you’ll get a share sheet filled with contacts and apps, and share soon There should be: Tap it to find the new feature. The idea behind Quick Share is that you can transfer anything quickly, without relying on third-party apps. If your Android phone is updated to support AirDrop, and there’s an iPhone nearby ready to receive via AirDrop, you’ll see this Apple device as an option to share.

If not, you can use the alternative that Google is releasing now. If your phone has the update, you’ll see a message saying you can “Share with iPhone and other devices” via QR code. then you will see a Use QR Code The option on the right, which quickly shrinks to just a QR code thumbnail: Tap it to share via QR code.

Like the more direct AirDrop method, the iPhone needs to be in receiving mode. From iOS Settings, tap General > AirDrop > Everyone for 10 minutes. Once this is done, the QR code can be scanned with the iPhone camera app on the Android device, which will lead to a custom URL on the QuickShare.Google portal.

Google says The files you’re transferring will remain in the cloud for 24 hours, with a limit of 10GB of data within that time frame. You can share up to 1,000 files across up to 20 iPhone, iPad, or macOS devices in one session. This way any files you share are protected by end-to-end encryption, and don’t count against your Google Drive quota.

Use the QR Code option if you don’t have AirDrop yet.
Credit: Google

Where available, sharing via AirDrop is the better option – but it’s not bad for older handsets, which won’t get AirDrop support. You can also use apps like WhatsApp to send data between Android and iOS devices, but keep in mind that many of these apps compress your files.

For Android-to-Android devices, a direct Quick Share connection should be available on most modern handsets, assuming the receiving device is discoverable (you can set this up via the Quick Share icon in Quick Settings). If it doesn’t appear immediately (it may be because you’re running an older version of Android), the QR code option is available as a fallback, which should establish a direct connection over WiFi and Bluetooth.