One of the worst parts of the Android/iPhone divide is the difficulty in sharing files. While Apple has recently started opening up its ecosystem, for example, allowing seamless texting from an iPhone to an Android device using RCS messaging, the lack of support for sending images, PDFs or other items from one ecosystem to the other remains after all these years.
Instead, users have had to rely on third-party services like cloud storage or encrypted messaging apps, or even physical storage methods like USB pen drives and external hard drives to transfer data from one device to another.
How to send files from Pixel 10 to iPhone using Quick Share
With Google adding support for AirDrop, you can now send files between a Pixel 10 and an iPhone. Setting it up and getting started is relatively easy.
First, let's see how you can send files from a Pixel 10 phone to an iPhone using Quick Share.
1. Update the Quick Share Extension
Google announced support for AirDrop coming to Quick Share in November 2025. However, since the feature is fairly new and might not have reached your device yet, even with the Android 16 QPR2 update, you may need to install an update for Quick Share manually.
The support for AirDrop compatibility comes through an update to the Quick Share Extension. To install it on your device, go to the Quick Share Extension page on the Play Store app (search for it or use the link) and tap Update.
2. Reboot your device
Once you've updated the Quick Share Extension, you'll need to reboot your Pixel 10. Simply press the Volume Up and Side button together and then tap Restart from the options that then appear.
3. Select files to share
After updating Quick Share on your Pixel 10, you can now proceed to share files from your Pixel 10 to an iPhone.
Open the app from which you want to share files, photos, or videos. For example, to share an image or clip you took on the Pixel, open Google Photos.
Then select the photo(s) or video(s) you want to share.
4. Tap Share
Next, tap the share button in the app. In Google Photos, you'll find the share button in the top menu.
5. Select Quick Share
In the share sheet that appears, select Quick Share.
If you're using Quick Share for the first time, make sure your Pixel 10 is set to visible to all devices.
6. Make the iPhone visible to everyone on AirDrop
On the iPhone, check that you have enabled AirDrop by going to Control Center. Tap and hold the AirDrop tile and select Everyone for 10 minutes.
Pixel-to-iPhone sharing only works if both the Pixel and iPhone are set to be visible to everyone nearby, since Contacts-only mode isn't supported yet.
7. Select your iPhone on the Pixel
On your Pixel 10, your iPhone should appear just like any other Android device in the Send to nearby devices section.
Tap on the iPhone's name, and you'll see the standard AirDrop prompt on the iPhone asking to accept incoming files.
Tap Accept on the iPhone to start the transfer.
How to receive files from an iPhone on your Pixel 10 using AirDrop
If you want to send files from an iPhone to your Google Pixel, that's possible as well. Here are the steps for this.
1. Update the Quick Share Extension
Before you can AirDrop photos and videos from your iPhone to a Pixel 10, you'll need to update Quick Share on the Pixel 10.
If you havent done this, you can install the necessary update for Quick Share Extension on your Pixel 10 through the Google Play Store listing.
2. Select files on your iPhone
Open the app that contains the file you want to share from your iPhone to the Pixel 10.
If you want to share photos or videos, open the Photos app on your iPhone and select the photos, videos, or files.
3. Tap the Share button
Once you've selected the files you want to send, tap the Share button on your iPhone.
4. Select AirDrop from the share sheet
In the share sheet that appears, select AirDrop.
5. Make sure the Pixel 10 is visible to all nearby devices
On your Pixel 10, you'll need to make your device visible to all since this feature doesn't support contacts-only sharing for now.
Open the Quick Settings panel by swiping down on the home screen, tap and hold the Quick Share tile, then tap Who can share with you and select Everyone for 10 minutes.
6. Select the Pixel 10 device on iPhone
Now your Pixel 10 should show up under Other Devices on your iPhone.
7. Accept the file on Pixel 10
Once you tap the Pixel 10 device on your iPhone, the Quick Share sheet to accept the transfer will pop up automatically.
Tap Accept, and the file will begin transferring.
8. Open the file on Pixel 10
To open the file, open the Photos app on your Pixel 10. Then tap Collections from the bottom navigation bar and select the Quick Share folder where the file will appear.
And that's it. This is how you can easily transfer photos and videos between an iPhone and a Pixel 10 device using Quick Share's AirDrop feature.
It's worth noting that this feature works only on Pixel 10 devices right now and not on any other Android phones, including Google's own Pixel 9 series phones. There's no word yet on whether it's coming to older models, but we're hoping for it.
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