Will Apple Kill Google's Surprise Android to iPhone AirDrop Interoperability?

[komadani]

There are few people here quoting arstechnica article.

I notice some developer claim that arstechnica article is likely fake news.

Airdrop is still AWDL based and Google highly probably reimplement ADWL but it’s not that surprising given that there are open source (& buggy) AWDL reimplementation floating around for years. https://github.com/seemoo-lab/opendrop

And EU doesn’t force Apple to switch AirDrop from AWDL to wifi aware tech, only require Apple to provide wifi aware api to 3rd party app. That’s 2 completely different things.

“whoever write that ars article probably doesn’t ever play around with ios26 wifi aware api or develop ios app” (the developer pretty much said this)

also Apple will NOT block it because a change to airdrop will also means breaking compatibility with old iPhone.

Also there are lots of reverse engineer from Chinese brand on Apple but Apple just doesn’t care, like oppo reverse engineer the airpods ANC switch on ios years ago and it’s still working.

Some more evidence from a Chinese forum:

“ www.netspi.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/google-feature-review-report.pdf
This is a Google security report mentioning the package name com.google.android.mosey

To support AirDrop, you need to download the extension package: com.google.android.mosey v1.0.815689706
www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/quick-share-extension/quick-share-extension-1-0-815689706-release/

Here are my reverse engineering results:
www.decompiler.com/jar/06ed11caa7a643708736e277284e5bcc/base.apk

Where:
www.decompiler.com/jar/06ed11caa7a643708736e277284e5bcc/base.apk/sources/defpackage/bgw.java
Disguised as User-Agent: AirDrop/1.0, BundleID: com.apple.finder

www.decompiler.com/jar/06ed11caa7a643708736e277284e5bcc/base.apk/sources/defpackage/bho.java
uses Bonjour "_airdrop._tcp"

www.decompiler.com/jar/06ed11caa7a643708736e277284e5bcc/base.apk/sources/defpackage/un.java
This is written in the AirDrop bplist format

These are all characteristics of AirDrop's proprietary protocol, clearly reverse-engineered AirDrop (rather than wifi aware that arstechnica mention) “

 

[robvalentine]

When airdrop is activated for everyone... those android users will just spam sending things to Apple users !

I get enough spam from iPhone users when I had it set to everyone... Anyone who thinks spammers/griefers are android only, and iOS is only saints need to give their head a shake.

 

[robvalentine]

Whilst I think this is a good thing, now I am (currently back on iPhone) me and my GF still WhatsApp each other images, so no massive gain for me (I still have my pixel 10 pro xl, much better usability imo, but hardware has a fe issues).

 

[jbreeden]

Isn’t AirDrop supposed to be fully encrypted? How is Google making something compatible with something that is supposed to be fully encrypted?

Assuming this is a good-faith question, here is a good-faith answer:

The algorithms of modern encryption are usually public and highly vetted in the open, but the specific keys that are used in any given encrypted transaction are private to that transaction.

Since Google, apparently, was able to determine the specific messaging format and encryption protocol used by AirDrop, the actual process of encrypting and sharing messages between devices can still be secure as long as it conforms to the standard. Furthermore, if Apple were to allow a device to send/receive data without conforming to their own AirDrop protocol and chosen encryption protocol, that would be a security hole on their end, not Google's.

 

[Ammmsss]

This interoperability is due to EU requirements. Apple won’t do anything about it.

The author from this article knows that very well, but since this site is only about clickbait they choose the wrote the article in this way.

 

[tennisproha]

TBH, it seems like this would lower security for both devices. Interoperability is when both companies work together. This is called a hack.

 

[jakey rolling]

TBH, it seems like this would lower security for both devices. Interoperability is when both companies work together. This is called a hack.

And now it is on Apple to turn it from a hack into a collaboration. If the security remains compromised from this "hack", it will only be because Apple refused to work with Google on it.

 

[PandaPunch]

When airdrop is activated for everyone... those android users will just spam sending things to Apple users !

haha, what? You're talking like someone who chooses Android phones are immature or harassers by their nature or something. This is just silly, take a step back. Why would Android users spam AirDrop when it's activated for everyone? Since it's been Apple devices only, the only time we've heard of stories of people having memes or inappropriate things sent to them has been other Apple users, should Apple users not have access to AirDrop unless it's only their own devices because of that? There's already protections in place, would opening this up to everyone mean those toggles disappear.

Ask yourself these things, unless you're pulling our legs with that one.

 

[germanbeer007]

Not now the market works. Apple found out many years ago after many botched product launches that people will not pay any amount just to get its tech. Nobody bought the OG HomePod because it was too expensive, nobody bought the Vision Pro for the same reason. And very few people bought iPhone air or AirPod max. Apple already is charging as much as it can, if they try to charge more they’ll just lose market shares, which they are already doing anyway.

Actually Apple's price elasticity is pretty high. Apple raised prices on the iPhone (including introducing higher end tiers) and still broke records. I recall they increased iPhone 12 by $100 and still sold relatively the same amount as iPhone 11.

Your examples are about low volume products which doesn't really support your side of the argument well.

 

[Astuces iOS]

Do you not think that iPhone users are already capable of spamming other iPhone users?

Oh yeah they can… The problem here is that we will get more spams !

 

[Abazigal]

You mean like they did when they invented USB, IRDA, Blutooth, WiFi, RS-232, SCSI, PCI, SATA, TCP/IP, Countless Graphics, Sound, and Video formats...

Your argument has been hogwash since AT&T used it in the 1960s. People smart enough to connect to the internet should be smarter than to fall for this "no incentive to make a standard" line.

Only adjacently related fun fact - in the USA, The ACH file format for sending electronic payments from accounting systems to banks is more or less a nationwide standard because there are thousands of banks that all need to support electronic deposits. Here in Canada, EFT (our version of ACH) is a lot more work to implement because we only have a handful of large banks, with each one implementing their own file format (with some banks implementing multiple incompatible formats).

I think there's a fundamental difference between a physical standard like usb, and a feature like airdrop which requires coordination between hardware and the OS. If it were that straightforward, wouldn't we have seen some sort of wireless transfer standard made standard between all windows laptops by now? Given the market share of windows, a case can even be made that they don't need to support Macs or iOS or even Android.

 

[Jetscreamer]

Is as good as dead. Apple loves to spite Google at every opportunity. But then the E.U. will step in and force Apple to reverse course.

 

[AppliedMicro]

Actually Apple's price elasticity is pretty high. Apple raised prices on the iPhone (including introducing higher end tiers) and still broke records. I recall they increased iPhone 12 by $100 and still sold relatively the same amount as iPhone 11.

…or in economic terms: price elasticity (of demand) is low.

 

[MacBH928]

There are many non-Apple devices with AirPlay

probably tvs and speakers that apple do not manufacture in the first place

 

[I7guy]

…or in economic terms: price elasticity (of demand) is low.

Or said another way in terms of customers, customers will pay the price. And this type of buying behavior is not limited to Apple know the world of consumer discretionary spending.

 

[Velli]

I'm a bit of a platform tart - on desktop I've bounced between Windows and Macs for decades, and tbh limitations like this one have me leaning back toweards Windows on my next rotation. I require an iPad for a lecturing side gig I do.
My phones have always been Android, except for a brief flirtation with Windows Phone (which was excellent and terrible at the same time).

i'm happy with Android, the muscle meory works well for me and I have a bit of money spent on apps that I don't really want to have to rebuy. No disrespect to iPhone owners - it's just what works for me.

Edit: one thing that does bug me about iOS and iPad OS is lack of access to the file system.

Thanks.

 

[Velli]

Wifi Aware support was introduced in iOS 26, that's correct. This only means, that third-party apps can use the technology to build solutions on top of the API. But I doubt that Apple's current AirDrop implementation is already based on that. The EU mandated that Apple and Google support interoperable file exchange by the end of next year based on Wifi Aware.

Again, I’m not the expert, but that is literally what the article says. And I trust Arstechnica over both myself and random dudes on the internet, on this particular topic.

 

[jakey rolling]

I think there's a fundamental difference between a physical standard like usb, and a feature like airdrop which requires coordination between hardware and the OS.

I'm curious why you would think that. Both of those things require coordination between hardware and the OS.

If it were that straightforward, wouldn't we have seen some sort of wireless transfer standard made standard between all windows laptops by now? Given the market share of windows, a case can even be made that they don't need to support Macs or iOS or even Android.

I never said anything was straightforward. I simply provided counterexamples to the idea that having various different products built by different vendors somehow meant that there was no incentive to create interoperability standards. In fact, your comment confirms what my last comment was implying: that the opposite is actually true.

Standards come from cooperation between builders of disparate products that identify a need for those products to interoperate. Technologies designed in silos and kept captive in walled gardens, on the other hand, stifle such innovation. Which is exactly why we have USB, and we don't have a standard for wireless transfers (yet).

 

[mcled53]

Who cares of AirDrop? whatsapp/imessage/mail/file sharing websites are enough. Used airdrop few times between my imac and macbook, until ive connected them via lan...

I care a lot. I use airdrop all the time. Using Whatsapp sucks big time.

 

[clg82]

No idea why so many are against it, this doesn't hurt iOS users in any way, it just allows you to easily share stuff. This is good for everyone.

Please please please stop with the common sense. They frown upon it here.

 

[chmania]

HyperOS, ColorOS, OxygenOS etc, etc aren't asking Apple permission, but already has that interoperability with an iPhone.

 

[I7guy]

No idea why so many are against it, this doesn't hurt iOS users in any way, it just allows you to easily share stuff. This is good for everyone.

If apple changes the protocol and this breaks its apples fault. That’s why so many are against it.

 

[Radeon85]

If apple changes the protocol and this breaks its apples fault. That’s why so many are against it.

Easy solution, maybe Apple should work with Google to make it work officially instead of playing the cat and mouse game, nice and easy good PR for Apple with no downsides for either company.

 

[I7guy]

Easy solution, maybe Apple should work with Google to make it work officially instead of playing the cat and mouse game, nice and easy good PR for Apple with no downsides for either company.

Why should Apple work with google when it invisibly doesn’t want to do so? And maybe google shouldn’t be building a house of cards that can literally be blown down.

It’s not about easy peasy and all of that, it’s about protecting your airports assets, imo.

 

[jakey rolling]

If apple changes the protocol and this breaks its apples fault.

Yes, that is true.

That’s why so many are against it.

This part really doesn't make much rational sense. I can understand why Apple would be against it in this case. But why would Apple's customers care if Apple breaks functionality that they rely on vs. some third party doing so? At least if it is Apple breaking it, there is a small chance that they can voice their displeasure to Apple and actually be heard.