Back in September 2025, we spotted<\/a> early signs of NFC-based file sharing in One UI 8.5. The feature showed up under an experimental Labs section with animations suggesting you could bring two devices close together to transfer files<\/a>. At the time, it looked like a Samsung-only experiment. But then things went quiet.<\/p>\n Now, in leaked builds of One UI 9<\/a>, we\u2019ve found a clearer version of the feature called \u201cTap to share.\u201d Its description is simple: \u201cJust hold the top of your phone close to the device, and the files will be sent.\u201d<\/p>\n We also found strings like:<\/p>\n Code<\/p>\n Copy TextRequesting to %1$s All these strongly suggest Samsung is actively developing a tap-based file transfer system that uses NFC. But that\u2019s not the whole story. It looks like Tap to share will not be a Samsung exclusive and is something Android phones may be able to enjoy widely.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t want to miss the best from Android Authority?<\/p>\n In November 2025, we discovered<\/a> a separate feature inside Google Play Services that allows two devices to exchange contact information by simply bringing them close together, similar to Apple\u2019s NameDrop.<\/p>\n Internally, this feature referenced something called \u201cGesture Exchange\u201d and seemed limited to contact sharing. But now, the Quick Share app in One UI 9 also references Gesture Exchange, suggesting that it\u2019s not just for contacts but can also be used to initiate file transfers.<\/p>\n AssembleDebug \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Gesture Exchange references in One UI 9<\/p>\n In other words, NFC may simply act as the trigger, while Quick Share handles the actual transfer.<\/p>\n And it goes even deeper\u2026<\/p>\n In Android 17<\/a> beta and Canary builds<\/a>, we\u2019ve been seeing references to a system-level service called \u201cTapToShare.\u201d This sits at the Android OS level, likely powered in part by Google Play Services. That means the feature may not be tied to one brand.<\/p>\n AssembleDebug \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n Tap to share references in Android 17<\/p>\n When you connect the dots, a clear picture starts to emerge.<\/p>\n It looks like Samsung and Google are building tap-based sharing into Quick Share. It\u2019s possible that both companies are working together on this, as they\u2019ve done in the past<\/a>. For you, it means Quick Share on Android could finally support an AirDrop-like tap-to-share experience that could work across multiple devices and brands.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll obviously have to wait and see when this arrives, but given that we\u2019re spotting clues in One UI 9, it would make sense for Google to announce it alongside the stable Android 17 release<\/a>. Who knows, Samsung devices might even be the first to get it. We\u2019ll keep a close eye on how things develop over the next few months.<\/p>\n \u26a0\ufe0f An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.<\/p>\n![\"Samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Samsung-One-UI-9-Tap-To-Share.jpg\"\/ "\\"Samsung")
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Sent to %1$s
Tap your phone with someone<\/p>\n![\"google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766572210_733_google_preferred_source_badge_light@2x.png\"\/ "\\"google"){kind=icon}
![\"google](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766572211_278_google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.png\"\/ "\\"google"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"One](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/One-UI-9-gesture-exchange.jpeg\"\/ "\\"One")
<\/p>\n![\"Tap](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Tap-to-share-Android-17.jpeg\"\/ "\\"Tap")
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