{"id":426304,"date":"2026-05-13T22:23:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T22:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/426304\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T22:23:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T22:23:09","slug":"why-your-android-phone-might-not-get-airdrop-and-whats-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/426304\/","title":{"rendered":"Why your Android phone might not get AirDrop and what’s next"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Google announced yesterday<\/a> that its implementation of AirDrop support in Android\u2019s Quick Share will be coming to more Android phones, including a list of what devices are confirmed for support.<\/p>\n

Which Android phones are getting AirDrop next?<\/p>\n

The wall between Android and iPhone sharing has already fallen for a number of devices, such as the Pixel 10 series, Galaxy S26, and more.<\/p>\n

Google even confirmed this week that a couple of Android devices we didn\u2019t know were getting AirDrop support are already available \u2013 namely, the Pixel 8a and the Oppo Find N6.<\/p>\n

Next in line are the following:<\/p>\n

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Galaxy S25<\/p>\n

Galaxy S25+<\/p>\n

Galaxy S25 Ultra<\/p>\n

Galaxy S24<\/p>\n

Galaxy S24+ <\/p>\n

Galaxy S24 Ultra<\/p>\n

Galaxy Z TriFold<\/p>\n

Galaxy Z Fold 7<\/p>\n

Galaxy Z Flip 7<\/p>\n

Galaxy Z Fold 6<\/p>\n

Galaxy Z Flip 6<\/p>\n

Oppo Find X8<\/p>\n

Oppo Find X8 Pro<\/p>\n

OnePlus 15<\/p>\n

Honor Magic V6<\/p>\n

Honor Magic 8 Pro<\/p>\n

Notably, Google\u2019s language notes the Galaxy S25, S24, and Oppo Find X8 \u201cseries,\u201d meaning additional devices (i.e. Galaxy S25 FE, etc) could also be supported. The Oppo Find X8 Ultra seems unlikely, though, given the device was only sold in China. <\/p>\n

Google lists the Pixel 8a as compatible, but left out the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. It\u2019s very possible that this could boil down to Google just not having released the needed update yet, but if it were possible, it also stands to reason that the Pixel 8 series would have been in the \u201ccoming soon\u201d list. All three phones share similar hardware under the hood, so unless there\u2019s a difference in networking capabilities that falls in the Pixel 8a\u2019s favor \u2013 which, to be clear, is not likely \u2013 the rest of the Pixel 8 series is likely also in the works.<\/p>\n

Will my phone get AirDrop support?<\/p>\n

So, what about other devices?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s still pretty hard to say why Google hasn\u2019t just opened the floodgates and released AirDrop support for all Android phones \u2013 that\u2019s certainly what a lot of users are clamoring for. But it could simply boil down to hardware and which devices have the needed support.<\/p>\n

Max Weinbach, analyst for Creative Strategies<\/a> and occasional 9to5Google contributor<\/a>, noted on Twitter\/X<\/a> that supporting this feature requires a \u201cchipset level networking tweak,\u201d and that not all devices have support. Lower and mid-range devices are apparently \u201cespecially\u201d unlikely to get support, where even some older devices with a \u201cflagship\u201d chip will get support. <\/p>\n

The needed tweak enables support for \u201cApple Wireless Direct Link\u201d (ADWL), which is how <\/a>Google supports AirDrop over Quick Share. It\u2019s actually been possible for some time to have non-Apple devices work with AirDrop \u2013 one example being the open source project OpenDrop <\/a>\u2013 but Google found a way to make it work in Android. And, technically, it\u2019s also a bit more complicated than just making it work with AirDrop. As Max pointed out in a conversation with me, Google\u2019s implementation needs to leave the door open to both AirDrop and Quick Share at the same time, as your device will see all eligible devices at the same time. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s no clear spec to point towards on whether or not your specific Android device will be able to support AirDrop over Quick Share. Max notes that it comes down to a combination of the chipset and the wireless modem, but the exact requirements aren\u2019t very obvious at this time.<\/p>\n

More on Android:<\/p>\n

Follow Ben:\u00a0Twitter\/X<\/a>,\u00a0Threads<\/a>, Bluesky<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

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