Great news! Xiaomi phones will learn to share files via AirDrop, Google confirmed

Google decided last autumn to put an end to complicated file sharing between Android and iOS users. After making interoperability between Android’s Quick Share and Apple’s AirDrop available and its recent introduction on Samsung Galaxy series models and Oppo Find X9 Pro, the feature is finally coming to Xiaomi phones. This was confirmed during Tuesday’s Android Show: I/O Edition broadcast.

Xiaomi finally joins

Older Pixels, selected Galaxy phones, and competitors like Oppo Find X9 Pro gradually gained AirDrop support using Quick Share. However, the very popular Xiaomi brand phones surprisingly did not appear among the chosen ones, nor were there any reports about when they might receive support. Google has now confirmed the expansion of the feature to these Chinese smartphones and also stated that it will also come to models from other partners. In addition to those already mentioned, Honor, Vivo, and OnePlus are also on the list.

It is not yet clear which specific Xiaomi models will kick off the expansion. Logically, it should appear on the current flagships Xiaomi 17 and 17 Ultra, or on the upcoming Xiaomi 17T series, whose introduction is expected later this month. The question remains whether – and when – support will also reach older models or popular cheaper devices from the Redmi or POCO brands.

QR code as a backup and app integration

If your phone is not among the supported ones, Google hasn’t forgotten about you. Quick Share can now generate a QR code on any Android phone, which, when scanned from an iPhone or iPad, will initiate cloud sharing. While not as elegant as a direct peer-to-peer connection with AirDrop, at least it works on all devices without having to wait for a rollout.

Google also announced that Quick Share will eventually be available directly within some popular applications – specifically mentioning WhatsApp. For regular users, this means less switching between apps when sending photos or videos.

Will you use sharing between Xiaomi and iPhone once it arrives?

Source: PR/Google