These Samsung Galaxy phones are set to add AirDrop – you probably can’t sideload it early, though [Gallery]
Source: 9to5Google
Cross‑compatibility with Apple AirDrop
Following Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series, more Galaxy phones are set to add cross‑compatibility with Apple’s AirDrop. Google first made Quick Share compatible with AirDrop on the Pixel 10 series, later rolled it out to Pixel 9, and last week debuted it on the Galaxy S26 series. Samsung has indicated it intends to roll this out more widely, and recent findings suggest it could happen soon.
The team at GalaxyClub discovered that sideloading specific app updates enables a “Sharing with Apple devices” menu on several older Samsung Galaxy devices. The required versions are:
Quick Share v13.8.51.58Quick Share Agent v3.5.22.24Quick Share Connectivity v1.5.13.15
Running the latest updates via the Galaxy Store on a Galaxy S25 Ultra (One UI 8.5 beta) adds the “Sharing with Apple devices” menu, just like the Galaxy S26 series.
We also got this working on a Galaxy Z Fold 7 by sideloading the Quick Share extension v1.0.874307641. (Sideload at your own risk and only from trusted sources.)
Supported devices
According to GalaxyClub, the “Sharing with Apple devices” menu appears on:
- Galaxy S25 series
- Galaxy S24 series
- Galaxy S23 series
- Galaxy S22 series
- Galaxy Z Fold 7
- Galaxy A56
- Galaxy A36
- Galaxy A55
Other older Galaxy A‑series devices did not show the menu after updating, but future support isn’t ruled out. Samsung clearly plans to roll this functionality out broadly.
Current functionality and limitations
At present, AirDrop does not work on the devices where the menu appears. In our tests, the “Sharing with Apple devices” menu was present on a Galaxy S25 Ultra and a Galaxy Z Fold 7, but neither device was visible to an iPhone 15 Pro or a MacBook Air, nor did the Apple devices appear for the Samsung phones. By contrast, a Pixel 10 and a Galaxy S26 Ultra nearby could both be discovered by the Apple devices.
Leaker Tarun Vats claims some users have gotten AirDrop working on the One UI 8.5 beta, but we haven’t found public reports confirming this. Numerous replies to Vats acknowledge the new menu’s appearance but note that AirDrop still doesn’t function.
If you’ve managed to get it working, feel free to share your experience in the comments.