Google Quietly Prepares Major iPhone Feature Boost For Pixel 9

ByPaul Monckton,

Senior Contributor.

Jan 15 Update below: Pixel 9 series AirDrop system files are now present in Android 16 QPR3 Beta2, bringing AirDrop capability one step closer. This article was originally published on Jan 13

Pixel 9 users look set to receive one of the Pixel 10’s most significant upgrades: AirDrop compatibility with iPhones.

Last year, Google surprised the industry by reverse-engineering Apple’s AirDrop protocol, enabling direct native wireless file transfers between Pixel 10 series devices and iPhones and Macs. By adding AirDrop compatibility to Android’s Quick Share feature, Google effectively broke into Apple’s proprietary “walled garden,” allowing AirDrop-compatible transfers on Android devices for the first time.