Android's answer to AirDrop just got a big upgrade — here's what you need to know
Google's version of Quick Share no longer has to fear the Wi-Fi going down when trying to transfer files and images.
As reported by 9to5 Google, Google has started to roll out an update to Android devices that allows them to instantly switch to mobile data if the Wi-Fi dies during the transfer. This change, which was originally spotted in the February 2025 release notes, has been spotted on devices running the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1, as well as some devices running Android 15.
The option to use mobile data appears as a toggle in the Quick Share menu in the Settings app, and appears below the device name and who can share with you. Now, it is worth noting that this toggle is turned on by default, so turn it off if you want to keep your data roaming charges down.
For those that don't know, Quick Share allows you to effortlessly share files, images and videos with nearby people, all with the touch of a button. It's a bit like Google's answer to AirDrop, and all you have to do is select the Quick Share option from the Share window for your selected media to be transferred over.
Adding this option will help to bring the Google version of the Quick Share app closer to the one seen on Samsung devices.
For reference, while the two apps share a name, the Samsung version was designed to focus on communication between Samsung devices. Meanwhile, the Google version was designed to work across all Android devices, but Google has started to integrate more Samsung features into its version.
This isn't the only news regarding Android 16 that's been unveiled, as Google I/O gave us our first look at Google's updated design language, called Material 3 Expressive. This new addition aims to help refresh things across Android, including apps like Gmail or Google Photos.
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We also heard during the Android show that One UI 8 for Samsung phones would see a Summer release, while Android 16 could be here as soon as June.
There have been a lot of reveals thanks to Google I/O, and they can be hard to keep track off. If you want to know more then check out our full breakdown of the event and announcements.
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