Google’s AirDrop-style Quick Share tool might finally be coming to some older Pixel phones that got skipped the first time around.
Android Authority reports that Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 owners are starting to see notifications telling them they can now send files to Apple devices through AirDrop. The same capability has turned up on the Pixel Tablet too, a device that never made it onto Google’s official list of supported hardware.
The bigger surprise here is the standard Pixel 8. Google had already brought AirDrop support down to the cheaper Pixel 8a, which meant the pricier Pixel 8 and the older Pixel 7 lineup were stuck on the sidelines waiting their turn.
How does AirDrop work on older Pixel devices?
Once the feature is fully turned on, it should work just like it does on the newer Android phones already supporting it. You open Quick Share, pick the file you want to send, and beam it straight to a nearby iPhone, iPad, or Mac, as long as the Apple device has AirDrop set to “Everyone for 10 Minutes.”
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It works the other way too. iPhone and Mac users can send files directly to Android phones that support this feature. Google rolled out this AirDrop compatibility for the first time on the Google Pixel 10 series back in November 2025, then slowly extended it to more phones from Samsung, OPPO, Vivo, Honor, and OnePlus.
AirDrop rollout on older Pixel may still be in progress
Google hasn’t officially confirmed that the Pixel 7, Pixel 8, and Pixel Tablet are now on the compatibility list. Some people who got the notification are also saying the file sharing still isn’t working for them, which points to a slow rollout or maybe another update that still needs to land before it actually functions.
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Older Android phones already have a workaround for sending files to iPhones, through Google’s Quick Share QR code method. It gets the job done, but direct AirDrop support is still the smoother experience. These sightings hint that Google might be ready to push that feature further down the Pixel lineup after all.
