Will Apple retaliate by blocking Google’s workaround for AirDrop on the Pixel 10 series?

Google is seemingly tearing down the walled garden again, this time making the Pixel 10 series play nice with AirDrop protocols. It is a bold move that puts Apple in a tough spot and potentially solves a massive headache for cross-platform users.

Well, that may no longer be an issue, as Google dropped a bombshell announcement this week confirming that their new flagship can natively trade files with Apple devices via AirDrop. And no, this isn’t some hacky third-party app. This is baked right into Android’s existing Quick Share feature.

The setup is surprisingly simple but comes with one catch. Because Google doesn’t have access to Apple’s private handshake keys, you have to set your iPhone or Mac to “Everyone for 10 minutes” mode for the Pixel 10 to see it.Google’s statement on the matter was equal parts helpful and cheeky, basically meaning “We built it. Your move, Apple.”

Why does this matter? Because for the last decade, AirDrop and iMessage have has been the invisible glue holding the Apple ecosystem together. It’s the reason creative teams buy Macs and why families shame the “green bubble” relative. By reverse-engineering this protocol, Google hasn’t just added a feature; they’ve drained the moat.Apple is now in a serious bind. Mark Gurman over at Bloomberg noted that Apple would want to “kill this ASAP,” but in a post-DMA (Digital Markets Act) world, that is a dangerous game. If Apple releases an iOS update tomorrow that specifically breaks this compatibility, they’d be practically begging for an antitrust investigation.

Regulators are already watching big tech like hawks. Blocking a feature that objectively makes life better for consumers—allowing a Pixel user to send a full-resolution photo to an iPad—would be tough to defend in court.

There is also the technical reality. Experts are pointing out that because Google mimicked the standard AirDrop protocol so well, Apple might not be able to block the Pixel 10 without also breaking AirDrop for older iPhones that no longer receive updates. It’s a classic “checkmate” scenario.

I have to say, I am absolutely loving this. As someone who uses a MacBook for work and an iPad for creative tasks, but carries both a Pixel and an iPhone in my bag (with my main SIM in my Pixel), my digital life has been a fragmented mess for years. I’ve spent much too long dealing with cloud upload wait times, and convoluted third party solutions just to move a screenshot from my phone to my laptop.

Google has also been smart to keep this a Pixel 10 series exclusive. While I am not sure if there’s a legit technical reason for doing so, I am definitely tempted now to upgrade my Pixel 9a to a Pixel 10 just so I can have this functionality. Though Google did say in their announcement that they’re hoping to bring this to more Android devices, they are over here giving me FOMO.

It’s not perfect, though. Having to toggle that “Everyone for 10 minutes” setting every time is a slight friction point compared to the seamless “Contacts Only” experience Apple users enjoy. But honestly? It’s a small price to pay.

My only worry is that this feels like the start of an “exclusive features” war. I wouldn’t put it past Apple to try and change the locks on the doors in the next version of iOS just to spite Google. But for right now, the walls are down. If you’ve been holding off on a Pixel because you “can’t leave the ecosystem,” Google just gave you your exit ticket.