"The caveat is that the iPhone user will need to switch AirDrop into the "Everyone for 10 Minutes" mode instead of "Contacts Only" mode. Google says this isn't some kind of workaround solution. It's a direct, peer-to-peer connection; your data isn't routed through a server, shared content isn't logged, and no extra data is shared. Naturally, iPhone owners will be able to send data back to Pixel 10 phones as well."
"Google has not worked with Apple on this cross-compatibility, as the company says it "welcomes the opportunity" to work with Apple so that this sharing function can work in the Contacts Only mode. "We accomplished this through our own implementation," a Google spokesperson tells WIRED. "Our goal is to provide an easy and secure file-sharing experience for our users, regardless of who they are communicating with.""
"In a security blog post, Google says the underlying strategy for what makes this new synergy between Quick Share and AirDrop work is the memory-safe Rust programming language. "These overlapping protections on both platforms work in concert with the secure connection to provide comprehensive safety for your data when you share or receive," writes Dave Kleidermacher, vice president of Google's platforms security and privacy."
"Google tapped NetSPI, a third-party and independent penetration testing firm, to validate the security of the new sharing feature. The findings? The interoperability is "notably stronger" than other industry implementations. That's pretty important, considering what happened the last time someone tried to improve cross-compatibility between iOS and Android without Apple: the startup Beeper tried to make texts from Android phones show up as blue bubbles on iPhones and caused all kinds of drama."
Pixel 10 phones support cross-platform file sharing with iPhones using Google's Quick Share interoperating with Apple's AirDrop. iPhone users must set AirDrop to "Everyone for 10 Minutes" rather than "Contacts Only" to use the feature. The connection is peer-to-peer; data does not route through servers, shared content is not logged, and no extra data is exchanged. Google implemented the capability independently and welcomes collaboration with Apple to enable Contacts Only compatibility. Google cites Rust memory-safety and independent NetSPI penetration testing as security measures and reports interoperability as notably stronger than other implementations. Feature availability is limited to Pixel 10 phones.
Read at WIRED
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