Google's Quick Share SDK will put file sharing inside Android and iOS apps

Quick Share, Android's answer to AirDrop, is about to escape the system menu. At Android Dev Summit 2026, Google announced a Quick Share SDK that lets developers build peer-to-peer file transfers straight into their apps, 9to5Google reports. The SDK is due in the first half of 2027.

What changes for users

Today, sharing a photo or document with Quick Share usually means opening the Android share sheet and then the full-screen Quick Share interface. With the SDK, an app can offer Quick Share itself. Google says tapping it will open a bottom sheet showing a preview of the files being sent, so you stay inside the app you were using.

Google is also building a Quick Share SDK for iOS. That means an iPhone app could offer the same feature — useful for apps that are used across both platforms, such as photo editors, messengers or file managers.

What Google promises

According to Google's pitch to developers:

• End-to-end encryption: transfers are encrypted between the two devices and travel over local connections.
• Speed: the SDK handles hotspot creation automatically and uses Wi‑Fi Direct on supported devices for low latency and high transfer speeds.
• No compression: photos and videos can be sent at full quality.
• Offline use: it works without a mobile network, which helps where data is expensive or patchy.
• No servers: developers don't need to run their own infrastructure to move files between users.

Google hasn't yet said which Android versions or iOS versions the SDK will support, or how pairing between an Android phone and an iPhone will look inside third-party apps. We'll update when the documentation is published.

Why it matters

Local, direct transfers avoid uploading large files to a cloud service and back, which is faster and keeps fewer copies of your data on other companies' servers. Because Quick Share uses Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth radios directly, transfers are usually quickest when both phones are close together; if you're curious why different radio bands behave so differently, see our new guide to 2.4GHz vs 5GHz Wi‑Fi. And if a new feature ever pushes you to install an unfamiliar companion app, our checklist on spotting fake apps on Google Play is worth a minute first.