Google Quick Share
Ranked 2 of 3 file sharing apps by recommenders
Free file sharing built into Android that people use to send files between Android phones, and it now interoperates with AirDrop. Critics say it often fails and requires a Google account.
Free file sharing built into Android that people use to send files between Android phones, and it now interoperates with AirDrop. Critics say it often fails and requires a Google account.
29 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 11
- criticize it
- 18
- approval share
- 38%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 11 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 0.6 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Works between Android phones
“I've been using Quick Share to send files between different makes of Android phone for ages.”
Comment from 21 Nov 2025 in “Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10” “I think nowadays on Android it's called QuickShare, and it works.”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop” “wireless exchange with QuickShare also works on most devices”
Comment from 12 May 2026 in “Googlebook: Designed for Gemini Intelligence – Coming Fall 2026 – Googlebook” - Comment from 17 Feb 2026 in “GrapheneOS – Break Free from Google and Apple”
Built into Android natively
“I think nowadays on Android it's called QuickShare, and it works.”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop” “Yes, natively. Thanks Google”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Requires a Google account
“the weird account requirements on Google's Nearby Share can be avoided by independent implementations”
Comment from 26 Nov 2025 in “The EU made Apple adopt new Wi-Fi standards, and now Android can support AirDrop” “I don't like how android's local share system seems to need to be tied to a google account to work”
Comment from 21 Nov 2025 in “Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10” “Unfortunately yes, and I am signed into my Google account for it.”
Comment from 17 Feb 2026 in “GrapheneOS – Break Free from Google and Apple” - Comment from 26 Nov 2025 in “The EU made Apple adopt new Wi-Fi standards, and now Android can support AirDrop”
Fails for many users
“It works maybe 80% to 90% of the time but it's still not enough for me to use it with confidence.”
Comment from 7 May 2026 in “I switched from Mac to a Lenovo Chromebook, and you can too” “Android QuickShare never worked for me”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop” “QuickShare is a non-solution for me.”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop” - Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop”
Drops existing Wi-Fi connection
“When Quickshare drops your Wi-Fi connection, its not Direct anymore, that's just soft AP from an error”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop” “drops your existing WiFi connection on older devices”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop” Limited to some Android devices
“is it just the proprietary quickshare that no other rom or even os can implement”
Comment from 20 Nov 2025 in “Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10” “For a very limited subset of Android devices”
Comment from 29 Jun 2026 in “GitHub – librepods-org/librepods: AirPods liberated from Apple's ecosystem”
Other file sharing apps people recommend
The two most recommended other file sharing apps, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
See all 3 file sharing apps, rankedWhat people said
28 of the 30 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“someone at google realised their quick share feature prevented them from getting your data and subscription money”
“They built it in rust and embedded it in Google Play services. Booo.”
“For a very limited subset of Android devices”
“This was solved a little while ago.”
“wireless exchange with QuickShare also works on most devices”
“It works maybe 80% to 90% of the time but it's still not enough for me to use it with confidence.”
“Wi-Fi LAN only. Your devices need to be on the same network for this app to work.”
“you needed to switch settings to bypass the contacts only thing”
“Yes, natively. Thanks Google”
“When Quickshare drops your Wi-Fi connection, its not Direct anymore, that's just soft AP from an error”
“rquickshare works on Linux and is 99% reliable for me”
“Google enabled Airdrop inside of Quick Share so my phones and my MacBook and my Windows PC all can share now”
“QuickShare is a non-solution for me.”
“drops your existing WiFi connection on older devices”
“I think nowadays on Android it's called QuickShare, and it works.”
“Never worked for me, not even once.”
“Android QuickShare never worked for me”
“Unfortunately yes, and I am signed into my Google account for it.”
“Android QuickShare works!”
“The account requirement for nearby share never made sense”
“the weird account requirements on Google's Nearby Share can be avoided by independent implementations”
“I don't like how android's local share system seems to need to be tied to a google account to work”
“I wish that would work when you don't have internet.”
“I've been using Quick Share to send files between different makes of Android phone for ages.”
“it seems they deliberately removed it from Quick Share”
“Why is quick share buried in the settings menu, instead of being an app?”
“is it just the proprietary quickshare that no other rom or even os can implement”
“you can generate a QR code, that the other person scans, and it'll send the file to them”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.