Apple AirDrop for Android? It feels like a dream that will never come true

I have a unique lifestyle, constantly switching between different smartphone platforms. I had hoped that sharing files between Apple and Android devices would be easier, so I was intrigued when I saw the European Commission ask Apple to open up AirDrop.

Under the guise of promoting “effective interoperability” in the smartphone industry Through the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European Commission is requiring Apple to open the doors to its walled garden a bit more so Android users and anyone else who wants access can periodically play inside.. The committee writes:

“The preliminary findings in the first specification procedures set out proposed measures that the Commission believes Apple should implement to effectively comply with its interoperability obligations with respect to several iOS connectivity features, which are predominantly used for and by connected devices. These can be notifications, or Automatic Wi-Fi connection, AirPlay, AirDrop, or automatic audio switching via Bluetooth.

This proposal was initially made In September, But today, the European Commission has become more specific about what it wants to open. He mentions notifications, Wi-Fi calling, Bluetooth audio toggle, and AirDrop, which is the main requirement for Apple’s ecosystem of fame and more proprietary offerings.

In its “interoperability” report, Apple responded by saying: “It’s getting personal.” The company claims that the DMA’s proposals would open up its platform in a way that puts “users at risk, requiring them to open up their devices – and their most sensitive data – to companies with a track record of violating their privacy.”

The company explicitly calls out Meta and its features in a PDF posted on Apple’s developer site, Which you can read In full:

“If Apple had to agree to all these requests, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp could enable Meta to read all their messages and emails on a users device, see every phone call they make or receive, and track every app they use.” , erase all their photos, see their files and calendar events, record all their passwords, and more. This is data that Apple itself has chosen not to access in order to provide the strongest possible protection to users.

Apple insists that it allows its users to decide whether or not to share certain information required for a particular user experience. What the DMA is asking for could result in companies like Meta getting “unrestricted access to users’ devices and most of their personal data,” she says. Apple says Meta requested access to features like AirPlay, App Intents, CarPlay, iPhone Mirroring, and Continuity Camera.

Apple is great at marketing itself as a company that cares first and foremost about its users. I don’t particularly like opening up Android to every external player either. I’m convinced that if we all stayed in separate lanes, we would be fine and safer.

But this seems to be something Apple can compromise on somehow. For example, Android uses Google Cast and Quick Share to mix streams and files between devices. I don’t necessarily need access to AirPlay and AirDrop, the equivalent of Apple’s platform, to get this experience. I need to allow Apple for this type of third party use. Most streaming apps, even on iOS, default to Google Cast if they find there are devices available on the network.

The EU Commission’s next steps are to “carefully evaluate” the comments made by Apple and other “interested parties.” It has about six months to look at all of this and determine how Apple can comply in a way it deems fair to all users. I’m personally curious to see how this will end. If that means it’s easier to send photos to an Android device, I might have a hard time seeing it from Apple’s point of view.