Samsung Galaxy S26: AirDrop Compatibility Coming Soon?

Samsung Galaxy smartphones will soon be able to directly share files with iPhones, a capability mirroring Apple’s AirDrop, Samsung confirmed today. The feature, slated to debut with the Galaxy S26, was announced by Choi Won-joon, head of Samsung’s mobile business, during a press conference in Japan.

The integration will allow seamless file transfers between iOS and Android devices without requiring users to rely on third-party applications, cloud services, or messaging platforms. According to reports from the South Korean news platform EBN, the functionality will be rolled out as a software update to the Galaxy S26.

The technology underpinning the feature leverages Google’s Quick Share, which gained AirDrop compatibility in late 2025. To initiate a transfer, iPhone users will need to set AirDrop visibility to “Everyone,” even as Samsung users will need to have Quick Share enabled. During file transmission, the Galaxy device’s Wi-Fi connection may temporarily experience interruptions, a consequence of prioritizing a direct connection for increased stability, according to tech portal SammyFans.

Samsung is also considering extending this AirDrop compatibility to older Galaxy models, specifically the S24 and S23 series, through the One UI 8.5 update. This expansion could significantly broaden the user base capable of directly exchanging files with iPhone users.

The announcement comes as Samsung continues to emphasize artificial intelligence integration across its product line. At Galaxy Unpacked in February 2026, Won-Joon Choi highlighted the company’s commitment to “building technology that not only enhances your life today but also helps protect the world we all share tomorrow.” The Galaxy S26 series is designed to function as an “infrastructure” that understands context and anticipates user needs.

Samsung’s mobile business COO, Won-Joon Choi, also stated that the AI revolution is “unavoidable” and will impact numerous sectors, including medicine, law, and human resources, emphasizing the need for continued investment in AI research. Samsung plans to implement AI capabilities on 800 million devices, utilizing a hybrid AI approach and partnerships with companies like Perplexity AI and Google Gemini, while prioritizing user privacy and local language support.