Google has announced a major upgrade to its Quick Share system that will allow Android and iPhone users to exchange files directly from inside supported applications, without having to open a separate sharing menu. The company revealed the new software development kit, known as an SDK, at its Android Dev Summit 2026, with plans to make it available to developers during the first half of 2027.
Sharing Files Without Leaving the App
Under the current system, a user who wants to send a file typically has to open the phone’s sharing menu and choose Quick Share to begin the transfer. The process works, but it interrupts whatever the user was doing and adds several taps to a task that ought to be simple.
The upcoming SDK changes that experience. Applications that adopt it will be able to offer sharing directly within their own interface. Rather than opening a full-screen sharing window, the user will see a smaller panel at the bottom of the app, showing previews of the files selected for transfer and allowing the transfer to begin without leaving the application. Google will also provide a version of the SDK for Apple’s iOS, so iPhone apps can offer the same built-in sharing experience.
Even so, the barrier to adoption appears deliberately low. According to Google, adding Quick Share to an application requires roughly twenty lines of code. Developers will not need to build or maintain their own servers for the transfers, because files move directly between devices. That combination of simplicity and low cost is likely to encourage widespread uptake, particularly among apps where sharing photos, videos and documents is a core part of the experience.
Offline Sharing Without Losing Quality
One of the most appealing aspects of the new SDK is that transfers take place directly between nearby devices using local connections, rather than passing through cloud servers. That design brings several practical benefits for everyday users.
Because files do not travel through the internet, they can be shared without a mobile data connection or Wi-Fi network. Transfers should work in places where connectivity is poor or absent altogether, including aeroplanes and underground tunnels. The system can automatically create a local hotspot when needed and use Wi-Fi Direct on compatible devices, so the connection is established quickly and without fuss.
Security is also built into the design. Transfers will use end-to-end encryption, protecting information as it moves from one device to another. For users sharing personal photographs, work documents or sensitive files, that protection matters, and it reflects a broader expectation that private data should remain private even when it moves between devices.
Quality is another advantage. Since files do not need to be compressed before sharing, photographs and videos will retain their original resolution. Anyone who has sent a picture through a messaging app only to see it arrive softened and reduced in quality will appreciate the difference. For photographers, creators and professionals who rely on full-resolution files, the ability to share without degradation is a meaningful improvement.
Tap to Share and Privacy Controls
The SDK will also support Google’s Tap to Share feature, which launched in August for supported Pixel and Samsung devices. With Tap to Share, users can start a transfer simply by bringing two compatible devices close together, removing yet another step from the process. Once the transfer finishes, the receiving application will be able to launch automatically, even if it was not already open, so the recipient can view the shared file immediately.
Privacy has clearly been a consideration in the design. Developers will have the option to mark files as sensitive, and when that option is enabled, the SDK will hide or mask file previews during the sharing process. That is a thoughtful addition for situations where a phone screen might be visible to others, such as on public transport or in a shared workspace, and it shows Google thinking about the real-world contexts in which sharing happens.
Quick Share Now Reaches More Than Three Billion Devices
Google has expanded Quick Share significantly over the past year, and the new SDK builds on that momentum. The company first introduced compatibility with Apple’s AirDrop on supported Pixel phones, before extending that support to devices from other Android manufacturers. In August, it introduced Tap to Share, making transfers between Pixel and Samsung devices easier still.
According to the company, Quick Share is now available on more than three billion devices across Android, ChromeOS and Windows. That scale gives the new SDK a powerful foundation. If a large share of app developers adopt it, in-app sharing could quickly become a normal part of how people move files between phones, tablets and computers.
For users, the promise is a simpler digital life. Sharing a photo with a friend, sending a document to a colleague or passing a video to a family member should soon be possible without leaving the app, without losing quality and without needing an internet connection. If developers embrace the tools Google is offering, the days of wrestling with sharing menus and compressed files may finally be numbered.
