Quick Share now works with AirDrop
Send photos between iPhone and Android without losing quality
Nearby, Quick Share works with AirDrop on supported Android phones, including the Pixel 8a and later and the Galaxy S24, S25 and S26, and Google says photos arrive at full resolution. For a whole set or someone far away, send a link: iCloud, a Google Photos album in Original quality, or a gallery. MMS texts can compress photos.
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Every way to send, and what arrives
| Method | Works | What arrives | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Share with AirDrop | Both ways, phones side by side | Full resolution, sent directly between the phones | Supported Android phones only; the receiving phone must be visible to everyone |
| Quick Share QR code | Android to iPhone | A download page in the iPhone's browser | Google: 10 GB per 24 hours, files kept for 24 hours |
| RCS text | Both ways, iOS 18 or later | High resolution photos, per Apple; HD+ in Google Messages sends full resolution | Carrier must support RCS; over MMS, photos can be compressed |
| iCloud link | iPhone to Android | A page where they can view and download the photos | The link works for 30 days |
| Google Photos link | Android to iPhone | The backed-up copy of each photo | Storage saver resizes photos above 16 MP |
| Both ways | Standard or HD quality, as you pick; a Document is the original file | Pick HD before you send; Documents up to 2 GB | |
| Gallery link | Both ways, any browser | Original files byte-for-byte, one by one or as a ZIP | No video; free up to 2 GB |
Send from an iPhone to an Android phone
Get the Android phone ready
Open Quick Share and set it to Everyone for 10 minutes, or keep its receive screen open. On a Samsung Galaxy, turn on Share with Apple devices in the Quick Share settings. Keep the phone unlocked, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on.
Pick the photos on the iPhone
Open Photos, select the photos and tap Share.
AirDrop them across
Tap AirDrop and choose the Android phone, then accept the transfer on the Android phone.
Send from an Android phone to an iPhone
Open AirDrop to everyone
On the iPhone, go to Settings > General > AirDrop, or AirDrop in Control Center, and choose Everyone for 10 Minutes. It switches back by itself after 10 minutes.
Share from the Android phone
Select the photos, tap Share, then Quick Share, and choose the iPhone. On a Samsung Galaxy, Share with Apple devices has to be on.
Accept on the iPhone
Tap Accept when AirDrop asks. Keep both phones unlocked and within Bluetooth range until the transfer finishes.
Android phones that work with AirDrop
- Google Pixel: Pixel 8a, the Pixel 9 series including the 9a, and the Pixel 10 series
- Samsung Galaxy: S24, S25 and S26 series, Z Flip6, Z Fold6, Z Flip7, Z Fold7 and Z TriFold
- Others: OnePlus 15, OPPO Find X9 series and Find N6, Xiaomi 17T Pro, HONOR Magic V6 and Vivo X300 Ultra
- Receiving on a Pixel: Google's help lists the Pixel 9 or later, except the Pixel 9a
- On the Apple side: Samsung lists iPhone 8 or later
If your Android phone is not on the list
Google says more phones will follow, but older models such as the Pixel 8 and the Galaxy S23 are not on the list. Sending to Apple devices can also be slower than between two Galaxy phones, and a Galaxy may drop Wi-Fi for a moment while it searches or sends.
Without AirDrop support, Quick Share can show a QR code instead: select the photos, tap Quick Share, then Use QR code, and scan it with the iPhone's Camera. A download page opens in the browser. Google allows up to 10 GB to Apple devices every 24 hours and up to 1,000 files per share; the files stay available for 24 hours, some may arrive as a ZIP, and both phones need internet. Samsung Quick Share has its own link and QR code: up to 1,000 files at a time, 3 GB per file and 5 GB per day, the link expires after two days, and the sender needs a Samsung account.
When you are not in the same place
With RCS, an iPhone on iOS 18 or later sends high resolution photos to Android phones in Messages, as long as your carrier supports RCS. On Android, tap HD+ in Google Messages before you send to share at full media resolution; plain HD is optimized for chat. Without RCS, photos go by MMS, where your carrier may set size limits and iPhone can compress attachments.
A link skips attachment limits. On an iPhone, select the photos, tap Share, then Options, and choose iCloud Link: anyone with the link can view the photos for 30 days. From Android, share a Google Photos album link. What arrives is the copy that was backed up, so Original quality keeps full resolution, while Storage saver resizes anything above 16 MP and may convert the format.
In WhatsApp, pick HD before you send, or attach the photos as a Document to send the original files, up to 2 GB each; more in Does WhatsApp compress photos? Email works for a few photos: Gmail takes 25 MB of attachments before switching to a Google Drive link, and Mail Drop on iPhone sends up to 5 GB, available for 30 days. See photos too large for email.
HEIC photos on Android
iPhones save photos as HEIC when Settings > Camera > Formats is set to High Efficiency, the setting Apple recommends. Google Photos accepts .heic files. If the app on the other phone cannot open one, send JPEG instead.
Apple says iPhone might switch to a more compatible format when you share by AirDrop, Messages or email and the receiving device doesn't support HEIC. To decide yourself, tap Options in the share sheet: Current keeps the format, and Most Compatible may convert to JPEG. To convert files before you send them, see prepare HEIC photos.
Sending a whole set
For one or two photos to someone next to you, Quick Share with AirDrop is the quicker choice. For a whole set, several people, or a mix of phones and computers, one link is easier.
With shoots.page you pick the JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF or WebP files in your browser, sign in with Google and share one gallery link. The other person opens it in any browser, with no account, app or sign-up, and downloads the originals byte-for-byte, one by one or as a ZIP. It is free up to 2 GB; Pro with 100 GB costs USD 9 a month or USD 90 a year, before applicable tax. There is no video, and it is not a backup service.
Common questions
Can AirDrop send photos to an Android phone?
Does texting a photo from iPhone to Android lower the quality?
Why won't an iPhone photo open on Android?
How do I send a lot of photos at once?
Does Google Photos keep the original quality?
Are there size limits?
Send a whole set as one link
Pick your photos in the browser, sign in with Google and share a gallery that opens on any phone.