Samsung Galaxy S20 may launch with a similar feature to iPhone’s AirDrop

It only works between Galaxy phones, naturally

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TheSamsung Galaxy S20could get a file-sharing service much likeApple’s AirDrop, according to a new leak, and it will allegedly be called Quick Share. The catch? It will only work between Galaxy phones.

This isn’t a first for Android phones, as Realme and Huawei both have file-sharing services between their own devices. Heck,Samsungused to have S Beam, though that service worked over NFC, and it’s unclear if Quick Share will work similarly - but Samsung is seemingly closing a feature gap with Apple by reintroducing the concept (though, as a leak, we’ll remain skeptical until we see the feature in the wild).

News about this neat new service comes courtesy of Max Weinbach andXDA Developers, who were able to get the Quick Share APK running to discover the Galaxy phones-only restriction. They couldn’t actually transfer files between phones - which isn’t surprising, given how early in development the service likely is (XDA reasoned this APK wasn’t meant for their test devices).

Quick Share is expected to work much like AirDrop: if someone else is nearby with a device that supports the service, they will appear when you’re trying to share a photo, video, or file. Like AirDrop, you can opt to allow only your contacts to share or open up to everyone with a compatible device.

It isn’t just a straight copy, as Quick Share seems like it will have some cloud functionality: you may temporarily upload files to Samsung Cloud, after which the file can be streamed through Samsung Smart Things devices to be downloaded by a nearby Galaxy phone, according to XDA Developers.

Not just big photos or videos, either - you’ll be able to upload files up to 1GB in size, though you’re capped at 2GB per day.

File sharing, but not for all S20 phones?

Quick Share will be launching along with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, according to XDA Developers, which acquired the APK from a source sporting a Galaxy S20 Plus 5G.

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While it’s unclear if that means it won’t come on the standard Samsung Galaxy S20, the tech site theorized the service would launch with devices packing Samsung’s One UI 2.1 and on, then come to older Samsung phones via software update.

But, of course, it would only come to Samsung phones. Given AirDrop’s similar restriction to Apple devices, this isn’t surprising, though we would be curious when, or if, the Galaxy Tabs and Galaxy Watches get folded in to the service. Especially with the Samsung Cloud possibilities.

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He’s most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.

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