November 26, 2025
EU said share, internet said swear
AirDrop support for Pixel 10 likely exists because of the EU ruling
EU made Apple share, Google joined the party — and the comments are chaos
TLDR: Pixel 10 can now send files to iPhones thanks to EU rules that pushed Apple to use a shared wireless standard. Comments erupted: some cheer the EU for forcing openness, others fear account and privacy hurdles, and many joke about Apple and the EU being toddlers fighting over toys.
Google just flipped the table: Pixel 10 can now beam files to iPhones like Apple’s AirDrop, and the crowd went full popcorn mode. The twist? It’s not a sneaky hack — it’s the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) forcing Apple to use a common wireless standard called Wi‑Fi Aware, so Android’s Quick Share now speaks AirDrop’s language. Cue the internet shouting match.
Over on the comment threads, one camp is cheering the EU for making Big Tech share toys. JAlexoid basically wrote a victory chant about “one giant corporation… get wrecked” to help competition. Another camp is side-eyeing the whole thing: gertop asks if this works without a Google account, worried that the “nearby share” days of logins might sneak back in. And then there’s the meme crowd, with nikau’s “who’s the toddler here” turning into a running joke about Apple and the EU being sent to time-out until they play nice.
Meta-drama alert: readers called this a dupe and shunted discussion to another thread, while others pointed out it’s basically re-reporting Ars Technica’s explainer. And yes, people are whispering that if Europe softens its rules, this new peace treaty could vanish. Translation: send those photos while you still can.
Key Points
- •Google enabled cross-platform AirDrop support on Pixel 10 via Quick Share.
- •Ars Technica reports EU DMA interoperability requirements pushed Apple to adopt Wi‑Fi Aware, replacing proprietary Continuity protocols.
- •AirDrop interoperability works securely when devices support Wi‑Fi Aware hardware capabilities.
- •The article contrasts this standards-based interoperability with earlier adversarial attempts like Beeper’s iMessage and Palm’s iTunes support.
- •Europe is reassessing its regulatory approach, and Apple seeks DMA revocation; the article notes the feature’s availability could change.