Send files between Android and iPhone

How SendTheStuff will send files between Android and iPhone

SendTheStuff will work the same way in both directions. SendTheStuff will show a code on the phone that receives, with the words "Scan this with the other phone's camera. The code changes every 2 minutes."

• Any file: SendTheStuff will carry documents, zips, audio and videos, not just photos, up to 1,000 files and 5 GB per send.
• Any two phones: SendTheStuff won't need AirDrop support, Quick Share, or both phones on the same Wi-Fi.
• A daily allowance: SendTheStuff will allow 5 GB of device sends per email address, per rolling day.
• Short-lived: SendTheStuff will drop each file from both screens 1 hour after it's downloaded, or sooner if the pairing ends. SendTheStuff's code will change every 2 minutes.

The receiving phone won't need to sign in. The sending phone will confirm its email once, since only a signed-in phone can send.

Why AirDrop, Quick Share and Bluetooth don't just work

AirDrop is Apple's. Apple's guide describes it for an iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Most Android phones simply never appear in the AirDrop list.

Quick Share is Android's, with exceptions. Google says Quick Share can send through AirDrop from a Pixel 8a or later. Certain Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, Transsion and Motorola phones can too. To receive from an iPhone that way, Google names a Pixel 9 or later (excluding Pixel 9a).

Bluetooth won't carry files to an iPhone. Apple's list of iPhone Bluetooth profiles covers headsets, car kits, speakers, keyboards and game controllers. None of them is for sending files, so pairing the phones gets you nowhere.

Quick Share's QR code, from Android to an iPhone

For Android phones without AirDrop support, Google added a QR code route. On the Quick Share page, tap Use QR code. The iPhone scans the code with its camera and downloads the files in its browser.

• It goes through Google's servers, so both phones need internet access.
• The files last 24 hours, then the download stops.
• Limits: up to 1,000 files in one share, and 10 GB to Apple devices every 24 hours.

Google's help describes this route from Android to an iPhone, iPad or Mac. It doesn't describe the reverse, so an iPhone sending to an Android phone needs another way.

Texts and chat apps: what they do to files

A message app is the usual fallback, but each treats files differently.

• iMessage sends high resolution photos and videos, but only between Apple devices.
• RCS, the newer texting standard, sends high resolution photos and videos to Android, according to Apple. In Google Messages, HD+ sends at original quality.
• MMS is the old picture message. Google says carriers compress MMS messages, so photos and videos can lose detail.
• WhatsApp takes documents up to 2 GB, so it can carry a PDF or a zip, as long as both of you use it.

Every route between Android and iPhone

Until SendTheStuff launches

From Android to an iPhone, with Quick Share's QR code:

1. On the Android phone, open the file, tap Share, then Quick Share.
2. Tap Use QR code.
3. On the iPhone, point the Camera at the code and tap the link.
4. Save each file from the browser before the 24 hours run out.

With AirDrop, if the Android phone supports it:

1. On the iPhone, go to Settings > General > AirDrop > Everyone for 10 Minutes.
2. On the Android phone, tap Share, then Quick Share, and pick the iPhone.
3. To send the other way, the Android phone must be a Pixel 9 or later (excluding Pixel 9a). It sets Quick Share to Everyone for 10 minutes, then the iPhone AirDrops as usual.

From an iPhone to any Android phone: send it in WhatsApp as a document, up to 2 GB. For photos and videos, RCS works too.

Where the file lands on each phone

On an iPhone, a downloaded file goes to Files > Browse > iCloud Drive > Downloads. Photos and videos don't appear in the Photos app until you save them there.

On an Android phone, files from Quick Share land in Files > Downloads > Quick Share. Files saved from a browser usually go to the Downloads folder, which the Files app shows.

When it doesn't work

• The iPhone doesn't appear in Quick Share. Set its AirDrop to Everyone for 10 Minutes, and check the Android phone is one Google lists for AirDrop.
• The Android phone isn't in AirDrop. Most aren't. Use Quick Share's QR code or a link instead.
• The Quick Share link stopped working. Its files last 24 hours. Send them again.
• A photo or video arrived blurry. It probably went as MMS. Turn on RCS, or send it as a file.
• The iPhone can't find the file. Look in Files > Browse > iCloud Drive > Downloads, not in Photos.