Samsung Galaxy S26 Gains AirDrop Support in US and Europe

Key Takeaways

1. Samsung is rolling out a significant software update (build AZCF) for Galaxy S26 series users in Europe, India, and the U.S.
2. The update introduces native AirDrop support to Samsung’s Quick Share feature, allowing file sharing with iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
3. This functionality enables users to share files directly without needing third-party applications.
4. Currently, AirDrop support is limited to the S26 series, but Samsung plans to extend it to more devices with the upcoming One UI 8.5 update.
5. Apple’s lack of official response suggests they may be considering easing restrictions due to regulatory pressure from the European Commission.

This is a significant moment! Samsung is closing one of the biggest divides between Android and iOS.

Major Update Rolling Out

After launching in South Korea, Samsung is now distributing a substantial software update (build AZCF) to Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra users in Europe, India, and the United States, according to the latest reports. This update, which is about 900 MB in size, introduces native AirDrop support to Samsung’s Quick Share feature.

New Sharing Capabilities

With this new functionality, Galaxy users can easily share files directly with iPhones, iPads, and Macs without the need for any third-party applications. Although this feature was first seen on the Pixel 10 (thanks to Google’s initiative to enable AirDrop cross-compatibility), Samsung is now the latest brand to implement this standard.

Getting Started with AirDrop

To enable “AirDrop” on your Samsung device using Quick Share:

Currently, this feature is only available for the S26 series, but Samsung intends to extend support to additional devices, likely with the forthcoming One UI 8.5 update.

It should be mentioned that Apple hasn’t made any official statements regarding the “AirDrop on Android” situation. The feature seems to be a reverse-engineered solution rather than a collaboration between the two companies, at least based on what is known publicly. Nonetheless, the absence of any blocks indicates that Apple might be gearing up to relax their strict policies in response to growing regulatory demands from the European Commission.

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