Google Tap to Share arrives on Pixel phones and Samsung’s latest foldables
Google is making it easier to share a contact card, photo or video between two Android phones without having to hunt through menus first. The new Tap to Share feature is rolling out to Pixel 6 and newer phones, while support is also coming to Samsung’s latest foldables. It’s essentially Google’s answer to Apple’s NameDrop, but with support for more than just contact information.
Google Tap to Share: availability and compatible phones
Tap to Share is available on the Pixel 6 series and newer models, including the Pixel 11 lineup. It’s also rolling out to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip 8. Google says it plans to bring the feature to more Android phones by the end of 2026, potentially making it a standard part of the Android sharing experience rather than a Pixel-only trick.
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Android has had Quick Share for years, but the experience has traditionally involved opening the share menu, finding the other device and waiting for the recipient to accept. Google is now trying to make that interaction feel more natural, similar to the simplicity Apple offers with AirDrop and NameDrop.
Google has also been working with Samsung and other manufacturers to make Quick Share more consistent across the Android ecosystem. The two companies previously combined their respective sharing systems under the Quick Share name.
How does Tap to Share work?
For contact sharing, both phones need to be unlocked and on their home screens. Users simply bring the compatible devices close together, after which they can choose which contact details to share. The exchange can be two-way, or users can choose to receive the other person’s contact card without sharing their own.
Photos and videos work slightly differently. Users first select the content through the existing Share Sheet, choose Quick Share and then bring the two phones close together to complete the transfer. Google says the feature uses a temporary peer-to-peer connection for the exchange. Users who don’t want the feature can also disable Tap to Share through Quick Share settings.
Is Tap to Share useful?
It’s a small feature, but one that could make Android phones feel less fragmented. Quick Share already handles file transfers across Android devices, and Google has also expanded it to work with Apple’s AirDrop on supported phones. If Google gets OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo and other Android brands on board as planned, tapping two phones together to exchange a contact or photo could soon become one of those features that makes the old way of doing things feel unnecessarily complicated.
