Google and Samsung are quietly developing a tap-to-share feature for Android that’s a lot like Apple’s AirDrop. The idea is simple enough. You hold two phones close together and transfer files between them without digging through sharing menus or looking for a nearby device name.
According to Android Authority, evidence of the feature is accumulating in three different places. It appears in Samsung’s One UI 9 builds, Google Play Services code, and even Android 17 system files. Developers tracking these builds say the feature has been taking shape since late 2025 and it now looks like it’s heading towards a proper release rather than remaining a Samsung experiment.
Samsung and Google are building it together
The Tap to Share feature first appeared in Samsung’s One UI 8.5 as a hidden Labs experiment. One UI 9 now has its own name and clear description that encourages users to hold the top of the phone close to another device to send files.
But this isn’t just a Samsung project. The November 2025 Google Play Services code includes something called “Gesture Exchange,” designed to exchange contact information like AirDrop’s NameDrop feature. The same name “Gesture Exchange” has since appeared in One UI 9’s Quick Share app, suggesting that the contact sharing tool has evolved into a full file transfer system.
Beta builds for Android 17 add another layer, with references to an OS-level service called “TapToShare.” NFC will probably handle the first tap to wake everything up, and then Quick Share will handle moving the actual files.
This doesn’t just apply to Samsung phones
What’s worth paying attention to is the cross-brand potential. Since the code sharing tip is present in Google Play Services and Android 17 itself, it should work on devices from different manufacturers. This would solve one of Android’s oldest problems.
An iPhone user knows that AirDrop works with every other iPhone. An Android user today has Quick Share, but the experience can seem fragmented depending on whether the other phone is running Samsung software, using a different brand version, or requiring a separate app. By integrating the feature directly into Android, this friction is completely eliminated.
When you’re ready, tap Share.
Google is likely to announce the feature along with the stable release of Android 17. Samsung devices could get it first, given how much work is already visible in One UI 9 builds, but the wider rollout should follow.
There’s a catch worth noting, as these discoveries come from code teardowns, meaning nothing is set in stone until Google makes an official announcement. Features discovered in development builds are sometimes delayed or dropped altogether. Nevertheless, this time the clues are unusually widespread.
The smart move is to keep an eye on Android 17 news. If Tip to Share works as expected, sharing files between Android phones will finally feel as natural as bumping two devices together.
