The rollout of AirDrop has started on Galaxy S26 phones, and Samsung just revealed a crucial step to activate the features.

Google was the one who made AirDrop sharing real on Android phones. Samsung, through its community moderator, has now revealed the activation steps, which involve updating the Google Play Services app.

Samsung says its Quick Share-AirDrop sharing compatibility requires Google Play Services version 26.11.xx or above. If you’re running an older version, it needs to be updated to let you access AirDrop-style file sharing.

The statement says it loud that AirDrop is backed by core Android services. Without having the required version of Google Play Services, even Samsung won’t be able to provide you with access to the AirDrop feature.

Samsung also shared a tutorial to update Google Play Services. Galaxy users are required to open Settings > Apps > Google Play Services > App source info > Update.

Google Play Services mostly comes as a server-side update. They install when you use your phone or restart it. A software update also brings an updated version of core Android apps to improve performance and functionality.

Samsung today announced the rollout of AirDrop to the Galaxy S26 series. Users in South Korea even started getting a software update that installs AirDrop. If you also own an S26 phone, keep checking for the updates.

Quick Share is now capable of transferring files through AirDrop. It’s one of the strongest strikes on Apple’s ecosystem. It’s not just convenience, but it also paves the way for shoppers to consider switching to Samsung or Google.

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Samsung is finally unlocking the AirDrop feature on Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. Starting with the latest flagship phones, cross-platform sharing compatibility will be rolled out to a range of Galaxy devices sequentially.

AirDrop support lets Galaxy S26 users share files with Apple users via Quick Share. Google first brought it to the Pixel 10 series, then expanded it to the Pixel 9. Now, Samsung is bringing the feature to its Galaxy lineup.

Before the S26 launch, a screenshot of the feature’s interface was leaked. However, the feature wasn’t actually available on the devices. Later, Samsung confirmed that AirDrop support will be available soon for the Galaxy S26 series.

In Samsung’s words, Galaxy’s AirDrop feature makes it easier for users to share content between devices using Quick Share. It resolves a long-standing file-sharing issue that Android and Apple users have faced for years.

Availability begins today, starting in South Korea. The following wave of expansion will cover more regions, including Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Latin America, North America, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan.

Samsung just teased that more devices are eligible for this AirDrop update. The exact models and launch timeline are undisclosed. We need to wait for another Samsung announcement regarding AirDrop support for older phones.

Google made Quick Share functional with AirDrop. It was assumed that Apple could fix the loophole and break this functionality. Apple didn’t so (yet), and is likely to keep AirDrop for Androids alive to comply with regional laws.

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