Google has begun working on a new phone-to-phone communication feature that, if shipped, may change how Android devices in close range share files and communicate, while rivaling Apple’s equivalents with its consolidated approach.
The “Tap to Share” feature was discovered during an APK teardown of the Google Play Services app, revealing lines of code that reflect updates Google has yet to release, as reported by The Times of India. The feature appears to be coming in a more refined form that combines Apple’s NameDrop and AirDrop.
Using NFC, Android users can connect to share data by bringing their phones close together.
Uncovering a hidden feature
According to The Times of India, during a code review of an updated version of the Google Play Services APK, the review found lines of code hinting at a feature that introduces a new way to share data on Android.
Since the feature appeared to be nearing completion, as per 9to5Google’s report, the code reviewers demonstrated how it would function if Google were to ship it. Data gathered from the lines of code reveals instructions on how it works:
- Unlock both phones.
- Place the top of one phone slightly above the other, with both screens facing upwards.
- Wait a few moments for a glow to show on the screens.
- Tap to send any data of your choice.
Unlike Apple iPhones, which have their NFC chips in a single location across different generations and models, on Android, different manufacturers place their NFC chip antennas in different locations. Some even have more than one antenna.
Because of this, the overlap method described above may not work for some phones; hence, Google added a fallback. If placing the overlap method does not work, you can place the back of the phones against each other, allowing a full NFC scan across all of the phone’s area.
Supporting architectures
Tap to Share, which appears to combine Apple’s NameDrop and AirDrop into a single feature, is familiar with the Android ecosystem.
What began as Android Beam quietly evolved into Nearby Share, then Quick Share, which introduced AirDrop for Android. Tap to Share could potentially replace Quick Share or merge into it. Reports from the APK code analysis also reveal that it draws on Quick Share’s approach, switching to Wi-Fi for larger files and Bluetooth for smaller ones.
9to5Google also notes that, based on what it has seen, Tap to Share appears to be powered by the Android share sheet. Share sheet is a UI component on every Android device that enables app-to-app intents. Its presence allows apps to share files, images, videos, audio, and copied texts with other apps. For example, if a user needs to share a picture from their Gallery to their WhatsApp status, the Android share sheet handles that activity.
An important caveat is that Google might not release this feature, and if it does, it could change any of the features observed in the Google Play Services APK.
If this feature rolls out, when do we expect it?
Since this feature was discovered inside a Google update APK, we can’t tell for sure when Google will roll it out, that is, if it does roll out.
But The Times of India did indicate that it may launch with Android 17, which sounds like a perfect time to do so. Android 17, however, is still weeks away, with a likely launch date in June 2026. Conclusively, the ball is in Google’s court.
Also read: Hidden Android features like clipboard history, notification history, and QR-based Wi-Fi sharing can quietly save time every day.