Google Quick Share SDK brings direct sharing to apps in 2027

By Elena Vasquez

Google's Quick Share software development kit (SDK) will arrive in the first half of 2027, letting Android and iOS apps integrate peer-to-peer (device-to-device) file sharing directly.

Google announced the SDK at Android Dev Summit 2026. Google says developers can integrate file sharing directly into apps, rather than requiring users to open the system Share sheet and launch fullscreen Quick Share.

Google will also offer a separate Quick Share iOS SDK for apps on the iPhone. The announcement therefore addresses both Android and iOS app developers.

What changes for app users?

The third-party app flow starts when a user activates Quick Share. According to Google, that action launches a bottom sheet (a panel that rises from the bottom of the screen), “where the users will be able to see the files that are being sent as [a] preview.”

The new interface puts transfer initiation and file visibility inside the host app, while replacing the system Share sheet and fullscreen Quick Share handoff.

For app teams, Google's design turns sharing from an external handoff into a product feature inside their own user journey. The bottom-sheet preview provides a visible transfer step within the host app.

How does the transfer work?

Google says the SDK automatically creates a hotspot (a local network access point) and uses Wi-Fi Direct, a local wireless connection technology, on supported devices. The company positions those capabilities as low latency and maximum transfer speed.

Google lists five promised capabilities for the SDK:

• Encrypted transfers. Quick Share uses end-to-end encryption (E2E), which Google says puts privacy at the core.
• Local transfer. The SDK handles hotspot creation and uses Wi-Fi Direct on supported devices.
• No media compression. Developers do not need to compress photos or videos before sharing.
• Offline operation. Quick Share works without a cellular network for offline sharing and constrained-data environments.
• No transfer infrastructure. Developers do not need to maintain costly infrastructure.

Google's privacy explanation places encryption “between both devices as the transfers happen between those local networks.” End-to-end encryption protects the data between the sending and receiving devices.

The package addresses setup and operating conditions as well as transfer performance, with Google presenting lower development burden and transfers without cellular service as central benefits.

What does the iOS release change?

Google's plan includes a dedicated Quick Share iOS SDK for iPhone apps, extending direct app integration across Android and iOS operating systems.

For developers, the practical distinction is placement: the transfer experience can sit within apps on both operating systems rather than requiring a handoff to a system Share sheet. Under Google's design, marketing teams can treat sharing as part of the app interface, with an explicit preview of outgoing files.

What should teams plan for 2027?

For product and marketing teams, the first-half 2027 window puts in-app sharing on the 2027 planning calendar, with the bottom-sheet preview as the visible interface element.

The first decision is functional: determine where Quick Share fits within the app's existing sharing flow. The second is presentational: assess whether the bottom-sheet preview makes the files being sent clear enough for users. For 2027 launches, developers will need to determine whether the in-app preview reduces the need to leave the host app for sharing.