Your Android XR headset should have easy access to phone files thanks to Quick Share

The first headset running Android XR, a new version of the Android operating system designed for AR/VR devices, is set to launch later this year. While Google has shared many details about Android XR, including how apps will look and behave, the company hasn’t revealed much about how these new devices will integrate with existing Android hardware. For instance, how will users seamlessly send files to and from their Android XR headset without taking it off?

The obvious solution is Android’s built-in file transfer tool, Quick Share. However, Google hasn’t confirmed if Android XR will support this feature. Quick Share isn’t universally available across all Android versions, notably missing from Google TV, Wear OS, and Android Automotive. While these other platforms aren’t designed for productivity, that’s not the case for Android XR.

Google envisions Android XR headsets, such as Samsung’s Project Moohan, being used by remote workers, designers, and other professionals who have limited desk space, value portability, or simply desire an infinite viewing canvas for apps. Regardless of their specific use case, these professionals will inevitably need to transfer files between their Android XR headset and their Android phone, tablet, or PC. This likely explains why Google is working on bringing Quick Share support to Android XR.

Recently, a Google engineer submitted a patch to the GitHub repository for Nearby, the underlying library Quick Share uses to facilitate peer-to-peer connections. Titled “Support XR devices for QuickShare DeviceType,” the patch adds “XR” as a new device type supported by Quick Share.

This strongly suggests Google is adding support for Android XR as a Quick Share target. What remains unclear, though, is the development status of a Quick Share client for Android XR. Given that Android XR can run the same applications as Android phones and tablets, Google likely wouldn’t need to build an entirely new Quick Share client. However, Android XR’s unique interface requirements may necessitate some XR-specific UI optimizations. The intuitive nature of dragging and dropping files in virtual reality could make Quick Share feel natural on Android XR, and hopefully, the experience of receiving files will be equally seamless.

While an announcement of Quick Share support for Android XR at next week’s I/O developer conference would be a surprise, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility, especially since Google has hinted at sharing some Android XR news. A more probable announcement is Quick Share support for Android Automotive; the “car” device type was added to Quick Share in October of last year, but Google has yet to formally roll out the feature to the platform. The company could also finally unveil Quick Share support for iOS and macOS, though whether such a launch is planned for next week remains unknown.