Back in 2023, Apple introduced NameDrop as part of iOS 17. With this feature you can share files with another person just by bringing your phone close to them. Namedrop also supports sharing contact information.
Now, more than two years later, it looks like Google is working on a similar feature for Android. It was discovered in a version of Google Play Services called “Hint Exchange”.
Android version of Namedrop
Gesture exchange also has an activity called contact exchange, and it uses NFC. And above you can see what Google’s name will be for Android. The screenshot on the left shows the first screen you’ll see when launching the functionality. From there you choose which details you want to share – photo, phone number, email address. You can also choose to receive only to not share any information.
A screenshot on the right shows received information, which you can save with one tap. You can also start a live video call or send a text using the buttons there.
While NFC is definitely being used for this, the initial handshake will probably have to establish a connection between the two phones. And for now the development is clearly based on sharing, but of course nothing is stopping Google from adding file sharing capabilities at a later date.
The company can also choose a better sounding name for this feature than gesture exchange / contact exchange. We will have to wait. It looks like progress is underway, but it may still be a while before it goes live.
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