Google developing android rival to Apple’s NameDrop

Apple launched NameDrop in 2023 with iOS 17. The feature made it easy for iPhone users to share contact details or files by placing two devices close together. More than two years later, Google seems to be working on something similar for Android. The upcoming tool was spotted inside a recent build of Google Play Services. Android Authority discovered it under the internal name “Gesture Exchange.” An additional activity called “Contact Exchange” was also found. This hints that the tool is mainly designed for sharing contact information between Android devices.

Early screenshots show how the feature may function. The first screen asks users to select what they want to share. Options include a photo, phone number, or email address. There is also a “Receive only” mode. This allows one device to accept data without sending anything in return. Another screen shows how shared details will appear once received. A single tap will let the user save the information to their contacts.

You can initiate a video call or a text message from the contact card too, which is convenient. Overall design of the platform is clean, and simplicity is prioritized.

The feature appears to rely on NFC. This is likely only for the initial handshake between two devices. The actual transfer may shift to a faster wireless protocol afterward. At this stage, the tool seems limited to contact sharing. However, Google may expand it to support file transfers later. The internal names, Gesture Exchange and Contact Exchange, might not be final. Google often changes branding before a public release. The discovery suggests that the feature is still early in development. Users may have to wait before they see it on their devices. Still, it signals Google’s interest in offering an effortless contact-sharing method similar to Apple’s NameDrop.