In a move that prioritizes user security over frictionless convenience, Google is removing the “Everyone” visibility option from Quick Share on Android devices. The change, which has begun rolling out to users in recent weeks, eliminates the ability for any nearby device — regardless of whether the sender is a known contact — to initiate a file transfer without prior approval. The decision marks a significant philosophical shift for a feature that was originally designed to rival Apple’s AirDrop in ease of use, and it raises important questions about how the world’s most widely used mobile operating system balances openness with protection.

The development was first reported by Android Authority, which noted that Google has started stripping the “Everyone” option from Quick Share’s visibility settings. Previously, Android users could choose from three tiers of discoverability: “No one,” “Contacts,” and “Everyone.” The last of these allowed any nearby Android device — or Windows PC running Quick Share — to see the user’s phone and attempt to send files. While the recipient still had to approve incoming transfers, the mere visibility of the device to strangers opened the door to spam, unwanted content, and potential social engineering attacks.

What Exactly Is Changing — and Why Now?

Quick Share, which Google rebranded from its earlier “Nearby Share” feature after a partnership with Samsung in early 2024, uses a combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, and ultra-wideband (where available) to facilitate peer-to-peer file transfers between Android devices and Windows PCs. The feature was Google’s direct answer to Apple’s AirDrop, which has long been the gold standard for local wireless file sharing in the Apple ecosystem.

Under the previous system, selecting “Everyone” made a device discoverable to all nearby Quick Share users for a temporary window — typically a few minutes — before automatically reverting to a more restrictive setting. Google had built in this time-limited safeguard to reduce the risk of persistent exposure, but it was apparently not enough. According to Android Authority, the option is now being removed entirely, leaving users with only “No one” and “Contacts” as their visibility choices.

Apple’s AirDrop Precedent Looms Large

Google’s decision closely mirrors a move Apple made in late 2022, when it restricted AirDrop’s “Everyone” mode to a 10-minute window before automatically switching back to “Contacts Only.” That change was widely interpreted as a response to the use of AirDrop by protesters in China to distribute anti-government leaflets, as well as growing complaints about “cyber-flashing” — the practice of sending unsolicited explicit images to strangers via AirDrop in public spaces. Apple initially rolled out the restriction in China before expanding it globally with iOS 16.2.

Google appears to be taking the logic a step further by eliminating the “Everyone” option altogether rather than merely time-limiting it. This is a more aggressive approach, and it suggests that Google’s internal data or security reviews concluded that even temporary universal visibility posed unacceptable risks. The company has not issued a formal public statement explaining the rationale, but the timing aligns with a broader industry trend toward default-secure configurations across mobile platforms.

The Security Calculus Behind the Decision

The removal of “Everyone” mode addresses several well-documented threat vectors. The most prominent is unsolicited content delivery — the Android equivalent of AirDrop spam. In crowded public environments such as airports, stadiums, and transit systems, bad actors could use the “Everyone” setting to identify nearby devices and send unwanted or malicious files. While recipients had to manually accept transfers, the notification itself could contain misleading previews or social engineering prompts designed to trick users into accepting.

There are also more sophisticated attack scenarios. Security researchers have previously demonstrated that file-sharing protocols can be exploited to deliver malware payloads disguised as innocuous files, or to harvest device metadata during the discovery handshake. By removing “Everyone” mode, Google reduces the attack surface for these types of exploits. The change is particularly significant given Android’s massive global install base — over 3 billion active devices — which makes even a small percentage of vulnerable users a meaningful target population.

Impact on Everyday Users and Edge Cases

For the average Android user, the practical impact of this change is likely minimal. Most file-sharing interactions occur between known contacts — friends, family members, and colleagues — all of whom can still use Quick Share seamlessly through the “Contacts” visibility setting. The feature relies on Google account associations to identify contacts, so as long as both parties are signed into their Google accounts and have each other in their contact lists, the experience remains unchanged.

However, there are legitimate use cases that the “Everyone” option served. Conference attendees sharing presentation files with strangers, teachers distributing materials to students who aren’t in their contact lists, and retail or event staff sharing promotional content with nearby customers all relied on the universal discoverability mode. These users will now need to find alternative workflows — such as sharing via QR codes, links, or email — to accomplish the same tasks. It is a trade-off that Google has evidently decided is worth making in the name of security.

Quick Share’s Rocky Road to Maturity

The removal of “Everyone” mode is the latest in a series of changes to Google’s local file-sharing feature, which has had a somewhat turbulent history. Originally launched as Nearby Share in 2020, the feature was Google’s attempt to solve a problem that Android users had complained about for years: the lack of a simple, native way to share files between devices without relying on cloud services or third-party apps like SHAREit or Xender.

In January 2024, Google merged Nearby Share with Samsung’s Quick Share feature, unifying the two under the Quick Share brand as part of a broader partnership between the companies. The consolidation was intended to reduce fragmentation and create a single, consistent file-sharing experience across all Android devices. But the transition was not entirely smooth — some users reported confusion over the rebranding, and the feature’s settings interface underwent multiple revisions in subsequent updates.

A Broader Industry Shift Toward Default Security

Google’s move fits within a larger pattern across the technology industry, where companies are increasingly opting for restrictive default settings and removing features that, while useful, present outsized security or privacy risks. Apple’s AirDrop restriction was one high-profile example, but similar philosophies have driven changes in web browsers (the phaseout of third-party cookies), operating systems (default encryption on both iOS and Android), and communication platforms (end-to-end encryption becoming the norm rather than the exception).

The principle at work is what security professionals call “secure by default” — the idea that systems should ship in their most protected configuration, requiring users to actively opt into less secure modes rather than opt out of risky ones. By removing “Everyone” mode rather than simply burying it in settings or adding warning dialogs, Google is making a clear statement that universal device discoverability is not a feature it wants to support going forward.

What Comes Next for Quick Share

Looking ahead, the question is whether Google will introduce alternative mechanisms to address the legitimate use cases that “Everyone” mode served. One possibility is a PIN-based or QR-code-based pairing system that would allow two strangers to establish a one-time Quick Share connection without requiring either party to be in the other’s contact list. Such a system would preserve the convenience of local file sharing while adding an explicit consent step that the “Everyone” mode lacked.

Another avenue is deeper integration with Google’s ecosystem services. Quick Share could, for example, leverage Google Meet or Google Classroom connections to enable file sharing between participants who aren’t necessarily in each other’s contact lists but share a common context. These approaches would align with Google’s apparent goal of maintaining Quick Share’s utility while closing the security gaps that universal discoverability created.

For now, Android users who relied on “Everyone” mode will need to adapt. The change is rolling out server-side, meaning it does not require a software update and may appear at different times for different users. Those who haven’t seen the change yet should expect it in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the removal serves as a reminder that in the ongoing tension between convenience and security, the major platform makers are increasingly siding with the latter — even when it means taking away features that some users genuinely valued.