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Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

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Re: Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

#71

Post by rconti »

netsharc wrote: post #2

Ah, makes me think of MacOS system 7 days. MacOS formatted the 3.5" disks with its own filesystem, so if you copied a file onto it, and put the disk in a Windows PC (or DOS?), the PC would go "Huh?". 3 decades later, hooray, now we can share files between Android and iPhone!

What does this have to do with System 7?

Operating systems have always used their own filesystems, and it persists to this day.

The only obvious exceptions that come to mind are iso9660 as a standard for CDs, and people generally go out of their way to use FAT/FAT32/whatever on USB keys and SD cards for compatibility with cameras or whatever device they're plugging the card into. But the latter is a choice users actively make to ensure the FS is compatible with the device, rather than a default.

Re: Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

#72

Post by babypuncher »

Angostura wrote: post #41
creaturemachine wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever since the iphone apple has been trying to make you believe files aren't a thing.

Because Apple realised that phone users are interested in photos, videos, contacts, documents, appointments etc. not files

A file system and its files are a very simple abstraction that lets us organize these exact things.

I understand that some people get confused and overwhelmed by a directory structure, but I see that as an education problem, not a UX problem. I was taught all of this in elementary and middle school computer classes in the '90s and early '00s. Having this knowledge early on made me less afraid of my computer, made it feel less like a magical black box, and gave me the confidence to learn more complex topics on my own.

Computers become way more capable when the people using them understand fundamentals like directory structures and command line usage. I don't think either of these things are as difficult to learn as reading, writing, and arithmetic (especially if you already have a base level education in those three things).

If more "everyday people" just had a little bit more knowledge about these things, they would be able to do way more with their computers with less of a reliance on proprietary solutions that funnel them down whatever path makes someone else the most money.

Re: Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

#73

Post by jampa »

alistairSH wrote: post #44

Is the benefit transferring "local" via BT instead of across the internet as a text message attachment? Because I do the latter plenty, but pretty much never AirDrop anything to anybody, even if they're sitting next to me.

I used them. Compression is an issue in other protocols (sending via WhatsApp, for example). Another benefit is that photos sent by Airdrop get automatically backed up. It also works well in areas with poor internet connectivity. For example, some beaches have weak cellphone signals due to their surroundings, so when meeting friends, we generally use Airdrop.

Re: Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

#75

Post by wkat4242 »

Angostura wrote: post #41
creaturemachine wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever since the iphone apple has been trying to make you believe files aren't a thing.

Because Apple realised that phone users are interested in photos, videos, contacts, documents, appointments etc. not files

iOS isn't just a phone OS.

Re: Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

#76

Post by emaro »

bochoh wrote: post #47

It seems that this is directional, flowing from Android to Apple but not necessarily back (e.g., me airdropping a photo to my parent who uses Android). I'd love for this to work in the other direction as well.

There's a gif on the blog showing file sharing in both directions. Apparently "Contacts only" sharing doesn't work yet, as mentioned in another comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45995586

Re: Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

#77

Post by rcMgD2BwE72F »

prmoustache wrote: post #19

Aren't most people just sending files over whatsapp/signal/whatever instant messaging apps they use?

Of course, only because Apple and Google did everything in their power to prevent people sending files directly between devices. When you have a duopoly that splits the population in two parts and they can't send files between them, of course users will rely on messaging apps to share stuff.

Short story: I did a long trip across two continent with my wife. Me with an Android devices, her on iOS. We did backup our photos in our own private cloud but guess how we had to quick exchange photos while in the wild (no wifi and sometimes no network)? We couldn't. Because Google and Apple did everything so we couldn't.

Google wants to your data and fought for the cloud. Apple don't want Android users to easily partake in some data exchange with iOS users (you gotta buy your ticket to their jail). So sad you don't realize how backward that is.

Re: Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

#79

Post by stavros »

fainpul wrote: post #36
hhh wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like what?

Like sharing your WLAN. It works great between iPhones, if you know how it works and the preconditions are fulfilled (it's undiscoverable). You can't share with Android devices by showing them a QR code – which I would consider the "usual" way and which is easy to do on Android devices. Edit: Here is the procedure I was talking about and all prerequisites for it to work: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102635

It has never worked for me on iOS. Everyone kept saying "I can just share the password" but the prompt never popped up, and there was no way to do anything.

Re: Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10

#80

Post by cosmic_cheese »

kotaKat wrote: post #48
OptionOfT wrote: post #5

The fact that I get excited about this is actually a good representation much vendor lock there is. We used to be able to send files over Bluetooth before the iPhone came out.

I miss being able to plug my phone (of any kind) in and getting it mounted as a drive letter. Android misses the mark so much with MTP and iPhone… waves frantically at iTunes . (At least, in a weird bizarre twist, the iPhone’s Files app is actually really useful for me. I find myself formatting flash drives, copying stuff from network shares, etc, all from my phone and it’s so nifty to have nearly-first-class feature…

MTP is really, really bad. I have a better experience managing files on iOS devices using Linux than I do managing files on Android devices using macOS simply because available MTP implementations are so awful.

I know that read/write conflict concerns are what got USB Mass Storage mode removed from Android, but surely there's some way to resolve that. Like it wouldn't bother me a bit if Android just locked the device and put it in "file transfer mode" when it's mounted on a computer, similar to how iPods used to and how Kobo e-readers do now. It'd be worth the universal robust multi-platform support.

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