# Compatibility and verification record

**Last reviewed:** 2026-10-30. This matrix distinguishes product route support from physical evidence. A protocol implementation or one device result does not establish universal compatibility.

## Product routes and compatibility claims

| Route | What it does | Evidence / limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Nearby Drop Quick Share over local Wi-Fi | Connects the Mac app to compatible Android Quick Share peers; direct local transfer, no Nearby Drop cloud relay | Bidirectional physical test with one Pixel 8 Pro. Other models/router combinations remain unverified. |
| Nearby Drop Quick Share with one Windows peer | The Windows peer runs Google's Quick Share software; Nearby Drop remains a macOS app | Both directions passed with one Windows PC in a Debug test build. The packaged Release build was not separately device-tested. |
| Nearby Drop Mac-generated QR | Android scans a code shown by Nearby Drop and continues through the hosted Quick Share flow | Passed with a Pixel 8 Pro. This is a distinct route from Bonjour discovery; Google documents internet use and temporary encrypted server storage for its QR fallback on devices without direct AirDrop interoperability. |
| Nearby Drop Android-generated QR receive | Nearby Drop scans an Android-generated code and starts a receiving flow | Passed with a Pixel 8 Pro using the v2.3.2 Debug build; the current packaged build has not been separately tested for this route. |
| Android USB MTP | Browse connected phone storage and upload/download files or folders over USB | Browse, upload and download tested with Pixel and Nexus devices. ADB was used only to read back a phone-side hash. |
| Finder share extension | Send selected files into the app's outgoing workflow | Product route exists; no physical matrix for this implementation phase. |
| Direct Quick Share ↔ AirDrop | Google supports direct Quick Share/AirDrop exchange on Pixel 8a and later and selected Android models | This is Google's native interoperability route, not a Nearby Drop feature. Other Android devices use Google's QR fallback. Check Google's current [Pixel Quick Share guidance](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/9286773?hl=en-AS) for the current eligible-device list and route requirements. |

Google's QR fallback and Nearby Drop's own QR route must not be described as the same transfer path. Google's fallback may require internet and upload an encrypted file to Google for up to 24 hours before retrieval. Nearby Drop's Android-generated QR receive is a separately implemented route. Explain the route and cloud behavior before the user sends private or large files.

## Device evidence ledger

| Device / environment | Route and direction | Build evidence | Result | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pixel 8 Pro | Quick Share local Wi-Fi, Mac → Android and Android → Mac | App Debug; physical test | Passed | Other Android models, routers, or packaged Release behavior |
| Pixel 8 Pro | Nearby Drop QR send and Android QR receive | QR send physical; Android → Mac QR receive specifically v2.3.2 Debug | Passed | Packaged Release QR receive on all devices |
| Pixel and Nexus devices | USB MTP browse, upload and download | Physical tests; phone-side hash readback used ADB | Passed | Every USB controller/cable/storage format or large-file performance |
| One Windows PC | Quick Share to and from Nearby Drop | Final protocol Debug build | Passed | Other PCs, Windows/Quick Share versions, packaged Release |
| LTE-only hotspot | Discovery | Unstable mobile connection | Not verified | Cellular hotspot compatibility |
| Intel Mac clean install/upgrade | Signed DMG install and update | No Developer ID identity/credentials available | Blocked | Gatekeeper, notarization, and upgrade readiness |
| Apple silicon clean install/upgrade | Signed DMG install and update | No Developer ID identity/credentials available | Blocked | Gatekeeper, notarization, and upgrade readiness |

## Failure and UI matrix

| Scenario | Current status | Required evidence before release |
|---|---|---|
| Camera/local-network/Bluetooth permission denied | Not covered in the current regression suite | On both architectures, verify explanation, retry path and no broken local transfer state |
| No peer / Bonjour timeout / QR expiry | Bonjour search now times out after 15 seconds with a bounded result, retry, permission/network guidance and USB route; QR expiry is reported as a coarse discovery failure | Confirm route, fixed stage/code, useful recovery and no event per discovered peer on physical and packaged builds |
| Pairing rejection or malformed handshake | Protocol regression tests exist; physical rejection matrix incomplete | Verify user-facing message is safe, cancellation/failure classification is correct |
| Network change, sleep/wake, peer loss | Some state/protocol coverage exists; complete matrix not run | Repeat active send/receive and verify cleanup, retry, and one terminal result |
| Disk full / destination permission failure | Fixed safe error categories prepared; physical/full-disk run not done | Confirm completed files persist, partial file is removed or clearly marked, no silent overwrite |
| Duplicate names / partial batch | Incoming naming uses collision suffixes and exclusive create; batch matrix incomplete | Test repeated same names, mixed success/failure, and accurate per-item recovery |
| USB disconnect / MTP parser error | Cancellation and coarse reporting exist; physical disconnect matrix incomplete | Disconnect during browse, upload, download and folder batch; confirm UI recovery and completed files |
| Keyboard-only / VoiceOver / narrow window | Not audited in this pass | Verify visible focus, accessibility labels/status, resizable windows and compact layout |
| Dashboard keyboard and no-data states | Semantic tables, explicit empty states and focus rules implemented; browser audit pending | Check keyboard navigation, screen reader output, small viewport and high contrast |

## Performance record

No real-world performance benchmark is claimed. Prior loopback tests exercised encrypted protocol behavior and transferred payload bytes; those are regression fixtures, not a network-speed measurement. Diagnostic output no longer prints loopback throughput. A future benchmark must record Mac model/chip, OS, phone/PC model and OS, route, cable/network, file count, payload size, storage destination, elapsed time, and repetitions. Report median and spread; never promote loopback speed as real-world performance.

## Release evidence rule

The release website should publish only the evidence in the ledger above and should identify Debug-versus-packaged-build limits. Add a new row for every device/OS/route/build/date. Do not convert the single Pixel or single Windows PC into a universal compatibility claim. Signed/notarized distribution remains blocked until real install and upgrade checks pass on Intel and Apple silicon.