Nearby Share is an app that lets you wirelessly share photos, videos, documents, and other content between your Android device and your Windows computer via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Developed by Google, this app offers a fast, easy, and secure file transfer solution for Android and PC users.
This feature is available on Google’s mobile and desktop operating systems, namely Android, ChromeOS, and Windows. With Nearby Share, users can easily share files and links between their devices without the need for a wired connection.
Nearby Share was first released by Google on August 4, 2020. Since then, this feature has grown and become popular among Android users. Google has also introduced Nearby Share support for Windows, allowing smartphone users to share files or documents with a Windows-based PC or laptop wirelessly.
The Nearby Share feature is very similar to Apple’s AirDrop which allows iOS users to share content between devices. Nearby Share uses Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, UWB, and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi technologies to facilitate data transfer between devices.
This feature allows you to send files such as photos, videos, documents, and links from one device to another easily and quickly.
Pros of Nearby Share
- Transfer with Ease: Nearby Share lets you quickly send and receive different types of files between Android devices and Windows computers. Whether you want to send photos, videos, audio, or entire folders, Nearby Share can handle this task smoothly.
- Larger View: With Nearby Share, you can easily edit photos or organize your digital folders with a larger screen view on your PC. This makes it easy to manage content and make more detailed edits.
- Secure Transfer: Security is a top priority in Nearby Share. You can safely transfer photos, videos, documents, and other content directly to your PC without worrying about your data falling into the wrong hands. You can send entire folders with just a few taps.
- Take Files Anywhere: Nearby Share allows you to leave the habit of emailing yourself. You can easily send files from your PC to your Android device and take them anywhere conveniently.
How to Use Nearby Share
To use Nearby Share, you need to follow these simple steps:
1] Download and Set Up the App
Make sure you have downloaded and set up the Nearby Share application on your Windows computer device. You can download the Nearby Share app on the official website.
Once you’re ready, all you have to do is make sure that the app is visible to your Android device and start sharing.
Nearby Share comes preinstalled on Android 6+ devices, so you don’t need any additional apps on your device.
2] Make sure the connection is active
Make sure your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on both devices to use. Nearby Share uses both of these technologies to communicate, so it’s important to make sure that both are on.
On your PC, launch the Nearby Share app and make sure that it’s visible to your Android device before you start sharing.
On Android devices, you can activate the Nearby Share feature by:
- Go to “Settings” on your Android device.
- Select the “Connected Devices” or “Connection &; sharing” option depending on the version of Android you are using.
- Inside these settings, you’ll find the option “Nearby Share.” Select this option.
- Turn on the toggle to activate Nearby Share.