Google is finally rolling out its Nearby Share content-sharing feature on smartphones running Android 6.0 and above.
For years, macOS and iOS users have relied on AirDrop to share files, passwords, and more, directly between their devices. Due to the vast variety of Android phone models and brands, it has been challenging to build a similar system among them. The Android community has longed for an easy way to share content with each other from their devices, so Google built it.
After years of development, Android is finally launching Nearby Share, a platform that enables users to share files, links, pictures, and more, across thousands of Android phone models reliably and easily.
Related | Google Adds 23 New Insects To Its AR Search Feature
The feature is now out to Android 6.0+ phones but will come to other platforms soon.
Nearby Share is simple to use. Just select the content you want to send, and pick the recipient from a list of devices that are in your proximity. After selecting the recipient, they will be notified with the option to either accept or decline the file.
Nearby Share will automatically choose the best way to share – Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, or peer-to-peer WiFi. This allows you to share content even when offline.
You won’t have to worry about exchanging contact information, as Nearby Share lets you send and receive files anonymously. However, you can also change your privacy settings from your device’s Quick Settings, to be “hidden,” visible to “some contacts” or visible to “all contacts.”
In the next few months, Nearby Share will work with Chromebooks so that you can easily share files between your Android phone and a Chromebook. The first smartphones to receive Nearby Sharing will be some Google Pixel and Samsung devices. Google will continue to work with partners to bring Nearby Share to other Android devices soon.
If you want to find out more about how to enable or use Nearby Share and change your visibility settings, you can check out this support article.
You might also like
More from Google
Google Product Studio Lets Merchants Create Product Imagery With Generative AI
Google is launching Product Studio, a new tool that lets merchants create product imagery for free, using generative AI. Google Product …
Google Will Delete Accounts That Have Been Inactive For Two Years
Google said it plans to delete account that have not accessed any of its services for two years, as part …
Google I/O Keynote Round-Up: All-In On AI
During its I/O keynote, Google showed off its latest advances in AI, across search, photo editor and Bard, its own …
Gmail Is Getting Blue Verified Checkmarks Too
A blue checkmark on Gmail means companies have successfully verified their identity through BIMI, showing they are a legitimate sender. It …
No More Passwords, Google Is Rolling Out Passkeys Globally
You no longer require a password to sign in on to your Google account, with passkeys rolling out to all …
Tech Companies Are Teaming Up To Free Us From Passwords
Apple, Google, and Microsoft are committing to expanded support for the FIDO standard to bring a passwordless future.
You Can Now Create Custom Voices With Google Cloud Text-to-Speech API
Google Cloud has announced a new feature within its TTS API that lets users generate a unique, new synthetic voice …
Google Replaces Classic Hangouts With Chat On Workspace
On March 22, users attempting to access Google's Hangouts chat services will automatically be redirected to Google Chat instead.
Google Rolls Out New Search Filters To All Users On Drive
Almost two years after introducing search chips into Gmail, Google has now announced the rollout of supportive filters to Google …
