What is Nearby Share on Android and How to Use It

If there’s one thing I love about Apple, it’s the AirDrop service. Years of prayer finally got Google to offer a similar service on Android. Share with Nearby functionality has replaced Android Beam. Fortunately, things seem to have changed for the better. So what is Nearby Share on Android and how to use it? Find the answer here.

Say goodbye to emailing or texting yourself to make files available on your secondary Android phone. You can use Nearby Sharing for this. Whether you want to share files between your phones or someone else’s phones, Share with Nearby works for phones that are near you.

Without getting you too excited, let’s jump into the world of Share with Nearby on Android.

What is Nearby Sharing on Android?

If you have used AirDrop service at Apple, you must have some idea about Share with Nearby. But if you’re not familiar with it, Nearby Share is a service for sending and receiving files between nearby Android devices. The sender and receiver must be in the same room. For best results, devices should be kept close. Nearby sharing cannot be used to send files to remote people, such as a friend in a different state or city.

Nearby Sharing offers a clean, simple and user-friendly interface that even a novice can use. You can instantly transfer files between Android devices with just two or three taps.

What Devices and Files Are Supported

Sharing with Nearby works on any Android device running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and higher. To check your Android version, go to Settings > About > Android version. If the number is 6 or higher, your Android phone supports Nearby Sharing.

When it comes to file types, documents like photos, videos, PDF, links, APKs, contacts, etc. You can share any kind of data such as The files will be saved in the Downloads folders and the links will open in your default file. scanner.

How Nearby Sharing Works

For Nearby Sharing to work, the phone’s screen must be on and unlocked. Other than that, Nearby Sharing requires access to your Location and Bluetooth services. Android system will ask you to turn them on if they are off.

Sharing offers users various protocols for transferring files such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, and WebRTC. The best protocol is automatically selected by your devices based on the appropriate conditions. Nearby Sharing uses a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection to create an access point if there is no internet available, allowing you to share files even when you are offline. You can choose the data service to use in the Nearby Sharing settings.

How to Enable Nearby Sharing on Android

Nearby Sharing comes automatically to your Android device, provided your Google Play Services are updated. Learn how to update Google Play Services.

When you get the feature, you will find it under the share menu. So press Share button on any file and you will see Share Nearby in the menu.

Alternatively, open the Quick Access panel (with shortcuts to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) on your handset. Tap the Nearby Sharing icon.

If you don’t see the icon, tap on Quick access panel’s edit icon, search for Share Nearby. Drag the icon to the area of ​​visible icons.

How to Use Nearby Sharing to Send Files Between Android Phones

Here are the steps:

Stage 1: On the sending device, open the file you want to share. Tap the Share icon. Select Nearby Sharing from the menu.

Step 2: Your device name and Device visibility will appear. Tap on them to change them. You may need to turn on sharing. To do this, tap Open. Your phone will start searching for nearby devices.

Stage 3: Unlock the phone from which you want to import the file. You will receive a ‘Nearby device sharing’ notification. Tap to become visible.’ Tap the notification.

Step 4: With the first device still unlocked, tap the recipient name, which should appear in the Nearby Sharing panel.

Note: You can only share with one device at a time.

Step 5: The recipient will receive a notification asking for permission to accept the post. Tap on Accept.

How to Access Nearby Sharing Settings

To turn Sharing Nearby on or off or change its settings, follow these steps:

Stage 1: Go to Settings on your phone and tap Google. Tap on Device connections.

Step 2: Tap Share with Nearby. Activate the toggle at the top. You can change your name, device visibility and account details here.

Who Can Share Content on Nearby Post

If you’re worried about privacy issues with Nearby Sharing, don’t worry. Nearby Sharing lets you send and receive files without sharing your contact information, for starters. Only your changeable name will be visible.

You can control who sees your device when the screen is unlocked using the device visibility setting. You get three privacy options in Nearby Sharing – All contacts, Some contacts and Private.

• All contacts: When they enable Nearby Sharing, your device will be automatically displayed to all nearby contacts.
• Some Contacts: Only selected contacts will see your device. New contacts need to be activated manually.
• Private: None of your contacts can see your device. However, soon you will receive a notification that a device has been sharing, and if you want to be visible, start sharing.

Note: When the receiving device is locked, it cannot be seen by others.

Even though the device visibility setting suggests that you can only share files with contacts, I tried sharing with a device that didn’t include my number or email id. And it went smoothly. But my device didn’t show up right away. I got a notification that a nearby device was sharing it. Only when I tapped on the notification did my device become visible. This means Sharing with Nearby can work with non-contacts and in such cases the Private setting is used.

Does Nearby Sharing Work with Windows 10 and Other Devices?

No. Google’s Nearby Sharing is currently limited to Android phones. You cannot use it across platforms. Although Windows 10 comes with Nearby Sharing feature, it is different from Android. If you want to share files between Android and Windows, you can get help from file sharing tools or try other methods.

We are waiting for more

Nearby Sharing starts with a promising deal. A clean interface and fast sharing put other file-sharing apps to rest. I hope Google somehow manages to integrate Nearby Sharing with Windows 10 computers. Sharing with Nearby is coming to Chromebooks too. So we can hope for the best.

Next: Android also has an iMessage alternative. Learn what Android RCS messaging is and how to use it.