After years of struggling, Google has finally brought an Airdrop alternative on Android. This feature, called Nearby Share, will be available on devices running Android 6 (Marshmallow) and higher. This feature uses Google Play Services to seamlessly connect to nearby devices; this is great as it won’t be a tedious tying process. However, the sought-after feature was not widely rolled out, as it required a server-side update from Google’s end. In this article, we will show you how to enable and use Nearby Sharing on Android devices. With that in mind, let’s go through the tutorial now without any delay.
Enable and Use Nearby Sharing on Android
Since Google has officially launched Nearby Share on Android, you don’t need to sign up for Google Play Services Beta or change other settings to get the feature. All you have to do is wait for Google to open the switch from the server side to enable Share with Nearby on your device. You can find out if Share with Nearby is enabled on your device here.
Note: This feature will be available to all smartphones running Android 6 (Marshmallow) and higher. Note that you need to turn on Bluetooth, WiFi, and Location Services to use Share with Nearby.
1. First of all, pull down the quick settings panel and tap to find Nearby Sharing status on your Android device. edit icon.
2. Now scroll down and check if the Share Nearby tile is there. If so, it means the feature is enabled on your device. Now, drag it to the quick settings panel.
3. Alternatively, Settings -> Google -> Device Connections. Share with Nearby will appear here if this feature is enabled on your device. You can also check it under Settings -> Bluetooth & Device Connection.
4. Now that you have confirmed the availability of the feature, you can get started. Simply tap the Nearby Sharing tile in the Quick Settings panel; An installation wizard will open. Here, tap onHungry“.
5. Share with Nearby now show all nearby devices who have this feature. You can tap a nearby contact and send a file just like this.
Note: If it doesn’t show any nearby device, don’t worry, continue to the next step. You can send files from the sharesheet menu I mentioned below.
6. If you want to customize Share with Nearby, tap your profile icon in the top right corner. you can here choose your device visibility by selecting all or some contacts. Then you can change your device name and also change how you want the data transfer to take place. Note that you cannot share files without saving the nearby user as your contact.
7. Apart from that, you can also transfer files directly from apps using Nearby Share. Open any application, for example the Files application, and select a file. Now, tap on the share button and share sheet menu will open. Here you will find the “Share Soon” option.
8. Tap on it and then select the nearby device. The buyer will receive a prompt. Tap on “Accept” and the file starts transferring without any time-consuming tethering. So you can use Share with Nearby feature on your Android device.
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My Experience with Share with Nearby on Android
In my experience the pairing process was a bit slow. I don’t know if the receiving device is Mi A1 running Android 9. Other than that, the transfer rate was low – about 3.7 mbps – which is very disappointing. But the most frustrating thing about Nearby Share on Android is, the sending device must be connected to a WiFi network (receiving device may be offline), eliminating seamless sharing while you’re on the go.
For your information, I am connected to the 2.4GHz WiFi network. Generally, Share with Nearby on Android slow file sharing process It will require significant improvements before it can compete with AirDrop.
Finally, Share With Nearby Is Available On Android
So you can enable and use Share with Nearby feature on Android. We all know that Google is rolling out new features at a glacial pace, so Nearby Share has yet to reach even a small fraction of Android devices. But then there is no other choice but to wait.
If you’re one of the lucky ones to get the feature early, go ahead and test Share With Nearby on your Android device. Anyway, that’s it for us. If you found the article helpful, comment below and let us know.
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