YOUR Android phone has a clever feature to quickly share photos and videos. It’s called Nearby Share, and it’ll sound familiar to anyone with an iPhone. That’s because Nearby Share is Google’s alternative to the beloved Apple AirDrop. AirDrop launched back in iOS 7 as a way to quickly send files to nearby devices. It […]
YOUR Android phone has a clever feature to quickly share photos and videos.
It’s called Nearby Share, and it’ll sound familiar to anyone with an iPhone.
That’s because Nearby Share is Google’s alternative to the beloved Apple AirDrop.
AirDrop launched back in iOS 7 as a way to quickly send files to nearby devices.
It worked across iPhone and Mac, and quickly became the preferred transfer method for Apple fans.
AirDrop’s speed and ease of use made it a longstanding hit, and Android users have been clamouring for an alternative ever since.
Thankfully, Google launched its own Nearby Share in June 2020.
It lets you quickly send media to nearby Android phones in seconds.
We’ve put together a quick guide on how to use Nearby Share to send files or links to other Android devices.
First, make sure you’re using Android 6.0 or later – otherwise it won’t work.
Next, make sure Bluetooth and Location are turned on.
Then go to Settings > Google > Devices And Sharing > Nearby Share and toggle the feature to On.
To share content with someone, open the file then tap Share. It may appear as a symbol with two lines connecting three dots.
Tap Nearby, then hold your phone next to a friend’s device.
Now check Looking For Nearby Devices and tap the device of your choice.
Once the content is sent, tap Done.
If you’re receiving content from someone, you’ll get a notification.
Make sure your device is visible by tapping the notification.
You may be asked to turn Nearby Share, Bluetooth or Location on.
Then to receive the content, tap Accept.
You can also choose who can share content with you.
Swipe down from the top of your screen.
Then tap Nearby Share and choose one of three options.
Picking Everyone lets anyone attempt to share files if they’re nearby while your screen is on and unlocked.
Choosing Contacts will limit this to contacts only, and Hidden will only make your device visible if you choose to on a case-by-case basis.
Be very careful accepting files from strangers – you should generally decline unsolicited media or links.
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