Whether you want to share photos, links, files, and more with others nearby or even across your devices, there is a way to do it. Apple has AirDrop, so folks can seamlessly send almost anything to other nearby Apple devices with just a few taps. Google’s Android equivalent is a feature called Nearby Share, and it works across Android phones and tablets, Chromebooks, and even Windows computers.
Nearby Share searches for devices in close proximity, then chooses a protocol to use depending on what you’re sending and what your connectivity is like. For example, it will use peer-to-peer Wi-Fi if you’re completely offline, but other sharing protocols include Bluetooth, hot spot, WebRTC, and more. Here’s how to make use of it.
Updated October 2023: We refreshed this guide to reflect changes in Android and added instructions for using Nearby Share with a Chromebook or Windows PC.
Does Your Phone Support Nearby Share?
Android used to have a sharing feature called Android Beam, which let you bump the back of two phones together (if both devices had a near-field communication sensor) to send photos, files, and more. It never became as well known as AirDrop (which launched the same year). Google killed it in 2019 with the intention to replace it with Nearby Share.
Nearby Share only works with phones that support Android 6.0 or higher, which is a version of the operating system released in 2015. If you have a phone from 2015 or newer, there’s a very good chance your phone will be able to use it. To check, head to your phone’s Settings menu, scroll down to About Phone, and you should be able to see the Android version. If the number is 6 or higher, you’re good to go.
Photograph: Google
Note: Some of our instructions might not be exactly the same on your Android phone, as manufacturers like Samsung tend to tweak the Settings menu to look a little different.
How to Turn On Nearby Share
The easiest and universal way to find Nearby Share is to head to your phone’s Settings menu, scroll down to Google, and tap on Devices and sharing. You should see Nearby Share. The other way to find it is through Settings > Connected devices > Connection preferences > Nearby Share, but this is where the menus might look different based on your phone. You can always search the settings menu for Nearby Share.
Sticking with the first approach of finding it in the Google section of your Settings menu, tap on Nearby Share. You can change your Device Name and choose your Device Visibility. If you don’t want to share your name when sending files or photos with other nearby devices, then it’s a good idea to change your device name to something more nondescript.
In terms of Device Visibility, you have three options:
- Everyone: Choosing the first option means your phone will be visible to anyone nearby with Nearby Share turned on, and you’ll see devices near you with Nearby Share open.
- Contacts: You can share with everyone in your contacts list by default, but if you toggle Visible to all contacts off, you can toggle on select people in your contacts list to use Nearby Share with.
- Your devices: Only other devices that are also signed into the same Google account as you will appear as sharing options.
There is a big caveat with Nearby Share. To use it, you’ll need to have the email addresses for all your contacts (the one they use for their Google Account) stored in their contact information. Alternatively, if your contact has verified their Google Account with a phone number, you’ll be able to use Nearby Share with them. To connect your phone number to your Google Account, head here on your phone and toggle on your device. It might take some time to authenticate.
Back in the Nearby Share settings, you can also choose whether you want to send stuff via Data, Wi-Fi Only, or Without Internet. If you don’t have an unlimited data plan, it might be a good idea to choose the latter two options.
How to Use Nearby Share With Phones
Whenever you want to share something with a friend or family member nearby, whether it’s an address in Google Maps, a photo, a file, or a web link, simply tap the share button, and from the Share Menu, find and tap on Nearby Share. Your phone will start searching for devices nearby that you can share with.
The person you’re sharing with will need to be relatively close, and they may need to tap on a pop-up notification to become visible to you. You and the person you’re sharing stuff with may get a prompt to turn on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Location if they aren’t on already. The share prompt may show their profile picture and device name, and will have a PIN that appears on both screens so you can be certain you’re sharing with the correct device.
Once they’re visible, tap their device name (they will need to accept), and that’s it! The sharing process will begin and should take only a few seconds, depending on what you’re sending.
How to Use Nearby Share With Desktops or Laptops
Nearby Share also works on Chromebooks and Windows PCs, allowing you to quickly send stuff from your phone to your laptop or desktop with just a few taps. Let’s look at Chromebooks first:
- Open Settings on your Chromebook.
- Select Connected devices.
- Choose Set up next to Nearby Share.
- You can choose a name for your Chromebook, decide on Device Visibility, and choose who you want to be able to share with (All contacts, Some contacts, or Hidden).
To use Nearby Share with Windows, you need a computer running a 64-bit version of Windows 10 or later with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on. Here’s how:
- Download and install the Nearby Share app for Windows.
- Open the app and sign into your Google account.
- You can choose a name for your PC, decide on Device Visibility, and choose who you want to be able to share with (Everyone, Contacts, Your devices).
You can now send files and links from your Android phone to your desktop or laptop and vice versa. To send files from your Windows PC, simply drag and drop them onto the Nearby Share app, or right-click and choose Send with Nearby Share.
