Nearby Share: How to Transfer Files Between Two Android Phones

Better late than never. Android’s file sharing, Nearby Share is finally here.

Advertisement
By Aman Rashid | Updated: 9 September 2020 20:49 IST
Highlights
  • Nearby Share enables quick file transfers between two Android phones
  • The feature is similar to Apple’s AirDrop
  • Phones on Android 6.0 or higher support Nearby Share

Nearby Share relies on both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for quick file transfers

For almost a decade, Apple users have had AirDrop that allows users to share files between Apple devices in a jiffy. Now, Google has also come up with its own version of AirDrop for Android called Nearby Share. Google has been working on this new file sharing feature since 2019 and now it is finally available for a bunch of Android smartphones. In this guide, we tell you everything you need to know about Nearby Share on Android.

Nearby Share: Supported devices

Google says, Nearby Share is available for phones on Android 6.0 or higher. To check if your Android phone supports this new feature, follow these steps.

  1. Go to your phone's Settings > scroll down a bit > select Google.
  2. Tap Device Connections.
  3. If your phone does support Nearby Share, you'll find the option on the next page.
  4. Now go ahead and Tap Nearby Share to customise its settings.
  5. You can turn it on or off. You can also select your Google account as well as set the device name. Moreover, you can also set your device visibility, along with having a control on the data usage.

Nearby Share: How to use and transfer files

Whether you want to share a photo, a video, an app from Google Play or even your location from Google Maps, Nearby Share can handle it all. Wherever you spot the Share button on your Android phone, you can use Nearby Share. To know how to share files using Nearby Share, follow these steps.

Advertisement
  1. Open the file that you'd like to share > tap the share icon > tap Nearby Share. Your phone will now start searching for devices nearby.
  2. The person you're sending the file to will also need to enable Nearby Share on their Android phone.
  3. Once your phone detects the receiver's phone, you simply tap their device name. Simultaneously the receiver will need to tap Accept on their phone to start the transfer.
  4. Within a few moments, depending on the files you have shared, the transfer will be complete.

This is how you can share files between two Android phones using Nearby Share.

Advertisement

For more tutorials, visit our How To section.


Is Android One holding back Nokia smartphones in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Sister Midnight Streaming Online: Everything You Need to Know
  2. A 'Wet Lava World' Defies Expectations Around a Distant Star
  1. Secret Rain Pattern May Have Driven Long Spells of Dry and Wetter Periods Across Horn of Africa: Study
  2. Sister Midnight Out on OTT: Know Where to Watch This Radhika Apte-Starrer Online
  3. JWST Detects Thick Atmosphere on Ultra-Hot Rocky Exoplanet TOI-561 b
  4. Scientists Observe Solar Neutrinos Altering Matter for the First Time
  5. Uranus and Neptune May Be Rock-Dominated Planets, Study Suggests
  6. Kepler and TESS Discoveries Help Astronomers Confirm Over 6,000 Exoplanets Orbiting Other Stars
  7. Supernatural Thriller Jatadhara Arrives on OTT: Where to Watch Sonakashi Sinha-Starrer Film Online?
  8. OnePlus 15R Confirmed to Come With 32-Megapixel Selfie Camera, 4K Video Recording Support
  9. Rocket Lab Clears Final Tests for New 'Hungry Hippo' Fairing on Neutron Rocket
  10. Apple Rolls Out iOS 26.2 Update for iPhone With Liquid Glass Customisation, Changes to Apple Music, and More
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.