Finally. I can’t hide my excitement: I’ve been waiting for years for a real response to AirDrop on Windows. In 2020, Google launched Nearby Share as a direct competitor to Apple’s file transfer system. Share files with nearby devices, in a few seconds and via wireless connection. There have always been similar alternatives on Windows, but none quite as good as AirDrop or Nearby Share.
This last function, developed by Google, is being integrated into Windows. It’s currently in beta, but we’ve already been able to install and test it on our computer. We show you how Nearby Share works and how it can completely change the way you send files between PC and mobile phone.
How to set up Nearby Sharing?
Currently Nearby Share is a Google app, not a native Windows feature. Therefore, we will have to install the corresponding application on our computer. We can download it from the website, but it will most likely tell us that it is not yet available in our area.
The solution is simple: bet on the direct download of the package. After installing the package, we will proceed to install Nearby Share. It is a lightweight application that consumes minimal resources. The only requirement is that we use Windows 11 or Windows 10 64-bit. You will also need a Google account to launch the app.
How to use Nearby Sharing in Windows
Nearby Sharing works both ways: we can send and receive files from PC to mobile. We just need to open the app, at that moment we will be ready to receive the files shared by Nearby Share from an Android phone and also. drag files to windows app to send to android.
Therefore, it will be enough to simply drag (or select from the desired folder) files to copy them to our phone. The link with the Google account allows the device to be registered in our list, as only the devices, registered contacts, etc. we can choose to send us files. In this way, we protect ourselves from an unknown person offering to send us files.
On the Android side, we have to go to the file we want, open the share menu and Click “Share with Nearby”. Our computer will appear and we can send the file quickly.
One of the biggest advantages of Nearby Sharing is that it allows us to send entire folders, so we can easily send any type of file. The transfer rate is still slightly slower than AirDrop, at least in our tests. However, the convenience of integrating this functionality almost as if it were native is an addition we appreciate.
Image | Google
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