Hello friends! It’s no secret that iPhones have had a dedicated file-sending system for some time now, better known as AirDrop. In the case of Android phones from 2020 we have what would become its equivalent called Nearby Share. a simple way to share files between devices using technologies such as Bluetooth, WebRTC, and direct Wi-Fi connectivity. Google promised us last year that Nearby Share would come to Windows and now, with a slight delay, the promise has been half fulfilled. In this post, we will explain how to send files between your Android phone and Windows using Nearby Share. Thanks to this technology you will be able to share files between your Android phone and PC more conveniently.
Nearby Share now available for Windows
It is finally possible to send and receive files to a Windows PC using Nearby Share. The most “universal” way to share files with Android. Even if only on Android mobiles with Google Services. It is worth noting that Windows 11 has a functionality of the same name, Nearby Share. But it should not be confused as it is not the same as what we have in the Android system. The Windows 11 one is for sharing files between different Windows devices.
Follow the steps below to install the Nearby Share client on Windows:
First step
To start using Google’s Nearby Share on Windows we are going to need to install an app. You can download the Nearby Share app for Windows from the official Android website by following the link below:
Android | Nearby Share Beta for Windows
Second step
Then once the download is finished you just need to run the file and the whole process will be automatic.
The configuration is very simple, as you just have to log in with your Google account and choose the name you assign to the PC and the privacy settings. Specifically, you can choose to receive files from your contacts (the default option), from anyone, from your devices, or from no one, which “hides” the device.
Once the settings are complete, you can ignore the application, as it will continue to run in the background. From now on, our computer will appear in the list of available devices when we use the Nearby Share feature on our Android phone or tablet.
How to send files from your Android device to your PC using Nearby Share
Once you have installed the app on your PC now you can start sharing files if you want to know how to do it follow the steps below:
First step
The first thing is to find the file you want to send, it can be from your gallery or your gesture files.
Second step
Then once you have located the file just press the “Share” button to see the contextual menu with all the available options.
Third step
After that, tap “Share with Nearby”. Note that Nearby will temporarily activate your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection, tap the “Turn on” button if necessary.
Nearby Share 
Nearby Share
Fourth step
Finally, select the destination device to which the file will be sent, in this case, your PC.
When we send a file to our computer, we are notified with a notification, but otherwise, we don’t have to do anything: the transfer is automatic. We will receive another notification when that happens.
We can also send files to cell phones from Windows, both from the main application window and from the File Explorer context menu.
Nearby Share allows us to transfer photos, videos, documents, audio files, entire folders, as well as clipboards from our mobile to Windows and vice versa. This is a beta version, but the truth is that it worked quite well during our tests. Thanks for reading us. Bye bye!
