Back in 2011, when Apple launched the AirDrop feature for iPhone and Mac, since then, Android has gone through several iterations to create a feature just like AirDrop, but none of them reaches the same simplicity level like AirDrop. A year ago, we told you, Google started working on a feature to quickly share content in between devices. Now, although, that time the feature was called Fastshare but later was renamed to Nearby Share. Now, Google recently has said, they started rolling out the Nearby Share feature to all the devices running on Android 6 and later.
Just like AirDrop, if you want to send a file using this feature, then, all you have to do is, provoke the Android’s Default Share Quick Settings where now you have the Nearby Share option. Just tap on the same option to search for a Nearby Device to share the file.
Type of Contents you can share using the Android’s Nearby Share Feature
You can share a variety of content in between devices sporting this feature. These variety of contents, on the other hand, includes Files, Links, Pictures and more.
Nearby Share Also Works Offline and has Strict Privacy Options
Android Nearby share also works offline and have different privacy options as well. For example, say you want to receive files only from the contacts saved in your phone. Well in that case, you just have to select the All Contacts option present inside the Device Visibility section under the Nearby Share feature settings.
Now although you can find who is sharing a file to you but this feature also has options to send a file anonymously.
The Transfer Protocol Nearby Share Feature is Using
Coming to the Sharing method, Nearby Share automatically chooses the best method (for example, sharing using Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, Peer-to-Peer WIFI) to use in between the two devices to transfer the file as fast as possible.
How Nearby Share Feature Icon looks?
The Nearly Share Icon looks like interweaved threads and you can spot in on different place in your device. For example, In the Quick Settings Pane, Android Default Sharing Pane and so on. Below I have attached the photo of Nearby Share Icon.
Nearby Share Availability in Devices
Now, although Google is rolling out this feature to Android 6 and later via Google Play services and not via the OS update, they promised to bring it also on Chromebooks in coming months. However, In one of our earlier post, we explained this feature may become a cross platform service.
Select Google Pixel and Samsung Devices are the first ones to taste this feature and in coming days all devices that falls under the Android 6 and later ecosystem will get this feature.