Thanks to Nearby Share, a new feature from Google, you can now very easily exchange files between a PC and an Android device placed nearby. And if the app is still in beta, it already works very well!
Since Windows 10, the Microsoft system has included a function called Proximity Sharing which, as its name suggests, allows you to quickly exchange files between two PCs by exploiting both the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections of the computers. A few clicks are enough to transfer a file between two fairly close PCs, which avoids having to connect to a network or go through the good old USB key (read our practical sheet).
But to be even more practical, there is still one brick missing from this function: the possibility of exchanging files with Android smartphones and tablets. A concept that Apple masters particularly well with AirDrop, which allows you to transfer files in the blink of an eye between all the brand’s devices (Mac, iPhone and iPad). And it is Google that has the initiative to apply the principle between Android and Windows. The firm had unveiled at CES in Las Vegas last year, the progress of its work on this function. And his arrival is precise. Google just upload a preliminary version of Nearby Share, an app for Windows 10 and 11, the function is already present by default in Android (see our article). Alas, French users do not seem to be allowed to download it from the official Google page yet. It does not matter since the barriers of the Internet remain quite fragile, it remains very easy to obtain the installation file in order to discover in preview the advantages of Nearby Share.
As for exchanging files with the Nearby Sharing function between two computers under Windows, Nearby Share relies on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to make the transfers. So remember to activate these connections on the PC and on the mobile. And it is necessary, of course, that the two devices are close enough to each other (less than ten meters) for it to work.
► Start by downloading the beta version of Nearby Share on your Windows PC and start the installation.
Download Nearby Share for Windows
► Don’t be surprised: the installer is called BetterTogether while the app is called Nearby Share. Confusion still reigns at Google but remember here that it is still a beta version, so not finalized. At the end of the installation, a window Connect to Nearby Share (Beta) is displayed. Click on the button To log in if you want to use your Google ID (there is no obligation) or Use without an account. For the example, we will use Nearby Share without a Google account.
► The next window allows you to configure nearby sharing. Here you can define the name under which your PC will be visible to Android devices. If the section Mail remains frozen, simply indicating that you can send files to any device that has enabled Nearby Sharing while visible, the section Reception allows some adjustments. So click on Person.
► You can now define who can send files to your PC. If you choose contacts Or Your devices, you will then need to log in with your Google account. The app will snoop through your address book to identify your contacts and your various Android devices connected to your Google account. For the example, we choose Everyone. An option that is best avoided, however, if you are in a busy place.
► Moreover, Google authorizes a subtlety. The app allows you to activate the function only for a few minutes or to let you choose to keep it active permanently (which is strongly discouraged since anyone in this case can send you unsolicited files at any time). When your choice is made, click on arrow pointing leftat the top of the window.
► Back to Nearby Share main interface, click OK.
Nearby Share is ready to work for both sending and receiving files. There are two methods to send a file to an Android device.
From the Nearby Share interface
► The first solution is to use the Nearby Share interface. Drag the file to send into the central area of the window.
► The app then searches for nearby devices that have activated the Nearby Sharing function and then lists them in the center of the window. Click on the device name where you want to send the file.
► On the recipient’s Android device, a notification indicates that a nearby device is sharing content. Press on the notification.
► A pane expands at the bottom of the screen. Press on the toothed wheel top right.
► Choose the visibility mode (by opting for Everyone). As before, the app indicates that this mode is temporary and limited to a few minutes. First press the upper left arrow then a second.
► The nearby sharing pane now allows you to receive the file sent. Push the button Accept.
► The file is immediately transferred to the Android mobile. All that remains is to open it to consult or modify it. Or leave it there for later use.
From the Windows context menu
► The other solution to quickly share a file from a PC is to go through the Windows context menu. Right-click the file you want to send, then choose Send with Nearby Share in the pop-up menu.
► The nearby sharing window then opens automatically and allows you to choose which device to send the file to as before.
Nearby Share is installed by default on Android. This function is one of the solutions offered when you want to share an item.
► On your Android smartphone, pull down the shortcuts pane with a finger swipe from the top of the screen to the bottom. Among the displayed shortcuts, find Nearby Sharing and press it.
► Toggle the switch Device visibility in the active position then choose Everyone. Validate by OK.
► Now go to the item you want to send on the PC. If it is an image, display it on the screen. If it’s another file, use a file manager like Files, from Google. Then press the button to Share common on all Android devices and symbolized by three dots connected by two lines.
► A pane expands at the bottom of the screen. It offers all the solutions to share your file (WhatsApp, SMS, Mail, etc.). Press the button instead Nearby Sharing placed just above.
► The PC that has activated Nearby Share is immediately visible among the possible recipients. Press on her name.
► On the PC screen, a notification is displayed. It warns of the request to receive a file from the sender Android device. Click on Accept.
► The file is immediately transferred. You can open it by clicking on the eponymous button. By default, received files are saved in the Downloads folder.
