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Google's new Nearby Share for Windows lets you share files with Android devices
Windows users who want to be able to share photos and other files with their Android phones or tablets can now do so courtesy of Google's Nearby Share for Windows. Officially accessible to 64-bit versions of Windows 10 and 11, the app helps you share a file between your PC and your Android device.
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Share for Windows started life as an app called Nearby Share, which allows you to exchange files between different Android devices. In April of this year, Google expanded the app's capabilities by releasing a beta version of Nearby Share that would let you also exchange files with Windows PCs.
The beta version apparently has been a hit, according to a Wednesday blog post from Ronald Ho, Group Product Manager for Android. The app has been installed by more than 1.7 million people, Ho said, with more than 50 million files transferred between Windows PCs and Android. Among all those files, photos and videos have been the most popular types for sharing.
Sharing files between different types of mobile devices and computers has always been tricky as each company provides its own unique method, typically with certain limitations. Apple offers AirDrop, but that works only with iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Windows itself comes with a Nearby Sharing feature, but that's used to share files between different computers.
Also: How to share your location on Android
Google has improved Nearby Share for Windows since its beta debut, Ho said. The app now displays an estimated time for each file transfer so you can see how long it will take. Plus, an image preview appears under device notifications so you can make sure that the right file is being shared.
Beyond offering the app via download, Google is also working with PC vendors like HP to add Nearby Share for Windows to select computers, such as the HP Dragonfly Pro.
How to download and use Nearby Share for Windows
Those of you who installed the beta version of Nearby Share for Windows should find the official release now nestled on your PC. Otherwise, browse to the Nearby Share for Windows website and click the Get started button to download the BetterTogetherSetup.exe file. After installing the program, fire it up from the Start menu.
Also: Is Windows 10 too popular for its own good?
First, try sharing a file from Android to Windows. For this, make sure the Nearby Share option is enabled on your Android device and that the device is visible to everyone or to your devices. In the Nearby Share app in Windows, click the drop-down field under the name of your PC and set it to Receive from everyone or Receive from your devices.
Open an app on your Android device from which you can share a file, such as Photos or Files. Open the file you want to share and select Nearby Share. The name of your PC should pop up on the screen. After a few seconds, the Nearby Share for Windows app will show the transfer of the file, after which you can open the file using the associated app in Windows. Any transferred files are saved in the Windows Downloads folder.
Next, try sharing a file from Windows to Android. For this, just drag and drop the file onto the Nearby Share for Windows screen or click the link for Select files or Select folders to select them from File Explorer. Thumbnails for images appear in the preview pane, while the name of your nearby Android device is displayed. Click the name of the device to kick off the transfer. Your Android device then confirms that the files have been shared.