Google has introduced Android Nearby Share for Windows as a test program to transfer files between your Android handset and Computer, as announced at CES 2022.
Further details on Android Nearby Share
The Android Nearby Share Beta for Windows software is available as a direct download from android.com for Windows 10 and newer (64-bit version), with the caveat that “ARM devices are not supported.” Bluetooth and Wi-Fi must be enabled on your Laptop, with Google indicating a transfer proximity of 16 feet (5 meters) between devices.
It lets you “quickly transfer photos, videos, documents, audio files or entire folders between your Android device and Windows PCs.” Google positions it as being useful when you want to “edit your photos on a larger screen or organize your digital folders.”
Upon installation, you’ll be requested to login into your Google Account to adjust sharing choices, such as “only allowing your contacts to share with you.” But, there is also a “Use without an account” option. “Android Nearby Share Beta works with your Windows PC whether the app is open on the desktop or running in the background.”
You can share files using drag-and-drop or right-clicking on a file and selecting “Send with Nearby Share” with a Material 3 design for the window (with a blue accent). The app icon is a blue double helix.
In Windows, Android Nearby Share has the same device visibility controls as Android: Everyone, Contacts, Your devices, and No one. “Sending files to your own devices is even faster. As long as both devices are logged into your Google account, file transfers are automatically accepted – even if your screen is off.”
When you get a transfer, you can choose to Open or Reject it. According to Google, “all Nearby Share transactions are safeguarded by E2E encryption.” This beta is “rolling out in the United States and certain locations internationally,” according to Google. Currently, only Android (smartphones and tablets) and Windows Computers may be shared. In the future, Google claims it will “extend formal support to share content with additional Google ecosystem devices.”
Unfortunately, Android Nearby Share Beta for Windows PCs is not currently supported within the following regions: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Donbass, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
