Google’s Nearby Share, a feature that has simplified file transfer between Android devices, has now extended its reach to Windows systems. This article will guide you through the ins and outs of Nearby Share for Windows, and how it stands as Google’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop.
Google’s Nearby Share, initially designed for uncomplicated file transfer between Android smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks, has now been made available for Windows systems. The final version of Nearby Share for Windows has now been released.
The application for wireless transfer between Android devices and PCs can now be downloaded for free for Windows. It requires a Windows computer with a 64-bit version of Windows 10 or higher, active Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. However, ARM devices are not supported by Google. On the Android side, Nearby Share, available since 2020, is automatically installed on devices with Android 6 or higher, eliminating the need for an additional app download.
Since the beta launch in March this year, Google has reported continuous improvements in transfer speed and reliability for Android. The updates released over time have reduced the number of crashes and increased successful transfers. With the official availability for Windows systems, Nearby Share brings two optimizations.
The application now displays an estimated remaining time until the completion of the file transfer on Windows. This feature is particularly useful when transferring large files or entire folders. According to Google, photos and videos are the most popular file formats for transfer, with over 50 million identified since the beta version for PCs was available. Nearby Share has been installed over 1.7 million times since its initial release for Windows.
The second update pertains to notifications on Windows. Users now receive a visual preview during the transfer of images in the “Notification Center,” ensuring the correct photo has been selected and transferred.
Google has also announced that it will continue to work on further improvements for Nearby Share. In collaboration with partners, Google plans to offer Nearby Share pre-installed on Windows systems. HP’s Dragonfly Pro is one such example mentioned by Google.
