Google’s Nearby Share is finally coming to Windows as a beta app. The company had previously shared plans to bring Windows at CES 2022, but it has taken over a year for the app to arrive on Windows. In its current state, the app allows Android users to share photos, documents, files and links between Android and Windows devices.
To get started, all that users need to do is install the Nearby Share app and configure it to start sharing files. At the moment, Google is supporting Windows 10 and newer, however, ARM-powered Windows devices will have to wait a little longer. While Google claims that the app is available in the US and most countries globally, several European countries won’t be getting access for now.
Nearby Share finally comes to Windows. | Source: Google
As for the app itself, outside of letting users share just about any type of file, you can set up Nearby Sharing to allow sharing with everyone instead of just your contacts. Sharing can also be limited to devices owned by a particular user. Files can be dragged and dropped into the app and the process is faster if both devices are signed into your Google account as the files are automatically accepted and transferred, even if your screen is off.
Windows isn’t short of pairing options with Android, with Microsoft’s Phone Link app being the premiere choice. However, the app has limited data-sharing capabilities, only being able to sync photos, notifications, SMSs and phone calls. It’s also most effective for Samsung devices. With the arrival of Nearby Share on Windows, however, it finally seems like data transfer options between Windows and Android devices are going to be better than finicky Bluetooth or USB connections.
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