After more than a year of Google announcing Nearby Share at CES 2022, the search giant has finally released Nearby Share for Windows PCs. It’s currently in beta, but in my testing, Nearby Share worked flawlessly on my Windows 11 PC. With Nearby Share, you can finally share files between Android and Windows without any restrictions, and the transfer speed is pretty good too. You no longer need to use third-party solutions to transfer files between devices and platforms. Now, to use Android’s Nearby Share feature on a Windows PC, follow our detailed tutorial below.
Share files between Android and Windows with Nearby Share (2023)
In this article, we have added all information about how to start Nearby Share on Windows 11. From the requirements to the most important settings, we have included everything in this tutorial.
Things to consider before using Nearby Share on a Windows PC
1. To use Nearby Share on a PC, you must Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support on your Windows computer. And both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi should be turned on.
2. To get better transfer speed when using Nearby Share on Android, make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (preferably also on the same Wi-Fi channel). Otherwise, it defaults to Bluetooth, which offers slow transfer speeds.
3. Nearby Share is only available on Windows 11 and 10 runs on 64-bit x86 architecture. It currently does not support ARM-based PCs. You also need an Android device running Android 6.0 or higher.
4. Nearby Share on Windows is available in most regions worldwide except in some countries. You can see the list of unsupported countries here.
5. In order for Nearby Share to work properly, both devices should be in close proximity. within 5 meters or 16 feet apart.
How to set up Nearby Share on your Windows PC
1. First, go to this link and click “Get Started”. Download the Nearby Share app on your Windows PC.
2. Next, launch the setup file and let it install.
3. Once Nearby Share is installed, you will be prompted to do so “Register‘ with your Google account. Incidentally, you can also use Nearby Share without a Google account.
4. After clicking the Sign In button, you will be directed to a browser window where you need to select your account and sign in.
5. Switch back to the Nearby Share app once you are logged in. Set a name for your PC, which is visible to others. Also, only “Contacts” can share files with you by default, so that’s okay. Finally click on “Completed” Here.
6. If you use Nearby Share without a google account, choose Receive from All. This will keep your Windows PC visible to others for a few minutes. After some time, your PC will be hidden. Note that you have to approve the requests manually.
Share files/folders from Android to Windows with Nearby Share
If you have followed the steps in the section above, you can now seamlessly share files between your Android phone and a Windows 11/10 PC. To show you how it works, let’s look at a short demo:
1. First, open a photo, video, file or document on your Android device and after selecting the desired file, tap on the “Share” button. After that select “Share nearby” Possibility.
2. On your Android phone, the Windows PC will now appear. Tap on it.
3. Open the Nearby Share app on your Windows PC and accept the request. And that’s it.
4. The file will be instantly transferred from your Android phone to your Windows PC. According to my tests over a 5 GHz WiFi connection, it is took about 42 seconds to transfer a 220MB file. The effective transmission speed was about 4.8 Mbpswhich is pretty good.
5. By the way, Nearby Share app is active under the taskbar at any time. You can open the Nearby Share app and accept all requests easily.
6. The file/folder you are sharing from your phone to your Windows PC will appear under “Downloads” folder by default.
7. If you want to change the default save location, click “Ideas” icon in the upper right corner and change the destination for received files.
7. If you don’t want to agree the requirements every time you transfer a file, change “device visibility” to “your devices”. For this to work, you must be signed in with the same Google account on both your Android phone and Windows PC.
Share files/folders from Windows PC with Android using Nearby Share
Aside from quickly sharing files from your Android phone to your Windows PC, Nearby Share app supports the opposite as well. That said, here’s how it works:
1. Google also has a handy “Send” option in the right-click context menu on Windows 11 and 10. It makes sharing Windows PC to Android device much easier. So, to use Nearby Share on PC, right click on any file or folder and select “Send with Nearby Share.”
2. This will open the Nearby Share app. Click here for yours Android device to send the file. If your phone doesn’t show up in Windows, open the Nearby Share notification on your Android device.
3. On your Android phone, you must accept the request. That’s all.
4. The file will be transferred immediately. In our test was the speed about 4.5 Mbps when sending the file from windows pc to my android phone.
Seamlessly use Nearby Share on PC
So, these are the steps you need to follow to use Nearby Share on Windows PC. I tested it several times and it worked without glitches, which is great. I love that Google added a Nearby Share option to the Windows 11 context menu. Anyway, that’s all from us. If you’re looking for the best free and open source software for Windows 11, follow our curated list. And to use the new Intel Unison app on Windows 11, which can view your photos and messages, answer/make calls and transfer files between Android and Windows devices, go to our linked guide. If you have any questions, let us know in the comment section below.
