To transfer files across your devices, you may no longer need to get clearance from each other.
In order to publish articles like this one, I often utilise Apple’s AirDrop to quickly transfer a picture from an iPhone to my MacBook Pro, where I can edit and submit the image to complete the process. It’s a one-tap feature that hasn’t been accessible to Android users until now, but that may be about to change.
Google released Nearby Share, an over-the-air sharing feature for Android devices, in 2020. AirDrop and Nearby Exchange have many similarities, but the simplicity with which Apple device customers may share photographs and information across their various devices is one of the most important differences.
However, a senior technical editor at Android device management startup Esper, Mishaal Rahman, stated that a “self-share” option for Nearby Share is added in the newest version of Google Play Services. Allows you to transfer files across Google accounts without having to get permission from anybody else.
Android Police first discovered Rahman’s discovery.
In order to use Nearby Share, you must currently agree to get permission for every incoming file. That’s good if it’s a file from a person you don’t know or trust, but somewhat cumbersome if all you want to do is transfer a file from one of your devices to another one. Like AirPlay, Nearby Share seems to be a one-click solution for sharing photos from your phone to your computer without the need for any more action on your side.
According to rumours, both devices will need to be enrolled into the same Google account in order for the self-share capability to operate. Nearby Share’s range dictates that the devices must be within a foot of one another.
It’s not clear when this feature will be released, but Google I/O 2022 is less than a month away. If Google doesn’t release a new version of Nearby Share before then, the functionality may be introduced at the opening keynote of the developer conference on May 11.