The simple function that allows you to send any file from one mobile phone to another in a super fast way

iPhone users have been using a feature for years that allows this Send information from one of these mobile phones to other devices From Apple in a very simple, convenient and fast way: Airdrop. This protocol has been used at Apple since 2011, and its alternative for Android was born only recently.

Google has taken a long time to manage to build a version of this system for Android, perhaps because of its complexity or perhaps because of its Since the beginning, Android phones have been able to share files via Bluetooth, something Cupertino smartphones did not allow. However, a few years ago, the Nearby Share system was launched, which is similar to Apple’s Airdrop system. the problem? Few people know him.

This protocol Use of connections via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi To make file transfer easy, convenient and, above all, fast. The vast majority of current cell phones already have it, but few people use it when they want to send something to each other, using apps like WhatsApp, which compress information and make some files, such as photos, worse.

How to activate nearby sharing

To be able to use this system, you have to activate the option on your mobile phone, So that no one can send stuff if configured that way. When Nearby is activated, any nearby mobile phone can send something to the device that has Nearby turned on, but you’ll need to manually accept the reception. In this way, the system is avoided to be used to send unwanted files to strangers.

To activate Nearby Sharing you need to go to settings, then Bluetooth and devicesthen to Share with the neighborhood. When you enter this section, you must activate the option device visionBeside Notification display To know that someone wants to send something to our phone.

The only way to send files is through nearby devices and that Do not ask to confirm receipt is that they both have the same activated Google account. In this case, the system understands that it is the same person and does not ask for verification. This can happen, for example, between a mobile phone and a tablet belonging to the same person.

How to share files

The way to share files via Nearby devices on Android is as simple as doing it any other way. Just open the respective file and look for the share option, which contains a symbol with three dots linked by two lines. When we click on the share menu it will open.

There you should select a relative, which is usually among the best options. When we click there, we have to select the person we want to send the file to. The other person must accept the transfer The data transfer will start.

Sharing with computers

Although Nearby is designed to be able to send files between Android devices, whether they are tablets, mobile phones or other products currently It can also be used with computers, with Windows and Mac operating systems. Of course, we will need to install software on our computers to make them compatible.

In the case of Macs, what is required is to install an app called NearDrop. This software uses the computer’s Wifi and bluetooth to allow it to receive files. Currently yes It cannot be used to send files from your computer to your Android device. Although it is a third party software, its source code is in github It can be reviewed if you are concerned about security.

In the case of Windows, the process is even better, because Google itself developed the software that Allows to receive but also send files from the computer. Installing it in an unsupported country will force the use of the VPN, but it does not prevent it from working properly.

The neighborhood is getting better and better

This is Google’s communication protocol Fortunately, it wasn’t one of those projects that she ended up being abandoned After several months, he was buried a few years later. One of the first innovations was the ability to send files to multiple people at the same time. Recently, we’ve seen improvements in the nearby sharing features. One of the most useful was the ability to share entire folders, rather than forcing us to select files one by one.

Of course, in this case you want to use this option Better to use the Files app, the official Google File Browser. It seems that other browsers sometimes don’t allow sending folders to be used, even though they do allow individual files.

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