Credit: C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
- Google and Samsung have come together to rebrand Nearby Share to Quick Share.
- The new Quick Share option will roll out to current Nearby Share-enabled devices next month.
- The companies are also in talks with PC makers to expand Quick Share to Windows PCs as a pre-installed app.
Google introduced Nearby Share in 2020 as an answer to Apple’s AirDrop. Most Android users might already be very familiar with the feature by now. For those who’re not, Nearby Share essentially allows you to share images, videos, files, links, and Wi-Fi passwords between Android, Chromebooks, and Windows devices. The feature is now getting a new name thanks to Google’s close ties with Samsung.
Nearby Share will now be called Quick Share. Those who use a Samsung phone will know that Quick Share is the company’s proprietary file transfer tool. It’s very similar to Nearby Share. Both solutions use Bluetooth Low Energy and Wi-Fi Direct to find devices close by and transfer files. However, unlike Nearby Share, Samsung’s Quick Share is only targeted at Galaxy users and doesn’t work with non-Samsung devices. There’s a workaround, but that involves additional steps.
