Proximity Sharing, or Nearby Sharing, has been on our mobiles for two years now, thinking of itself as Android AirDrop and receiving regular improvements to make it more useful. The latest current update will make it even easier to send files between Android mobiles.
With Share with nearby, it was already possible to send files before, but the difference that Google is testing means that we don’t need to open an additional application: everything goes from quick setting in notification panel. It’s new to testing, albeit with many ballots to eventually reach users.
Send files with Nearby Share and nothing else
Nearby Share wants to be the universal way to send things between Android phones, with or without data and between your own devices or not, as long as they’re nearby. Initially it was presented as a way to send stuff that apps might take advantage ofbut now it’s testing to make it even easier to send files, without having to go through an app first.
Since its creation, Sharing with Proximity integrated with Files by Google to allow sending files from the Sharing tab, although this requires a few steps beforehand and may not be as intuitive as expected. The novelty in the tests, which can be seen in this tweet, speeds up the process.
Google is testing a “Send” shortcut in the bottom sheet of Nearby Sharing that lets you quickly select files (using the Files by Google app) to share with others. This shortcut will appear when you tap the quick setting tile for Nearby Sharing.
H/T @Google_nws pic.twitter.com/HRMj9gL4rh
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) December 2, 2022
Instead of opening Google Files, go to the tab To share and press Submitsoon we will be able to tap on the Share with nearby icon in the quick settings of the mobile and, in the panel that appears, tap on Send, a button at the top with the Google Files icon. Tap it to open the file picker -powered by Files- to choose a file to send. Then it’s time to search for the nearby device we want to send it to and complete the process as always.
This file upload is still based on Google Files, although taking into account that the application is pre-installed on recent mobiles, becomes a de facto universal and fast way to send files between nearby mobiles without having to go through apps, simply from the quick settings of the mobile. At the moment the novelty is not active for users and is not mentioned in the news of Google services for December, so it could arrive later.
Through | Mishaal Rahman
