How to get Nearby Share Feature on any Android Device [Apple’s AirDrop Android Alternative]

Are you missing the Android Beam feature? If Yes, then I’m glad to tell you that Google is all set to bring a revamped version of it, dubbed as Nearby Share (or Nearby Sharing). Nearby Share was originally named as FastShare. As for now, the feature is available to the beta users. But, hurried users can get access to it, by downloading the Google Play Services Beta. Here’s the step by step guide by which you can get Nearby Share on your Android Smartphone.

Before diving into the process, let’s explore the Nearby Share. Basically, Nearby Share allows you to share files (including image, videos, APKs, etc.) between Android phones. It’s very similar to Apple’s AirDrop feature. According to AndroidPolice, Google set to knock up the Nearby Share feature to the Android Marshmallow 6.0 or later devices. Here’s the complete statement, “Our goal is to launch the feature with support for Android 6+ devices as well as other platforms.”

Not only this, but some users are also reported access to Nearby Share feature on Chromebooks. The feature has also been spotted on the latest Google Chrome’s Canary build. Want to access the Nearby Share feature on your Android smartphone. Let’s dive into the steps.

Download Google Play Services Beta APK (20.26.13)

As I mentioned earlier, you need to update the Google Play Services to the latest Beta. There are two ways to get the latest beta build. You can opt-in the beta program for Google Play Services on Play Store and update it to the latest version. But, I recommend the second method, in which you need to download the latest Google Play Services Beta APK from third-party websites like APKMirror. As the beta APK (or builds) have bugs, you can download the latest beta APK manually and easily revert back to the stable in case of any issues.

• Download Google Play Services APK (Beta) [20.26.13]

After downloading the latest beta APK of Google Play Services, sideload it on your smartphone like every other APK. Now, let’s see how to use Nearby Share feature on Android.

How to use Nearby Share Feature

After updating the Google Play Services to the latest beta. You can access the Nearby Share feature from Settings. You can search for Nearby Share in Settings. Or you can create a Nearby Share shortcut on Quick Settings under the Notification Panel. For this, you need to follow the below steps.

Note: Before using it, make sure to turn on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS on both devices.

1. Swipe down the Notification Panel on your Android smartphone.
2. Now click on the little pencil icon available in the bottom left corner in the Android 10 (or top right corner on the Android Nougat and Oreo).
3. Drag the Nearby Share tile from the unused tiles, if it’s available on your device.
4. That’s it.

Now, click on the Nearby Share feature from the Notification Panel or Settings. It will now show you the basic settings (like device name and visibility), before the actual use. The setup is very simple to choose the visibility to all contacts or some contacts, according to your need. Now you can start using Nearby Share for sharing files between two Android phones. Here are the steps.

1. Activate Nearby Share from the Notification Panel on the receiver device.
2. On the sender’s device, open Files by Google app to share any photo/video or other files.
3. Choose the file you want to send, tap on share icon, select Nearby Share option.
4. Here you want to tap on the nearby device on which you want to send the file.
5. Once done, tap the accept button on the receiver’s device.
6. That’s it.

That’s it. Now you can start sharing files between two Android smartphones using Google’s new Nearby Share feature.

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