Android launches Nearby Share Beta for Windows app

Abner Li | Mar 31 2023 - 12:51 pm PT

Announced at CES 2022, Google has now launched Nearby Share for Windows as a beta app to transfer files between your Android device and PC.

The Nearby Share Beta for Windows app is available as a direct download from android.com for Windows 10 and newer (64-bit version) with “ARM devices not supported.” Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have to be enabled on your PC, with Google mentioning a 16-foot (5-meter) transfer proximity between devices.

It lets you “quickly transfer photos, videos, documents, audio files or entire folders between your Android device and Windows PCs.” Google positions it as being useful when you want to “edit your photos on a larger screen or organize your digital folders.”

After installing, you’re prompted to sign in to your Google Account to customize sharing preferences, “like only allowing your contacts to share with you.” However, there’s a “Use without account” option too.

Nearby Share Beta works with your Windows PC whether the app is open on the desktop or running in the background.

With a Material 3 design for the window (and blue accent), you can send via drag-and-drop, or right clicking on a file and selecting “Send with Nearby Share.” A blue double helix is used as the app icon.

Nearby Share on Windows features the same device visibility controls as Android: Everyone, Contacts, Your devices, and No one.

Sending files to your own devices is even faster. As long as both devices are logged into your Google account, file transfers are automatically accepted — even if your screen is off.

Top comment by Jay K.

Liked by 6 people

Works great!!

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When you receive a transfer, you have the ability to Open or Dismiss. Google says “all Nearby Share transfers are protected by E2E encryption.”

According to Google, this beta is “rolling out in the U.S. and select regions globally.” Currently, only sharing between Android (smartphones + tablets) and Windows PCs is supported. Google says it will “expand official support to share content with other Google ecosystem devices” in the future.

Nearby Share Beta for Windows PCs is not currently supported within the following regions: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Donbass, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

We’re seeing the download live in the US, but users in Europe (or at least France) are not being offered the website option. That said, once you get the file, there are no install limitations.

In January of 2022, Google also said Fast Pair was coming to Windows.