Nearby Share was officially announced in August of 2020 to let Android users locally send files from one device to another. Google is now “collaborating with Samsung” to create a “singular cross-Android solution” called “Quick Share,” and it begins rolling out next month.
Before today, Quick Share was the name of a similar Samsung feature first introduced with the Galaxy S20 and later made available on the company’s Windows laptops.
Google and Samsung are now combining their two efforts, with the “Quick Share” brand replacing “Nearby Share.” There’s a circular logo with two arrows in a blue and white color scheme that matches Google’s aesthetic.
In integrating the two experiences, Google says Quick Share is the “best default, built-in option for peer-to-peer content sharing across all types of devices in the Android ecosystem, including Chromebooks.”
Meanwhile, Google is “working with leading PC manufacturers” to make Quick Share a pre-installed app on Windows. LG was named as a partner today, with Samsung devices presumably also featuring it.
In terms of the end user experience, the current Nearby Share experience (settings, privacy controls, etc.) should not be changing beyond the new icon and branding. That said, the bottom panel has been replaced by a fullscreen UI after you tap the new Quick Share icon in the system Share sheet.
Officially, Quick Share is supported on Android 6.0+, ChromeOS 91+, and computers running a 64-bit version of Windows 10+.
Quick Share will start rolling in February to current Nearby Share devices, with all transfers working regardless of the name. Samsung devices should see an update from the Galaxy Store that replaces the old experience.
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