Share files between your Android device & Windows computer

With Nearby Share, you can share:

• Images, videos, and documents between Windows computers and Android devices that are close together with Nearby Share.
• Files between your own devices or with people around you who also use Nearby Share.
  • When someone sends you a file, you’re asked to approve the request. When you share files, they’re encrypted.

Availability

In the US and most countries, Nearby Share for Windows computer is available. Support is currently not available in:

• Cuba
• Iran
• North Korea
• Syria

Device requirements

Important: ARM devices aren’t supported.

• A computer with a 64-bit version of Windows 10 and up.
• An Android device with Android 6.0 and up. Learn how to turn on Nearby Share on Android.
• Turn on Bluetooth for both devices.
  • If your Windows device doesn't support BLE Extended Advertising, other people may not find and share with you on certain networks.
• Turn on Wi-Fi or ethernet on both devices.
• Connect both devices to the same network.
• Make sure the devices are within about 16 feet or 5 meters of each other.

Set up Nearby Share for Windows

Important:

• If you use Nearby Share for Windows without an account, some options may not be available.
• Do not open the app as administrator.
• Upon download, you may receive a warning that the installer could be dangerous. As long as you download it from Google, the file should be safe.

1. Download and install Nearby Share onto your Windows device.
2. Open the app and sign in.
3. Under “Visible to others as,” select your device name.
4. Under “Receiving,” select who can share with you.
5. Click Done.

Update your sharing settings

1. On your computer, open the Nearby Share for Windows app .
2. At the top right, click Settings Device visibility.
3. Select your visibility:

• Everyone: Your device is visible to anyone nearby with Nearby Share turned on.
• Contacts: Your device is visible to your nearby contacts. You can choose to make your device visible to all contacts or select specific contacts.
• Your devices: Your device is visible to your devices with the same Google Account.
• No one: Your device isn't visible and others can’t share with you.

Tip: For a more private and secure sharing, sign in to your Google Account. Then, select Contacts or Your devices.

Send content to other devices

1. On your Windows computer, open the Nearby Share for Windows app .
2. Select the file you want to share.
   • You can also select Select files or select folders and find the file or folder you want to share.
3. Drag the file into the app window.
4. Select the device you want to share your file with.
   • If you get a PIN, make sure it matches the one on the receiver’s device.
   • If you can’t find it, make sure the device you want to send to is visible to your device.
5. Select Share.
6. Once the receiver confirms the share, your file is sent.

Tip: If you can’t drag and drop the file:

• You can also:
  1. Find the file.
  2. Right-click the file.
  3. Click Send with Nearby Share.
• You may have opened the app as an administrator. Make sure you do not open the app as administrator.

Get content from someone

Important: To receive files from someone, your device must be detectable to them. You can change your device’s visibility in Settings .

1. When someone uses Nearby Share to send content to you, you’ll get a notification.
   • If your Android device says “Device nearby is sharing”: Select Turn on to make your device detectable continue to step 2.
   • If it shows details about the sender: Select Accept or Decline.

2. Review the share request.

   • If you get a PIN, make sure it matches the one on the sender’s device.
3. To get the content, select Accept.
   • The file is saved to your “Downloads” folder.

Tip: If you share content between your own devices with the same Google Account, the receiver’s device accepts the transfer automatically.

About Nearby Share in background mode

When the app is either open in the background or open but not focused, Nearby Share can still receive files.

When you receive content and files when the app runs in the background, you still get notifications. You can accept content from the notification.

If you open the app from the background to foreground, you go back to the foreground flow.

Tip: When you click on the Nearby Share window when it’s open, it’s not yet fully closed. To fully close Nearby Share:

1. Right-click the tray .
2. Click Quit.

Troubleshoot problems when you share

Try these steps if:

• You can’t find other devices to share with.
• Someone wants to share with you but can’t find your device.
• The file transfer is very slow.
• The file doesn’t transfer to the other device.

Check your Wi-Fi connection

• Make sure both devices have Wi-Fi turned on and are connected to the same network.
• Some Wi-Fi networks, like those in offices, don’t allow device-to-device sharing. Instead:

1. On your phone, turn off Wi-Fi.
2. Turn on the hotspot.
3. Connect both devices to the hotspot.

Check other settings

• Make sure both devices have Nearby Share installed and turned on.
• Check the receiver’s visibility settings.
• Try different visibility settings on your own device.
• On both devices, make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
• Bring the devices within a foot, or 30 centimeters, of each other.
• Close and re-open the app:
  1. Close the app.
  2. Re-open it.
  3. Try to send the file again.
• On your phone:
  1. Turn Airplane mode on.
  2. Turn Airplane mode off.
• Restart your device.
• Wait until no one else is sharing content with the other device.

You don’t get a sharing notification

Important: To get notifications, turn off Focus Assist or Do not disturb.

1. On your computer, open Settings.
2. Click System Notifications & actions.
3. Turn on Get notifications from apps and other senders.
4. Under “Get notifications from these senders,” turn on Nearby Share.

Ask other users for help

If you have more questions, you can ask other users in the Android Help Community.

Related resources

• Share files from an Android device
• Share files from a Chromebook device