Use Quick Share on your Android device

With Quick Share, you can immediately send and receive files from devices close to your location.

Important:

Adjust Quick Share settings

  1. At the top of your screen, swipe down.
  2. Tap Quick Share .
    • If you can’t find Quick Share :
      1. Tap Edit
      2. To your Quick Settings, add Quick Share .
  3. Choose who can share with you:
    • Your devices: Your device is visible to your other devices with the same Google Account, even when the screen is off.
    • Contacts: Your device is visible to your nearby contacts while your screen is on and unlocked.
    • Everyone: Your device is visible to anyone who is nearby while your screen is on and unlocked.
      • Only for 10 minutes: To protect your privacy, your visibility will automatically switch back to your previous selection after 10 minutes.
  4. To manage additional settings, like how you appear to others, at the lower left, tap Settings.
Share content with someone
  1. Open the content, like a photo or webpage from any app.
    • Quick Share has no limit on content size or number of files, but the app that you share from might.
  2. Tap Share and then Quick Share .
  3. Make sure the device you want to share with is nearby.
  4. Tap the device you want to share with.
    • If you can’t find the device, make sure it has set up “Who can share with you” and has the screen unlocked.
  5. Wait for the other device to accept your sharing request.
    • To cancel an in-progress transfer, tap the same device again.
  6. During the transfer:
    • You can leave the screen and the transfer will continue.
    • You’ll get a notification in your notification tray when you leave the sending screen. You can check the status, cancel, or go back to the transfer screen from that notification.
  7. To select multiple receivers, you can tap more than one device.
    • Due to technical constraints, simultaneous sharing is only supported on selected device models.
    • In other cases, transfers will be queued and receivers you select later will get the transfer request when previous transfers are completed.

Tip: On selected devices with Android 13 and up, you can also share contents from your clipboard with Quick Share. After you copy something, you get a pop-up confirmation at the bottom of the screen. Tap Devices and choose the device you want to share the content with.

Get content from someone

Important:

  • If you share content between your own devices with the same Google Account, the device that receives automatically accepts the transfer.
  • If you share content from the clipboard of your own device, the content is automatically copied when someone receives it.
  1. Check that you’ve selected the right setting for “Who can share with you.”
  2. Turn on Bluetooth .
    • Make sure your screen is unlocked when you receive content from someone else.
  3. Wait for a pop up notification that tells you who’s trying to share and what content they want to share with you. 
  4. Select Accept or Decline.
Fix problems sharing content

If you try to share or receive content, but it doesn’t work, try these steps:

  • On the receiver’s device, to make your phone or tablet visible, swipe down from the top of the screen. In your Quick Settings, tap Quick Share .
  • On both devices, check if Bluetooth is turned on. Learn how to turn on Bluetooth.
  • On both devices, check if Location is turned on. Learn how to turn on location.
  • Bring the devices close together, within 1 foot (30 cm) of each other.
  • Turn Airplane mode on, and then off.
  • Wait until no one else is sharing content with the other device.
  • If the device is on Android 12 or earlier, check if Location is turned on.
  • Turn your device off, then back on.

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