Android's Nearby Share' File Sharing Feature is Finally Launching

It will finally be slightly easier to share files, images, links, and other content between Android devices. Google is launching a new Android feature called "Nearby Share" that enables direct sharing between any device running Android 6 and up. Nearby Share is already available on some Pixel and Samsung phones, and Google says it'll arrive on other devices "over the next few weeks." From a report: Nearby Share works very much like Apple's AirDrop feature for the iPhone: you simply select the Nearby Share button on the share menu and then wait for a nearby phone to appear. Then whatever thing you're sharing is sent directly over your transfer method of choice to the other phone. As with AirDrop, you can set your preferred visibility for Nearby Share to different levels of contacts: all, some, or stay hidden. Google says it's even possible to "send and receive files anonymously." (Welcome to AirSlothing, Android users.) Nearby Share also shares files directly via whatever method your two phones deem is fastest: "Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi," which Google says should allow it to work offline.

Yay?

[b0bby]

I have done bluetooth sharing between Android devices before; it was a few clicks, but not too bad. My family does love AirDrop, though, so maybe I have been missing out. Of course, I'm not really hanging out with anyone outside my family, and they all have iPhones, so I guess I'll still be left out ;)

Re:

[tlhIngan]

Bluetooth works, but is only good for maybe a megabyte or two sized files. Any larger and it takes forever. So maybe a photo or two. But I tried to send a few FLAC files to my phone and it was taking so long, I found the connecting cable (I don't have many USB-C cables) and transfered the rest of the files that way.

These use a modified form of WiFi Direct where Bluetooth may establish the initial connection but WiFi finishes it so you can transfer much larger files much faster.

Re:

[laird]

The way AirDrop works is that it uses BlueTooth to find other devices, then negotiates a WiFi direct connection to move the file via WiFi, the drops the WiFi connection to save power.

I think that AirDrop is all based on open protocols. It's been reverse engineered https://github.com/seemoo-lab/... [github.com] .

Re:

[arglebargle_xiv]

you simply select the Nearby Share button on the share menu and then wait for a nearby phone to appear. Then whatever thing you're sharing is sent directly over your transfer method of choice to the other phone.

So it's like a botnet, but the victims voluntarily choose to participate?

Ctrl-C on Mac, Ctrl-V on iPhone

[flyingfsck]

Or the other way around, provided that Bluetooth is enabled and the devices are paired. It is extremely handy, but I don't know whether I would like to do that with just anybody, since it sounds like a yuuuge new security hole.

Re:

[ArchieBunker]

You can choose to accept only files from people in your contacts. If you enable files from anyone I don't feel bad.

Re:

[boondaburrah]

This is actually possible on Android if you have KDE on your computer and both are on the same Wi-Fi network (and paired in the KDE Connect app). That combined with KDE's multi-level clipboard was way more useful than I expected it to be. (it also lets you transfer files and use your phone as a touchpad for your PC, but I found I didn't use those nearly as much)

What could possibly go wrong?

[YrWrstNtmr]

Google says it's even possible to "send and receive files anonymously."
whatever thing you're sharing is sent directly over your transfer method of choice to the other phone

Malware on autofeed. Brilliant! Of course visibility depends on you selecting and agreeing to that. Which defaults to Everyone, and to unselect that is 3 menu layers deep.

Can I share porn this way?

[Anonymous Coward]

I would be interested in setting up a coffee house porn discussion club, sharing large files would be EXTREMELY helpful.

What about transferring files from linux laptop?

[boudie2]

Was recently looking for an easy way to transfer files from my linux laptop to phone. Every linux distro has python, just go into directory with files to upload and do "python3 -m http.server" and if both devices are connected to same router, on phone open browser to laptop ip address such as 192.168.1.whatever and download your files. When done CTRL-D kills server. A quick and dirty solution.

Re:

[crabbz]

And for going the other way, or Android to Android, I find the Share To Computer app really handy. It gives you an URL (and QR code) to download a file from the phone. https://f-droid.org/en/package... [f-droid.org]

Re:

[NotEmmanuelGoldstein]

... Share To Computer ...

Transfers one file only.

Many file-managers work as a network client and some provide near-by sharing [google.com]. Several apps are dedicated to near-by sharing functionality.
https://www.ubuntupit.com/best... [ubuntupit.com]

Re:

[gl4ss]

any of the multiple ssh daemon packages on google play work for file copyin that you control from the desktop(which is usually more convinient) if you're connected to same network already.

Re:

[boudie2]

I figure the fewer apps you get from google play store, the better off you are. My method requires ... nothing.

Re: What about transferring files from linux lapto

[samwichse]

KDE Connect FTW.

You can push or pull files from your phone. Or push our pull them from your computer. Want to see your phone notifications pop up in the kde tray? Great. Need to respond to that text/Hangout/WhatsApp message, or what have you? Do it right there from the pop-up. Need your clipboard synced so you can copy on your computer and paste on your phone? Yep. How about using your phone as a nice multitouch touchpad with keyboard? No problem. What if the phone rings and you're watching something on you

Re:

[boudie2]

My laptop doesn't have enough RAM to run any version of KDE since 10 years. And as I remember some stuff worked and some stuff not so much. From your experience, if KDE made a plane, would you fly in it?

Re:

[ArchieBunker]

What is life like in the 1990s?

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

Computers need to start using NFC more. A few laptops have it but it doesn't do much.

NFC should make transferring files and 2 factor auth really really easy.

Wanted to share files with wife on holiday

[AbRASiON]

She has iPhone, I have Android.

What a TOTAL MISERY this was to do. Total misery, iOS is so annoying at times.
We spent 30 minutes messing with options to try and find a way for me to send, uncompressed, high res photos from our holiday to each other. Bluetooth, Wifi, whatever, without using internet data.

Ended up giving up. Was several years ago now, I admit, but man was it ridiculous that 2, perfectly capable devices, would not xfer files between one and other.

sftp

[Plugh]

I recently got a PinePhone [pine64.org]. It's so refreshing to have a phone with an actual fucking operating system. I moved all my MP3's to the phone by simply opening a shell on the phone and entering one easy sftp command. Transferred from PC over home wifi to Music directory.

The phone is $150. It's still very rough and doesn't have all the apps I want. But I own the phone, not the other way around.

Fuck you, GOOG, and you too AAPL

Re:

[Big Boss]

I like the idea, and I might buy one just to support them. But they really need a few upgrades to be a daily driver. I don't expect flagship specs at this price, but I'd pay double if they would bump up a few of them. Even considering the upgraded version.

CPU: Could use a bit more here.

RAM: 2x, even 4x

Flash: 64G is a more reasonable minimum. That said, the SD support is there. If they allow better use of it vs Android, it might be good enough.

Wifi: 2.4Ghz only? In 2020? 5Ghz AC minimum. Even single stream w

Re:

[Plugh]

IIRC, wifi was limited by what chips they could get without IP encumbrance and opaque BLOBs.

It's not yet my daily driver, so far I'm mostly not even using it with a SIM, just getting the apps I need, tweaking, keeping up with frequent updates, etc. It's coming together very quickly, though. Personally as I've running on an old iPhone6s, I am more than willing to take older-spec hardware in exchange for Freedom. Did I mention fuck GOOG and APPL? I probably forgot to add, "and also fuck the NSA and every oth

Good for Android

[theurge14]

This brings Android in feature parity with iOS and Airdrop. This will be great for newer Android devices for file sharing directly between devices. Perhaps there will be an AndroidiOS direct feature coming soon now.

From the same post I did on this back a month or so ago:

Bluetooth file transfer already exists on Android, it's slower than WiFi:

https://helpdeskgeek.com/netwo... [helpdeskgeek.com]
https://www.lifewire.com/bluet... [lifewire.com]

AirDrop uses peer-to-peer WiFi. Android's previous ad-hoc file transfer was Android Beam, which is b

Re:

[boondaburrah]

Beam actually uses Bluetooth (though your first point still stands). NFC is only used to trigger both phones to turn their bluetooth on (if it's off), pair, and initiate a file exchange. It was pretty magic; the only problem was the majority of phones shipped with NFC off to meet battery targets(?). I mostly used it to transfer photos I had just taken to people at parties.

I'm kinda sad they killed Android Beam for this

[boondaburrah]

I used it a bunch at parties and even my family thought it was cool. Plus, there was never "I don't see your phone in the list" or "can you see me," it just worked.

Of course adoption didn't really take off because at the same time all the manufacturers kept shipping their NFC enabled phones with NFC disabled by default (to save battery, apparently). Since users won't go hunting around for extra features to turn on, that kinda killed it.

It really took all the pain out of bluetooth sharing, and I wish th

what about samba sharing?

[groobly]

I don't care about sharing among android devices. What I need is a transparent way to share between android and windows, which is currently a royal pain in the butt.