Google is rebranding its Nearby Share feature to Quick Share, which allows users to quickly share files and documents across devices. Nearby Share was introduced by Google to counter Apple’s AirDrop, and the company also brought its desktop version to Windows computers last year.
Quick Share is Samsung’s in-house file-sharing tool, similar to Nearby Share. Although both services use the same concept of WiFi Direct, Quick Share is exclusive to Samsung phones and also offers more features than Nearby Share. Google is looking to bridge the gap between the two to develop a single powerful file-sharing app for Android smartphones.
The announcement was made at CES 2024, where Google said that their partnership with Samsung will bring the best of both tools under a single name. Quick Share will enable a one-tap experience to share files between devices. The company is also looking to bring it to Windows computers.
As per Google’s blog post, Quick Share will provide complete control over privacy to its users. The app will let users choose discoverability options between their contacts, their own devices, or everyone else. Quick Share will be rolled out to all Nearby Share users starting next month.
Google has also partnered with LG to integrate Quick Share as a built-in app in their laptops. However, the company did not share a timeline for the release of the desktop client. To recall, Nearby Share was launched for the Android platform in 2020, but it took them 3 years to bring the feature to desktops.
More details about Quick Share’s features could also be unveiled at Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Unpacked 2024 Event, scheduled for January 17. The company will be launching the Galaxy S24 Series along with Galaxy AI.
