Nearby Sharing, Google's challenger for Apple AirDrop, seen in action
What's the story
Apple AirDrop is a real treat, and very soon, perhaps in a matter of months, Google will have its own native solution to beat that. The company has developed a file-sharing feature called Nearby Sharing - and it has just surfaced in a new video from XDA-Developers, looking nearly complete and ready for launch. Let's take a look at it.
Feature
First, a quick recap on Nearby Sharing
Originally called Fast Share, Nearby Sharing is SHAREit-like service but one that comes baked into the Android OS. The feature uses Bluetooth to establish a connection between two nearby devices and then employs peer-to-peer Wi-Fi direct to transfer files between them. It enables the sharing of heavy files, even full-length movies, between eligible Android phones, without requiring a third-party app or an internet connection.
Video
Video showing Nearby Sharing sending files between Pixels
Though Nearby Sharing remains unannounced, the hands-on video shared by XDA (after enabling the feature) shows how it would work in the real world. The video shows two Pixel phones using the feature to share a number of photos and a video file. It all appears to work seamlessly/quickly, except for the case of the video where the transfer failed at least once.
Distance
Distance between phones should be less than 1 foot
The feature appears right on the Quick Settings page of Android for instant enabling/sharing and you can also control its visibility so that nearby people with the feature cannot spam you with files. That said, it is worth noting that the two devices should be within a foot of each other for the sharing to work seamlessly. (That is quite a bummer!)
Launch
Launch likely to happen soon
Given that Nearby Sharing is already working and nearly complete, Google is expected to launch it pretty soon. The company hasn't announced or confirmed the feature but an I/O release could be on the cards. Either way, when that happens, it would be a big upgrade for most, if not all, Android users at once.