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Nearby Share on Chromebooks is now called Quick Share. It gives you a built-in way to send files and other content to nearby Android phones and Chromebooks, with controls for who can see your device. It is most convenient when both devices use the same Google Account, because Google says those transfers are accepted automatically.
What Quick Share does on a Chromebook
Google’s Chromebook Help page uses the name Quick Share for the feature formerly called Nearby Share. Some compatible devices may still display the old name. Google announced the combined Quick Share solution in January 2024, describing a cross-device sharing option spanning Android, ChromeOS, and Windows; that does not mean every platform has an identical setup or transfer flow.
From a Chromebook, you can share text, images, files, and web pages with nearby Android and Chromebook devices. Google’s Chromebook guidance also describes receiving saved Wi-Fi networks from Android. Available options can depend on the device and software involved.
Check requirements before setting it up
- Chromebook: Google lists Chrome OS version 91 or later.
- Android recipient or sender: Google lists Android version 6.0 or later.
- Managed devices: A work- or school-managed Chromebook may have Quick Share restricted by its administrator.
For the latest compatibility details, consult Google’s Chromebook Quick Share guidance and check the settings on both devices; supported devices and software can change.
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Turn on Quick Share and choose visibility
- On the Chromebook, open Settings.
- Select Connected devices.
- Beside Quick Share, select Set up.
- Name the Chromebook, choose who can see it, and confirm.
Quick Share is off by default on Chromebook. Google documents four visibility choices:
- Your devices: Limits visibility to your own devices.
- Contacts: Allows contacts to find the Chromebook. The screen must be on and unlocked for this visibility setting.
- Hidden: Keeps the Chromebook from appearing as available to nearby senders.
- Available to everyone: Makes it visible to everyone nearby for up to 10 minutes.
If the Chromebook screen is off or locked, its visibility switches automatically to Your devices. The broadest setting is time-limited, but it still makes the Chromebook discoverable to nearby people while active; choose a narrower option when that better fits your situation.
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Send a file from the Chromebook
- Open the Files app and locate the item you want to share.
- Right-click the item, then choose Share and Quick Share.
- Select the nearby device and send the item.
Google also says sharing is available from supported apps, so the Files route is not the only way to start a transfer.
Receive content and understand the accept step
To receive content, make the Chromebook visible to the sender. Google describes an incoming notification that lets you review and accept the transfer. The key exception is a transfer between Android or Chromebook devices signed in to the same Google Account: Google says those transfers are accepted automatically.
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If a nearby device cannot find the Chromebook, check that Quick Share is set up, the chosen visibility mode allows discovery, and the screen is on and unlocked if you use Contacts. A managed-device restriction or an unsupported device or software version can also prevent use.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Google’s speed claims do—and do not—show
Google said in July 2022 that Nearby Share had become “up to 10 times faster than before.” That is a company statement about improvements to Nearby Share, not an independently verified Chromebook benchmark, and it does not establish the speed of a particular transfer today. The reviewed Google guidance does not provide an independent head-to-head comparison of Quick Share’s speed or reliability against other transfer methods.
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Google’s 2020 description of the earlier Nearby Share service said it could select among Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, and could work offline. That historical description does not establish which protocol a current Chromebook transfer uses. Likewise, Google’s examples of employees sharing photos offline are anecdotes, not independent tests.
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