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Google officially launched Nearby Share for Windows on July 19, 2023, adding estimated transfer times and image previews in device notifications. The Windows app is now called Quick Share; it continues to let compatible Android devices and Windows PCs send photos, videos, and documents to one another.
When did Nearby Share for Windows launch?
Google introduced Nearby Share Beta for Windows on March 31, 2023, in the United States and selected regions. The beta supported transfers between Windows computers and Android phones or tablets, including drag-and-drop sharing and a right-click “Send with Nearby Share” option. Google said transfers between a user’s own devices signed into the same Google Account could be accepted automatically. Google’s March 31, 2023 announcement introduced the beta.
Google announced the official Windows launch on July 19, 2023. In that post, Group Product Manager Ronald Ho wrote: “Nearby Share for Windows makes it easier to share files between Windows PCs and Android devices.” Google’s launch post said the app had been installed more than 1.7 million times and that over 50 million files had been transferred between PC and Android since launch; those are figures reported on July 19, 2023, not current totals. The same post cited nearly 3 billion active Android devices at that time. Google’s July 19, 2023 launch announcement
What was new in the official launch?
- Estimated transfer time: The app began showing an estimated completion time, particularly useful when sending large files such as videos or entire folders.
- Image previews in notifications: A preview helped the sender check that the intended image was being shared.
Google also said beta updates had improved speed and reliability, reduced crashes, and increased transfer success. It did not publish a quantified before-and-after speed or reliability result, so these are Google’s descriptions of improvements rather than measured comparisons.
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What is the Windows app called now?
Google’s current Android Help documentation calls the Windows client Quick Share. This is the continuation of the Windows app first released as Nearby Share Beta in 2023, not a newly launched 2026 product. Google’s current guide is titled “Share files between Android & Windows with Quick Share.”
How do I send files between Android and Windows?
Quick Share supports images, videos, and documents between nearby Android devices and Windows computers. To send from Windows, use the Windows Quick Share app, pick the recipient shown in the app, and share. You can select files or folders in the app or drag files into it. You can also right-click a file in Windows and choose “Send with Quick Share.” A normal incoming transfer requires the receiver to approve it. Files received on a Windows PC are saved in the “Quick Share” folder inside Downloads.
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The Windows app can receive files while running in the background. Transfers between your own devices signed into the same Google Account are accepted automatically, according to Google’s help page.
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- Download Quick Share from Google’s Quick Share website for a Windows computer. If you have a Samsung PC, install Samsung’s Quick Share app from the Microsoft Store instead.
- Open the app and sign in to your Google Account to access all options.
- Choose a device name and set who can see your device for receiving transfers.
- To send, select or drag files into the app, choose the visible recipient, and share.
Google advises users not to run its Windows app as administrator. Samsung PC users should use Samsung’s client: Google’s release notes say support for Google’s app on Samsung PCs ended May 28, 2025, and direct users to Samsung’s app. Google’s Quick Share for Windows release notes
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Does Quick Share work with my Windows PC?
Google’s current documented requirements are a 64-bit Windows 10-or-newer computer and an Android device running Android 6.0 or newer. ARM-based Windows PCs require Windows 11 or later. Both devices need Bluetooth and Wi-Fi or Ethernet, must be connected to the same network, and should be within 5 meters (16 feet) of one another. Google notes that PCs without Bluetooth Low Energy Extended Advertising may not be discoverable to other people on some networks.
Google says Quick Share is available in the United States and most countries, with Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria listed as exceptions. Availability and compatibility depend on the devices and network, not just on installing the app.
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Who can see your PC, and how are transfers approved?
Quick Share for Windows offers four visibility settings: Everyone, Contacts, Your devices, and No one. You can use these to control who can discover your PC. Google says incoming transfer requests must be approved and that files are encrypted. Its help page describes Contacts or Your devices, while signed in, as the more private and secure choices; that is Google’s guidance, not a comparative security assessment.
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- Confirm Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled on both devices.
- Check that both devices are connected to the same network and are within the recommended distance.
- Make sure the receiving device’s visibility setting allows the sender to find it.
- If you are on office Wi-Fi, the network may block device-to-device sharing. Google suggests trying a phone hotspot as a workaround.
Google’s troubleshooting advice is in its Quick Share help guide.
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