Android users might be getting a rare treat soon, the ability to share files and photos to Windows computers using Nearby Share. For anyone aware of Android’s relatively new Nearby Share feature, it is a fast and easy wireless transfer system that takes the pain out of the process. Third-party apps have attempted to fill the gap but tend to have limited compatibility. Something designed by the operating system developers is what is needed, similar to Apple’s AirDrop.
Android has offered some form of wireless file transfer for many years. The first version, Android Beam, could send data between Android devices after placing two phones back to back. Since 2011, Beam has served as the only built-in solution for Android wireless transfers. It sufficed for small amounts of data such as contact information but was too slow when moving large files or videos. In Aug. 2020, Google announced Nearby Share, a blazing fast and easy-to-use replacement that solved many problems when sharing with other Android devices. This capability was expanded to Chromebooks in June 2021. However, transferring photos and other data to Windows and Mac computers or sharing files with a friend that uses an iPhone continues to be difficult.
A recent Tweet by Mishaal Rahman, senior tech editor of The Android Edge newsletter, suggests Android’s Nearby Share wireless file transfer feature might be coming to Windows soon, describing it as an open secret. The post included screenshots of discussions in the popular developer forum StackOverflow and a Reddit thread, each discussing details of how Nearby Share works and what the future plans are. In both places, a user named Xylthe referenced a Windows version that was supposedly in development as part of a long-term plan. Xylthe identified himself as the lead of Nearby Share and Nearby Connections at Google, which should be reliable information. iOS code is also available via GitHub courtesy of edwinwugoog, while a macOS app was developed by grishkaa, reverse engineering Nearby Share as discussed on Reddit.
Nearby Share To iPhone, iPad & Mac
As a Google developer, edwinwugoog’s 20-percent project involved porting the Nearby Share feature to the iPhone, but it isn’t being pursued as an app for some reason. However, the starter code that pings a signal between an iPhone and Android phone is available at GitHub. Since the iPhone and iPad operating systems are so similar, the same code would likely run on both devices, leading to a possible cross-platform file transfer that so many users are eager for.
Another developer, grishkaa, claims to have a prototype app working with a Mac that can communicate via Nearby Share. Xylthe stepped up to offer some assistance and seemed genuinely interested in seeing this project continue. So far, no more details have arisen, and as with the iPhone version, it doesn’t seem to be a priority. The most likely operating system to gain compatibility with Android’s Nearby Share will probably be Windows since that is a common pairing with Android phones. Hopefully, Mac, iPhone, and iPad support will arrive eventually. The world isn’t divided up into Apple users and others. Apple is very unlikely to expand AirDrop compatibly. However, Google just might bring Android’s Nearby Share to other platforms.
