Google Releases “Near Buy Share” for Windows to the Public – PC ⇔ Android File Sending App – Mado no Mori

On July 19 (local time), Google announced the public release of the Windows version of the Nearby Sharing app. Beta testing has been going on since April this year, but it will finally become the official release.

Nearby Share is a file sharing function installed in Android devices. It allows you to easily exchange files between devices such as smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks, and is the equivalent of “Airdrop” for iPhone/iPad. With the addition of Windows version app this time, it is now possible to easily send files between PC/Android.

With Nearby Share, you can enjoy photos taken with your smartphone on the big screen of your computer. It will also come in handy when you want to transfer the content edited on your computer abroad. In addition to having complete control over whether or not your partner can discover and share your device, the transfer is protected with end-to-end encryption (E2EE), so you can use it with peace of mind.

The official version has improved bugs and file transfer failures found in beta testing, and overall speed and reliability have been improved. In addition, the following improvements have been made:

• Added estimated time to complete file transfer. Now you can see how long it takes to transfer a video file or an entire folder
• Image previews have been added to device notifications. So you can easily check if the correct file is shared

While the “Beta version” notation isn’t gone from the app, it’s confirmed to display the estimated time until the transfer is complete

Image previews have been added to device notifications

In order to make file transfer between PC and Android smoother, the company will work with partners such as HP to install the “Near Buy Share” version of Windows on PCs such as “HP Dragonfly Pro”.

The Windows version of the Near Buy Share app is compatible with 64-bit versions of Windows 10 or later, and can be downloaded for free from the company’s website. However, it is not available on ARM devices.

Also, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are required when transferring. On the Android side, if it’s “Android 6” or later, Nearby Sharing is installed as standard.