Earlier, Android had come up with NFC-handshake-based technology for quick sharing of links and files between devices through Android Beam. However, this service was not adopted by many users so Google had to stop this service from Android 10. Google is now seen developing another mighty solution for quick sharing of files. Android app developer Kieron Quinn managed to develop a feature called “Fast Share” or “Nearby Sharing” as part of the Google Play Services. The new service looks very much similar to Apple’s AirDrop.
Video and article on @xdadevelopers pic.twitter.com/o4m2umFB4T
— Kieron Quinn (@Quinny898) January 24, 2020
Kieron Quinn shared the working of Nearby Share between a Pixel 2 XL and a OnePlus 7T Pro smartphones. In the video, we can see that an option for Nearby Share directly appears in Android’s share menu. When you tap it, your phone starts looking for nearby devices, which prompts a notification to the nearby smartphones, asking its owners if they want to make themselves visible to the sender. It the owner agrees then the sharing of files can take place.
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Once called Fast Share, Nearby Share seems is expected to be a better brand for a service that’s specifically designed to share information with other devices that are detected within one foot of your phone. In Nearby Share, in the initial phase communication takes place via Bluetooth connection to make the pairing request between devices, and once paired, devices share files via a direct Wi-Fi connection.
There are no official words on how this new service will be available to the users. There is no launch date for the service and there are no plans yet out on how Google is planning to deliver this new feature to smartphones. It is expected that the new feature will be added in the upcoming Android 11. It can also be added to the devices in a regular monthly update, via Google Play Services update