![How to use Nearby Share on your Android phone](https://www.androidcentral.com/sites/androidcentral.com/files/styles/large/public/article_images/2020/07/nearby-share-hero-1.jpg)
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The answer to Apple's AirDrop was launched in June 2020, and had been waiting for for years. It was called "Nearby Share" and it allowed you to easily share links to other users through a streamlined and simple process. If you're not sure how to use Nearby Share, we'll walk you through it. Let's start!
This guide uses products.
We will look at how you initiate Nearby Share on your phone to share something with a contact. It's as easy to share something through any other app on your phone as it is to do it in person.
The share icon looks like three circles with lines connecting them and you can tap it to share it.
On the share menu, you can smudge up.
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The Nearby Share icon is on the screen.
Turn to enable Nearby Share.
Nearby Share will look for a contact to share your link with.
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In this example, it's Joe's Phone, but any available phones will show up on your phone.
You can share the phone with others.
The source of the information is the Android Central.
You can use Nearby Share to share links, files, and other items on your phone, so feel free to play around with it and use it to share all kinds of things. You can share items from the best phones to the best laptops with Nearby Share.
You can accept a Nearby Share on your phone.
That's how you share something with someone else, but what does the whole process look like? This is what you'll see if you receive a file via Nearby Share.
The pop-up says Nearby Share.
Turn.
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Your phone will look for what's being shared with you.
To accept the share, tap it.
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The user interface of Nearby Share is very easy to use.
You can send apps via Nearby Share on your phone.
Nearby Share now allows you to send apps from the Play Store to other users.
You can open the app on your phone.
The top right corner has your profile picture.
On the Manage apps and device screen, tap on it.
Next to the Share apps option, tap on Send.
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Follow the same steps from the receiver's phone.
You can send apps from the sender's phone by tapping on the green send arrow in the top right corner.
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From the sender's phone, select the receiver you want to send apps to.
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The receiver needs to confirm the code.
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The receiver will choose which app to install.
The sender will be able to quickly deliver the apps to the receiver. You don't need to be on the same network to share apps, it all works over the same wireless network.
How to personalize Nearby Share on your phone.
Now that you know how to use Nearby Share, it's time to change the feature so that it works the way you want it to. There are a few things you can change, and they are all worth messing with.
The settings app is on your phone.
Go to the bottom and tap the search box.
You can tap device connections.
You can share it nearby.
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You can change which account you share with by using your name.
You can change the name of your device with a tap.
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To change who you can share with, tap device visibility.
If you want to use data, you can tap on it.
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The last two settings are the most important, as they affect how you use Nearby Share. You can limit Nearby Share to only work with certain contacts if you want to avoid accidentally sharing a sensitive file. You can hide your phone from the service if you don't want other users to be able to send you things.
The option to share files without an internet connection is quite interesting, as is the data usage page. This will slow down the process for larger files, but it's a nice option to have if you want to watch your data usage.
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