Windows Users, Wave Away Those Apple AirDrop Envy Blues With Google's 'Nearby Share'

The beta version of Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL “Nearby Share” — an answer to Apple Inc‘s AAPL AirDrop feature — is now available for people using Microsoft Corporation MSFT Windows operating system. 

What Happened: Google has finally announced Android’s Nearby Share feature for desktop users using the new Windows app. 

The new version will make it easier for users to share photos, documents and links between Android devices and systems running on Windows OS — just like AirDrops work in the Apple universe. 

For the unversed, AirDrop wirelessly allows users to receive and share photos, documents, and more with other Apple devices that are nearby.

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“Nearby Share Beta works with your Windows PC whether the app is open on the desktop or running in the background,” Google stated in a blog post. 

“As we continue to fine-tune the experience and receive your feedback, we’ll expand official support to share content with other Google ecosystem devices.”

To begin exchanging files between Windows and Android devices, users simply need to download and configure the Windows Nearby Share from the Android website.

The Nearby Share Beta for Windows is currently rolling out in the U.S. and a few selected regions. 

Why It’s Important: Google first announced the plans for introducing Nearby Share on Windows during the Consumer Electronics Show or CES 2022, reported The Verge.  

At present, Google is providing support for Windows 10 and later versions, but Windows laptops powered by ARM are not supported. 

Users can configure Nearby Share to allow file sharing with everyone, only their contacts, or restrict it to their own devices.

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