Google first showed its AirDrop counterpart for Android 11

Despite the fact that Google has already launched an official beta testing program Android 11, not all the innovations of the update have become available to users immediately. At least one feature called Nearby Sharing, which was supposed to debut this year, somehow remains under wraps. Therefore, at some point, many even decided that Google, in its usual manner, decided to postpone its launch, as it has repeatedly happened with other innovations in the past. But it looks like the search giant is just waiting for the right moment.

Google first showed its AirDrop counterpart for Android 11

Google first confirms Nearby Sharing

Nearby Sharing is a technology for wireless data exchange between devices, which should debut with the release of Android 11. Unlike Android Beam, which worked on the basis of NFC, it is based on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so the distance that information can be transmitted is limited. However, thanks to this, it is possible to develop a high transfer rate, as a result of which photos, short videos and audio recordings are transmitted instantly, large files weighing about 1 GB – in less than a minute.

How Nearby Sharing works

Google released a video tonight about the notifications in Android 11. Its purpose was to showcase the changes coming in the next update. However – it is not known whether on purpose or not – the Nearby Sharing function was lit up several times in the video. And since the moment we saw it last leaked, Google has integrated the innovation more deeply with system functions, adding it to the Share menu, similar to AirDrop on iOS – for more convenient file sharing.

Unfortunately, Google did not show how Nearby Sharing works, limiting itself to only a few frames with the mention of the function. However, this in itself is a confirmation that the company, firstly, is working on an innovation, and, secondly, it plans to release it with the release Android 11. Otherwise, it is unlikely to be mentioned would appear in the update promo video. Therefore, most likely we will see Nearby Sharing this fall, and maybe even earlier – in one of the next beta versions Android 11.

How to send files to Android

However, it is already clear how to transfer files to Android via Nearby Sharing:

  • Select the file you want to send;
  • Click on the 'Share' menu button;

Google first showed its AirDrop counterpart for Android 11

File transfer via Nearby Sharing is not yet available, but it will definitely appear soon

  • In the window that opens, select Nearby;
  • Select the device you want to send the file to and confirm the transfer.

Personally, I've always found it odd why Google doesn't even try to do something like AirDrop. Indeed, from a fundamental point of view, there is nothing difficult in combining Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and sending data using them over a wireless connection. However, the search giant dragged on for several years before deciding to take this step. As a result, it threw Android into development a lot, depriving its users of the ability to exchange data here and now without having to connect to the internet. Even now, Nearby Sharing will be available only on devices with Android 11, and all the rest will be out of work, which in turn will limit the potential and scope of the technology.

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