Note: Some of our instructions may not be the same exactly same on your Android phone as manufacturers like Samsung and LG tend to customize the Settings menu to look a little different than Android.
How to raise your stock for close
The easiest and most universal way to find Near Share is by scrolling down to your phone’s Settings menu, scrolling down Google, tap on Device connections, and here you should see Share nearby. If it is not there, you probably do not have the feature yet. The other way to find it is by Settings> Connected devices> Connection preferences> Share nearby, but this is where the menus on your phone may look different.
Stick to the first step of finding it in the Google section of your Settings menu, tap on it Share nearby. Turn it on, and in the process, you can change your device name and choose your device visibility. If you do not want to share your name while sending files or photos with other devices nearby, then it is a good idea to change your device name to something more undescribed. You can only use Near Share with people in your contact list.
In terms of device visibility you have three options: All contact, Some contacts, en Hidden. Selecting the first option means that your phone will be visible to your contacts who have Near Share Share enabled, and you will see devices in your vicinity with Near Share open. With some contacts you can, as the name already suggests, select people from your contacts list to use close sharing. And hidden means that no one nearby can see your device, but you can still see the devices of your contacts as they try to share something nearby.
There’s a big caveat with Share Share. To use it, you must have the email addresses of all your contacts (the ones they use for their Google Account) stored in their contact information. Alternatively, if your contact has verified their Google Account with a phone number, you will be able to use Share Share with them. To associate your phone number with your Google Account, go to your phone here and switch on your device. It may take some time for verification.
Back in the Sharing settings you can also choose if you want to send things via Data, Wi-Fi Only, as Without internet. If you do not have an unlimited data plan, it may be a good idea to choose the latter two options.
How to use stock nearby
Whenever you want to share something with a friend or family member nearby, whether it’s an address in Google Maps, a photo, a file or a web link, just tap the ‘Share’ button, and search and tap on the sharing menu Share nearby. Your phone will start searching for devices nearby that you can share with.
The person you are sharing with will need to be relatively close, and they may need to tap a pop-up notification to be visible to you. You and the person you are sharing things with may get a prompt to turn on Bluetooth and Location if they are not already.
Once they are visible, tap them on their device name (they will have to accept), and that’s it! The sub-process will start and it should only take a few seconds, depending on what you are sending.
Finally, Google says that Share Share will work on Chromebooks, allowing you to send things quickly from your phone to your ChromeOS-powered laptop with just a few taps.
More great WIRED stories
.
