Feature Similar To iPhone Airdrop Was Added To Android - Olmec Skip to main content

Feature Similar To iPhone Airdrop Was Added To Android

By August 18, 2020May 5th, 2022Technology News

Apple users are almost certainly familiar with the Airdrop feature, which allows content to be shared between two iPhones that are in close proximity to each other.

Recently, Google announced the rollout of their new ‘Nearby Share’ feature, which seeks to accomplish the same goal in the Android ecosystem.

By the time you read these words, the new service should be available to test out if you own a Google Pixel or a Samsung device running Android 6+.

Anytime you’d like to share a file, link, or picture, all you have to do is tap on the new Android Share icon and choose a nearby recipient. That person will be given the option to either accept or decline the file. If the recipient accepts, the feature will then automatically choose whether to use Bluetooth, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), WebRTC, or peer-to-peer WiFi to actually share the file.

You may, at your option, choose to send or receive files anonymously. In addition, you can adjust your privacy settings so that your device remains hidden to all Nearby Share users. You can make it so that you are only visible to some or all of your contacts, which is fantastic.

The new feature is slated to be rolled out to more Android smartphones in the weeks ahead. Over the next few months, the new capability will also be coming to the Chromebook.

For the time being, if you and someone you know has a Pixel or one of Samsung’s models and you’re running Android 6+, give the new feature a try. For many people, we suspect it will become an indispensable method of sharing information with those in close physical proximity. Kudos to Google for taking steps to catch the Android ecosystem up with Apple’s.

Jason Manteiga

Jason J. Manteiga, Vice President of Olmec Systems, has been part of the company for over the past 20 years. He believes that having a great work environment and supportive team, is the ultimate key to success. Since being in the IT realm for over 25 years, Jason, along with Olmec Systems, has been on the Inc. 5000 “List of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies” and Channel Futures MSP 501 “Top Managed Service Providers in North America,” along with other awards and nominations. Jason earned his Bachelor Degree in Information Systems from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He also holds certifications in Microsoft MCSE, VMWare VCP, and Cisco CCNA. In his spare time, Jason is a contributor for The Center for Social & Legal Research (Privacy Exchange) and a member of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce. His hobbies include cycling and kayaking. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife, two daughters and son.