Nearby sharing is a feature on Windows that lets you transfer your documents, music, photos, and other files to nearby compatible devices. It does this with the help of Bluetooth and other wireless features.
You’ll find the underlying tech instantly recognizable if you’ve ever used something like SHAREit on your Android, or AirDrop if you’re an Apple user. So let’s take a look at how you can use nearby sharing on Windows and share your Windows files seamlessly.
How to use Nearby sharing on Windows PC
Before you use the Nearby sharing feature, make sure both the systems are running Windows 10 or Windows 11 and also have Bluetooth enabled in both of them.
Enabling Nearby sharing on Windows 10
Nearby sharing was introduced in Windows 10 as part of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. It has been in use since then. To enable it, head to the Notification Center and click on the Nearby Sharing and Bluetooth icons. This will enable both the features. Do this on the second system as well, the one you want to send your files to.
Alternatively, head to Settings > System > Nearby Sharing. From there, select the Everyone nearby checkbox; do this and you’ll be able to share your files with nearby devices everywhere.
Now, on the first system, right-click on the file you wish to transfer, and select Share. Since you’ve enabled the Nearby share feature, your PC will start looking for devices close by.
Click on the PC you would like to share your files with. This will send a notification to the second (or receiver) computer. From there, simply click on Save to accept your files.
Nearby sharing on Windows 11
The underlying process of nearby sharing is the same on Windows 11 even though there might be a slight difference in how you do it. So, follow the steps below to use Nearby sharing on Windows 11.
Open the Settings app, click on System and select Nearby Sharing. Now select the Everyone nearby checkbox; this will let you share your files with any nearby device.
To share any file, head to File Explorer, right-click on the file you want to share, and select Share. Then pick the device you would like to share your files with from the Nearby sharing section.
Finally, on the destination device, click on Save to accept the incoming file. That’s it. Do this, and you can share any file on your Windows 11 with Nearby share.
Sharing links
On top of sharing normal files on your Windows, you can also send links to another device through Nearby sharing. Here’s how:
- Open any webpage on Microsoft Edge and select Share.
- From there, click on the Windows Share options.
- Select the device you want to share your files.
Now head to the destination device and head to your notifications. There, click on Open. As soon as you do this, the link with be opened through Microsoft Edge.
Using Nearby sharing on Windows PC
Nearby sharing works with all apps that have a sharing features like Bluetooth; think Microsoft Edge, File Explorer, Photos, and so on. Hopefully, you were able to share your files using the methods described above and can carry out your work without any difficulties now.
