Several weeks ago, there were reports about a potential collaboration between Google and Samsung to integrate Nearby Share and Quick Share, rebranding the former as the latter. Confirming these reports, Google has officially announced the merger, and Nearby Share is now known as Quick Share. Here’s a comprehensive guide to understanding Quick Share on Android.
For those unfamiliar, Nearby Share has been a feature of Android for nearly four years, facilitating file transfers between Android devices over Wi-Fi, provided they both support the protocol. Nearby Share is accessible on various modern devices, including Samsung phones. However, Samsung phones also feature “Quick Share,” Samsung’s proprietary file-sharing implementation designed exclusively for Samsung devices.
Integrating Nearby Share and Quick Share enables seamless file sharing for Android users, irrespective of their device brand, creating a more unified experience.
As per Mishaal Rahman, Samsung’s Quick Share SDK now incorporates Google’s Nearby Share SDK. This integration ensures that all Nearby Share-enabled devices are accessible through the Quick Share menu.
In addition to the rebranding of Nearby Share to Quick Share, Google has introduced Fast Pair support for Chromecasts with Google TV. There are also reports of an upcoming “Cast to Devices Nearby” feature, previewed at CES 2023. This feature is designed to enable seamless media playback transfer from Pixel Pro phones to the Pixel Tablet when the latter is docked.
This suggests that Google is focusing on expanding its ecosystem features, an area where Android has historically lagged. Google has further mentioned collaboration with PC manufacturers like LG to include their Quick Share Windows client in their devices.
What are your thoughts on the rebranding of Nearby Share to Quick Share? Let us know in the comments below!
0 Comments