Nearby Share by Google exits beta on Windows, letting anyone transfer files seamlessly

Back in April, Google gave us a glimpse of something really cool – its Chromebook and Android Nearby Share feature but built as an app for Windows. It was a promising look into an easy way to transfer files across devices. The good news? It’s now out of beta and ready for a much wider audience. If you’re wondering what this means for you, it’s simple. You can seamlessly transfer files from one device to another with an officially supported Google tool at blazing fast speeds!

In a rather interesting move that I didn’t see coming, the company has also partnered with some hardware manufacturers to pre-install Nearby Share on “select Windows PCs”. Considering Microsoft’s own solution, Phone Link for Windows, this partnership could ruffle some feathers. Personally, I can’t recall the last time I used Phone Link for file transfers or anything, really, and with Nearby Share on the scene, I doubt I’ll ever use it again.

Over the past few months, Google has been improving the app too, particularly focusing on file transfer speed increases. The app now gives you real-time updates on how long you have left to transfer larger files between devices, which is a convenient touch.

Though you’ll all have Nearby Share in your hands as of today, Google’s not calling it quits on its development. Instead, it’s committed to making it better over time, even going so far as to promising new features eventually. While we don’t know exactly what it’s got planned, my guess is that whatever comes to be will directly compete with future Phone Link updates. To start using Nearby Share, you can download the app from Android’s official website. The setup is straightforward and can be done in just a few clicks.