Quick Share was released by Samsung and Nearby Share was released by Google in answer to Apple’s AirDrop feature. At its heart, both are file transfer protocols that let you quickly send files of all sorts from one device to another. However, there are some notable differences between Google Nearby Share and Samsung Quick Share. Let’s dive deeper.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites and Device Compatibility
Quick Share was designed by Samsung and only works with Samsung smartphones. However, you can use the link-sharing feature to share a link to the file (will discuss Samsung Cloud in later sections) with other OEMs too. You need:
- Windows 10 2004 (build number 19041) version or higher – how to check Windows build number and version
- Android 10 and later (Android Go not supported) – Go to Settings > About phone > Software information
- Bluetooth driver: (Intel) 22.50.02 version or higher – Device Manager > double-click Intel Wireless Bluetooth > Driver tab
- Wi-Fi driver: (Intel) 22.50.07 version or higher – Device Manager > double-click Network adapters > Driver tab
- Wi-Fi Direct
- Samsung Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and laptops
What is worth noting here is that you need Intel-supported Bluetooth and Wi-Fi adapters and drivers on your Windows PC. Quick Share comes preinstalled on Samsung phones while you can download it from Microsoft Store on Windows.
On the other hand, Nearby Share was developed by Google and launched with Pixel 5. However, it is now available for all Android smartphones including Samsung. It also supports Windows (available in beta) and ChromeOS.
- Windows 10 and up running 64-bit and above (ARM not supported) – how to check Windows build number and version
- Android 6 and up – Go to Settings > About phone > Software information
- Android users must install Files by Google app
Apart from this, both Nearby Share and Quick Share require you to enable Bluetooth and GPS to work.
The steps are really simple. Simply open a file, most file formats including documents, media, etc.
Open the Notification Panel and enable Quick Share option. Press and hold Quick Share icon to find more settings. Here, you can change the device name, who can send files to you (anyone or only those who are in your contacts), enable auto-delete, and convert files to lower resolution to save time.
Note: Quick Share should be enabled on both devices.
Now open Gallery or Files app, select the file/s that you want to send, tap on the Share button, and choose the device to which you want to send the file.
You can also create a QR code that anyone can scan to begin the file transfer. There is also the Share as link option. What it does is upload the file/s to Samsung Cloud where you get 5GB of free storage. Now anyone who has access to this link can download the files on any device. This removes the Samsung-only device restriction and works more like OneDrive and Google Drive. Samsung says all files are deleted after some time from their servers.
Again, the receiving device will need to accept the file transfer request before anything is transferred from your device to theirs. Also, Quick Share will not work when mobile hotspot Wi-Fi Direct, or smart view features are enabled and in active use.
To enable Nearby Share, open the Notification Panel and enable the Nearby Share option. You can press and hold the icon to find more settings like device name, visibility options, data usage, and notification settings.
We have covered how to share files using Nearby Share on Android and Windows separately. Do read them for a step-by-step guide.
FAQs
1. How many devices can the files be shared with at the same time?
Samsung Quick Share supports sending files to up to 5 devices at the same time. Nearby Share is limited to 1 device at the time of writing this article.
2. Are there any limits?
Quick Share allows sending no more than 2GB per day and no more than 1GB at a time. Google says you can’t transfer more than 500 files after which you will be notified.
3. Which one is faster to send files?
In our testing, we found Samsung’s Quick Share to be noticeably faster than Nearby Share. However, we do have some tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of Nearby Share.
Overall, both Quick Share and Nearby Share do the same thing. Transfer files from one device to another between two Androids or Android and Windows. However, there are some key differences. Quick Share is, well, quick while Nearby Share works better on Windows too.
Not happy with the choices? Ditch both of them in favor of Feem which works on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. The only file transfer app you will ever need.
