Sharing photos and files between Android devices is about to get easier with the arrival of Quick Share. The file transfer feature, which essentially mimics the iPhone's AirDrop feature for Android, was first announced at CES earlier this month and has since begun rolling out to Google Pixel devices.

A joint effort between Samsung and Google, Quick Share will unite the two companies' file sharing experiences under a single name as the default sharing method for Android devices and Chromebooks. Quick Share is already included in the just-released Galaxy S24, which allows users to easily transfer photos, files, and other information wirelessly.

More and more people are now reporting that they can now see Quick Share on their Pixel phones, replacing Google's previous Nearby Share feature. As of this writing, the feature appears to be available only to Pixel owners, but will eventually be rolled out to other Android phones; Google has also promised that Quick Share will eventually make its way to Windows PCs.

Now that it is available for Android, it is important to know how to use Quick Share; read on to learn more about Google Quick Share and how to use this feature on your Android device.

Apple's AirDrop makes it easy to send photos, videos, and other files to other iOS users nearby with a simple tap of an icon; Android users could share content with friends wirelessly as well, but a unified file sharing The problem was that there was no unified approach to file sharing. [Specifically, Google had one sharing option called "Nearby Share" and Samsung had its own "Quick Share. Users using Google's "Nearby Share" could only share content with other users on that platform, and Samsung phone users could only share content with other Samsung devices using "Quick Share."

The new Google Quick Share is the result of an agreement with Samsung to adopt Quick Share as the default wireless sharing tool across the ecosystem, allowing Android users to share content wirelessly with other Android users. Google Quick Share makes it easier than ever to share photos and videos with other Android users.

Google Quick Share will be automatically downloaded to Android devices via over-the-air updates. As of this writing, Google's Pixel devices are receiving this update, and other Android devices will gradually receive it as manufacturers update their operating systems. In the future, Quick Share will be incorporated into future versions of Android.

If you are familiar with Nearby Share on your Android device, you will be pleased to know that the sharing process is identical to Quick Share. In fact, the first time you try to use Quick Share on your device, Google will tell you that Nearby Share is now Quick Share. To share with a device nearby, look for the new name and icon."

To use Quick Share, first select the file, photo, or video you want to share with someone and tap the share icon below the image. Look for an icon at the bottom of the screen that says Quick Share and tap it. You will then see the devices nearby that are available for sharing. Select any of them and your content will be shared to that person's device.

Note that Quick Share is designed for sharing to nearby devices. Therefore, if you are not in close proximity to the person you wish to share with, Quick Share is not the best option.