You can use Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or NFC to share content with other devices near yours. You can share things like photos, videos, documents, and links.
Important: Some of these steps only work on Android 6.0 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.
Turn sharing on or off
- On your phone or tablet, make sure Bluetooth and location are turned on.
- Open your device's Settings app.
- Tap Connected Devices
Connection preferences
- Turn Device visibility on or off.
Share content with someone
- Open the content, like a photo or webpage from any app.
- Quick Share has no limit on content size or number of files, but the app that you share from might.
- Tap Share
Quick Share
.
- Make sure the device you want to share with is nearby.
- Tap the device you want to share with.
- If the device you want to share with isn’t listed, you can also share your file with a QR code. To generate a QR code, tap Use QR code
.
- Nearby Android devices can scan the QR code to get connected and receive the files.
- If the device you want to share with isn’t listed, you can also share your file with a QR code. To generate a QR code, tap Use QR code
- Wait for the other device to accept your sharing request.
- To cancel an in-progress transfer, tap the same device again.
- During the transfer:
- You can leave the screen and the transfer will continue.
- You’ll get a notification in your notification tray when you leave the sending screen. You can check the status, cancel, or go back to the transfer screen from that notification.
- To select multiple receivers, you can tap more than one device.
- Due to technical constraints, simultaneous sharing is only supported on selected device models.
- In other cases, transfers will be queued and receivers you select later will get the transfer request when previous transfers are completed.
Get content from someone
- Check that you’ve selected the right setting for “Who can share with you.”
- Turn on Bluetooth
.
- Make sure your screen is unlocked when you receive content from someone else.
- Wait for a pop up notification that tells you who’s trying to share and what content they want to share with you.
- Select Accept or Decline.
Tip: You can scan the Quick Share QR code from the sender. This allows your devices to connect directly with the sender device and receive the files. To scan a QR code:
- Through the camera app: Open your device’s camera app, with the default photo mode, point at a QR code. The support to scan QR code using the default camera app varies by device models. If this doesn’t work on your device, try the QR code scanner through Quick Settings. Learn how to scan QR code using Google camera.
- Through Quick Settings: Open your device’s Quick Settings, find and tap Scan QR code
Choose who can share content with you
- From the top of your screen, swipe down.
- Tap Nearby Share
.
- If you can’t find Nearby Share
. Then drag Nearby Share
- If you can’t find Nearby Share
- Choose your options:
- Device visibility: Your device is only visible if this option is turned on.
- Everyone: Your device is visible to anyone who is nearby while your screen is on and unlocked.
- Contacts: Your device is visible to your nearby contacts while your screen is on and unlocked. You can choose to make your device visible to all contacts or select specific contacts.
- Your devices: Your device is visible to your devices with the same Google Account.
Fix problems sharing content
If you try to share or receive content, but it doesn’t work, try these steps:
- On both devices, check if Bluetooth is turned on. Learn how to turn on Bluetooth.
- Bring the devices close together, within 1 foot (30 cm) of each other.
- Turn Airplane mode on, and then off.
- Wait until no one else is sharing content with the other device.
- If the device is on Android 12 or earlier, check if Location is turned on. Learn how to turn on location.
- Turn your device off, then back on.