I've long been a fan of Apple's AirDrop feature, which lets you send a photo, file, or website address to anyone nearby, even if you're not connected to the internet. Now Windows users can enjoy the same convenience, with the April 2018 update's Nearby sharing capability.
The feature uses Bluetooth and peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, meaning you don't even need to be connected to a Wi-Fi router, let alone to the internet, to transfer files. As you'll see below, Nearby sharing isn't a separate feature but an option on the share panel, just like Apple.
Setup is easy, so if you have some files you want to share to a nearby PC, do yourself a favor and give Nearby sharing a try. Here's how.
1. Start the Process
2. Looking for Nearby Devices
3. Nearby Desktop Found
Here you can see that the "Looking for..." message has been replaced with the device name of a nearby PC. When another device with nearby sharing enabled is found, you'll see its computer name in the share dialog. This could be a weird name like "LAPTOP-DG435GF" generated by your computer manufacturer.
You can find your PC's name in Settings > System > About in the Device name section. That Settings page includes a button at the bottom for renaming the PC to something that better identifies the machine, such as Tom-Den-Desktop. (Note that you can't have spaces in the name.)
4. Sending Nearby
5. Receiving PC
6. Shared Settings
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for Tips & Tricks newsletter for expert advice to get the most out of your technology.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
