After months of rumors, and leaked data (we have spoken several times on the subject), Google has introduced Nearby Share, the function to share files that Apple already has with its AirDrop.
It will launch today, initially on Pixel and Samsung phones, although Google said it will continue to work with our partners to bring Nearby Share to more smartphones in the Android ecosystem in the coming weeks.
The goal is to allow you to quickly send and receive files with the people around us. To do this, use various protocols. The mobile will show a list of phones that are nearby, and we will have to choose the recipient, once this is done, he will decide if he wants to accept or reject the file.
It will be the system that chooses the best protocol for the transfer, be it Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC or point-to-point WiFi, so it is possible that the transfer can be carried out without the need for an Internet connection.
There is a risk that someone close to us tries to send us files all the time, and that someone even says yes when they wanted to say no, that is why Nearby Share has privacy settings that should avoid being detected, being possible to define that we are hidden, visible to some or all contacts.
We may share files anonymously, which prevents us from exchanging identifying contact information with other people.
Nearby Share will also work with Chromebooks in the coming months and allow easy transfers between laptop and mobile, all much better integrated than the NFC or Google Files app functions that currently exist.
Hopefully they will hurry to extend it to all possible phones and that it is not a gateway to digital criminals sending viruses to all users who are close to it.
