Google Near Sharing is getting a big upgrade

when google Launched nearby Share in 2020Android users everywhere rejoiced. They finally have a tool to rival Apple’s AirDrop, which is a simple way to transfer files between devices without having to attach them to an email or upload them to Google Drive just to download them again on a new device.

Now, before Google I/O, a few users have noticed that there is a latent upgrade in Google Play Services that makes Nearby Sharing easier. New ‘self-sharing’ mode, such as It was spotted by Mishaal Rahman Esber (via Android Police), allows you to send files between your own devices with a single click. Feature was rumored months ago But it now appears to be much closer to being prepared.

So far, Google has asked the recipient of the post to accept it, which is a pretty good idea for security and phishing reasons but an annoying extra step when all you want to do is send an image from your phone to your laptop in the other domain. The new seamless sharing only works with devices that have Nearby Sharing enabled, that are physically close to you, and that are signed in to your Google account. Anyone else not on your account will still have to accept every post from your device.

Nearby sharing is an important feature for Google, especially as the Android ecosystem continues to expand across devices. If Google is going to be inside your phone, laptop, TV, speakers, and smartwatch, it has to make it easier for users to move things between all those devices. Apple has consistently shown what’s possible here, with AirDrop but also with features like Universal Control. It can be hard to do it right, though: For every magical second screen experience Apple has to offer, they’ve also shipped the feature that makes your AirPods go from your phone to your laptop at the worst possible times.

But the two companies know that a successful ecosystem requires not just making things but making them work together, and both seem to be pushing hard toward that goal. (In an ideal world, these would be cross-platform features as well, but don’t hold your breath for that.)

There’s no word yet on when the near post update will be released, but with Google I/O Conference scheduled to start on May 11It’s probably not far away.