For nearly a decade, Chromebooks lacked any cross-device synergy with Android smartphones. Google attempted to bridge the gap between its devices with its suite of Better Together features, but it felt like an afterthought compared to Apple’s Mac-to-iPhone integration. That all changed when Google introduced Phone Hub in its big Chrome OS 89 update, and with OS 91, Google finally made it easy to share family memories, documents, and files between Chromebooks and Android devices with Nearby Share. Here’s how to use it to transfer files seamlessly between your Google devices.
First impressions are everything, and Google continues to knock its onboarding experience out of the park. Nearby Share’s setup UI helps get the ball rolling by offering an engaging experience. To get started with Nearby Share, open your Chrome OS device’s settings. On the first page, under Connected devices, you’ll see Nearby Share. Click Set up.
Google loves to integrate its simplistic interface everywhere — Nearby Share is no exception. The onboarding UI acts as a compass to help you set up Nearby Share on your Chromebook. It’s dead simple to use, and the Google-y illustrations help you stay engaged during setup.
After assigning your Chrome OS device a name, you can customize your privacy so that all or some of your contacts can see your laptop. Selecting “hidden” will keep your device invisible unless you enable it from the shelf. Once the setup is complete, it’ll drop you into Nearby Share’s settings for review. Before transferring files, both of your devices should be nearby with Bluetooth and location enabled.
When you want to transfer something to your Chromebook, sending it can be unwieldy. Nearby Share simplifies the process and cuts down the time spent trying to share the file. For this how-to, we’ll be using Google Photos to share an image with my Chromebook.
To send a photo, tap on the share button at the bottom left of your phone’s screen, and select Nearby Share in the share sheet. Your phone should recognize your Chromebook — tapping “Accept” will begin transferring the photo. You can also share an assortment of documents and files with your Chromebook, too.
If there’s a document or a photo on your Chromebook that you’d like to have on the go, you can transfer it to your phone. Sharing files to your Android smartphone with a Chromebook is dead simple. Right-click any file in the Chrome OS file manager, then select “Share” from the menu. Click Nearby Share, then choose your phone from the list.
It may take a few tries for it to detect your device; launching Nearby Share from Android’s quick settings can help.
Your file should show up in your phone’s download directory when the transfer completes.
You can also use Nearby Share to transfer files from your Chromebook to another Chrome OS device. Right-clicking a file in the Chrome OS files app and selecting “share” will allow you to open Nearby Share. The file transfer will start right after the receiving party accepts it from the system tray. It took a few attempts for my devices to connect, but when it works, it transferred at a decent pace. PWAs that support the Web Share API like PhotoStack will also be able to access Nearby Share.
Overall, Nearby Share is a terrific way to share files between your Chromebook and Android phone in a snap. It isn’t perfect — transferring heavy files could be quicker, and Nearby Share occasionally couldn’t connect to my devices — but in broad strokes, the convenience of seamless file sharing greatly outweighs its flaws. Paired with Phone Hub, Google has finally delivered the cross-device synergy Chromebook users have been clamoring for.
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