After much anticipation, Google’s enhanced sharing service is now being rolled out. Quick Share has been made available to all Android users, even those without Galaxy devices. However, the version of Quick Share for non-Galaxy devices lacks certain features, such as link sharing and private sharing. This update integrates the ability to view available devices on a shared sheet, facilitating seamless file sharing between devices. Earlier this month at CES, Google announced its partnership with Samsung to make Quick Share accessible to all Android phones. While Samsung’s Quick Share service was initially compatible with Google’s Nearby Share service on Galaxy devices, the two services are now interconnected. By merging Local Sharing with Quick Sharing, Samsung users no longer need to choose between the two file sharing services. Furthermore, Google has aligned the Nearby Share feature with Samsung’s, ensuring seamless file sharing between Galaxy and non-Galaxy devices. However, not all features have been carried over in this rebrand. Users have noted that the Quick Share update for non-Galaxy devices does not include all the features available in the Samsung version. For instance, the ability to generate a temporary link for sharing files (link sharing) and temporarily share hidden files (private sharing) are not available in this update. Unlike the Samsung version, Google’s Quick Share now displays available devices directly on the sharing page. This streamlines the process of sharing files with other devices, eliminating the need to click the Quick Share button to open the full view. It appears that only personal devices are displayed on the sharing page. While Google has been working on displaying Nearby Share targets directly on the sharing page since last year, the arrival of Quick Share on Android has brought this feature to the forefront. While some users have reported not seeing the Quick Share settings on their devices, it is possible that this change is associated with a server-side flag, distinct from the one controlling the Quick Share release. Therefore, users should watch for the emergence of Quick Share tools on the Android site.
