Here we explain what nearby sharing is and how to use it on your Windows 11 computer.
What Is Nearby Sharing on Windows 11?
Nearby sharing is a feature that lets you share files, photos, website links, and other content with nearby Windows devices over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The feature works with Windows PCs that have Bluetooth version 4.0 or later with Low Energy (LE) support.
You can use nearby sharing on PCs running Windows 10 and Windows 11. As of now, nearby sharing does not allow you to share files with your smartphone or tablet.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the feature, let’s see how you enable and use nearby sharing on your Windows 11 PC.
How to Enable Nearby Sharing on Windows 11
In order to exchange files via Nearby sharing, first, you need to enable the feature on both Windows computers. Here’s how to do it.
Press Win + I to open the Settings app. In the System tab, click the Nearby sharing option. Select My devices only or Everyone nearby to enable the Nearby sharing feature. Selecting My devices only will allow you to share files between PCs using the same Microsoft account. Selecting Everybody nearby will allow you to share files with any nearby Windows devices.
By default, Windows saves any files you receive in the Downloads folder. If you want to save your files in a different location, click the Change button next to Save files I receive to.
How to Send or Receive Files With Nearby Sharing on Windows 11
Once you’ve enabled Nearby sharing on both Windows PCs, you can start exchanging files. Here’s how:
Open File Explorer on your PC and navigate to the file, document, or photo you want to share. Right-click on your file and click the Share button. Under the Nearby sharing section, select the name of the device with which you want to share the file. On the receiving device, select Save & open or Save when the notification appears.
When the transfer is complete, the receiving device will receive another notification that includes the option to open the received file.
How to Send or Receive a Link to a Website Using Nearby Sharing on Windows 11
To share a website link using nearby sharing:
Open Microsoft Edge on your PC. Navigate to the web page you want to share. Click the menu icon (three dots) in the top right corner and select Share. Click on Windows share options. Under Nearby sharing, select the name of the device with which you want to share the link. On the receiving device, click the Open button to view the webpage in Microsoft Edge.
How to Add Nearby Sharing Button to Quick Settings in Windows 11
You can also enable or disable the nearby sharing feature from the Windows 11 Quick Settings. For that, you’ll need to add the nearby sharing button to the Quick Settings panel. Here’s how to do it.
Press Win + A to open the Quick Settings panel. Click the pencil icon in the lower-right corner. Click on Add and select Nearby sharing from the resulting menu. Click on Done to save changes.
Using Nearby Sharing on Windows 11
Nearby sharing is a handy feature that eliminates the need to use complicated methods to share files with nearby Windows computers. However, if you need to move data to a mobile device, you will have to resort to some other method.
