Send files between Android and Windows with Quick Share

Want to move a photo from an Android phone to a Windows PC? In August 2024, Google’s Quick Share was the nearby transfer route: choose the PC from Android’s Share menu, or send a file the other way from Google’s Windows app. Windows also has its own Nearby sharing for PC-to-PC transfers, so it helps to open the feature built for the devices you’re using.

This guide reflects Google’s announcements and instructions available by 17 August 2024. Phone menus vary by manufacturer, and this is a documentation-based walkthrough rather than a compatibility test of every Android and Windows combination.

Pick the sharing feature that matches the devices

Use Google Quick Share for an Android phone and a Windows PC. The phone sends through Android’s Share menu, and Google’s separate Quick Share app on Windows makes the PC available as a nearby device.

Use Windows Nearby sharing to send between two Windows PCs. It is part of Windows’ built-in share window. Microsoft’s October 2023 Windows update describes Nearby sharing there as a PC-to-PC feature.

Check compatibility before setup

Google’s January 2024 compatibility note lists Quick Share for Android devices with Google Mobile Services running Android 6.0 or later, and Windows computers running a 64-bit version of Windows 10 or later. The same note says Windows on ARM was not supported at that time. Google’s Quick Share branding rolled out across Android, ChromeOS and Windows in early 2024.

Before you begin:

• Install Google’s Quick Share app for Windows .
• Make sure Quick Share is available on your Android phone. The exact settings location can vary by phone maker.
• Put the phone and PC near one another, and keep the Windows app open for the first transfer.
• If these are your own devices, sign in to the same Google Account on each. Google says transfers between a person’s own devices on that account are accepted automatically.

Send a file from Android to Windows

1. Open Quick Share on the Windows PC. Set a device name and choose who can discover it in the app’s visibility settings.
2. On the Android phone, open the photo, video or document you want to send and tap Share, then Quick Share.
3. Select the correct Windows PC from the nearby-device list. Check the device name before sending.
4. If both devices are yours and use the same Google Account, the transfer is accepted automatically. For another person’s device, review the request on the receiving PC and accept it there.
5. Wait for the transfer to finish, then open the received file on Windows to confirm it is the one you intended to send.

Google’s February 2024 guide describes Android visibility options for Everyone, Contacts and your own devices. Choose the narrowest setting that fits the transfer. If you temporarily make the phone discoverable to everyone nearby, switch it back afterwards.

Send a file from Windows to Android

1. Open Quick Share on the PC and choose the file you want to send. Google’s Windows guide also describes dragging a file into the app or right-clicking it and choosing Send with Quick Share.
2. Select the Android phone from the device list.
3. On the phone, review the incoming request and accept it. A transfer between your own devices on the same Google Account is accepted automatically.
4. Wait for the completion notice and check the file on the phone.

If the other device does not appear

Start with the parts that control discovery:

• Check that the Android device and Windows PC meet Google’s published system requirements.
• Confirm you opened Google Quick Share on Windows. Windows Nearby sharing is the built-in route for Windows PCs; it does not replace the Google app for Android transfers.
• Keep the devices near one another, open Quick Share on the PC and review the visibility setting on the receiving device.
• If you are sharing between your own devices, confirm both are using the same Google Account. A different account can change which devices appear and whether the transfer needs approval.
• Try one small, non-sensitive file first. Confirm the receiving device and the result before sending a larger or private file.

Before transferring a larger or private file, send something small and check that it arrives on the intended device. If you widened visibility for the hand-off, return to your usual setting afterwards.

This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on compatibility test. Google’s Windows instructions were first published under the earlier Nearby Share Beta name in 2023; the January and February 2024 Google posts below establish the Quick Share name and supported ecosystem at this article’s date.

Sources and further reading

• Google, “What we announced at CES 2024” — 9 January 2024. Quick Share rollout and the published Android and Windows requirements.
• Google, “How to quickly share content with nearby devices” — 8 February 2024. Device visibility options and the Quick Share name across Android, ChromeOS and Windows.
• Google, “Share files easily between Android devices and Windows PCs” — 31 March 2023. Windows app setup, background availability and sending from either device; the post uses the earlier Nearby Share Beta name.
• Microsoft, “October 31, 2023—KB5031455” — 31 October 2023. Windows’ built-in share window and PC-to-PC Nearby sharing.