The open source nature of Android makes it difficult for phones from different OEMs to work well with each other, unless Google enters and makes changes to Android or GMS (Google Mobile Services). This is exactly what happened in the case of Nearby Share, which allows for easier file sharing between different Android devices. While we can’t go so far as to say that Apple’s AirDrop works so well, Nearby Share v2.0 is getting a lot of improvements that can help bridge the gap.
First, the next update has a All mode, which will allow you to share files with anyone around you, not just the people in your contacts. This can be useful if you need to share something with someone you don’t know very well. To ensure that this does not cause security problems, there is also a Temporary mode that automatically returns to Contacts after five minutes.
With this new version, tapping the nearby quick share setting tile will open a UI that will allow you to switch between visibility options. That’s not all – multiuser sharing is also coming and will allow you to share the same files with multiple devices, although not simultaneously.
A Google software engineer working at Nearby Share confirms (via Reddit) that all these resources found by 9to5Google will be part of version 2.0. From what the individual has to say, it may be a while before we see the update go live – there are two more patches planned before v2.0. And yes, the team can also bring the feature to the Chrome desktop.
