When Google launched Nearby Share in 2020, Android customers in every single place rejoiced. They lastly had a device to rival Apple’s AirDrop, a easy solution to transfer recordsdata between units with out having to connect them to an electronic mail or add them to Google Drive simply to obtain them once more on a brand new gadget.

Now, forward of Google I/O, a number of customers have observed an improve lurking in Google Play Services that makes Nearby Share even simpler. The new “self-share” mode, as spotted by Esper’s Mishaal Rahman (via Android Police), seems to allow you to ship recordsdata between your personal units with a single faucet. The function has been rumored for months however now seems to be a lot nearer to being prepared.

Until now, Google has required the recipient of a share to just accept it, which is an excellent thought for safety and trolling causes however an annoying extra step when all you need to do is ship a photograph out of your telephone to the laptop computer within the different room. The newly seamless sharing solely works for units which have Nearby Share enabled, are bodily near you, and are logged into your Google account. Anyone else not in your account will nonetheless have to just accept every share out of your gadget.

Nearby Share is a vital function for Google, particularly because the Android ecosystem continues to broaden throughout units. If Google goes to be inside your telephone, your laptop computer, your TV, your audio system, and your smartwatch, it must make it simple for customers to maneuver stuff between all these units. Apple has regularly proven what’s potential right here, with AirDrop but additionally with options like Universal Control. It could be a laborious factor to get proper, although: for each magical second-screen expertise Apple provides, it additionally shipped the function that makes your AirPods swap out of your telephone to your laptop computer on the worst potential instances.

But each firms know {that a} profitable ecosystem requires not simply making issues however making them work collectively, and each are seemingly pushing laborious towards that aim. (In an ideal world, these could be cross-platform options, too, however don’t maintain your breath on that.)

There’s no phrase but on when the Nearby Share replace will probably be launched, however with Google I/O scheduled to start out on May eleventh, it’s seemingly not far-off.