
Tap Device visibility to determine if you want to use Nearby Share with all contacts or just some contacts, or keep it hidden. Tap Device name to change the name of your phone as it would appear to the other person when sharing a file. You can use Nearby Share to send and receive files as long as both devices are running Android 6.0 or higher, and Bluetooth and location services are turned on.įrom the Nearby Share settings page, you can tweak a few options.

To get started, go to Settings > Google > Devices & sharing > Nearby Share and then turn on the switch for the feature. ( Here are some alternatives.) Nearby ShareĪnother option just for Android is Google’s answer to AirDrop, Nearby Share. The company no longer offers unlimited photo storage for free and limits you to 15GB of space for all your online files (Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos combined) unless you shell out for the Google One monthly subscription.

If you do use Google Photos to sync and store every photo and video you take on your phone, just keep an eye on your Google storage space. To download a specific photo, click it and open the three-dot menu in the upper right corner, then select Download. Open the Google Photos website on your computer, and you should see all your synced photos. Inside the app, tap your profile icon and select Google Photos settings > Back up & Sync and turn on the switch for Back up & Sync. You can also use Google Photos on an iPhone or iPad if you download the app from Apple’s App Store.

If this isn’t working for you, open the app, tap your profile icon in the upper right, and go to Photos settings > Back up & Sync and turn on the switch for Back up & Sync. Google Photos should automatically save and sync photos and videos on your Android device, which means you can access them on your phone and computer. For more detailed help, check out our AirDrop guide. Open the Downloads folder on your Mac to access it. You should see an AirDrop notification on your Mac, at which point the file is automatically copied. On your phone or tablet, open the file you wish to copy. If you haven’t yet used AirDrop to transfer files between your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it’s fairly straightforward.
