How to quickly share apps between Android phones using Nearby Share

Main Image
  • Like
  • Comment
  • Share

Sharing your personal apps between Android phones has been a challenge for Android users overs. This is where Apple Air drop feature clearly shines as it allows instant sharing between iOS and Mac devices.

In the past third-party apps like Shareit, SuperBeam addressed this problem to some extent but they where not as smooth as Apple Airdrop. To address this issue, Google introduced a feature called Nearby Share in Android which makes sharing data a seamless experince.

Google introduced the Nearby Share option to PlayStore in February 2021 to make app transfers easier than ever. Later it integrated Nearby Share Android 12 to ensure easy transfer of personal apps, images, audio or other large files between Android devices.

ALSO READ: How to upload photos and videos to Google Photos quickly

How to share apps and install using Nearby Share

Step 1: Open the Google Play Store on the Android device from which apps need to be shared. 

Step 2: Click on the profile picture in the top right corner.

Step 3: Click on the options ‘Manage apps & device’.

Step 4: Find the Share apps option below and tap on ‘Send’.

Step 5: The list of apps will be opened. Select one or several apps that are needed to be shared. The sender can sort the apps alphabetically or by size.

Step 6: Repeat Step 1, 2 and 3 on the receiver’s device and tap on the ‘Receive’ option.

Step 7: Select the receiver’s handset name and sender’s device name on both phones.

Step 8: Verify the permissions asked on both devices to get started with the sharing. 

Step 9: Once received, click on the ‘Install Now’ button beside the apps or click on ‘Install All’ if all apps are received.

The complete process doesn’t take much time and is extremely useful in situations when the receiver’s handset has no active data plan or is not connected to a Wi-Fi. 

Sachin Deo VermaSachin Deo Verma
Sachin covers technology news at Smartprix and he also has a keen interest in automobile and electric vehicles. He keenly gains knowledge from various sources to be updated with the latest tech trends. He is also a passionate Potterhead who dabbles in literature, and poetry, and loves to travel.

Related Articles

ImageUpcoming Smartphones Launches In India (May 2026): Vivo X300 Ultra, Oppo Find X9 Ultra, OnePlus Nord CE 6 Series & Others

We’ve entered one of the busiest months for smartphone launches in India, not because of the sheer number of launches, but because of then phones that are arriving this month include two Ultra variants, along with performance-focused mid-rangers, and possibly a couple of foldables. There’s something for nearly every kind of buyer. So, here’s every …

ImageGoogle enables Nearby Share of Play Store apps: Here’s how to do it

For a long time, Google has been exploring ways to share phone apps among Android devices. Now, Android’s native Nearby Share protocol can let you share Google Play Store apps and updates between two devices. Google has started rolling out the Nearby Sharing ability within Play Store app to Android devices. As of now, it …

ImageHow to use Android’s Nearby Share tool to share multimedia files

Apple usually has an upper hand when it comes to sharing files between two iPhones using native support whereas Android devices were earlier relying on third-party apps. Luckily, the onset of Android’s Nearby Share, a feature that looks and functions similar to Apple’s AirDrop, has allowed Android users to share files without any hassle. Android’s …

ImageTap to Share Could Change How Android Users Share Files and Contacts

Google is working on a new Tap to Share feature for Android, and the latest leak shows how it is expected to work. The idea is simple. You bring two phones close together and either send files or share your contact details without going through multiple steps. It sits on top of Quick Share, which …

ImageGoogle Confirms Quick Share AirDrop Support Will Expand Beyond Pixel in 2026

Google has confirmed it will expand Quick Share’s AirDrop interoperability to many more Android phones this year. This will likely be via a Google Play system update, and not the typical software update. The feature first arrived last year on the Pixel 10 series. It lets Android users share files directly with iPhones, iPads, and …

Discuss

Be the first to leave a comment.