10 Ways to Fix Nearby Share Not Working on Android [2023]

A few years ago, Google introduced the Nearby Share feature for Android, which allows direct sharing between Android devices running Android 6 or later. The feature is very similar to Apple’s Airdrop feature for iPhone. You can simply select the files you want to share, tap the Nearby Share button in the sharing menu, and then wait for a nearby phone to appear, tap the device, agree to share, and the files will be transferred.

However, this is not always the case. Sometimes Nearby Share encounters problems and does not work for some Android users. If you are one of them, do not worry. In this guide, you will learn how to fix Nearby Share on Android in 10 different ways.

How to Fix Nearby Share Not Working on Android

Check Your Android Version

Nearby Sharing only works if both Android devices are running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and above. To check your Android version, go to Settings > About. Check the number under the Android version. It should be 6 or higher.

To check the Android version on your Android device, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your device.
2. Scroll down and tap “About phone” or “About device.”
3. Search for “Android version” or “Software information.”
4. You should see the version number of your Android operating system.
5. To save time, you can visit this link to check your Android version online.

Turn On and off Airplane Mode

Nearby Share uses a combination of network services to connect devices and transfer data securely. Turning on Airplane Mode on Android devices resets network settings such as cellular, Bluetooth, WLAN, GPS, NFC, and more.

You can turn on Airplane mode on an Android device using the following steps:

1. Open the “Settings” app on your Android device.
2. Look for the “Network & Internet” or “Connections” option and tap on it.
3. Look for “Airplane Mode” or “Flight Mode” and toggle the switch next to it to turn it on. The airplane mode icon usually looks like an airplane.
4. Alternatively, you can swipe down from the top of the screen to access the Quick Settings menu and tap the Airplane Mode icon to activate it.

Enable Nearby Share on Both Devices

Before you start sharing files via Nearby Share, make sure you enable Nearby Share on both devices you are sharing. Nearby Share requires a mutual connection to share files between devices.

You can turn on Nearby Share on your Android smartphone using the following steps:

1. Open the “Settings” app on your Android device.
2. Find the “Google” option and tap it.
3. Scroll down and tap on “Device Connections or Devices and Sharing”
4. Look for “Nearby Share” and tap on it.
5. Flip the switch next to “Nearby Share” to enable it.
6. Alternatively, you can turn on Nearby Share from the Quick Settings menu by swiping down from the top of the screen, finding the Nearby Share icon, and tapping on it to turn it off.

Enable receiving for Nearby Share:

• Open Settings on your smartphone.
• Go to Device Connections > Nearby Share > Device Visibility.
• Now select the one you prefer from the options listed. These options include:
  • All contacts: the device will be visible to all contacts in your list when the screen is ON and unlocked
  • Some contacts: the device will be visible to select nearby devices when the screen is ON and unlocked
  • Hidden: the device will only be visible when Nearby Share is open

Enable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Location on Both Devices

As mentioned earlier, Nearby Share uses native connectivity options such as Bluetooth (and Bluetooth Low Energy), NFC, WebRTC, or peer-to-peer WiFi to connect and enable file transfer. When Nearby Share is turned on, it automatically enables Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the device you are sending from. It will also prompt you to enable location if it is turned off. However, you should manually check once and make sure that all three services are enabled in the Quick Settings.

You can turn on Wi-Fi on an Android smartphone with the following steps:

1. Open the “Settings” app on your Android device.
2. Find the “Network & Internet” or “Connections” option and tap it.
3. Look for “Wi-Fi” and tap it to open the Wi-Fi settings.
4. Toggle the switch next to Wi-Fi to turn it on.
5. Alternatively, you can turn on Wifi with the ᯤ icon in the Quick Settings menu by swiping down from the top of the screen to access the Quick Settings menu, find the Bluetooth icon, and tap it to turn it on.

You can turn on Bluetooth on an Android smartphone using the following steps:

1. Open the “Settings” app on your Android device.
2. Look for the “Bluetooth” option and tap on it. The Bluetooth icon typically looks like a stylized “B.”
3. Toggle the switch next to “Bluetooth” to turn it on. The switch will turn blue when Bluetooth is enabled.
4. Alternatively, you can turn on Bluetooth from the Quick Settings menu by swiping down from the top of the screen to access the Quick Settings menu, locating the Bluetooth icon, and tapping on it to turn it on.

You can turn on GPS on an Android smartphone using the following steps:

1. Open the “Settings” app on your Android device.
2. Look for the “Location” option and tap on it.
3. Toggle the switch next to “Location” to turn it on. The switch will turn green when GPS is enabled.
4. Alternatively, you can turn on GPS from the Quick Settings menu by swiping down from the top of the screen to access the Quick Settings menu, locating the GPS icon, and tapping on it to turn it on.

Bring Devices Closer

Nearby Share uses on-device connectivity options such as Bluetooth, NFC, and peer-to-peer wifi to connect and enable file transfer. These connectivity options only work within the specified range. If Nearby Share is already enabled and you can’t transfer files to another device, try bringing the devices closer together. Then try disabling and re-enabling Nearby Share. If it still doesn’t work, follow the steps below.

Unlock the Device

By default, Android phones do not stop background processes when you lock the device. Many applications continue to run in the background even when you lock your phone, so they can continue to perform tasks or receive notifications. However, in some cases, some Android smartphones stop background processes to save battery. If this is the case, it may affect the Nearby Sharing feature when the device is locked. To fix this, simply unlock your device when you use the Nearby Share feature on your Android smartphone.

Clear Google Play Services Cache

Google Play Services is one of the core features for Nearby Share on Android. When Google Play services experience issues, it can affect the Nearby Share feature on your Android smartphone. You can easily fix this issue by clearing the Google Play Services app cache. Clearing the app cache will not delete any personal data such as login credentials, saved settings, or app-related documents. It only removes temporary files and data that the app has stored in the cache.

• Open Settings > Apps > See all apps > Google Play Services.
• Now open the Storage & cache option, then select Clear Cache.

Update Google Play Services

If clearing the cache of Google Play services doesn’t fix the problem, try updating the services. Generally, Google Play services are updated automatically in the background, but sometimes they may not update for some reason. You can easily update the Google Play services by following the steps below.

• Open the Google Play Store app and tap on your profile picture at the top.
• Now tap on Manage apps and devices.
• Now tap on the Updates.
• Now search for Google Play Services and tap on Update
• If you can’t find the app, click this link

Related Read: [FIXED] Unfortunately Google Play Services Has Stopped Error on Android

Restart Your Device

Restarting the device is the most well-known and popular troubleshooting method to fix most issues, including the problem of Nearby Share not working on your Android smartphone. Different smartphones perform different steps to restart a device. However, most of the steps are very similar for all Android smartphones.

Reset Android Smartphone

If the above troubleshooting methods don’t work, you should reset your smartphone as a very last resort. This is the last method you should try. When you factory reset a device, all data, settings, and apps are reset to the original factory settings, just like a new device. All your personal data, including contacts, Google accounts, photos, videos, music, and documents, will be deleted from the device’s internal storage.

You need to set up your reset device just like you set up a new device. Different Android smartphones require a different factory reset procedure. We have listed the factory reset steps for the most popular brands below. Once the reset is complete, set up your smartphone and try using Nearby Share again. This should fix the problem.

How to reset your smartphone

• Unlock your smartphone and open all apps; tap the gear icon to open the Settings app
• Scroll down to General Management.
• Select Reset to review the different reset options available
• Tap Factory data reset to open the factory reset page.
• On the factory reset page, check all accounts and apps to make sure you have synced them recently. It is advisable to back up your data before resetting.
• Once you have confirmed that your accounts are synced, and your app data is safe, scroll down and tap the Reset button.
• If you have set up a login passcode or unlock pattern, enter it to continue.
• On the next factory data reset page, tap the Delete All button to start the reset.
• When you tap Delete all, your phone will prompt you to enter the credentials for the Samsung account you have associated with the device. Enter your password in the required field, and then tap OK to start the factory reset.

So this is how you can fix Nearby Sharing not working on Android smartphones. Nearby Share is a great feature and the best alternative for Android users to share files easily between devices. I hope you find this guide helpful. If you have any suggestions, feel free to suggest them in the comments below. Also, let us know what method fixed the problem with Nearby Share on your smartphone.

FAQ on How to Fix Neary Share on Android

Nearby share not working on Samsung. How to Fix it?

The methods and solutions we have shared should work for all Android devices, including Samsung. Please try all the above methods. If it still does not work, please contact Samsung support team. You can also add a comment below pointing out the exact error. We will help you out.

Nearby Share not working with Windows 11. How to fix it?

Not to confuse you, Nearby Share on Windows is different from Nearby Share on Android. If you can not share files between Windows and Android smartphones, you are not alone. At the time of writing, Google has yet to roll out support for Nearby Share between Android and Windows devices. If you are having trouble with Nearby Share on Windows, follow the troubleshooting techniques below.

• Make sure the Nearby Share feature is enabled on both PCs: First, make sure the Nearby Share feature is enabled on both PCs. On Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > System > Nearby Sharing and make sure it is enabled and set to Own Devices Only or All Nearby. On Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > System > Shared Experiences and turn Nearby Sharing to On. Here you can also specify where you want to share or receive items.
• Check Bluetooth compatibility: Nearby Sharing requires both PCs to have Bluetooth 4.0 (or higher) with Low Energy support. If one or both devices do not meet this requirement. To check, press the Windows key + R to launch the Run command. Type devmgmt.msc in the box and press Enter > Double-click Bluetooth to expand it. Right-click on your Bluetooth adapter and select Properties>. In the Properties window, switch to the Details tab. In the drop-down menu under Property, select Bluetooth radio supports Low Energy Central Role. Then check the value.
• Restart your Windows PC: Try restarting your Windows PC.

How to transfer files from a phone to an Android TV wirelessly?

With Google Play services v22.15, Nearby Share users can transfer files via Bluetooth between their own phones, tablets, Android Auto devices, and Android TV devices without having to authenticate the process. You can log in with the same Google account on your Android smartphone and on your Android TV. Then select the files you want to share, tap Share Nearby, and select the device you want to share files with.

Does Nearby Share require an internet connection to work?

Nearby Share does not require an internet connection to work. It uses a combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and location services to enable devices to discover each other and establish a direct communication channel. However, Nearby Share does require Bluetooth and location services to be enabled on both devices for it to work.

Why is my Nearby Share connection slow or unreliable?

Some reasons for Nearby Share connection being slow or unreliable are:

1. Distance and Interference
2. Low Battery
3. Outdated Software
4. Device Compatibility
5. Network Congestion

Can I share files with iPhones using Nearby Share?

No, you cannot share files directly between Android and iPhones using Nearby Share. Nearby Share is a feature exclusive to Android devices and is not supported by iOS devices. Instead, consider using third-party apps like Snapdrop and Send Anywhere.