Google Really Wants You To Use Chromebook's Nearby Share Feature
Google is rolling out its previously-announced Nearby Share feature for Chromebooks, making it easier for Chromebook users to share content with Android devices and other laptops running Chrome OS. Not quite sure what to do with the new tool? The company is helping inspire users to give Nearby Share a try by highlighting the ways the team behind the feature has been utilizing the new tool.
A decade has passed since Google first introduced Chromebooks; we've seen both the machines and Chrome OS evolve over the years, including the addition of new features that make these small, affordable laptops more useful. One of the latest features is called Nearby Share and it was introduced back in March as a way for users to quickly share content between devices, including while offline.
Nearby Share is rolling out to users now, enabling them to send content between Chrome OS devices, with Android devices like phones and tablets also supported. Google has detailed the ways this feature has already been in use among some of its employees, including as a way to rapidly and privately share vacation phones with a spouse, move an image from an Android phone to a Chromebook, and rapidly transferring links and screenshots between devices.
There are some key aspects of Nearby Share that make it appealing; it works offline, for one thing, and it also keeps the user's contact details private, meaning you won't need to worry about an acquaintance or coworker learning more about you than you'd like. The feature isn't limited to images and can instead also be used to send links, text, music, and other types of files.
Nearby Share supports sending multiple files at once and doesn't come with the attachment size limitations of email. Assuming you have a Chromebook or other Chrome OS device, you should be able to use the feature starting today. Google says that it has also deployed some new wallpapers for Chrome OS, as well as account images and a small circle notification for app icons.