How to share Android apps with Nearby Share

Are you one of those who share new apps with your friends? Or are your friends the ones who pass you the apps they discover on Google Play? Although there are several ways to share applications, now it will be much simpler thanks to one of the novelties that is coming to Google Play.

You won't need to use WiFi or mobile data, just a few steps and you're done. We tell you all the details below.

What is Nearby Share and how does it work?

Nearby Share is a Google system that allows share content between nearby mobile devices without using the internet. Yes, a transfer system similar to Airdrop, but for Android devices.

We have already seen the dynamics of Nearby Share last year, for example, to share YouTube links, multimedia content, etc. But now it integrates with Google Play. What does it mean? That you can share applications with your friends or contacts.

How does it work? It does not refer to sharing the link of the application, but this system, which now integrates Google Play, will allow you to send the complete application. To apply this dynamic, Bluetooth or Wifi Direct will be used.

The only essential requirement is that your friends' mobiles are nearby so that it can detect it when it starts searching for nearby devices. And of course, go through a brief configuration and some steps, as we explain below.

This new feature of the Google Play Store will allow you to choose the best application

How to share apps with your friends with “Share with Nearby”

Because Nearby Share integrates with Google Play, you can share apps with your friends without relying on WiFi or mobile data.

Just open the Google Play app, go to the “My apps & games” section and scroll to the last “Share” tab.

As you can see in the image, Google gives you two options: Send and Receive. So if you want to share apps with your friends, choose “Send” to start the process. The first step is activate the location of the mobile so that it detects nearby devices.

Once you perform that action, Google Play will show you the apps you have installed on your mobile so you can choose which ones you want to share. Yes, you can choose one application or several to share simultaneously.

A detail that you should not forget is that your friend also has to follow these steps, but choosing the "Receive" option. Once it detects your friend's mobile as a "receiver" you can choose it to share the application. And to avoid mistakes or accidental touches, provides a synchronization code that when confirmed it will be possible to send the app. Of course, you can always see the progress of the transfer.

And what will your friend see on his device? You will receive the app you shared with the option to install it, or if you already have it on your device, then you can update it. One detail to keep in mind is that this dynamic only works with free applications.

The transfer process is very fast, and it saves you from having to give instructions or say the name of the app a thousand times to be searched for on Google Play. You just configure the delivery and that's it, without worrying about data consumption and without the need to share your WiFi password.