Google has announced that it has updated its Share Nearby Equipment with a new feature. With the new update, users can now share files with multiple people instead of just one person at a time. To share a file with multiple users, multiple recipients must be added from the list during the transfer. Google is rolling out this feature to all enabled devices Android 7 or later.
For those who are unaware, Google launched the Nearby Share tool for Android devices a few years back. This feature allows you to share files, links, pictures and more to other Android users near you. It is very similar to the AirDrop feature found in the Apple ecosystem. Near Share automatically chooses the best protocol for fast sharing using Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC or peer-to-peer WiFi. This means that you can use this feature without any internet connectivity.
Until now, the tool was only able to share files with one user at a time. The tech giant started testing the ability to share files with multiple users at the same time in March last year.
The new feature was announced by Google in a blog post where it also revealed several other features. One such useful feature has been added to the Live Transcribe app. According to the tech giant, the app now offers an offline mode when Wi-Fi and data are not available, such as on an airplane, in the subway, or in other areas without frequent Internet access. The app provides real-time speech-to-text captions, enabling everyday conversations between deaf, hard of hearing and hard of hearing people.