Google and Samsung just made file sharing on Android much easier
Google and Samsung have teamed up to make sharing files between Android devices a lot easier and faster, bringing the latter’s Quick Share utility across Android.
As the name suggests, Samsung’s Quick Share feature allows for quick sharing of things like images, files and text between two compatible Samsung devices, for example a Galaxy S23 and Galaxy Tab S9. The function is similar to Apple AirDrop.
Google has a similar tool called Nearby Share, which also allows for easy file sharing between nearby devices.
Then, at CES 2024, Google announced that it is working with Samsung to not only bring Quick Share to more Android users, but also integrate Nearby Share with the tool.
“We’ve integrated the experiences and created the best native built-in option for peer-to-peer content sharing across all device types in the Android and Chromebook ecosystem,” Sameer Samat explainedgeneral manager and vice president at Google’s Android Ecosystem division.
“This means that with a simple tap on the new Quick Share icon you can see a list of available devices nearby. You stay in control of your privacy and can choose in your phone’s settings who can discover your device and send files, whether it’s everyone, just your contacts, or just your own devices. Quick Share will be rolled out next month to current devices that support Near Share.”
What may seem like a fairly simple piece of integration is actually a blessing from my perspective. While I enjoy using some of the best Samsung phones, the plethora of extra apps the company puts on its devices too often doubles the apps Android comes with out of the box, which can make for a frustrating experience, with two options are offered to do essentially the same thing.
Samsung has gotten better at letting users hide these extra apps and choose what to install when setting up a new Galaxy phone, but more integration will make for a seamless and better overall experience.
Furthermore, Samat said that Google will look to bring Quick Share to Windows computers: “To make sharing between devices even more seamless, we are working with leading PC manufacturers like LG to extend Quick Share to Windows PCs as a pre-installed installed app. ”
Google and CES 2024
Google had a few more announcements to make at CES, most notably the expansion of Android’s Fast Pair utility to larger screens. As such, the Bluetooth-focused pairing tool will work with Chromecast and Google TV devices starting in February, with more Google TV devices to follow as the year progresses.
Next up is the ability to use Chromecast’s casting features in more apps and devices, as we explained in our overview of Chromecast’s new features. As Samat notes, “You can also look forward to more devices launching with Chromecast built-in, such as the 2024 LG TV lineup. And later this year, we’ll be expanding Chromecast built-in to LG Hospitality and Healthcare, so you can continue enjoying on-the-go of a show or movie from your streaming apps on the LG TV in your hotel room. without having to log into each app and remember to log out when you’re done.”
Such casting is also coming to Spotify and YouTube Music, allowing you to move what’s playing from a connected Pixel phone to, say, a Pixel Tablet without having to stop or disrupt the music flow.
Speaking of smart home devices that work well together, Google is expanding interoperability between its own devices and the Google Home platform with the Matter smart home standard. This should mean that devices running the Android TV and Google TV platforms can act as a Google Home hub, allowing a range of smart devices to be controlled from a big screen. And this obviously means that more Matter-compatible smart home devices can be controlled via, for example, the Google Nest Hub.
Finally, Android Auto is getting an upgrade to bring more Google apps and services to cars that support it. One of those services is the ability to retrieve real-time battery information from an electric car and display an estimated battery level upon arrival at a selected destination in Google Maps, while indicating charging stops along the way.
In short, CES for Google was more about the integration of apps and services, with the search giant seemingly taking a back seat while headline-making hardware was unveiled, like Kohler’s new smart shower technology that almost led to we exposed ourselves indecently at CES.
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