 Logo used since January 2024 | |
 Quick Share running on Android after sending a file to a PC | |
| Developer(s) | Samsung Electronics Google LLC |
|---|---|
| Initial release | February 24, 2020; 5 years ago (2020-02-24) |
| Operating system |
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| Predecessor | Nearby Share |
| Type | Utility software |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | Windows app |
Quick Share is awirelesspeer-to-peer data transfer utility forAndroid,Windows, Samsung Family Hub refrigerators andChromeOS. Quick Share utilizesBluetooth andWi-Fi Direct to send files to nearby devices, but it could also send to any other device anywhere using the Samsung Cloud, uploading through a link or QR code. Originally developed bySamsung Electronics for its own devices,Google subsequently collaborated with Samsung and merged its own Nearby Share into Quick Share in 2024,[1] distributing Quick Share to non-Galaxy Android devices throughGoogle Play Services.
Quick Share debuted along with theSamsung Galaxy S20 andOne UI 2.1, with rollout to other Galaxy smartphones and tablets later.[1] Samsung claims the service was created to streamline the process of sending content,[2] superseding a previous service named Link Sharing. Quick Share was launched for Windows-basedSamsung Galaxy Book notebooks in 2021, and since July 2023 is no longer limited to Samsung Windows PCs.[3]
In January 2024, it was announced thatGoogle'sNearby Share would be merging with Samsung's Quick Share, adopting the name of the latter.[2]
Users can send files to up to 8 nearby devices at a time, so long as they have the feature enabled[2] and their screens are on.[4] Quick Share can be toggled in the quick panel settings and the user can choose to receive content from anyone nearby, contacts only, your devices, or no one. Content transfer is made possible by choosing Quick Share, after which the sender chooses which nearby device(s) to send to.[2]
Quick Share is also capable of uploading files to Samsung Cloud and sharing via URL.[5] The data uploaded to the Samsung Cloud can be downloaded by the user either by clicking the specified link or scanning the provided QR code.[6]
Samsung Cloud automatically deletes[2] the uploaded files after a period of two days, and has a daily upload limit of 5gigabytes.[5]
The Quick Share app on Windows enables other Quick Share-enabled devices to instantly share files with Windows devices.[2]
Quick Share is available onAndroid 6 and later,[7] ChromeOS 91 and later,[8] and 64-bit versions ofWindows 10 and later (either ARM or x86).[9] On Windows, Quick Share must be installed manually, as opposed to its implementation on Android and ChromeOS, where it is a part of the operating system and does not need to be installed separately. Windows devices must have both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to be able to run Quick Share.[10]
There are two Windows apps available: one for theMicrosoft Store developed by Samsung, and one available via sideloading developed by Google.
These apps are predicted to fully merge capabilities in Q3 of 2024. Currently, Samsung's version can only run using Intel Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers.[11]
In addition, Microsoft also offers a way to Nearby Share (unrelated to Quick Share, nor Google's Nearby Share) to Android devices natively through Windows' Phone Link functionality.[12]
Private Share was a derivative data transfer service which usedblockchain encryption, designed for important personal or financial information.[2] Sharing files is possible via the phone number associated with a phone's SIM card, or a user-chosen private number. A private number is exclusive to the Private Share app, and commences with # and includes 10 digits, like #0123456789. The sender is able to set an expiry date for the files, which get automatically deleted from the recipient's devices.[13] There is a 200 megabyte upload limit for senders. Like Quick Share, Private Share is also preloaded on Samsung Galaxy devices.[14] Since December 2023, Private Share has been integrated with Quick Share, and is no longer a separate service.[15]
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