Android’s long-awaited Nearby Sharing may be just about ready. The feature, which allows you to share files between Android devices quickly, easily, and wirelessly, has been compared to Apple’s AirDrop, and Google has confirmed Android Police that a beta test for Nearby Sharing is actively rolling out via the Play Services beta.
The feature started showing up in Chrome OS Canary builds earlier this month, indicating that it will work on Chromebooks as well.
Nearby Share looks to function as an Android version of Apple’s AirDrop. You can use it to quickly and wirelessly transfer files between proximate Android phones. Android Police, which got a hands-on with the feature, says it works for photos and videos as well as links and tweets.
Per Android Police, you can’t use Nearby Share to send random things to strangers. A user has to have the function set up and made their phone “visible” (done easily via a Quick Settings tile) before they can receive content, and they must manually accept a file they’re receiving before it opens.
