Android 11 documents confirm upcoming file sharing feature called ‘Fast Share’ that mimics Apple’s ‘Air Drop’
- Support documents portend a feature called ‘Fast Share’ in Android
- The feature will be able to send files to another device in proximity
- It’s unclear when the feature will be released, however
Google‘s Android may finally be rolling out its own version of Apple’s Airdrop.
According to release notes discovered in Android 11, the mobile operating system is working on a feature calls ‘Fast-Share’ that allows users to share files instantly if they’re within proximity.
The note, first reported by 9to5Google, describes an apparent issue with the feature and reads:
‘When sharing files with Fast Share between two Pixel 4 devices, the operation completes successfully, but the UI on the device which receives the file states that it did not receive the file.’
Android will likely release a file sharing feature for exchanging videos, pictures and more, that mimics both Apple’s AirDrop and Samsung’s Quick share
While prior reports from XDA Developers suggested that the feature had been named ‘Nearby Sharing’ documents seem to point to reference it as ‘Fast Share – its original name.
It’s still unclear when the feature will be launched, however. While Android 10 was released in September, the tool never made its way into the operating system.
It’s possible that it had been intended to be released during Google’s I/O conference this month which has since been cancelled due to an ongoing pandemic of novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
Google’s introduction of a file sharing feature comes shortly after Samsung introduced its own called Quick Share, which debuted on the recently release Samsung Galaxy S20.
Like Apple’s AirDrop, compatible phones nearby Samsung phones appear in the Quick Share screen allowing for the transfer of images, video and other files.
The feature will be avaible to Android devices, Google’s Pixel 4 (pictured) which was released last year
If enabled, Quick Share will similarly support sending and receiving either to every compatible device nearby, or just those whom are also in your contacts list.
The tool is capable of quickly sharing files that are fairly large – ones that might typically take several minutes to transfer even with a high speed connection.
According to a test by Phonearena, 1.1GB video recorded in 8K by a Galaxy S20 Ultra took just 28 seconds to send from a Galaxy S20 Ultra to a Galaxy Z Flip using Quick Share.
