Nearby Share has been the Android equivalent of Apple’s AirDrop feature, but it isn’t as seamless. Nearby Share feels clunky at times and lacks on some fronts. For instance, it doesn’t allow you to share files to your own devices. An improvement in this aspect has finally arrived.

Usually, if you want to transfer files from one of your devices to another, you would need to pick up both, initiate a transfer from one device, and approve the request on the other device. However, it isn’t easy to use this system all the time, especially when the second device isn’t within easy reach.

Bundled with the new Google Play Services v22.15 for May, Nearby Share gets a new capability to move files between two devices via Bluetooth if they are connected to the same Google account. The feature works with Android Auto devices, Android TVs, Chromebooks, Windows PCs, and smartphones and tablets running Android. The most significant improvement is that you won’t need to manually authenticate the transfer on the second device.

Dubbed self-sharing, the feature was first spotted in development last month by Esper senior technical editor Mishaal Rahman. In a tweet, he also demonstrated how the feature works.

Here's a demo of "self share" in Nearby Share (ie. no authentication needed to share files between devices signed into the same Google Account) as well as a look at a new "completion" screen. pic.twitter.com/zPHMI0IvGH

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) May 2, 2022

The latest update for Google Play Services started rolling out on May 2. While Google Play Services can be updated through the Play Store, you can find Google Play System updates under Settings > About phone > Android version > Google Play System Update on your Android device. Other minor improvements bundled in this update are a redesigned Google Help app.

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