Score:17

Is there a way to use Android's "Nearby Share" with an Ubuntu computer?

bd flag

Android phones (like Google Pixel phones and Samsung phones) have a feature called Nearby Share. When sharing an item, you can select "Nearby" or "Nearby Share", and it will allow you to share an item to a nearby Android phone or ChromeOS device.

According to Google's blog post, it uses these technologies:

Nearby Share then automatically chooses the best protocol for fast and easy sharing using Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC or peer-to-peer WiFi — allowing you to share even when you’re fully offline.

Screenshot from blog post

Is there a way to share using "Nearby Share" from an Android phone to an Ubuntu device, or vice-versa?

FedKad avatar
cn flag
Maybe not exactly what you are asking, but you can try https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1319/gsconnect/ . It uses the Wireless network.
Michael avatar
gh flag
Maybe Canonical can help?! https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/bluetooth-send-file.html.en (untested)
bd flag
That seemed to work! I could share a file from my Ubuntu laptop to an Android phone with "Nearby Share" enabled. I don't know about the reverse, though.
bd flag
@Michael If you post that as an answer, (with more than just a link but with instructions), I'll upvote the answer and accept it.
vn flag
Right now is not a standard, is just a proprietary tool [which use](https://www.blog.google/products/android/better-together-nearby-share/) _a variety of connection technologies, including Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC, UWB and WebRTC, to automatically find an efficient way for your friend to send you the photo, even if you’re not online._ For the time being the best solution is [GSConnect](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1319/gsconnect/)/KDEConnect
cn flag
@PabloBianchi yes sure its not a standard, but neither is (gs/kde)connect, but what's more important is its not "proprietary" in any meaning I know of, as Google makes the code available for "nearby" under the Apache License: https://github.com/google/nearby which is far *less* restrictive than the GPL that GSconnect uses for example.
Score:4
cn flag

The code for Nearby is available from Google under a open source license.

In a quick search, despite a Linux build being supported, it unfortunately looks like no one has yet packaged it up in a nice easy to use fashion for Ubuntu yet.

Score:0
US flag

Try Warpinator. You can share files and folders. It has an app in the play store as well as the app store. Link to Warpinator

bd flag
Is this compatible with "Nearby Share" for Android? Or is it an alternative to it?
Soham Dahiya avatar
md
@Flimm It's an alternative to it and a pretty good one. You can send and receive folder structures as well. And, it's pretty fast.
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