Use Samsung Quick Share? Setup & Send Files

Samsung Quick Share is Android’s built-in file-sharing tool that lets you send photos, videos, documents, and links to nearby devices wirelessly. You can use it by turning on Quick Share in your notification shade, selecting the files you want to send, and choosing the target device from the list that appears. It works between Samsung phones, and on newer Android devices and Windows PCs that support Google’s Nearby Share, which Samsung merged with Quick Share in 2024.

What Is Quick Share and How Did It Start?

Quick Share debuted on Samsung Galaxy phones in 2020 as a direct competitor to Apple’s AirDrop. It uses a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to discover nearby devices and Wi-Fi Direct to transfer the actual files, which makes it much faster than Bluetooth alone. For a few years it was exclusive to Samsung devices, but in January 2024 Samsung and Google merged Quick Share with Google’s Nearby Share. The combined feature is now called Quick Share on Samsung phones and is built into Android’s system UI on most new Android devices, including Pixel phones. This means you can send files not only to other Samsung phones but also to any Android phone that has the feature, and to Windows PCs that have the Quick Share app installed.

How Quick Share Works

Quick Share uses a combination of radios to make the transfer fast and reliable. When you start a transfer, your phone broadcasts a Bluetooth Low Energy signal that tells nearby devices you are sharing. The receiving device confirms the connection, and then the actual file transfer happens over Wi-Fi Direct, a technology that lets two devices connect to each other directly without a router. This is why Quick Share can transfer a 1 GB video in under a minute in ideal conditions, whereas Bluetooth would take several minutes. The feature also uses peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, so you do not need an internet connection or a mobile data plan to use it. Both devices just need to have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and they need to be within about 30 feet (10 meters) of each other.

How to Use Quick Share on a Samsung Phone

Here are the steps to send a file from a Samsung Galaxy phone running One UI 5.1 or later (Android 13 and up). The steps are nearly identical on other Android devices with Quick Share built in.

1. Make sure both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. You don’t need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On the sending phone, open the app that contains the file you want to share. For example, open the Gallery app for photos or videos, or open My Files for documents.
3. Select the file or files. In Gallery, you can long-press one photo and then tap additional photos to select multiple.
4. Tap the Share button (the three dots connected by lines icon).
5. In the share sheet, tap the Quick Share icon (it looks like a target with a dot in the center). The phone will start scanning for nearby devices.
6. On the receiving device, make sure Quick Share is set to receive from “Everyone� or at least from “Contacts.� You can change this in the Quick Share settings.
7. When the receiving device appears on your screen, tap its name. The receiver will get a prompt asking to accept the file. They tap Accept.
8. The file transfers. You’ll see a progress bar on both devices. When it’s done, the file is saved in the Downloads folder on the receiving device (or in the Gallery for photos).

How to Receive Files with Quick Share

Receiving is just as simple. On your Samsung phone, pull down the notification shade and tap the Quick Share icon (it might be on the second page of quick toggles). If you don’t see it, tap the pencil icon to edit the quick settings panel and drag Quick Share into the visible area. Once Quick Share is open, you have three visibility options:

• Off – You are not discoverable, and you can’t receive files.
• Contacts only – Only people in your contacts can see your phone and send you files. This is the default and is the most private option.
• Everyone – Any device nearby can see your phone and send files. This is useful for a group setting, but you should switch it back to Contacts only afterward to avoid unwanted requests.

When someone sends you a file, you’ll get a notification with the sender’s name and a preview of the file. Tap Accept to receive it. You can also set Quick Share to auto-accept from certain contacts, but that’s not recommended for security reasons.

Quick Share on Windows and Other Devices

Quick Share is not just for phones. Samsung and Google provide a Windows app called “Quick Share� (formerly “Nearby Share for Windows�) that you can download from the official Samsung website or from the Microsoft Store (for non-Samsung PCs). Once installed and signed in with the same Google account, you can send files between your phone and PC in either direction. The PC appears in the list of nearby devices when you share from your phone, and you can share from the PC by right-clicking a file and selecting “Quick Share.� The app works on Windows 10 and 11, and it uses the same Bluetooth + Wi-Fi Direct method. Quick Share is also available on Chromebooks, and on Android tablets. You cannot send files to an iPhone or iPad with Quick Share; for that you would need a third-party app like Send Anywhere or a cloud service.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

If Quick Share isn’t working, here are the most likely causes and fixes:

• Devices not discovering each other: Make sure both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. Also check that the receiving device is set to “Everyone� or “Contacts only� and that you are within 30 feet. If you are still not seeing the device, toggle Quick Share off and on, or restart both phones.
• Transfer is slow or fails: Move closer together. Walls and other obstacles weaken the Wi-Fi Direct signal. Also, if you are transferring many large files, the transfer might take a while; be patient.
• Receiver doesn’t get the prompt: On the receiving phone, go to Settings > Connections > Quick Share and make sure “Receive from� is not set to “Off.� Also check that the phone is not in power saving mode, which can disable background scanning.
• Quick Share icon is missing: On Samsung phones, go to Settings > Advanced features > Quick Share and toggle it on. If the icon is still missing from the share sheet, restart the phone.
• Windows PC doesn’t show up: Make sure the Quick Share app is running on the PC and that both devices are signed into the same Google account. Also check that the PC’s Bluetooth is on.

Quick Share vs. Alternatives

Quick Share is not the only way to transfer files between devices. Here’s how it compares to the common alternatives:

• Bluetooth: Bluetooth is built into every phone, but it is much slower than Quick Share. For a 100 MB file, Bluetooth might take 2-3 minutes, while Quick Share takes seconds. Bluetooth also requires pairing, which is an extra step.
• Email or cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive): These work over the internet, so you can send files to someone on the other side of the world. But they require uploading and downloading, which uses data and can be slow for large files. Quick Share is faster and doesn’t use data, but only works when both devices are nearby.
• Third-party apps (Send Anywhere, ShareIt): These apps work across platforms (including iOS) and can transfer over the internet, but they often show ads, have file size limits, and require installing an app on both devices. Quick Share is built into Android, so there’s nothing extra to install.
• Apple AirDrop: AirDrop is the equivalent on iPhones and Macs. It works similarly, but it only works between Apple devices. Quick Share does not work with iPhones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Quick Share use my mobile data?

No. Quick Share uses Wi-Fi Direct, which creates a direct connection between the two devices. It does not use your mobile data plan or require an internet connection. You can even use it in airplane mode if you manually turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth back on.

Can I send files to an iPhone?

No, Quick Share is not compatible with iPhones or iPads. Apple uses AirDrop, which is a proprietary protocol. To send files between an Android phone and an iPhone, you would need to use a third-party app like Send Anywhere, or use a cloud service.

How many files can I send at once?

You can select multiple files in the Gallery or My Files app and share them all in one Quick Share session. There is no official limit, but very large numbers of files (hundreds) might take a while. The total transfer time depends on the combined size and the Wi-Fi signal strength.

Is Quick Share secure?

Quick Share uses encryption during the transfer, and the receiving device must accept the file before it is sent. However, if you set your visibility to “Everyone,� any nearby device can see your phone and send you a file request. It’s best to keep the setting on “Contacts only� and only switch to “Everyone� temporarily when you need to receive from someone not in your contacts.

Why is Quick Share not showing up on my Samsung phone?

Quick Share is available on Samsung phones running One UI 2.5 or later (Android 10 and up). If you don’t see it, go to Settings > Advanced features > Quick Share and make sure it is enabled. If it’s still missing, your phone might be too old, or you might be using a non-Samsung Android phone that doesn’t have the feature built in (though most new Android phones do). You can also download the Quick Share app from the Google Play Store.

Can I use Quick Share to send files to a PC?

Yes, you can send files to a Windows PC if you install the Quick Share app on the PC. The app is available for free from the Samsung website or the Microsoft Store. You need to be signed in with the same Google account on both the phone and the PC, and both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network (or have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct enabled).

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