Android’sNearby Shareis a handy tool to send files seamlessly between devices in your vicinity. Samsung has its own version of this file sharing tool calledQuick Share, serving a similar purpose but forGalaxy devices. It’s now coming to light that Google is prepping to rebrand Nearby Share as Quick Share, sparking speculation about this being part of a collaboration between Google and Samsung.
According to prominent leakerKamila Wojciechowska, an update to Google Play services beta version23.50.13brought up a notification (pictured below) detailing the changes. Diving deeper into the update, Wojciechowska found that this new Quick Share service also has a new icon, appearing consistently across the system, including within the Quick Settings tile.
To be clear, this version of Google Play services (GMS) and the corresponding rebrand doesn’t appear to be widely rolling out yet, per Wojciechowska. On top of the change in name and the new icon, the Settings page for Quick Share also gets a bit of a revamp.
Since this is still technically a leak, it’s hard to know the reasoning behind the rebrand. But considering the close working relationship between the two companies,like with Wear OS, for example, a collaboration for a consolidated file sharing service wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibilities. Of course, Google isno stranger to rebranding its products, so this upcoming change shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.
As for Samsung Galaxy device owners, this move would mean they’ll no longer find the Nearby Share option on their phones while initiating a Quick Share transfer. Samsung currently offers both methods of file transfer, but the rebranding would mean users would (finally) have only one option to choose from. There’s currently no indication to suggest that this consolidated file sharing option would differ from Nearby Share, barring minor UI changes.
If we were to make an educated guess, Samsung and Google might have something to share about this branding change during next month’sUnpacked event, which will host the unveiling of three newGalaxy S24 smartphones. The flagships have alreadyleaked in their entirety, leaving little to the imagination. Meanwhile, Samsung is also expected to announce some new AI capabilities with the Galaxy S24 trio, finally catching up with the likes of theGoogle Pixel 8 Pro.
Nearby Share made its Android debut back in mid-2020, with Samsung Quick Share breaking cover on the Galaxy S20 series earlier that year. Both serve a similar purpose, with the primary goal being to act as a viable Apple AirDrop alternative for their respective ecosystems. Since its launch, Nearby Share has gradually added support for file transfer between more devices, such asChromebooksandWindows PCs, while also makingprivacy-related changesin the recent past.
