Skip the USB: How Windows Nearby Sharing Streamlines File Transfers
Share files, links, and photos instantly between Windows devices with no cables, cloud uploads, or email attachments required.
By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
July 16, 2025
If so, you're not alone.
Despite all our tech, file sharing between nearby devices still feels clunky.
USB drives, cloud uploads, email attachments, all work, but they’re slow, messy, and often overkill.
Here's a Cool Tip: Windows Nearby Sharing.
Windows Nearby Sharing is a built-in feature that quietly solves this problem with surprising elegance.
Think of it as Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop, except it’s baked into Windows 10 and 11, and it works over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
No pairing. No passwords. Just click, share, and go.