Android has started the beta rollout of a feature called Nearby Sharing, a file-sharing feature similar to the iOS' AirDrop. Android devices can now share files with each other, and this feature may ship along with Android 11 in a couple of weeks.

Having released the beta version of Nearby Sharing, Google has made it easy for those qualified to try this feature out. It's not widely released yet, so not all will be able to get it even after completing the steps we will outline below.

First, open this link for the Google Play Services app page. Access it in the Play Store, and it will open the Google Play Store. From there, tap the Join button on the beta section. It may take a little while for your phone to get the beta update. Once your Play service is up to date with the beta version, restart your phone.

Now to use Nearby Sharing: you will easily see the Nearby Sharing toggle in the notification shade once the Google Play service has been set to beta. To turn it on, simply tap Nearby Sharing. You will see a popup and a new feature labeled Nearby Sharing.

Use that feature to start sharing a file, and a new popup should appear, which will show you a list of devices that have their Nearby Sharing feature enabled as well. Select the device to share your files with. The receiver will have to accept the share to complete the process.

The type of connection you use when enabling Nearby Share depends on your settings and what is being shared. For small and short stuff like URLs, the transfer seems to happen too fast for it to be a fully local process. It's possible small files get sent over an internet connection if it's available. As for bigger files, it appears Wi-Fi Direct is being used.

When the file arrives on the receiver's phone, they are notified to open it. Apps used to open the content depends on what it is. For example. Photos will open using your default photo app, URLs will open in your browser, and tweets will appear on Twitter. If it is a file, it will be stored in Downloads.

That's pretty much it. And don't forget this is a beta version, so bugs could happen. But it's all part of the polishing process. Work on feedback, and in time, the feature will be seamless.