After months of rumors, Google has finally verified that its “Nearby Share” function is on the way. Some Android end users are now tests a beta edition.

“We’re at present conducting a beta examination of a new Close by Share element that we plan to share extra details on in the foreseeable future,” Google informed Android Law enforcement. “Our intention is to start the feature with guidance for Android 6+ devices as well as other platforms.”

The feature begun showing up in Chrome OS Canary builds earlier this thirty day period, indicating that it will function on Chromebooks as perfectly.

Close by Share appears to be like to perform as an Android model of Apple’s AirDrop. You can use it to quickly and wirelessly transfer documents among proximate Android phones. Android Police, which received a fingers-on with the attribute, states it functions for shots and videos as well as one-way links and tweets.

For every Android Police, you just can’t use Close by Share to send random points to strangers. A user has to have the operate established up and manufactured their cellular phone “visible” (carried out simply through a Fast Configurations tile) in advance of they can obtain written content, and they must manually acknowledge a file they are getting prior to it opens.

Samsung has been functioning on a equivalent function identified as Speedy Share, which enables you to blast data files to as numerous as 5 mates at a time. (AirDrop is 1 to just one.) The gain of Nearby Share, nevertheless, is that it really should function with Android goods across manufacturers, whilst Swift Share is at the moment only intended for Samsung gadgets.