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Android phones (like Google Pixel phones and Samsung phones) have a feature called Nearby Share. When sharing an item, you can select "Nearby" or "Nearby Share", and it will allow you to share an item to a nearby Android phone or ChromeOS device.

According to Google's blog post, it uses these technologies:

Nearby Share then automatically chooses the best protocol for fast and easy sharing using Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC or peer-to-peer WiFi — allowing you to share even when you’re fully offline.

Screenshot from blog post

Is there a way to share using "Nearby Share" from an Android phone to an Ubuntu device, or vice-versa?

Flimm
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    Maybe not exactly what you are asking, but you can try https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1319/gsconnect/ . It uses the Wireless network. – FedKad Dec 06 '22 at 18:59
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    Maybe Canonical can help?! https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/bluetooth-send-file.html.en (untested) – Michael Feb 08 '23 at 07:18
  • That seemed to work! I could share a file from my Ubuntu laptop to an Android phone with "Nearby Share" enabled. I don't know about the reverse, though. – Flimm Feb 08 '23 at 12:49
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    @Michael If you post that as an answer, (with more than just a link but with instructions), I'll upvote the answer and accept it. – Flimm Feb 09 '23 at 06:21
  • Right now is not a standard, is just a proprietary tool [which use](https://www.blog.google/products/android/better-together-nearby-share/) _a variety of connection technologies, including Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC, UWB and WebRTC, to automatically find an efficient way for your friend to send you the photo, even if you’re not online._ For the time being the best solution is [GSConnect](https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1319/gsconnect/)/KDEConnect – Pablo Bianchi Apr 11 '23 at 22:52
  • @PabloBianchi yes sure its not a standard, but neither is (gs/kde)connect, but what's more important is its not "proprietary" in any meaning I know of, as Google makes the code available for "nearby" under the Apache License: https://github.com/google/nearby which is far *less* restrictive than the GPL that GSconnect uses for example. – Maks Jul 06 '23 at 23:40

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The code for Nearby is available from Google under a open source license.

In a quick search, despite a Linux build being supported, it unfortunately looks like no one has yet packaged it up in a nice easy to use fashion for Ubuntu yet.

Maks
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Try Warpinator. You can share files and folders. It has an app in the play store as well as the app store. Link to Warpinator

Soham Dahiya
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  • Is this compatible with "Nearby Share" for Android? Or is it an alternative to it? – Flimm Aug 11 '23 at 16:15
  • @Flimm It's an alternative to it and a pretty good one. You can send and receive folder structures as well. And, it's pretty fast. – Soham Dahiya Aug 25 '23 at 18:17