Side-by-side comparison
QuickBridge vs Nearby Share
Short answer: Nearby Share (now called Quick Share) is excellent for same-room transfers between Android phones and Windows PCs. No scan, no code, devices just appear. QuickBridge is for everything Nearby Share cannot do: cross-network transfers, iPhone, Mac, Linux, and any scenario where the two devices are not physically close to each other.
Free forever · No sign-up · Works on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux
Feature-by-feature comparison
Every Nearby Share / Quick Share entry below is sourced from Wikipedia (Quick Share), Android Help, and Android Central (see Sources at the bottom).
| Capability | QuickBridge | Nearby Share |
|---|---|---|
| Works without installing an appQuickBridge runs entirely in a browser tab, nothing to install. Nearby Share is built into the Android OS (via Google Play Services) for Android users, and requires downloading the Quick Share for Windows app on Windows. There is no browser-based version. | Yes | No |
| Transfers between devices on different networksQuickBridge uses STUN and TURN to connect across any networks, same room or different countries, without uploading to a server. Nearby Share's P2P mode uses Wi-Fi Direct, which requires physical proximity regardless of Wi-Fi network. Its QR/link sharing mode works across the internet but uploads files to Google's servers for 24 hours (10 GB daily limit). | Yes | Different model |
| Requires physical proximity between devicesNearby Share P2P discovery uses Bluetooth Low Energy, which typically has a range of a few meters. Devices must be physically close for the automatic discovery to work. QuickBridge pairs by QR code scan or PIN entry and has no proximity requirement. | No | Yes |
| iPhone and macOS supportQuickBridge runs in any modern browser including Safari on iPhone and Mac. Nearby Share / Quick Share is supported on Android 6.0+, ChromeOS 91+, and Windows 10+ (64-bit). A very limited Android-to-iPhone transfer mode via AirDrop interoperability was introduced for Pixel 10 devices in November 2025. It routes files through Google servers and requires the iPhone to have AirDrop set to 'Everyone'. No general iPhone or macOS support exists. | Yes | No |
| Files never uploaded to any serverQuickBridge streams files directly between the two browsers over WebRTC. No file content touches a server. Nearby Share's P2P mode is also direct (Wi-Fi Direct), but its QR/link sharing mode uploads files to Google's servers for 24 hours before the recipient downloads them. | Yes | Different model |
| Works on LinuxQuickBridge runs in any browser, including Firefox and Chrome on Linux. There is no official Quick Share client for Linux. Unofficial third-party clients exist but are not maintained by Google. | Yes | No |
| No account requiredQuickBridge has no accounts whatsoever. Nearby Share in 'Everyone nearby' visibility mode works without a Google account. However, sharing to 'Contacts only' or 'Your devices', and using the QR/link sharing mode for cross-network transfers, all require a Google account. | Yes | Different model |
| Automatic device discovery (no QR scan needed)Nearby Share automatically shows nearby compatible devices via Bluetooth discovery. No code or scan needed if both devices are within range. QuickBridge always requires an explicit QR scan or PIN entry, which adds a step on the same network but gives a consistent, distance-independent flow. | No | Yes |
| Text and clipboard sharing alongside filesQuickBridge supports sending text, links, and clipboard content in the same session as file transfers. Nearby Share transfers files and links only. | Yes | No |
| End-to-end encryptedQuickBridge uses WebRTC's mandatory DTLS encryption for data channels. Quick Share states that 'all Quick Share transfers are protected by end-to-end encryption' (Wikipedia, sourced from Google). | Yes | Yes |
The honest verdict
Choose QuickBridge when...
- You're sending to or from an iPhone or Mac. Nearby Share does not support them.
- The two devices are not in the same room: a colleague's laptop in another office, a phone on a different Wi-Fi network.
- You're on Linux. There is no official Quick Share client for Linux.
- You want a consistent experience across all device combinations without learning multiple modes.
- You want text and clipboard sharing alongside files in the same session.
Choose Nearby Share when...
- You're transferring between two Android devices or between Android and a Windows PC, and they're in the same room.
- You want zero-friction discovery: just open Quick Share and nearby devices appear, no QR scan.
- You're already in the Google ecosystem and want the feature baked into the OS without opening a browser.
- You're sending to up to 8 nearby devices at once.
Status note (May 2026)
Google rebranded Nearby Share as Quick Share in 2024 after merging it with Samsung's own Nearby Share feature. As of May 2026, Quick Share is available on Android 6.0 and later (via Google Play Services), ChromeOS 91 and later, and as a downloadable app for 64-bit Windows 10 and later. In November 2025, Google announced limited Android-to-iPhone transfers via AirDrop interoperability, currently restricted to Pixel 10 devices with plans to expand to other brands. In that mode, files route through Google's servers for 24 hours. Quick Share does not have a browser-based interface.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- Quick Share — Wikipedia · verified 2026-05-16
- Use Quick Share on your Android device — Android Help · verified 2026-05-16
- How to use Quick Share on your Android phone — Android Central · verified 2026-05-16
Works on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux
Open QuickBridge on any device, scan the QR with the other device, and the file moves directly between browsers. No proximity required. No accounts. Nothing installed.
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