That Wi-Fi connection uses the Wi-Fi Direct peer-to-peer (P2P) industry standard. For all but the smallest files - which are transmitted via Bluetooth - Near Share moves the file over a point-to-point Wi-Fi link. Like AirDrop, Windows 10's Near Share uses Bluetooth to broadcast the presence of the sharing-enabled device, detect other ready devices, then negotiate the connection between the two. Near Share relies on both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth alone, to sniff out nearby devices, create an ad hoc peer-to-peer network, then transfer the file. Not to beat the comparison horse, but again, it works much like AirDrop, the iOS and macOS file-sharing feature. Rather than email a presentation from one device to another, for example, or upload to an online storage service or the network, Near Share lets one user zip the file directly from his or her PC to a colleague's.

It's designed for occasional inter-device transfer where simplicity and convenience are paramount. Like Apple's AirDrop, which it resembles, Near Share is a file transfer service that works only between nearby devices. Near Share is Microsoft's name for its ad hoc file transfer feature in Windows 10. That's why Computerworld dug up information on the feature now, rather than wait for its debut next year. Īlthough AirDrop is one of the most under-used tools in macOS and iOS, there's no reason Near Share has to follow suit on Windows 10.

The easiest way to pigeonhole Near Share is to think of it as Microsoft's belated doppelgänger of Apple's 'AirDrop,' the share service that debuted on Macs, iPhones and iPads six years ago. One of those, called 'Near Share,' is a simple wireless service meant for impromptu file transfer between devices. Microsoft last week rolled out another Windows 10 preview, a regular occurrence in its Insider program, that featured a handful of additions to the under-construction OS.

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