Samsung and Google have partnered on several things over the past few years. After co-developing Wear OS 3 a couple of years ago, the two firms jointly developed IAMF to rival the Dolby Atmos standard in the spatial audio segment. It looks like Google is now merging its Nearby Share with Samsung's Quick Share.
A new report claims that Google has started renaming Nearby Share to Quick Share. Android developer Kmila Wojciechowska spotted that Nearby Share has been renamed to Quick Share after installing the GMS (Google Mobile services) update with version 23.50.13. The notification that introduces the new name also explains, “Look for the new name and icon to share with nearby devices.” Google has reportedly updated the branding throughout Android's user interface, and the new icon looks like something in between the designs of Nearby Share and Quick Share.
Users can keep Quick Share open to everyone or limit it to your devices or to devices owned by your contacts. If you choose the Contacts option, it will sync data with contacts in your Google account and open up file sharing with those contacts. The pop-up menu displays all your devices (devices signed in with your Google account) in the first section and nearby devices in a separate section. So it is easier to spot and select your own devices. You can also limit Quick Share visibility to just ten minutes for added privacy.
Google has already brought Nearby Share to Windows OS, and if the Quick Share rebranding is final, it may rename Nearby Share For Windows to Quick Share. The only thing remaining for Google would then be to bring the Quick Share app to macOS. This move helps both Google and Samsung, as their devices and the entire Android ecosystem can work well with Windows and possibly Apple's ecosystem.
