Leveraging the existing connection between Android phones and Windows with the Phone Link app, Microsoft is now integrating Near Share into PCs, starting with the Preview Channel and working its way to public versions of Windows.

Windows has been able to connect to your Android phone for some time now, and it’s a nice feature for anyone who wants to reply to messages or browse photos through a PC app rather than interacting with a smartphone.

The Phone Link app creates a connection between Android and Windows that mimics an experience you can get with a single ecosystem, like a Galaxy Book and a Galaxy phone. In reality, it’s nowhere near as polished as a single ecosystem connection and can feel a bit clunky.

However, a new feature goes a long way towards bridging the divide between phones and PCs (via Windows Central). When an Android device and a PC are connected via Phone Link, Nearby Share now appears in the native sharing menu above files and similar items.

The feature is independent of Google’s standalone Quick Share app. This single application may be pre-installed on certain PCs and offers a menu option to share, but still opens the program in a new window. It becomes a matter of preference when comparing Google’s Quick Share option to Windows’ Phone Link feature. They do the same thing in a short amount of time, but the latter option requires one or two fewer clicks.

How to use Windows’ new native Nearby Share feature

Nearby Share in the sharing menu on Windows will appear first for Windows Insider Channel users in Windows 10 and 11. This update channel allows users to receive updates before the general public. While it is a public channel, it should be viewed as a beta program and participation should be used with caution.

For those on Microsoft’s public release channel, the feature will likely ship soon in an upcoming update.

Using the feature is easy once your phone and PC are connected via Phone Link. To do so, download Link to Windows from the Google Play Store and connect it by following the steps in the Phone Link app on your PC.

Once connected, you can share files as follows:

1. Find a file on your PC that you want to share.
2. Right-click the file and click share.
3. Under the Share nearby Section, Hit My Phone (Android).
4. The file will start sending and a notification will appear on your phone.

You can also send files from your phone to your PC, but the process does not use the Quick Share menu on Android. Instead, you must use the Link to Windows Send to PC Option.

This feature was already available through Google’s Nearby Share app, but still, the ability to send files through the native share menu is a huge advantage and saves time in the long run. Again, this feature is currently only available through the Windows Insider program, but will likely be publicly available soon.