What you need to know
- Google is reportedly rebranding Nearby Share to Quick Share, complete with a new name and icon integrated throughout Android’s UI.
- Quick Share is the branding Samsung uses for its own file-sharing service, although Nearby Share is also currently available on Galaxy phones.
- This rebranding could be Google’s way of simplifying file sharing across different platforms and devices, especially for Samsung users.
Android’s version of AirDrop could be in for a name change, as per a couple of reliable sources.
There’s buzz about Google renaming Nearby Share to Quick Share, according to Android leaker Kamila Wojciechowska, who spotted the change after installing a recent GMS (Google Mobile Services) update with version 23.50.13.
💦It seems like Google’s renaming Nearby Share to… Quick Share, which is also the name for the Samsung’s file sharing solution? uhhhhhToday I received a GMS update to the version 23.50.13 and, soon after that, the notification from the screenshot above. The update as well as… pic.twitter.com/RkobYEMIw4December 22, 2023
Wojciechowska noted that she received a notification about the rebranding, announcing the shift to “Quick Share.” Besides the fresh moniker, the service flaunts a new icon featuring two arrows facing each other with semicircular tails. In contrast, the current icon sports a pair of wavy blue lines intertwined.
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Google didn’t apparently stop at just the icon facelift. The search giant went ahead and updated the branding everywhere you look on Android. Mishaal Rahman on Android Authority also caught on to this, noting that the new Quick Share name is all over the place, from the Quick Settings tile to the discoverability dialog and even the file-sharing interface.
It seems like this is just a name change and a fresh new icon. The way you share files and stuff stays the same. If this is accurate, it’s interesting that Google picked the name Quick Share, which happens to be the same name Samsung uses for its file-sharing solution on Galaxy phones.
Rahman hints at something bigger than a name swap—there’s a chance Google and Samsung are planning to merge their file-sharing services or, at the very least, make them play nice together.
Currently, Samsung users juggle between the native Quick Share and Google’s Nearby Share when sharing files. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher. But if the gossip about a merger is true, we could be looking at a future where there’s just one option to rule them all, working seamlessly on both Samsung and other Android devices.
After all, having different file-sharing services with the same name is just asking for a headache, especially for Samsung users. That said, there’s no solid proof yet that these services are joining forces. But considering the situation, it’s looking like the odds are pretty high.