Do you want to share your documents, photos, website links, or other content from your Windows 11 PC to nearby Windows devices faster by using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi?
If this is the case, there is nothing to worry about. You are in the right place, then.
As a tech specialist and enthusiast, I will research and test the Windows 11 nearby sharing feature. This article will show you the practical way to turn the Nearby sharing on your Windows 11 computer, which helps you transfer your files faster.
If you are looking for a step-by-step guide to turn on the Nearby sharing on your Windows 11 system, here is the best-proven guide for you.
Keep reading the whole post and precisely follow the instructions.
Follow our guide on how to Fix Blue Screen on Windows 11
What are the Requirements of Nearby Sharing
Nearby sharing is a Window feature that allows the user to share documents, photos, website links, or other content from Windows 11 to nearby Windows devices faster by using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Requirements of Nearby Sharing
There are have some requirements to use the nearby sharing feature on your Windows computer.
Here are the minimum requirements of using the nearby sharing feature:
- Both windows computer devices must be running either Windows 11 or 10 OS.
- Both PCs must have Bluetooth 4.0 or later with Low Energy (LE) support.
- Both PCs must have Nearby Sharing activated and be accessible via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
- Both PCs must be close to each other.
You can only use the nearby sharing feature between the two Windows 11 or 10 devices. Without windows devices, you can’t use the Nearby sharing feature to transfer your files from Windows 11/10 devices to smartphones, tablets, or other devices.
When transferring files using Bluetooth takes longer than when using Wi-Fi. Before sharing files, make sure that vast volumes of data aren’t currently being delivered over Bluetooth.
If you want the maximum file-sharing speeds, use Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth. To get faster file sharing speed, you need to connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network with Private mode.
How to Enable Nearby Sharing on Windows 11
Nearby sharing is an essential feature on Windows 11/10 system computer to share files between two Windows computers.
By default, the nearby sharing feature is turned off on Windows 11/10 computer. So, you need to enable the feature manually to use it.
This section will show you some tested methods to enable the nearby sharing feature on your Windows 11 system.
Let’s dive right in and see what methods you have for turning on the nearby sharing feature.
Here are the steps to enable the nearby sharing feature on your Windows 11 system:
1. Use Quick Settings
Windows Quick Settings is one of the easiest and fastest ways to enable the nearby sharing feature on your Windows 11 or 10 computer.
Follow the steps below to enable the nearby sharing feature using the Windows Quick Settings:
- Click on the Quick Settings area on the taskbar or shortcut, press Win+A on your keyboard to open the Windows Quick Settings panel.
- Click on the Nearby sharing option to enable the feature.
If you don’t see the Nearby Sharing feature in the quick settings panel, you need to add it in the Quick Settings panel. To do this, follow these steps:
- Click on the Quick Settings area on the taskbar or shortcut, press Win+A on your keyboard to open the Quick Settings panel.
- Click on the Edit quick settings button at the bottom left side of the Quick Settings panel.
- Click on the Add button at the bottom right side of the Quick Settings panel.
- Select Nearby sharing to add the feature on the Quick Settings panel.
- After adding the Nearby Sharing feature, you can see the Nearby sharing feature option on the Quick Settings panel.
Also, follow our guide on How to Boot to Safe Mode in Windows 11
2. Use System Settings App
Another effective method to enable the Nearby sharing feature is the windows system Settings App.
Follow these steps to turn on the Nearby sharing feature using the system Settings app:
- Press Win + I keys on your keyboard to open the Windows System Settings window.
- Select the System tab on the left side of the settings menu panel.
- Select the Nearby sharing option to open all the available options.
- Select the Everyone nearby option under the Nearby sharing section to enable the Nearby sharing feature.
Check our latest post on how PC won’t go to sleep mode in Windows 11
The last method to enable the Nearby sharing feature is the File Explorer’s Context Menu.
Follow the steps below to enable the Nearby sharing feature is using the file explorer’s context menu:
- Press Win+E on your keyboard to open the Windows File Explorer.
- Select any file and right-click on it to open the file context menu.
- Click on the Show more options at the bottom of the menu.
- To shortcut, select any file and press Shift + F10 on your keyboard to open file context more options.
- Click on the Share options.
- Select the Everyone nearby option from the drop-down menu next to Nearby sharing to enable the Nearby sharing feature.
After enabling the Nearby sharing feature on your Windows 11 system, you can now share your files easily on other Windows 11 devices.
Follow the steps below to share files via Nearby sharing:
- Press Win+E on your keyboard to open the Windows File Explorer.
- Select any file and right-click on it to open the file context menu.
- Click on the Show more options at the bottom of the menu.
- To shortcut, select any file and press Shift + F10 on your keyboard to open file context more options.
- Click on the Share options.
- Select the Everyone nearby option from the drop-down menu next to Nearby sharing to enable the Nearby sharing feature.
- Make sure other devices have Nearby sharing turned on.
- You can see your other Nearby sharing enable device on the screen.
- Select your device by clicking on the device name to share your files.
Quickly check out our latest fix for Bluetooth Toggle Missing On Windows 11
How to Disable Nearby Sharing on Windows 11
There are have two methods you can disable the Nearby sharing feature on your Windows 11 system computer. You can follow any of them to disable the Nearby sharing feature.
Here are the steps to disable the nearby sharing feature on your Windows 11 system:
1. Use Quick Settings
Windows Quick Settings is one of the easiest and fastest ways to disable the nearby sharing feature on your Windows 11 or 10 computer.
Follow the steps below to disable the nearby sharing feature using the Windows Quick Settings:
- Click on the Quick Settings area on the taskbar or shortcut, press Win+A on your keyboard to open the Windows Quick Settings panel.
- Click on the Nearby sharing option to disable the feature.
2. Use System Settings App
Another effective method to disable the Nearby sharing feature is the windows system Settings App.
Follow these steps to turn on the Nearby sharing feature using the system Settings app:
- Press Win + I keys on your keyboard to open the Windows System Settings window.
- Select the System tab on the left side of the settings menu panel.
- Select the Nearby sharing option to open all the available options.
- Select the off under the Nearby sharing section to disable the Nearby sharing feature.
You may also like to read: Stop Apps Running in Background Windows 11
Final Thoughts
Nearby sharing is a feature of Windows 11 that allows users to share documents, images, website links, and other stuff from Windows 11 to nearby Windows devices more quickly over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
On a Windows 11/10 PC, Nearby sharing is disabled by default. To use the function, you must first enable it manually. After using the feature, you can disable it at any time
Here, I discuss the minimum requirements to run and use the Nearby sharing feature. I also describe the three different methods to enable Nearby sharing and how you can use it. At the end of the post, I describe the two different ways to disable the Nearby sharing feature.
I hope you found this post to be informative. If you found your solution, please let me know which method works for you.
You may also look at other posts if you’re interested in learning more about similar topics.
