14 DAY TRIAL // The upcoming Windows 10 Redstone 4 will introduce a new feature that provides functionality similar to Apple’s own AirDrop, which enables content sharing between iPhones, iPads, iPods, and Macs.
Codenamed “Near Share,” Microsoft’s new Windows 10 feature is currently available as part of Windows 10 build 17035 and is expected to be released to everyone with the debut of the Redstone 4 update in the spring.
Near Share makes it possible for Windows 10 PC users to send and receive files using just Bluetooth, and the option can be reached via the integrated share option in the operating system and running apps, such as Photos, Microsoft Edge, or File Explorer. It needs to be enabled, and Microsoft has added a new quick action in the Action Center to quickly do that.
Once you find content that you want to share with someone else using a Windows 10 PC with Bluetooth and having Near Share enabled, all you have to do is click or tap the Share button in your Windows 10 app and then select the computer you want to share with. A notification will be displayed on the other system to accept or decline the file transfer.
Working just like AirDrop
The way Near Share works is similar to Apple’s own AirDrop, with Mac and iPhone users also turning to the share option to send files to someone else having this feature enabled. AirDrop has been quite a popular file transfer tool for Apple users, and it’s pretty clear that it should come in very handy to Windows 10 users as well, especially given the growing adoption of the new OS.
For the time being, however, Near Share is still in its early days, so it should receive several refinements in the coming builds before rolling out to the production ring.
This is expected to happen in the spring of 2018 when Microsoft will finalize the Redstone 4 update, and insiders will obviously be the first to receive the final build.