Whether you’re a power user or just a regular Android user, one thing people usually do is transferring files between devices. And in the case of Android devices, there are just many things to share. It may be heavy files, documents, songs, pictures, or just anything. If you're new to Android, or you're just confused about how data sharing works, this article will guide you on how to transfer data from Android to Android.
Actually, there are plenty of ways to transfer files between Android devices. However, we've chosen the most available and simpler ones in this article. Did you just take some pictures with your friend's phone and you want to transfer them over? Let's help you out!
Using Nearby Share
Nearby Share is the latest tool to transfer data from Android to Android phones. It’s built into the Android System, so you don’t have to download any third-party app to transfer data from one Android device to another. Once your device is running on Android 6.1 or later, you can use Nearby Share.
With Nearby Share, you can transfer almost anything on your phone—apps, photos, videos, apps (via Google Play Store), documents, links, texts, contacts. Once the thing can show up in the Share sheet, then it’s transferable using Nearby Share.
However, you need to first turn on Nearby Sharing on your device if this is your first time hearing about it.
- Launch the Settings app
- Tap Google
- Hit Devices & sharing.
- Tap Nearby Share and enable it.
- Now, configure the Nearby Share settings based on your preferences. You probably should change the Data usage from “Data” to “Without internet” to avoid wasting your mobile data.
- Finally, enable Nearby Share on the second Android device following the steps above.
How to transfer data from Android to Android using Nearby Share
- Browse the content you want to share, such as a photo, video, document, or text.
- Tap the Share button, then select Nearby Share from the menu. If you’re on Android 11, you’d see “Nearby” as soon as you tap the share button.
- You may be asked to turn on Wi-Fi, Location, and Bluetooth. Tap Turn on when it requests.
- You’ll receive a notification saying “Device nearby is sharing” on the second device. Tap on it to become visible.
- Next, tap the second Android device when it becomes visible on your phone.
- And finally, tap Accept on the second Android device.
The data transfer should begin now. If your device is unable to find the second device, follow these steps to troubleshoot it.
How to receive data from someone using Nearby Share
- Ensure you’ve enabled Nearby Share (from Settings > Google > Devices & sharing > Nearby Share).
- Also, ensure you’ve turned on your device’s location feature.
- After that, you should receive a notification when someone is trying to share.
- Click the notification to become visible. And if it asks you to turn on Bluetooth, Location, and Wi-Fi, do so.
Alternatively, you can add the Nearby Share tile to the Quick Settings panel, so you can receive files quickly.
Using third-party apps
Before Nearby Share became effective in 2020, people have been using third-party apps to transfer data from Android to Android. And as of today, there are many apps on the Play Store that can help you get the job done. These apps work on Wi-Fi and Hotspot. Hence, they're pretty fast and free.
There are also apps to transfer data from old Android to new Android phones. So, switching to a new device shouldn't be a problem. There are plenty of these apps, but you can check out Xender, SHAREit, Files by Google, CLONEit, and more on the Play Store.
How to transfer data from Android to Android using Xender
Xender is a free file-sharing tool on Android phones. It allows you to share various data like photos, apps, videos, contacts, documents, and heavy files between Android phones. Similarly, you can use the Xender app to transfer data from old Android to new Android device using the Phone Clone feature.
Here’s how to transfer files with Xender:
- Install Xender on both phones from the Play Store.
- Launch the app and grant all necessary permissions.
- Now, tap Send on the first Android device, then tap Receive on the second Android device.
- Follow the on-screen steps to pair up the devices. After that, you can share anything you want.
That's how to transfer data from Android to Android in 2021 using a third-party app. You can also try out other file-sharing apps like SHAREit and Files by Google; or apps to transfer data from old Android to new Android phones like CLONEit and Phone Clone.
Using Bluetooth
Bluetooth remains one of the traditional ways to transfer data between Android devices. However, with the existence of Nearby Share and third-party apps like Xender, sharing data over Bluetooth can seem like a curse – it can be very sluggish.
Meanwhile, Bluetooth can come in handy if you want to transfer small files like contacts, texts, documents, and some images. Even so, Nearby Share uses Bluetooth to share small files.
Sharing files via Bluetooth on Android is simple: just locate the file, tap the Share button, and select Bluetooth.
How to transfer data from Android to Android via Bluetooth:
- Enable Bluetooth on both Android devices.
- Locate the content you want to transfer, then tap the Share
- Select Bluetooth from the list.
- You'll see a list of visible devices. Tap the second Android device on the list.
- You may need to pair up both devices for the first time. Follow the on-screen guides to do so.
- Finally, accept the transfer on the second Android device. Your data transfer should begin by now. You can track the progress from the status bar.
