In a recent development, it appears that Google is either rebranding its Nearby Share feature to Quick Share or, intriguingly, merging it with Samsung’s Quick Share. The potential integration or rebranding was uncovered by Kamila Wojciechowska, a developer known for app reengineering and insights into Pixel leaks.
Google introduced the beta version of Nearby Share in June 2020, initially on select Pixel and Samsung smartphones, before extending it to all Android devices running Android 6.0 and higher by August of the same year. Meanwhile, Samsung had its own similar feature named Quick Share for its Galaxy lineup. Now, it seems these two services might soon operate under a unified platform.
Wojciechowska, upon analyzing an updated APK file of the Google Play Services app with version 23.50.13, found indications of the potential rebranding or integration. After updating the app, she received a notification that explicitly stated, “Nearby Share is now Quick Share.” The notification also instructed users to “look for the new name and icon to share with nearby devices.” The feature’s icon and settings have indeed been revamped to reflect the Quick Share branding.
Notably, Quick Share is the name of Samsung’s existing sharing service, raising questions about potential confusion among users. The possibility arises that Google and Samsung have either integrated their quick sharing features or Nearby Share has been rebranded as Quick Share, possibly leading to the discontinuation of Samsung’s standalone Quick Share for Galaxy users.
The ongoing change is currently being rolled out to beta users, indicating a potential broader rollout in the coming weeks. With this shift, Google will likely need to provide clarification on the fate of Nearby Share and whether it has indeed been rebranded or integrated with Samsung’s Quick Share.
