If you’re having problems sharing by using nearby sharing, here are some things to try to get things working. For more info about nearby sharing and how to use it, see Share things with nearby devices in Windows.
Make sure both PCs—the PC you’re sharing from and the one you’re sharing to—support nearby sharing. Nearby sharing requires the following:
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Windows 11. Check your version of Windows
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Bluetooth 4.0 (or later) with Low Energy (LE) support. To find out if Bluetooth LE is supported, on each PC, select the Start button, type device manager and select Device Manager from the list of results, expand Bluetooth, and then select the name of your Bluetooth radio adapter. Right-click it, select Properties, select Details, and then select Bluetooth radio supports Low Energy Central Role under Property. Make sure the value is listed as True.
Make sure that both devices are set up for nearby sharing. On each device, select the Start button > Settings > System > Nearby sharing. Under Nearby sharing at the top, make sure Everyone nearby is selected.
Move the devices closer together and try sharing again. If the devices are too far apart, nearby sharing won’t work.
This likely means that the files are being sent over Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi. Files are sent much faster if you connect to Wi-fi and make sure that:
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Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Notes:
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To use nearby sharing, you don’t need to pair both PCs over Bluetooth first. Both PCs just need to have nearby sharing turned on. (When nearby sharing is turned on, Bluetooth is turned on.)
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In general, it takes more time for files to be transferred over Bluetooth compared to Wi-Fi. When sharing files over Bluetooth using nearby sharing, make sure large amounts of data aren't already being sent over Bluetooth, such as streaming audio over a Bluetooth speaker.
First, try to send the files again and see if that works. If it doesn’t, on the device you’re sharing to, select action center on the right side of taskbar and check for the notifications there. In some cases, notifications appear in action center, but not on your screen. For example, this can happen if focus assist is turned on.
If you’re having problems sharing by using nearby sharing, here are some things to try to get things working. For more info about nearby sharing and how to use it, see Share things with nearby devices in Windows 10.
Make sure both PCs—the PC you’re sharing from and the one you’re sharing to—support nearby sharing. Nearby sharing requires the following:
-
Windows 10, version 1803. Check your version of Windows
-
Bluetooth 4.0 (or later) with Low Energy (LE) support. To find out if Bluetooth LE is supported, on each PC, type device manager in the search box, expand Bluetooth, and then select the name of your Bluetooth radio adapter. Right-click it, select Properties, select Details, and then select Bluetooth radio supports Low Energy Central Role under Property. Make sure the value is listed as True.
Make sure that both devices are set up for nearby sharing. On each device, select the Start button > Settings > System > Shared experiences, and make sure that I can share or receive content from is set to Everyone nearby.
Move the devices closer together and try sharing again. If the devices are too far apart, nearby sharing won’t work.
This likely means that the files are being sent over Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi. Files are sent much faster if you connect to Wi-fi and make sure that:
-
Both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
-
The network connection profile is set to Private on both devices. To check the network connection profile, select the Start button > Settings > Network & Internet > Status, then select Change connection properties and look at the setting under Network profile. For more info about setting the network profile, see Make a Wi-Fi network public or private in Windows 10.
Notes:
-
To use nearby sharing, you don’t need to pair both PCs over Bluetooth first. Both PCs just need to have nearby sharing turned on. (When nearby sharing is turned on, Bluetooth is turned on.)
-
In general, it takes more time for files to be transferred over Bluetooth compared to Wi-Fi. When sharing files over Bluetooth using nearby sharing, make sure large amounts of data aren't already being sent over Bluetooth, such as streaming audio over a Bluetooth speaker.
First, try to send the files again and see if that works. If it doesn’t, on the device you’re sharing to, select action center on the right side of taskbar and check for the notifications there. In some cases, notifications appear in action center, but not on your screen. For example, this can happen if focus assist is turned on.
