How to Fix Nearby Sharing Not Working on Windows. You are allowed to transfer links with the Nearby Sharing feature on Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs, documents, and other files to other compatible nearby PCs.
The feature lets you send a file from your PC to another user’s device across the room. It uses a combination of Bluetooth and wireless technology for short-range file sharing.
Nevertheless, there are times when nearby sharing won’t work. If nearby sharing is not working on Windows, you can resolve it by following these steps.
How to Fix Nearby Sharing Not Working on Windows
A few conditions need to be met for the Nearby sharing feature to work in the best way. If you are not sure, use the steps provided below to make sure it’ll work on your PC:
Begin by making sure the nearby sharing feature is enabled on both PCs. On Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > System > Nearby sharing and make sure it’s enabled and set to My devices only or Everyone nearby.
- My Devices only allows sharing between PCs that are logged in with the same Microsoft account.
- Everyone, nearby It enables simple sharing to all nearby devices.
If it’s Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences and toggle nearby, sharing the same position. You can also set where to share or receive items (everyone nearby or my devices only).
You will need to verify that you have Bluetooth enabled on both devices. On Windows 11, hit the keyboard shortcut Windows key + A to launch the Quick Settings menu, then tap on the Bluetooth button to enable it on your PC.
- You can also enable Bluetooth through settings. Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & Device and turn it on.
Troubleshoot Bluetooth Driver on Windows 11
If you have enabled all of the above settings, the problem could be with Bluetooth or wireless settings. To troubleshoot Bluetooth driver issues on Windows 10 or 11, use the following steps:
- Launch Start and type Device Manage and select the top result.
- When Device Manager opens, expand the Bluetooth tree, and ensure the driver is installed correctly.
You will have to update the driver. If you see a Gary downward arrow, Bluetooth needs to be enabled. Pick the appropriate option from the menu, i.e., Update driver or Enable device.
Verify Bluetooth compatibility
The Nearby sharing feature on Windows 11 requires Bluetooth Version 4.0 or later with Low Energy (LE) support.
To verify that your Bluetooth device is meeting this requirement, use the following steps:
- Launch Start, type Device Manage, and click the top result.
- Expand the Bluetooth category, right-click the Bluetooth radio adapter, and select Properties.
- Then, tap the Details tab and select the Bluetooth radio that supports low energy Centra Role option from the Property dropdown menu.
- Confirm the value is set to True.
If everything is OK with your Bluetooth settings, try moving your PCs closer to ensure they are within Bluetooth range of each other.
Check Network settings
If nearby sharing isn’t working on Windows, you will have to verify that your network settings are correct.
For you to check your network settings and verify that devices can see each other, use the following steps:
- On the source and destination devices, launch the start menu, type CMD, and select the top result. You can also type PowerShell or Windows Terminal.
- In the Command Prompt, Windows PowerShell, or Windows Terminal Window, type config and press Enter.
- Note the device’s network address in the IPv4 field section.
- Then, make sure the devices can see each other on the network. ping 192.168.x.x, replacing 192.168.x.x with the corresponding IPv4 address for each device.
If the PCs don’t see each other on the network, try reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network or reseating the cable if you’re wired in. Your devices should see each other with the Windows Firewall enabled. However, if you are using a third-party security suite, temporarily disable it. You may need to temporarily disable it to transfer files with Nearby Sharing.
Verify your Network Profile
Both devices have to be set to a private network profile to use the nearby sharing feature.
To verify the network profile you’re using on your PC on Windows 11, follow these steps:
- Launch the start menu and select Settings.
- When settings open, click Network & Internet from the list on the left, then Wi-Fi on the left, and Wi-Fi on the right.
- Select network connection properties in the following menu.
- Set it to the private option below the network profile type section.
- On Windows 10, click Start and press Settings.
- In settings, select Network & Internet, then click the Properties button under your connection.
You can make use of one troubleshooting step above, particularly setting the network profile to private, which should get your Nearby Sharing feature working again.
Windows Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Troubleshooting
Nearby sharing on Windows 10 was first introduced by Microsoft. The feature has been carried over to Windows 11, but if you find that Nearby Sharing isn’t working on Windows, you should be able to get it working again by following the steps above. For more on Bluetooth, take a look at managing Bluetooth devices on Windows 11 or pairing Bluetooth devices with Windows 10.
Sometimes you will need to find Wi-Fi passwords on Windows 11 when connecting to a network. Another cool feature you might be interested in is casting Windows 11 to Chromecast.
Commonly Asked Questions
Why is my nearby sharing not working?
Let’s say you have tried to share or receive content, but it doesn’t work. Try these steps: On the receiver’s phone, to make your phone visible, swipe down from the top of the screen. In your Quick Settings, tap Nearby Share. On both phones, check if Bluetooth is turned on.
How do I fix nearby sharing in Windows 10?
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 everyone nearby.
Does Nearby share work with Windows 10?
Nearby sharing is a new feature in Windows 10 Version 1803 (RS4). You can use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to share content such as files, images, and website links between two computers To use this feature, both computers must support Bluetooth (Version 4.0 or above) and must be running Windows 10 (Version 1803 or above).
How can I share my phone from my PC to nearby?
Tap the Share icon and then select Nearby Share. At the Nearby Share screen, wait for any nearby devices to appear, then tap the name of the device with which you want to share the file. Any nearby device that has Nearby Share activated displays a notification prompting the user to make their device visible.
