Quick Share Alternative for Any Phone or Computer

Step by step

1. Open Rapidfile on the sending device

   Go to rapidfile.cc in any browser, or open the Rapidfile app on Android. The Android app adds a share-sheet option.

2. Add your files

   Pick photos and files on a phone, or drag files and folders onto the uploader on a computer.

3. Choose the options

   Select an expiry time, and optionally add a password, a download limit, a title or a message.

4. Share the link, code or QR code

   Send the link, or let the other person type the 6-digit code at rapidfile.cc/receive. They can scan the QR code with the Rapidfile app.

Quick Share is the file sharing feature Google built into Android and extended to Windows. Tap a file, choose a nearby device, and it arrives. On a modern Android phone it needs nothing installed, and on a Windows PC it needs one small app. It was once known as Nearby Share, and Samsung's version was merged into it. For a phone to laptop move in the same room, it is one of the quickest options available. People look for an alternative when the other device is not an Android phone, when the recipient is elsewhere, or when the Windows PC is a Samsung model.

The short version

Quick Share details come from Google's Quick Share pages and support material as of October 2026. Requirements and supported devices change, so check Google's site before you decide.

Where Quick Share is the stronger pick

• It is already there. On an Android phone, Quick Share is built in, so there is nothing to download, log into or configure for a quick move.
• Direct and fast in the room. Files travel straight between the two devices, with no upload step. Between a phone and a nearby PC, the transfer is usually quicker than uploading and downloading again.
• Visibility controls. You decide who can see your device. Google's page says you can share with anyone who has Quick Share on and is discoverable to you, which keeps the list short in a busy place.
• A good fit for Windows and Android households. For a family or small office that already runs on Android and Windows, Quick Share covers most day-to-day moves without extra tools.

Where Rapidfile fits better

• iPhone. Google's pages describe Android and Windows, not iPhone. Rapidfile works in Safari on any iPhone or iPad, so an Android-to-iPhone move does not need a second app. See Android to iPhone and iPhone to Android.
• Samsung PCs. Google's page says Quick Share by Google is no longer supported on Samsung PCs, and Samsung PC owners are pointed to Samsung's own app. Rapidfile works in the browser on any Windows, Mac or Linux machine.
• Recipients who are not nearby. Quick Share needs the other device close by. A Rapidfile link or 6-digit code works from another room, another building or another country.
• Recipients who will download later. The upload stays available until it expires, so the other person does not need to be awake when you send.
• Passwords, limits and expiry. A password can be required before download, the number of downloads can be capped, and the link can expire. See password-protected file sharing.
• Folders. Drop in a whole folder and it is zipped in the browser with its structure kept. See sending a folder online.

The Samsung and Windows split

The Windows side is where most confusion happens. Google's Quick Share app is for Windows PCs made by other manufacturers, and it runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and later. Samsung PC owners are told to use Samsung's Quick Share from the Microsoft Store, and existing contacts can keep sharing through that app. Google's page also says the Windows app can send a download link by email, but that link is for the Windows app itself, not for a file.

If you have an Android phone and a Samsung PC, Quick Share is not the tool to rely on. Rapidfile works in both directions through the browser, and the Windows and Mac apps are optional. Right-clicking a file in File Explorer or Finder offers "Rapidfile: Get link" or "Send to my devices", for people who use the native apps.

Setting up each side

On Android, Quick Share is already part of the system, and you choose who can see your device in its settings. On Windows, Google's app asks you to sign in to your Google Account and set Device Visibility, which decides which nearby devices can share with you. Both devices need Bluetooth and Wi-Fi switched on, and they need to stay close together for the transfer.

Rapidfile needs less setup on the phone and nothing on the receiving side. Install the Rapidfile app on Android if you want the share-sheet option, or use the browser on any device. On the Windows side, the native Rapidfile app adds "Get link" and "Send to my devices" to the right-click menu, and the browser works on any PC, including Samsung models. Recipients only need the link, the 6-digit code or the QR code.

Who can see your device

Quick Share is designed around visibility. The settings decide whether your phone is visible to everyone nearby, to your contacts, or to no one, which is useful in a busy place such as a train or a café. Rapidfile has no nearby list at all. Nobody can see your device, because nothing is discoverable. A file is only reachable by someone who has the link, the code or the QR code, and it stops being reachable when it expires or when you delete it. For a file you want to send to one specific person without the chance of an unexpected request on your phone, that is a cleaner model.

Phones, PCs and the cloud

Quick Share is a local feature, so it matches the same-room case very well. Rapidfile is built for the other case: sending a file to someone who is not there. For signed-in users, Rapidfile also has a "My devices" option that sends a file to the person's own phones and computers, which is useful when you want a file on your laptop after taking a photo on your phone and are not near the laptop. Quick Share keeps nothing once the move is done, which is a plus for private files, while a Rapidfile transfer stays until it expires or you delete it. Choose the model that fits how long the other side needs the file to remain available.

Which one should you use?

Use Quick Share when both devices are close together, one of them is an Android phone, and the other is a Windows PC made by someone other than Samsung. Use Rapidfile when the device is an iPhone, when the PC is a Samsung model, or when the other person is not nearby and needs the file later. Keeping both available costs nothing and covers the widest range of situations.

FAQ

Updated 2026-10-20