Sharing files between your Android phone and Windows PC just got a whole lot easier

The same Wi-Fi network is no longer needed

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Quick Share offers a simple way to transfer files between an Android phone and Windows PC and it's been improved.

Android Authority has reported, following some testing, that your Windows PC and Android phone no longer need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to transfer files quickly.

Sometimes you need to transfer files between your phone and your laptop. It could be a photo you've taken on your phone, or perhaps a document you have written on your laptop that you need to attach to an email when you're on the go later.

If you have a phone and laptop made by the same manufacturer, there's usually a quick and simple native way to transfer files. Apple has AirDrop for example, which makes it very easy to move files between your iPhone and Mac. You can also save to the cloud and download from there if you have an Android phone and a MacBook, for example.

If you're transferring files between an Android phone and a Windows PC however, there's a tool called Quick Share. It's simple to set up and use, and it will transfer files nice and quickly, for the most part. In the past, those speeds have been a little slower if your Windows PC wasn't on the same Wi-Fi network as your Android phone, transferring over Bluetooth instead.

That same Wi-Fi network requirement now appears to have been removed however, as reported by Android Authority. Quick Share launched in 2023 and at the time, it was detailed that both your Android phone and Windows PC needed to be on the same Wi-Fi network for the fastest transfer speeds.

Google's support page and the Quick Share for Windows app still claims the same Wi-Fi network is required for speedy transfer but Android Authority reports that Quick Share for Windows can send and receive files at decent speeds as long as your Windows PC has Wi-Fi on. Your PC doesn't need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network but it should be on.

Android Authority isn't sure what software build of Quick Share the change was implemented on but if transferring files between our devices on the move is now easier, we are all for it.

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Britta O'Boyle
Britta O'Boyle

Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer tech from phones, tablets and wearables to smart home and beauty tech, with everything in between. She has a fashion journalism degree from London College of Fashion and previously did a long stint as deputy editor of Pocket-lint, but you’ll now find her byline on several titles including GQ, the Express, the Mirror, TechRadar, Stuff and iMore. You'll never find her without her Apple Watch on, aiming to complete her rings so she can justify the extra bar of chocolate and she loves a good iPhone trick.