How to Transfer Files from One Android Phone to Another

Google renamed Nearby Share to Quick Share in 2024 and merged it with Samsung's Quick Share, so on most phones you will see the new name.

1. On the receiving phone, swipe down to Quick Settings, tap Quick Share and set who can share with you, for example Everyone for 10 minutes.
2. On the sending phone, select the files in Photos, Gallery or Files and tap Share, then Quick Share.
3. Tap the other phone when it appears, and tap Accept on the receiving phone.

Menu names vary between brands and Android versions, so check your phone's settings if you cannot find it. Some phones sold without Google services do not include Quick Share at all.

1. Connect both phones to the same Wi-Fi, or turn on one phone's hotspot (with mobile data on) and join it from the other.
2. Open sharelargefilesfree.com/send-via-wifi in Chrome, Firefox or Edge on both phones.
3. Each phone appears with a name, an animal avatar and details such as "Android · Chrome". Tap the other one.
4. Pick the files. You can select as many as you like; there is no size or count limit.
5. Tap Accept on the receiving phone. Keep both screens on and the pages open until it is done.
6. The files are saved in the receiving phone's Downloads folder.

Files go directly between the two phones over an encrypted connection and are never uploaded to a server, so on the same Wi-Fi the speed is set by your local network. Sharing a whole album with several people? Create a private room and use Send to everyone; each phone accepts on its own.

For a large folder, such as a WhatsApp media folder or a music collection, it is often easier to compress it first: in the Files app, long-press the folder and choose Compress or Zip if your file manager offers it, then send the single ZIP file and extract it on the other phone.

If you are replacing your phone, do not send files one by one:

• Google's copy tool: when you set up a new Android phone, choose to copy apps and data from your old phone, using a cable or Wi-Fi when offered. This brings over apps, photos, messages and settings.
• Samsung Smart Switch: on a new Samsung phone, Smart Switch can copy from any Android phone wirelessly or by cable. Install it on the old phone from Google Play if needed.

Both work best during setup. If you skipped that step, Smart Switch can usually still be run later on Samsung phones; on others, use Quick Share or Send via Wi-Fi for what was missed.

1. Connect the phones with a USB-C to USB-C cable that supports data.
2. On the phone you are copying from, tap the USB notification and choose File transfer. Phones differ in which one acts as host, so if nothing appears, swap the roles in the USB settings.
3. Open the Files app on the other phone and copy folders across.

A USB-C flash drive does the same job: copy to the drive on one phone, plug it into the other. This is handy for big folders when there is no Wi-Fi at all.

Two phones with Quick Share and a handful of photos: Quick Share. A new phone: the setup copy tool or Smart Switch. Phones of different brands where Quick Share does not see the other phone, a big batch of files, or sending to several phones at once: Send via Wi-Fi. No network at all: a cable or flash drive. The other phone is not with you: a download link.

Sending to an iPhone instead? See Android to iPhone.

Share Large Files Free is independent and is not affiliated with Google or Samsung. Android and Quick Share are trademarks of Google LLC; Samsung and Smart Switch are trademarks of Samsung Electronics.

• Quick Share does not show the other phone. Turn on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Location on both phones, unlock them, and set visibility to Everyone. If it still fails, use Send via Wi-Fi.
• Send via Wi-Fi shows no devices. Both phones need the same network and an internet connection. Guest and company Wi-Fi can block direct connections; switch to a hotspot or use the 6-digit code.
• The transfer pauses. Battery savers can freeze background tabs. Keep the browser in front and the screen on.
• The cable does nothing. Some cables only charge. Try another one and check that File transfer is selected.
• Received photos are missing from the gallery. Look in the Downloads folder in the Files app; some gallery apps show it only as a separate album.