Here's How Google's New 'Tap to Share' Android Feature Works

Aug 14, 2026 02:50 AM - 1 hour ago 1
Jake Peterson is Lifehacker’s Tech Editor, and has been covering tech news and how-tos for astir a decade. His squad covers each things technology, including AI, smartphones, computers, crippled consoles, and subscriptions.

Google made a batch of announcements connected Wednesday, each of them hours earlier its charismatic Made by Google event. The institution announced the caller Pixel 11 series (including the Pixel 11 Pro Fold), the Galaxy Watch 5, and moreover the long-rumored Pixel Tag. There were truthful galore announcements, 1 would beryllium forgiven for assuming it was a hardware-only event.

And yet, Google besides revealed a number of package features, arsenic well. The Pixel Watch received overmuch of the attraction here, arsenic the institution announced that its smartwatches will soon way trends successful insulin resistance, humor pressure, and slumber habits, but the Pixel wasn't near retired of the speech either. In fact, Android devices crossed the committee are getting 1 caller characteristic that seems peculiarly useful: Tap to Share.

How Google's caller Tap to Share works 

Tap to Share appears to unrecorded up to its name. According to Google, each you request to do to usage it is return your compatible Android instrumentality and spot it adjacent different compatible Android device. When you do, you'll propulsion up each other's interaction cards, making it an easy measurement to stock telephone numbers, email addresses, and different interaction info pinch personification caller connected Android.

However, the characteristic isn't constricted to integer business cards. You tin besides usage it to stock photos, videos, and different files from your Android to another. To usage it, unfastened the record successful question, past motorboat the Share Sheet. Then, bring your telephone adjacent to the different user's. Now, alternatively of your interaction cards, Android will nonstop complete your file.

What do you deliberation truthful far?

While Google mightiness person announced this characteristic alongside the motorboat of the Pixel 11, it useful pinch a lot of Google phones. The institution says you'll beryllium capable to usage Tap to Share connected Pixel 6 and newer, which spans the entirety of Google's existent supported Pixel devices. In addition, Google says Tap to Share is coming to immoderate Samsung Galaxy phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Fold 8, and Flip 8, and will grow to moreover much devices by the extremity of 2026.

Tap to Share is, of course, akin to Apple's NameDrop characteristic connected iOS, down to the interaction paper default. However, Android hit Apple to the punch originally. This is fundamentally an evolution of Android Beam, a discontinued characteristic that fto you nonstop information complete NFC. And while the characteristic won't activity pinch iPhones, Google and Apple do connection a speedy sharing action for users trying to stock from Android to iPhone, and vice versa.

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