Nearby sharing in Windows lets you share documents, photos, links to websites with nearby devices using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. You can share files between PCs that are running Windows 10 or Windows 11.
This article covers most common issues related to Nearby sharing in Windows and provides troubleshooting steps for each.
To learn more about nearby sharing and how to use it, see Share things with nearby devices in Windows.
If nearby sharing option does not appear in the share menu, grayed out or missing, follow the below troubleshooting steps to resolve.
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Check system requirements:
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Make sure both PCs—the PC you’re sharing from and the one you’re sharing to—support nearby sharing. Nearby sharing requires the following:
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Windows 11. Check your version of Windows. Ensure that both devices support Bluetooth 4.0 or higher with Low Energy (LE) support. To find out if Bluetooth LE is supported, on each PC, select the Start button, type device manager and select Device Manager from the list of results, expand Bluetooth, and then select the name of your Bluetooth radio adapter. Right-click it, select Properties, select Details, and then select Bluetooth radio supports Low Energy Central Role under Property. Make sure the value is listed as True.
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Enable nearby sharing:
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Select Start > Settings > System > Nearby Sharing and make sure it’s turned on.
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Choose to share with Everyone nearby or My devices only as needed.
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Enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi:
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Ensure both devices have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on.
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Check if both devices are on the same network for Wi-Fi sharing.
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Ensure Network profile is set to private:
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Nearby Sharing works only if your network is set to Private. Select Start > Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet).
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Select the network you are connected to and ensure the Network profile type is Private network.
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If you are unable to pair or recognize devices through Bluetooth, follow the below troubleshooting steps to resolve.
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Check Bluetooth status: On both devices, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & devices and ensure that Bluetooth is turned on.
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Re-pair devices: Remove the paired devices from Bluetooth settings, then reconnect them.
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Update Bluetooth drivers: Open Device Manager, locate the Bluetooth adapter, right-click, and choose Update driver.
To resolve issues related to Bluetooth, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows.
Follow the below troubleshooting steps if you're facing issues while sharing large files (e.g., videos).
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File size limits:
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Ensure that the file size is not exceeding any restrictions.
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Consider compressing large files into smaller zip formats.
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Use Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth: Bluetooth file transfers are much slower. If possible, switch to Wi-Fi for faster transfers by ensuring both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
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Close background applications: If the system is resource-constrained, close unused apps to free up resources for file transfer.
If file transfer starts but halts midway or fails completely, follow the below troubleshooting steps.
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Check Power Settings: Ensure that power-saving settings or sleep mode are not interrupting the transfer. Go to Settings > System > Power & battery and adjust the sleep settings.
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Keep Devices Within Range: Nearby Sharing works best when devices are close together, especially for Bluetooth. Ensure both devices are within 30 feet (about 10 meters).
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Disable Firewall Temporarily: Sometimes, firewalls or antivirus software block sharing. Temporarily disable them and retry.
Even when both the devices are connected to Wi-Fi, Nearby Sharing uses Bluetooth, resulting in slow transfers. To resolve this,
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Force Wi-Fi sharing: Ensure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This should prioritize Wi-Fi over Bluetooth for file transfers.
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Update Wi-Fi Drivers: Go to Device Manager, right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter, and select Update driver.
Nearby Sharing requires a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices if not using Bluetooth. If there are issues with Wi-Fi connection, follow the below steps to resolve.
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Ensure both devices are on the same network: For faster file transfers, make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
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Restart Wi-Fi Adapter: Restart the Wi-Fi adapter on both devices through Settings or Device Manager.
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Check for Network Discovery Issues: Select Start > Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Advanced sharing settings. Ensure that Network discovery is turned on.
For more information, view how to fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows.
Even though nearby sharing is enabled, sometimes, the device cannot find the other device. To resolve this,
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Check Visibility Settings: Ensure that the device set to share is discoverable by everyone.
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Select Start > Settings > System > Nearby Sharing and make sure it’s turned on.
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Choose to share with Everyone nearby or My devices only as needed.
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Reset Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Toggle Bluetooth or Wi-Fi off and back on again to refresh discoverability.
When the sender device says "Waiting to receive" while the receiving device doesn’t show any prompt, follow the below steps to resolve.
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Restart Bluetooth on Both Devices: Toggle Bluetooth off and back on again to force recognition.
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Restart Both Devices: Sometimes, a simple restart of both devices resolves stuck transfers.
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Ensure Both Devices Are Logged into the Same Microsoft Account: If using the "My devices only" sharing option, ensure both devices are logged into the same Microsoft account.
To resolve issues related to Bluetooth, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows.
First, try to send the files again and see if that works. If it doesn’t, on the device you’re sharing to, select action center on the right side of taskbar and check for the notifications there. In some cases, notifications appear in action center, but not on your screen. For example, this can happen if focus assist is turned on.
Related links
To learn more about nearby sharing and how to use it, see Share things with nearby devices in Windows.
If nearby sharing option does not appear in the share menu, grayed out or missing, follow the below troubleshooting steps to resolve.
-
Check system requirements:
-
Make sure both PCs—the PC you’re sharing from and the one you’re sharing to—support nearby sharing. Nearby sharing requires the following:
-
Windows 10, version 1803. Check your version of Windows. Ensure that both devices support Bluetooth 4.0 or higher with Low Energy (LE) support. To find out if Bluetooth LE is supported, on each PC, select the Start button, type device manager and select Device Manager from the list of results, expand Bluetooth, and then select the name of your Bluetooth radio adapter. Right-click it, select Properties, select Details, and then select Bluetooth radio supports Low Energy Central Role under Property. Make sure the value is listed as True.
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Enable nearby sharing on both devices: Make sure that both devices are set up for nearby sharing.
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On each device, select Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences, and make sure Nearby sharing option is enabled.
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Ensure I can share or receive content from is set to Everyone nearby.
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Enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi:
-
Ensure both devices have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on.
-
Check if both devices are on the same network for Wi-Fi sharing.
-
-
Ensure Network profile is set to private:
-
Nearby Sharing works only if your network is set to Private. Select Start > Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet).
-
Select the network you are connected to and ensure the Network profile is Private.
-
If you are unable to pair or recognize devices through Bluetooth, follow the below troubleshooting steps to resolve.
-
Check Bluetooth status: On both devices, go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices and ensure that Bluetooth is turned on.
-
Re-pair devices: Remove the paired devices from Bluetooth settings, then reconnect them.
-
Update Bluetooth drivers: Open Device Manager, locate the Bluetooth adapter, right-click, and choose Update driver.
To resolve issues related to Bluetooth, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows.
Follow the below troubleshooting steps if you're facing issues while sharing large files (e.g., videos).
-
File size limits:
-
Ensure that the file size is not exceeding any restrictions.
-
Consider compressing large files into smaller zip formats.
-
-
Use Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth: Bluetooth file transfers are much slower. If possible, switch to Wi-Fi for faster transfers by ensuring both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
-
Close background applications: If the system is resource-constrained, close unused apps to free up resources for file transfer.
If file transfer starts but halts midway or fails completely, follow the below troubleshooting steps.
-
Check Power Settings: Ensure that power-saving settings or sleep mode are not interrupting the transfer. Go to Settings > System > Power & sleep and adjust the sleep settings.
-
Keep Devices Within Range: Nearby Sharing works best when devices are close together, especially for Bluetooth. Ensure both devices are within 30 feet (about 10 meters).
-
Disable Firewall Temporarily: Sometimes, firewalls or antivirus software block sharing. Temporarily disable them and retry.
Even when both the devices are connected to Wi-Fi, Nearby Sharing uses Bluetooth, resulting in slow transfers. To resolve this,
-
Force Wi-Fi sharing: Ensure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This should prioritize Wi-Fi over Bluetooth for file transfers.
-
Update Wi-Fi Drivers: Go to Device Manager, right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter, and select Update driver.
To resolve issues related to internet connection, view Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows.
Nearby Sharing requires a direct Wi-Fi connection between devices if not using Bluetooth. If there are issues with Wi-Fi connection, follow the below steps to resolve.
-
Ensure both devices are on the same network: For faster file transfers, make sure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
-
Restart Wi-Fi Adapter: Restart the Wi-Fi adapter on both devices through Settings or Device Manager.
-
Check for Network Discovery Issues: Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. Select Change advanced sharing settings from the menu on the left side and ensure that Network discovery is turned on.
To resolve issues related to internet connection, view Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows.
Even though nearby sharing is enabled, sometimes, the device cannot find the other device. To resolve this,
-
Check Visibility Settings: Ensure that the device set to share is discoverable by everyone.
-
Select Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences, and make sure Nearby sharing option is enabled.
-
Choose to share with Everyone nearby or My devices only as needed.
-
-
Reset Bluetooth or Wi-Fi: Toggle Bluetooth or Wi-Fi off and back on again to refresh discoverability.
When the sender device says "Waiting to receive" while the receiving device doesn’t show any prompt, follow the below steps to resolve.
-
Restart Bluetooth on Both Devices: Toggle Bluetooth off and back on again to force recognition.
-
Restart Both Devices: Sometimes, a simple restart of both devices resolves stuck transfers.
-
Ensure Both Devices Are Logged into the Same Microsoft Account: If using the "My devices only" sharing option, ensure both devices are logged into the same Microsoft account.
To resolve issues related to Bluetooth, see Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows.
First, try to send the files again and see if that works. If it doesn’t, on the device you’re sharing to, select action center on the right side of taskbar and check for the notifications there. In some cases, notifications appear in action center, but not on your screen. For example, this can happen if focus assist is turned on.
