Table of Contents
Highlights
- Android Quick Share changes the always-on “Everyone” visibility to 10 minutes.
- The change improves privacy in crowded public spaces like airports and trains.
- The update brings Android’s sharing behavior closer to Apple’s AirDrop model.
- Daily file sharing remains mostly unchanged for contacts and personal devices.
Google has quietly made a change to Quick Share on Android phones. The company no longer allows you to keep your device visible to “everyone” at all times. A setting change will now keep your device on for 10 minutes before it automatically shuts off when the “everyone” setting is selected.
A minor adjustment like this will significantly improve the process by which users post files for general access. This brings Android much closer to Apple’s approach to public posting and file access, as well as to its iPhone products.
What Is Quick Share?
Android devices utilise the Quick Share function to exchange documents, videos, photos, or web links with other devices located nearby without having to use cables: this will make use of Bluetooth/Wi-Fi technology to accomplish a transfer of files from one device to another, generally at a rapid pace in comparison to cable connections.
Google and Samsung joined their systems and made Quick Share the main file-sharing feature for Android. It also works with some Windows laptops.
What Exactly Has Changed?
Earlier, users had three visibility options:
- Your devices
- Contacts
- Everyone
If you selected “Everyone,” your phone stayed visible to all nearby Android devices until you turned it off manually.
That option is now gone. You can still choose “everyone”, but only for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, your phone automatically switches back to a safer setting.
Why Did Google Do This?
The simple answer is privacy. When people can submit a file request to you electronically, anyone nearby can also view your mobile or hands-free requests (also called mobile requests). These are particularly bothersome in crowded areas such as train stations, airports, shopping malls, or workplaces.
By having “Everyon” mode enabled for only 10 minutes, this risk is reduced. Google has also been adding new user privacy settings for its Android platform slowly – this move is consistent with this philosophy.
Similar to how the iPhone Works
AirDrop on iPhones already follows this rule. On iPhone, if you set visibility to everyone, it doesn’t stay on forever. It switches back after some time. Now Android is doing something similar. It keeps sharing simple but avoids leaving your phone open to unknown devices for too long.
What Google Says About Visibility Settings
According to support details shared by Google, users can control who sees their device in Quick Share.
The current options are:
Your Devices
Only devices signed in with your Google account can see each other.
Contacts
Only saved contacts can find and send you files.
Everyone (10 Minutes)
Anyone nearby can see your device, but only for a short time. After 10 minutes, the system automatically resets the settings.
Will This Affect Daily Use?
For most people, not really. If you mainly share files with your own devices or known contacts, nothing changes. But if you often share files with new people in meetings, classes, or events, you will now have to turn on” Everyone” each time. It is one extra step, but it also means better control.
Quick Share Is Still Expanding
Quick Share now supports all devices, not just Android phones. Many of the new features in Quick Share are not only new in this update but have also been enhanced from previous versions to provide better file-sharing capabilities for all users.
Quick Share has a key feature: when your device is connected, they won’t be visible to most users. Quick Share is still one of the fastest ways to transfer files wirelessly between an Android device and a PC running Windows.
The Bottom Line
Google has removed the always-on” “Everyon”” mode from Quick Share. Users can still use it, but only for 10 minutes at a time. It is a small change, but it clearly focuses on privacy.
For most users, daily file sharing will stay the same. The update simply makes sure your phone is not visible to strangers longer than necessary.
