Windows 10 All-in-One For Dummies, 3rd Edition
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Nearby Sharing allows you to network your Windows 10 devices. Before you can share files with Nearby Sharing, you must first turn on the feature by following these steps:
  1. Click the Start button, choose the Settings icon, and choose the System category.

    The Settings app opens to show its System settings.

  2. Choose Shared Experiences from the left pane.

    The Shared Experiences settings appear.

    Nearby Sharing Windows 10 Click the Nearby Sharing toggle to On.
  3. Click the Nearby Sharing toggle to On.

    Windows turns on Nearby Sharing.

  4. Choose who can send or receive shared items.

    Just below the Nearby Sharing toggle, a drop-down menu lets you fine-tune two options:

    • Everyone nearby: The most popular option, this allows anybody with the latest version of Windows 10 to both receive and send items through Nearby Sharing. It’s a handy way to send somebody a file during a meeting in a boardroom or coffeeshop.
    • My Devices only: Choose this only if you want to restrict the Nearby Sharing to your own PCs.
  5. Choose the folder where the incoming files should appear.

    Unless you have a good reason, leave this folder set to Downloads. That folder is easily accessible whenever you open File Manager.

Once you’ve turned on Nearby Sharing, you don’t need to revisit this setting unless you want to turn it off.

To turn Nearby Sharing on or off quickly, open the Action Center pane with a click on the Action Center icon on the far-right edge of your taskbar along the bottom of your desktop. When the Action Center pane appears, you can toggle the feature on or off by clicking the Nearby Sharing button. (Don’t see it? Click Expand above the four buttons along the Action Center’s bottom edge to see all of the available buttons.)

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Woody Leonhard is a bestselling author and has been a Microsoft beta tester since Word for Windows 1.1. He covers Windows and Office topics on his popular Web site, AskWoody.com.

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