Sharing things on an Android phone usually takes a few steps. You have to open WhatsApp or turn on Quick Share to send a file. But very soon, there will be a much faster way to do this.

Google is building a brand new feature that works exactly like the popular NameDrop tool on the iPhone. We recently got a clear look at it, thanks to a new report from Android Authority.

What is "Tap to Share"? According to the code found by Android Authority, this new tool is officially called Tap to Share. The main idea here is to save time.

You will not need to search for names in your contact list anymore. You can just touch your phone against your friend's phone to send your contact number, pictures, website links, and even your live location.

How Does It Work?

This feature uses the NFC chip inside your phone. Android Authority managed to turn on the actual setup screen for this feature, and it tells us exactly how to use it:

1. Unlock the phone: Both phones must be awake and unlocked.

2. Bring them together: Put the top edge of your phone against the other person's phone. Keep the screens facing up so you can see them.

3. Wait for the glow: Keep the phones close for a second until the screens glow. That animation means the files are sent.

Different phone brands put their NFC chips in different spots. So, if touching the top edges does not work, the Google instructions say you can just hold the phones back-to-back.

When Will It Launch?

Google is still testing this feature right now, so they have not given an official release date. They usually like to keep cool new tools for their own Pixel phones first. Because of this, "Tap to Share" will probably launch just for Pixel users in the beginning.

After a few months, we might see it roll out to all other Android phones. It could even be a big part of the Android 17 update.

TecHoper's Take Honestly, it is about time Android added this. The funny thing is, Android phones actually had a very similar feature called "Android Beam" many years ago. You could tap phones back-to-back to share things. But Google killed it in 2019 because people did not use it much back then.

Now that Apple made the whole idea look cool and modern with NameDrop, Google is bringing it back in a much better way. It might feel like a copied feature right now, but at the end of the day, it is a huge win for Android users. We just hope it works smoothly across all Android brands like Samsung, OnePlus, and Vivo, and does not stay locked to Pixel phones forever.

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