Summary

  • A new update to Google Quick Share now allows changing visibility settings from the Windows system tray icon for easier file sharing.
  • The update also includes new animations and several bug fixes, including resolving issues with displaying URLs as text.
  • There is no manual update option, but users can reinstall the Quick Share app if they want to make sure they have latest version.



Quick Share is Google’s answer to Apple’s Airdrop. It is designed to provide seamless file sharing between Android devices and Windows PCs. Now it offers the ability to change visibility settings directly from the Windows tray icon.

Quick Share running on two devices. One is sending a file, one is receiving.

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Google has rolled out an update for the app on Windows that adds new functionality and addresses some bugs (via 9to5Google). This update adds a ‘visibility’ option to the Windows tray icon while tackling some of the issues that sometimes made it a pain to use on Windows. For example, URLs are now classified as links instead of just a string of text when shared from an Android device.


Key features of this latest update

A screenshot from 9to5Google of the new Visibility settings for the Quick Share tray icon.

Source: 9to5Google


The most obvious addition in this update is the ability to toggle Quick Share visibility settings from the Windows system tray. Now you can right-click the Quick Share icon and choose from one of four sharing modes:

  • No one
  • Your devices
  • Contacts
  • Everyone

You no longer need to open the app to adjust sharing settings. This makes it quick and easy to set who can share files with your PC.

The update also includes new animations. An animated Quick Share logo appears when someone shares a file with your PC, including on the ‘ready to receive’ screen.

Fixes some of the most annoying bugs

The update also fixes several of Quick Share’s most annoying bugs when using it on Windows. These fixes are:

  • URLs are now correctly displayed as links instead of as text.
  • This update resolves an issue that prevented the app shortcut from appearing in the ‘All apps’ section of the Windows 11 Start menu.
  • It also fixes delays in launching the app after signing in to a Windows account.



There is no manual update option with the Quick Share app. Google is rolling it out gradually so you might not see it immediately, but you can always reinstall the app if you want to make sure you’re running the latest version. If that doesn’t work, there’s always an alternative.

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