How to share files like a pro with Android’s Quick Share QR code feature

DGIX

March 4, 2025

Summary

Google’s Quick Share QR codes can get around privacy settings or device detection issues by establishing a direct connection.
Both devices must have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, and the receiving device must be running Android 6.x or later.
Transfer(s) should start automatically once a receiver scans the sender’s code.

Google Quick Share is the Android equivalent of Apple AirPlay, and potentially an essential part of daily life if you live or work with other Android users. It’s a far faster way of sharing links and files than email, cloud services, or even messaging apps. I’ve learned this the hard way — Facebook Messenger can sometimes lag seconds or minutes behind in delivering regular messages, never mind ones with media files attached.

Not too long ago, Google upgraded Quick Share with the ability to use QR codes. In this guide, I’ll explain why you’d use the option, what you need to get started, and, of course, the steps involved in the sharing process. In the end, it shouldn’t be very complicated, though there are some troubleshooting steps you can use if you run into problems.

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And why would you use them?

Samsung

QR codes are an alternative to Quick Share’s normal modus operandi, which involves the originating device detecting nearby Android devices, Chromebooks, and (in some cases) Windows PC. In many situations, there’s no reason to use QR codes — they could actually be slower, since the people receiving links or files need to be directly next to you instead of across the room or another part of the building. If you’re sharing a webpage, it might actually be faster to show the person your screen.

The reason for using codes boils down to one of two concerns: technical problems or privacy settings. If a recipient’s device isn’t showing up in your share options, QR codes can potentially force Quick Share to work, although both people will still need to have specific settings enabled (more on that in the next section). Something that may or may not be an unexpected problem is privacy — if a recipient can normally only receive shares from contacts, for example, QR codes will let them make exceptions.

On Samsung devices — where Quick Share originated — the sharing process can look a little different, as seen in the photos above. The overall process is similar to vanilla Android, but be mindful of potential compatibility issues, depending on your phone and the versions of Android and One UI it’s running.

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Nothing too complicated

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At a minimum, both the sender and recipient need to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled. Bluetooth is used to detect nearby devices and establish a “handshake,” while Wi-Fi conducts the actual transfer over a peer-to-peer connection, since Bluetooth doesn’t have enough bandwidth. On Android devices, you can toggle those options using Quick Settings, or else by opening the Settings app.

The receiving device can only be a phone or tablet running Android 6.x or later, unlike some other iterations of Quick Share. It’s not clear why, but presumably there’s some sort of underlying software architecture involved. At the least, Google’s decision guarantees that the receiving device will have a camera (and camera app) capable of scanning QR codes.

There’s no inherent file size limit for transfers, but be mindful that some apps may impose their own. Regardless, it’s a bad idea to transfer anything more than a few hundred megabytes unless you have to — say, if you’re handing a video project to someone for editing. Once you get into gigabyte file sizes, receivers may have to wait around several minutes or longer, and start the transfer over again if something botches it.

It’s safer and more convenient to use cloud services or FTP transfers for huge files.

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What senders and recipients need to know

Sharing images using the QR code option in Android Quick Share.

Google / Pocket-lint

Here’s what the sharing process looks like on most Android devices:

On the sending device, find the content you want to share.
Tap the Share button. In most versions of Android, this should look like a lesser-than symbol with connected dots.
Select Quick Share, then Use QR code (or some variant of that). A code should be automatically generated onscreen. Remember, this is a one-time code, so saving it for later won’t help.
On the receiving device, open the Camera app, or else go to Quick Settings > Scan QR code.
Point the receiver’s camera at the sender’s QR code, and tap through if the code doesn’t scan automatically.
If the code scans correctly, the two devices should instantly connect and start the transfer. For longer transfers, the receiver can switch to other apps without breaking the connection — a status item will appear in the Android notification tray. You can tap this to return to the Quick Share screen, or use it to cancel transfers in progress. Don’t be too impatient with larger files.

If the process doesn’t work or stalls out, it could be that Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi were disabled. On one or both devices, try opening Quick Settings and toggling Airplane mode on and off before trying again.

Devices running Android 12 or earlier might need to re-enable Location data by going to Settings > Location and toggling Use location (or some similarly-named option). While you’re there, make sure that Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning are on.