Android 12 features new, easier way to share Wi-Fi password

KEY STORY

• Washington: Android 12 has rolled out a new feature titled ‘Nearby Share’ that will help a user to share a Wi-Fi password.

• The feature has gone live in the Android 12 developer beta, which has recently become available to download, Mashable quoted a report by Android Police and XDADevelopers’ Mishaal Rahman.

• To do it, open Settings, a user needs to go to Wi-Fi, select the network one wants, and tap ‘Share’. One will get the option to share the network via a QR code or through Nearby Share. If a user chooses the latter, the phone will look for nearby devices, and the person on the other device will get a notification, asking them to accept the share.

• The password will not be displayed for security reasons, but should the receiver accept the share, they will then be able to connect to the Wi-Fi network.

• Mashable reported that Android has offered users the ability to share Wi-Fi networks via a QR code since version 10. However, the new way to do it is perhaps a little better as a user won’t walk up to the person, in case one wants to share the network with and show them the QR code.

• But, for it to work, the person on the other end needs to have Nearby Share enabled.

• As reported by Mashable, the feature allows an individual to send and receive files between Android devices and Chromebooks.

• However, not all Android phones support Nearby Share, but many popular ones do, including Google’s Pixel phones and Samsung’s Galaxy phones.

• Earlier this week, 9to5Google spotted another new feature that involves Nearby Share, allowing users to share apps with nearby Android devices.