How-To

How to Fix Nearby Sharing Not Working on Windows

By Brian Burgess

Published February 7, 2022

Nearby Sharing on Windows 10 and 11 lets you share items between PCs. If you can’t share, fix Nearby Sharing not working on Windows with this guide.

The Nearby Sharing feature included with Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs allows you to transfer links, documents, and other files to other compatible nearby PCs. The feature lets you send a file from your PC to another user’s device across the room. It uses a combination of Bluetooth and wireless technology for short-range file sharing.

However, there are times when Nearby Sharing won’t work. If Nearby Sharing is not working on Windows, you can resolve it by following these steps.

How to Fix Nearby Sharing Not Working on Windows

A few conditions need to be met for the Nearby Sharing feature to work properly. If you’re unsure, follow these steps to make sure it’ll work on your PC.

1. First, ensure the Nearby sharing feature is enabled on both PCs. On Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > System > Nearby sharing and ensure it’s enabled and set to My devices only or Everyone nearby.
   • My devices only allows sharing between PCs that are logged in with the same Microsoft account.
   • Everyone nearby provides easy sharing to all nearby devices.

3. On Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > System > Shared experiences and toggle Nearby sharing to the On position. Here you can also set where to share or receive items (everyone nearby or my devices only).

4. You’ll need to verify you have Bluetooth enabled on both devices. On Windows 11, hit the keyboard shortcut Windows key + A to launch the Quick settings menu, then click on the Bluetooth button to enable it on your PC.
   • You can also enable Bluetooth through Settings. Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices and turn it on.

Troubleshoot Bluetooth Driver on Windows 11

If all of the above settings are enabled, the problem could be with Bluetooth or Wireless settings.

To troubleshoot Bluetooth driver issues on Windows 10 or 11, use the following steps:

1. Open Start and type Device Manager and select the top result.

2. When Device Manager opens, expand the Bluetooth tree, and ensure the driver is installed correctly.

If you see a yellow icon, you’ll want to update the driver. If you see a gray downwards arrow, Bluetooth needs to be enabled. Choose the appropriate option from the menu, i.e., Update driver or Enable device.

Verify Bluetooth Compatibility

The Nearby Sharing feature on Windows 11 requires Bluetooth version 4.0 or later with Low Energy (LE) support.

To verify your Bluetooth device is meeting this requirement, use the following steps:

1. Open Start, type Device Manager, and click the top result.

2. Expand the Bluetooth category, right-click the Bluetooth radio adapter, and select Properties.

3. Next, click the Details tab and select the Bluetooth radio supports Low Energy Central Role option from the Property dropdown menu.

4. Confirm the Value is set to True.

If everything looks good with your Bluetooth settings, try moving your PCs closer to ensure they are within Bluetooth range of each other.

Check Network Settings

In addition to Bluetooth settings, you’ll also want to verify your network settings are correct if Nearby Sharing isn’t working on Windows.

To check your network settings and verify that devices can see each other, use the following steps:

1. On the source and destination devices, launch the Start menu, type CMD and select the top result.
   1. You can also type Powershell or Windows Terminal.

2. In the Command Prompt, Windows PowerShell, or Windows Terminal window, type ipconfig and press Enter.
3. Note the device’s network address in the IPv4 field section.

4. Next, make sure the devices can see each other on the network. Type ping 192.168.x.x, replacing 192.168.x.x with the corresponding IPv4 address for each device.

If the PCs don’t see each other on the network, try reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network or reseat the cable if you’re wired in. Your devices should see each other with Windows Firewall enabled. However, if you are using a third-party security suite, temporarily disable it. You might need to temporarily disable it to transfer files with Nearby Sharing.

Verify Your Network Profile

To use the Nearby Sharing feature, both devices need to be set to a Private network profile.

To verify the network profile you’re using on your PC on Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open the Start menu and select Settings.
2. When Settings opens, click Network & internet from the list on the left and Wi-Fi on the right.

3. Select network connection properties in the following menu.

4. Under the Network profile type section, set it to the Private option.

You can also verify your network profile on Windows 10 by following these steps:

5. On Windows 10, open Start and press Settings.
6. In Settings, select Network & Internet, then click the Properties button under your connection.

6. Under the Network profile section, select the Private option.

Using one of the troubleshooting steps above, particularly setting the network profile to Private, should get your Nearby Sharing feature working again.

Windows Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Troubleshooting

Microsoft first introduced Nearby Sharing on Windows 10. The feature has been carried over to Windows 11, but if you find that Nearby Sharing isn’t working on Windows, you should be able to get it working again by following the steps above.

For more on Bluetooth, take a look at managing Bluetooth devices on Windows 11 or pairing Bluetooth devices with Windows 10. When connecting to a network, sometimes you’ll need to find Wi-Fi passwords on Windows 11. Another cool feature you might be interested in is casting Windows 11 to Chromecast.