Google Copresence reportedly is an upcoming short-range file transfer service

It seems Google is gearing up for the release of a new communication service dubbed “Copresence” that will reportedly make it easy to share files, pictures and other data with those nearby. This might sound a lot like Android Beam to you at first glance, but the biggest differences are that this system is allegedly cross-platform, completely contactless and works over a combination of Bluetooth (for authentication) and Wi-Fi (for data transfers).

While Google has yet to officially confirm the existence of the “opt-in” Copresence service, they were recently granted a patent for just such a feature and trace details about the service have even been dug up inside of the latest Google Play Services APK. This not only includes a number of files but even the images seen above and below. Furthermore, the Copresence API has been spotted in the Chrome Dev Channel.

From the sounds of it, Copresence is aimed at users looking for a way to send large amounts of data to one another quickly, without having to rely on the cloud to do it. In a world where security issues and Cloud leaks have become increasingly commonplace, such a feature could certainly be a welcome addition to Android and other platforms.

There’s no word on exactly when Copresence will launch, though perhaps Google will announce the existence of the service around the same time as Android 5.0 Lollipop’s rollout? Just a thought. What do you think, based on what we know, like the idea of Copresence? See it as useful, or are you perfectly content to use a combination of Android Beam and Google Drive for transferring files to friends and family?