Google's new Tap to Share feature on the Pixel 11 is incredible. Here's how to use it

Google has introduced a much more intuitive way to use Quick Share with the Pixel 11 series. Called Tap to Share, the feature lets you initiate a Quick Share connection simply by bringing the tops of two compatible Android phones together. If that sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen Apple do the very same thing for a while now. Google’s version works pretty much the same way, and the company has even made some hardware changes to the Pixel 11 series to support it.

I tested Tap to Share between the Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and the experience is remarkably seamless. You can tap the two phones together, bring their tops close to each other, or even hover one phone’s top over the other to trigger the connection.

Once the phones detect each other, their edges light up, and you hear a short chime, making the whole process feel a lot like the device-to-device handshake Apple has popularized.

What is Google’s new Tap to Share feature?

Tap to Share is a new Quick Share feature that lets you establish a sharing connection between two compatible Android phones by bringing their tops together. It is essentially a more natural way to start Quick Share without having to hunt through menus or find the recipient in a device list.

Once the phones are positioned correctly, the edges of both displays light up, and a chime confirms that the devices have detected each other. From there, you can choose what you want to share. If you simply bring two phones together without first selecting specific content, Tap to Share prompts you to share your contact information. You can choose to share:

• Your phone and contact information.
• A picture.
• Your email ID.
• Both phone numbers, if your phone has two active numbers, such as two eSIMs or an eSIM and a physical SIM.

You can also use Tap to Share to send photos, videos, files, website links, and other content through Quick Share.

Google’s existing Quick Share system supports nearby file transfers and, on supported devices, sharing with iPhones through AirDrop. Tap to Share itself is different, though. It is a phone-to-phone gesture used to initiate the connection and does not work between a Pixel and an iPhone. For iPhone sharing, you’ll still need to use the regular Quick Share workflow.

Tap to Share availability

Tap to Share is now rolling out to the Pixel 6 and newer Pixel phones running Android 17 or later.

Google says the feature will expand to more Android phones later this year, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Galaxy Z Flip 8, with other Android devices expected to gain support as well.

There are a couple of limitations to keep in mind, though. The feature is not available for apps used in a Work Profile. It is enabled by default, except on devices with managed accounts. Also, both phones need NFC enabled for the feature to work.

How to start Tap to Share

You don’t necessarily have to select something to start Tap to Share. If you simply want to exchange contact information, here’s what you do:

• Unlock both phones and hold them with their screens facing up and visible.
• Bring the tops of the two phones together. You can tap them together or simply move them close enough for the phones to detect each other.
• Keep the phones together until the edges of both displays light up and you hear the confirmation chime.
• You’ll then be prompted to choose what contact information you want to share.
• Select the information you want to send. If your phone has two active numbers, you’ll be able to choose whether to share one or both.
• The other person can accept your contact card and save it to their Contacts app.
• They’ll also see an option to send their information to you.
• To cancel the connection, simply move the phones apart, and the handshake should time out in a few seconds.

If you haven’t selected anything to share beforehand, this contact-sharing prompt is the default starting point for Tap to Share.

How to use Tap to Share for photos, videos, and files

You can also use the feature when you already know what you want to send. Tap to Share works with photos, videos, files, website links, and other content that you can normally send through Quick Share.

• Open the content you want to share.
• Tap Share.
• Bring the tops of both unlocked phones together, with their screens facing up.
• Keep them together until the phones light up and play the confirmation chime.
• Wait for the other phone to accept the sharing request.
• Once accepted, the transfer will begin.
• To cancel, simply move the phones apart.

You can also initiate the process directly from Quick Share:

• Open Quick Share.
• Select the content you want to share.
• Bring the tops of both unlocked phones together.
• Keep them together until the devices glow and the connection is established.
• Wait for the recipient to accept the request.
• Move the phones apart if you want to cancel.

Quick Share content received on Android is stored in the Files app > Downloads > Quick Share folder.

What does Tap to Share feel like?

After testing it between the Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the biggest advantage of Tap to Share is that it removes much of the friction normally associated with Quick Share.

Instead of opening the Share menu, finding Quick Share, and then browsing a list of nearby devices, you can simply place two phones side by side and let them figure it out.

The glowing edges and chime also provide an immediate indication that the phones have connected. In practice, I found that you don’t even need to make a firm physical tap. Bringing the tops close together, or hovering one over the other, was enough to trigger the handshake.

It gives Quick Share a much more physical, intuitive feel, and it’s probably the closest Android has come to making local sharing feel as effortless as tapping two Apple devices together.

How to turn off Tap to Share

Tap to Share is enabled by default on supported devices unless the device has a managed account. If you don’t want to use it, just follow these steps:

• Open Settings.
• Tap your profile picture.
• Tap All services.
• Tap Quick Share.
• Turn off Tap to Share.

Your regular Quick Share functionality will continue to work. Quick Share itself supports nearby sharing between Android devices and other supported platforms.

What to do if Tap to Share doesn’t work?

If bringing the phones together doesn’t trigger anything, Google recommends trying a few things:

• Overlap more of the phone screens and make sure the tops are close enough.
• Remove thick phone cases, which can interfere with NFC detection.
• Try tapping the phones back-to-back.
• Make sure NFC is enabled on both phones. You can search for “NFC” in Settings to find the relevant toggle.
• Check where the NFC antenna is located on your particular phone.
• Make sure both phones are unlocked.

Google also recommends bringing devices close together when troubleshooting Quick Share, with Bluetooth enabled on both devices.

The placement of the NFC antenna is particularly important with Tap to Share. On the Pixel 11 series, Google has moved the NFC hardware toward the top of the phone specifically to make this new gesture more natural.