How to quickly transfer content from one Android device to another using Android Beam

Android Beam is a service that has been available on Android devices for a while but as more and more phones and tablets offer Near Field Communication (NFC), it is starting to become a more useful feature.

Here we have broken down how to use Android Beam to transfer your files wirelessly from one Android phone or tablet to another, making it easy to share content.

How Android Beam works

The Android Beam feature allows you to send content between devices by simply pressing them back-to-back.

You can send anything from web pages, maps and videos to photos and documents between your device and another device, whether that is another device of yours of a friend's device.

The best thing about it is that it's simple, easy and you don't have the long setup process. Android beam uses Bluetooth for the data transfer but NFC is used to establish a short-lived Bluetooth connection so you don't have the hassle of pairing devices.

Checking for NFC

The first thing you need to do is check your device and the device you want to share the content with have NFC.

You will find most Android smartphones have NFC support, but NFC on Android tablets is a little more hard to come by. The Google Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 both have NFC, as do the Sony tablets.

To check whether your device is supported, you'll need to head into your settings and go into the "Wireless & Networks" section. If you hit "More", you'll be able to see if NFC is available.

If the NFC option is there then you'll need to tick the box to allow data exchange when the phone touches another device. You will also need, on some devices, to turn Android Beam on too which should be an option underneath NFC.

On Samsung devices, Android Beam is called S Beam, but as with other Android devices, you need to switch NFC and S Beam on before the feature will work.

They are accessed via settings under the "Connections" tab in the "Connect and share" section.

Open your content

Once you have switched on NFC and Android Beam, the hard part is out the way. All you have to do now is open up the content you want to share.

If you want to share a web page then you'll need open it up in the Chrome browser. YouTube videos will need to be opened in YouTube, maps and directions in Google Maps and a contact in People/Contacts.

For images, you'll need to use the Gallery app and if you want to send more than one, then you need to hold down on a thumbnail image and then select all the other photos by tapping on them so a green tick appears in the top right hand corner.

Share your content

The last thing you have to do is start the beam process. You'll need to ensure both devices are on and unlocked otherwise Android Beam won't work.

Hold the devices back-to-back and you should hear a noise when the NFC connection has been established.

The screen will then display "Touch to beam" and once you have touched the item on the screen, it will appear on the other device you are sharing it with.

© copyright Pocket-lint 2014