GOOGLE PIXEL
How to receive files with Quick Share on a Google Pixel
In short
Search Settings for "Quick Share" and tap Who can share with you. Choose Your devices, Contacts or Everyone for 10 minutes. The Pixel has no permanent Everyone. When a file arrives, tap Open in the notification. From a phone on your own Google account, no accept prompt appeared.
5 of 5 steps show a real screenshot from our Pixel 10a. Each step was checked against the maker's own instructions, linked at the end.
Steps
- 1
Open Quick Share settings
Search Settings for "Quick Share" and tap the Quick Share result (Google Play services). It is also in Settings, Google.
- 2
Tap Who can share with you
Ours said Your devices. The page also has Use mobile data and Tap to share, both On on ours.
- 3
Pick who can share
Your devices: phones signed in to your Google account. Contacts: your contacts with a Google account. Everyone for 10 minutes switches back after 10 minutes; there is no permanent Everyone on the Pixel.
- 4
Keep the page open while it arrives
A notification shows the transfer at the top. From the Redmi on our account, no accept prompt appeared.
- 5
Tap Open
The notification says "1 image received" with Open and View downloads. Open showed the photo in Google Photos on ours.
If you do not see this option
- Sender does not see your Pixel? Visible to nearby devices must be On (top of step 3), and Bluetooth must be on. For a stranger's phone, pick Everyone for 10 minutes. Source: Use Quick Share on your Android device
- No Quick Share result in search? Look in Settings, Google, Quick Share (Devices and sharing on some versions). Source: Use Quick Share on your Android device
If this does not work
- Where did the file go? View downloads in the notification (step 5). Google says received files go to the Files app, Downloads, Quick Share folder; ours had a Quick Share folder in Downloads.
- Slow or stops on mobile data? Use mobile data was On on ours; switch it off to wait for Wi-Fi instead.
- Transfer never starts? Google's checklist: Bluetooth on for both phones, keep them within about 30 cm, turn aeroplane mode on and off, and wait until nobody else is sending to the same phone. A restart is the last step on that list.
- Contacts option and still invisible? Google says that with Contacts your phone is only visible to nearby contacts while the screen is on and unlocked. Wake and unlock the Pixel before the sender tries again.
Good to know
Sending from a Xiaomi or Redmi: send files with Quick Share on a Xiaomi phone. On a OnePlus: change who can send you files with Quick Share.
Your choice stays until you change it, except Everyone for 10 minutes, which Google says switches back to your previous choice after 10 minutes for privacy. Received files are ordinary files in the Files app, so they count against your storage. Delete what you do not need, or move photos into Google Photos if you back that up. For a large video over mobile data, data charges may apply, so wait for Wi-Fi if your allowance is small.
About this guide
- Device
- Android
- Shown on
- Google Pixel 10a, Android 17 (build CP3A.261005.005)
- App
- Settings
- Path
- Settings › Google › Quick Share › Who can share with you
- Real screenshots
- 5 of 5 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 1 official, linked below
Sources
Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.Spotted a mistake? Menus change with updates, and we want every step to match your screen. Email us about this page or use the contact form. We read every report, and fixes are listed on What changed.
Liked this guide?
Follow us for new guides and short how-to videos.
Did this guide work for you?
Sorry about that. What happened?