It seems Apple inspired Meta AI. Recent evidence proves that Meta AI has been working on something called Nearby Share. This feature, initially discovered by WABetaInfo in April 2024, is, of course, pretty much like Apple’s AirDrop. Now, it emerges again in an iOS beta under the same name.
Nearby Share enables sharing files without an internet connection. It is possible to share photos, videos, or any documents between devices in the vicinity. It works very well in areas with weak or unstable networks. However, it does not work the same on Android and iOS.
This is much like AirDrop on Android—nearby devices are detected, and the phone can connect to them. A permission is required on the recipient’s side to receive files. And on iOS, it just shares the file when a QR code is scanned. What has created this exact difference yet has to be explained?
The fact is that all file transfers go through end-to-end encryption, just like WhatsApp messages. One of the features is cross-platform sharing. Making it even more useful than it could be without it. It will easily go beyond the AirDrop feature by not being limited to one OS.
Nearby Share is still in development. Its design and privacy measures are being fine-tuned by Meta AI. There might be some things changed before the final release.
The release date is still unknown. It has not been made available to beta testers yet. Other features can be tried out by downloading the latest WhatsApp beta by users.
