Many smartphone users encounter a mysterious icon or name «ShareMe» (often pronounced like “Shareit”) and do not understand what kind of beast it is. This is not a virus or hidden advertising, but one of the most popular applications for quickly transferring files between devices. Developed by the company, it has become the de facto standard for local data exchange, allowing you to send gigabytes of information in seconds. Xiaomi, it has become the de facto standard for local data exchange, allowing gigabytes of information to be sent in seconds.
The essence of the technology is to create a direct access point Wi-Fi between the sender and the recipient. Unlike the usual Bluetooth, the transfer speed here is limited only by the capabilities of your smartphone's antenna, reaching tens of megabytes per second. This makes the process of copying photos, videos and even entire folders with applications almost instantaneous.
It is important to understand that the application works completely autonomously, without requiring a connection to the global network. Internet. This is critical if you are roaming or just want to save mobile data. The system is cross-platform: you can easily transfer a file from Android to iPhone or to a computer running Windows.
The principle of operation of direct transfer technology
The basis of the work ShareMe protocol Wi-Fi Direct. When you initiate a transfer, your smartphone creates a local wireless network. The receiving device connects to it, and the data is transmitted directly, bypassing routers and provider servers. That is why the speed here is hundreds of times higher than that of classic Bluetooth.
The application automatically scans the airwaves in search of other devices running a similar service. This can be either the original client from Xiaomi, or its analogues that support the standard Mi Drop or Wi-Fi Direct. The process of handshake and connection establishment occurs in a split second; the user only needs to confirm the receipt of the file on the recipient’s screen.
One of the key features is the ability to transfer without loss of quality. Unlike messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram, which compress media files to save traffic, Shareit forwards the original. You will receive a photo in full resolution or a video in the original bitrate, which is especially important for photographers and video makers.
⚠️ Attention: When the transmission mode is active, the smartphone battery may drain faster than usual due to the constant operation of the Wi-Fi module at high power. It is recommended to keep devices charged.
Installation and initial configuration of the application
On brand smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO the application ShareMe is already pre-installed in the system. It can be found in the “Tools” folder or simply called up through the settings search. For owners of other brands, such as Samsung, Honor or Realme, you need to download the client from the store. Google Play.
After launch, the system will ask for a number of permissions. It is critical to provide access to geolocation (GPS). This is not a whim of the developers, but a technical requirement for Android to work with Wi-Fi Direct: the system uses a geolocation module to scan available networks around. Without this item, the device search function simply will not work.
You will also need permission to access the device memory. Without it, the application will not be able to read the files you want to send or save received data to internal storage. The app interface is as simplified as possible: at the bottom there are two large buttons - “Send” and “Receive”.
☑️ Check before transfer
In the profile settings, you can change the name of the device that other people will see and set an avatar. This helps you easily identify your phone in the list of available connections, especially if you are in a crowded area with a lot of active users.
Step-by-step guide for transferring files
The process of sending data is intuitive and takes minimal time. Select the button “Send” on the source device. A file manager will open, where you can select specific files, entire folders, contacts, or even installed applications APK.
After selecting the files, click the send button. The application will begin searching for devices. At this moment, a app with an active button “Receive”should be running on the receiving smartphone. As soon as the devices detect each other, a request to confirm the connection will appear on the recipient’s screen.
After confirmation, the transfer process begins. The screen displays a progress bar, current speed and remaining time. You can interrupt the process at any time, but it is better to wait until it is completely completed so that the file does not become damaged.
Path to speed settings: Settings → Transfer speed → Speed priorityIf you are transferring hundreds of small files, the process may take a little longer due to the overhead of opening and closing each file. In such cases, the system may offer to combine them into an archive before sending to optimize the data flow.
What to do if the devices do not see each other?
Make sure that Wi-Fi and GPS are turned on on both phones. Try disabling and enabling Airplane mode to reset your network adapters. Also check if your firewall or antivirus is blocking local connections.
Data transfer between Android and iPhone
One of the main advantages ShareMe is cross-platform. You can easily move from Android to iOS or vice versa without losing your data. To do this, you also need to install the application on the iPhone ShareMe from App Store.
The connection procedure is identical: the owner iPhone clicks “Receive”, and the owner Android clicks “Send”. However, it is worth considering the limitations of the operating system iOS. Due to the closed file system of Apple devices, you can only transfer photos, videos and contacts. Direct transfer of arbitrary files to the iPhone file system may be limited.
When migrating from an old phone to a new one, the app's Switch Phone feature allows you to transfer not only media files, but also settings, calendars, and notes. This is an ideal way to get your new gadget up and running in 10-15 minutes without using cloud services.
⚠️ Attention: When transferring to iPhone, some specific file formats (for example, .apk or Android system files) will not be accepted or opened, since iOS does not support them.
| Data type | Android → Android | Android → iPhone | iPhone → Android |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo and Video | Yes (original) | Yes (original) | Yes (original) |
| Contact | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Applications (APK) | Yes | No | No |
| Music | Yes | Yes (in the application) | Yes |
Connecting to a computer without a cable
Function "Connecting to a PC" turns your smartphone into a wireless flash drive. This is incredibly convenient for quickly uploading photos from your camera or downloading movies to your phone without searching for a USB cable. In the application, select the appropriate mode, and a QR code and FTP server address will appear on the screen.
On your computer, open any file explorer (for example, Windows Explorer or Total Commander) and enter the displayed address in the address bar. The address usually looks like ftp://192.168.4.1:2121. After pressing Enter, you will have full access to the smartphone folders.
You can copy, delete and move files directly from the keyboard and mouse. The transmission speed is limited only by the speed of your Wi-Fi router (if the connection is made through it) or the speed of the Wi-Fi Direct standard. This is an ideal way to free up phone memory before an important trip or shoot.
For maximum speed when connecting to a PC, make sure that both the computer and phone are connected to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, and not to a congested 2.4 GHz network.
Solving common connection problems and errors
Despite reliability of the technology, sometimes users are faced with the fact that devices do not see each other or the transmission freezes at 99%. Most often, the problem lies in the energy saving settings. The system can “kill” the background process of an application, considering it unnecessary.
To avoid this, go to the battery settings and set the ShareMe mode to “Unlimited” or add the application to exceptions. Also check if data saving mode is enabled, which may block the creation of a local access point.
Another common situation is an IP address conflict or a network stack failure. In this case, a simple restart of the Wi-Fi module or a complete reboot of both smartphones helps. If the problem persists, try clearing the application cache in system settings.
⚠️ Warning: If you are using public Wi-Fi in a cafe or hotel, the Connect to PC feature may not work due to client isolation settings on the provider's side. In such cases, use direct transfer mode without a router.
90% of connection problems can be solved by turning on geolocation (GPS) and disabling the power saving mode for the application.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it safe to transfer personal photos via ShareMe?
Yes, it's safe. Data is transmitted over a local encrypted network directly between devices. They do not go online and are not stored on the developers’ servers. You can intercept them only if you are physically near you at the time of transmission.
Do you need the Internet for the application to work?
No, the Internet is not needed. The application uses internal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules to create a direct communication channel. Mobile traffic is not consumed at all.
Is it possible to transfer a file to a phone without an installed application?
Only if this phone supports the native Mi Share standard (some Xiaomi models). For other devices (Samsung, Honor, etc.), installation of a client application is required to receive files.
Why is the transfer slow?
The speed may drop due to interference on the air, a large number of devices on the Wi-Fi network, or if one of the devices is in power saving mode. Also, the distance between phones affects the quality of the signal.