“Nearby Sharing” offers a seamless way to send files, photos, documents, and links between nearby PCs by leveraging the full potential of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. As someone who heavily relies on it to transfer files between computers while collaborating, it feels rather frustrating when this native file-transfer feature gets broken or starts throwing tantrums out of nowhere.
At times, it either becomes painfully slow or fails to show up at all. Having encountered the problem quite a few times during my long PC journey, I thought it would be cool to talk about the best solutions to fix the “Nearby Sharing” file transfer slow in Windows 11 problem.
How to Fix Windows 11 Nearby Sharing Not Working on a PC
So, why is the ever-reliable Nearby Sharing broken on your PC? Well, this file-transfer issue is usually caused by a few common issues, such as weak Bluetooth connections, incorrect sharing settings, outdated drivers, or network problems. Thankfully, you can take control of the problem and improve Nearby Sharing speed with a few simple adjustments.
1. Switch Nearby Sharing to “Everyone Nearby”.
From what I have experienced, one of the major causes of sluggish file transfer is the “My Devices Only” option. For those unfamiliar, this setting sometimes limits the connection process and can slow down device detection and sharing speeds.
By switching to “Everyone Nearby,” Windows allows you to establish connections more smoothly and improve transfer performance. Therefore, I’d recommend you begin the guide with this handy solution.
- On your PC, go to Settings > System from the left sidebar.
- Select Nearby Sharing.
- Under the Nearby Sharing section, choose Everyone Nearby.
- After that, try transferring the file again and check the speed improvement.
2. Keep Both Devices Connected to the Same Wi-Fi Network.
Nearby Sharing works much faster over Wi-Fi than Bluetooth alone. If the devices are connected to different networks or using mobile hotspots, transfer speeds may become very slow.
Therefore, using the same stable Wi-Fi connection helps Windows create a faster and more reliable transfer channel.
- Open Settings on both computers.
- Go to Network & Internet.
- Select Wi-Fi.
- Connect both devices to the same wireless network.
- Avoid weak or unstable networks during file transfers.
3. Turn On Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Together.
Many users mistakenly disable either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi while using Nearby Sharing. However, Windows uses Bluetooth for device discovery and Wi-Fi for high-speed file transfer.
If one of them is disabled, transfers may fall back to slower methods.
- Head over to Settings.
- Click on Bluetooth & Devices.
- Turn on Bluetooth.
- Now go to Network & Internet.
- Make sure Wi-Fi is enabled.
- Restart the file transfer process to check if the problem is gone.
4. Move the Devices Closer to Each Other.
Physical distance plays a big role in Nearby Sharing performance. If the devices are too far apart, Bluetooth discovery becomes weaker, and the connection may slow down.
Keeping the devices close improves signal strength and reduces interruptions.
- Place both PCs within a few feet of each other.
- Remove obstacles such as walls or large metal objects between the devices.
- Avoid using Nearby Sharing in crowded wireless environments.
- Retry the transfer after adjusting the device positions.
5. Update Network and Bluetooth Drivers.
Outdated drivers can cause poor connectivity, slow transfer rates, and compatibility issues in Windows 11. Updated drivers usually contain bug fixes and performance improvements.
Keeping both Bluetooth and network drivers updated can significantly improve Nearby Sharing speed.
- Right-click the Start button.
- Select Device Manager.
- Expand the Bluetooth section.
- Right-click your Bluetooth adapter and choose Update Driver.
- Repeat the same process under Network Adapters.
- In the end, be sure to restart your computer after the updates finish.
6. Disable Metered Connection.
A metered connection limits data usage in Windows and can reduce transfer performance for Nearby Sharing.
Turning off this feature allows Windows to use the full network speed for file transfers.
- Navigate to Settings.
- Go to Network & Internet.
- Click on Wi-Fi or Ethernet depending on your connection type.
- Select your active network.
- Turn off the Metered Connection option.
- Next, try sharing the file again to find out if you have sorted out the issue.
7. Restart Nearby Sharing Services.
Sometimes the Nearby Sharing feature gets stuck due to temporary glitches or background service problems. Restarting the related services refreshes the connection and may improve speed instantly.
This simple fix often works surprisingly well for random transfer slowdowns.
- Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
- Type services.msc and press Enter.
- Locate Bluetooth Support Service.
- Right-click it and choose Restart.
- Repeat the process for Network Connection Broker if available.
- Restart your PC afterward.
8. Use Smaller File Batches for Large Transfers.
Sending hundreds of files or extremely large folders at once can overload the sharing process. This often causes slower speeds and transfer interruptions.
Breaking files into smaller groups helps Nearby Sharing work more efficiently.
- Divide large folders into smaller batches.
- Transfer important files first.
- Avoid running heavy downloads or streaming during the transfer.
- Compress multiple files into a ZIP folder before sending if needed.
Signing off…
There you go! Slow Nearby Sharing transfers in Windows 11 can usually be fixed with a few simple changes. Most problems happen because of weak connections, incorrect settings, outdated drivers, or wireless interference.
By enabling both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, keeping devices on the same network, updating drivers, and optimizing your connection settings, you can greatly improve file transfer speeds. Small changes like moving devices closer or disabling metered connections can also make a noticeable difference.
