The emblematic operating system, in its most recent iterations, is equipped with a range of functions that, in general, are rarely used. In order to teach you a little about them, we have created this short guide so that, step by step, you can pair your Android devices , so that you take better advantage of your underlying ecosystem.
The function of Nearby devices of Android, allows you to introduce new configurations to them remotely and from a different element (A phone that configures a Tablet and vice versa; dongle configuration Chromecast , Wear Os devices, among others). Suppose that for years you use an Android phone like Google Pixel 2, in which you have established accounts and passwords for the different services offered by the platform and you acquire a new item such as a Samsung Galaxy Tab.
With the option « Nearby devices» , it is possible to migrate all the information that resides on your first device to the second in a matter of seconds, via bluetooth. That even includes calendars, files that are in your Google Drive, phone numbers in your phonebook, so you can manage your information from any of the two devices.
Index:
Steps to set up nearby devices on Android smartphones and tablets
It is important to note that this method is for devices capable of supporting versions of Android from Marshmallow (6.0) onwards .
Also, that both devices must be charged enough before starting the process , since the volume of data transferred is usually thick, if you have many applications installed in the first.
Let’s see the steps to follow in the following models: Samsung Galaxy Tab and Google Pixel 2
- If you have turned on the Samsung Galaxy Tab for the first time or if you have restarted it from the factory, the operating system will show you some initial options, among which one that says “ Do you have another device? ”.
- When touched, will activate the Bluetooth antenna of your device and try to pair with someone else nearby.
- In the Google Pixel 2 , you must search among the menu options of « Settings «, one that reads “ Configure nearby device †.
- The phone will search your Samsung Galaxy Tab nearby, once it has been found, select it.
- As soon as both devices have paired via Bluetooth , a code will appear on both screens.
- On the device from which you will migrate the information, touch the “ Next ”D e at the bottom.
- In Google Pixel 2, press “ Copy ” at the bottom of the screen. In the Samsung Galaxy Tab, you must enter your Gmail password , to verify the registration of the new device to your account so that it can be synchronized.
- Both devices will display a screen with the message that your data is being copied from one to another .
- Once the copy is finished, it will appear on both devices that the transfer was successful , so you can start using your Samsung Galaxy Tab for what makes you uncomfortable to do on your Google Pixel 2.
Other methods to perform these backups
Google is not only a great software or hardware developer (In the case of its current flagship phones), it also sponsors powerful servers for cloud storage, which allow us to upload our most important data of user so that we can use them in the number of devices we want.
With the function of Google Backup , it is possible (Using Wi-Fi or our mobile data, depending on the preference of each one), to upload periodic backups of our user data to the cloud of Google, so when we are going to activate a new device, it only costs us to enter our email address and our password so that it downloads all the relevant information to our profile.
Let’s say instead of a Google Pixel 2, you own a Samsung Galaxy S7 . Typically, branded devices are accompanied by a PC application called Samsung Kies . In Kies, it is possible to back up our information manually and then download it to another Samsung device.
In other times, to transfer contacts from phone to phone (or from device to device), it was usual for to keep that list in its internal memory , via export. It results in an extension file .vscf , which we can copy to other devices and from them, look in the app « Contacts «, the option of “ Import ”, to load the copied contact list.
Problems and solutions when configuring nearby devices on Android
Let’s see some of the problems that may arise in this operation and some tips to reduce possible errors when pairing Android phones.
Transfer speed
The behavior of the devices in this aspect may vary depending on how close or far they are from each other , what they have, among others.
So that the transfer of your data from one device to another has no problems, always keep the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functions on and the devices very close.
The transfer is canceled
In the event that the software of any of your devices is exhibiting unusual behavior, try clearing the Dalvik cache in the Recovery mode ; Once you’ve done it, try to transfer again.
The device to which I want to transfer the data does not appear on my usual device: It is possible that your usual device does not detect in the vicinity of the new device, so you will have to pair them via Bluetooth , outside data restoration options.