Android 12 has a new, easier way to share Wi-Fi passwords

Sharing a Wi-Fi password can be a hassle which typically includes looking for a piece of paper that’s impossible to find when you need it. 

In Android 12, however, you’ll be able to wirelessly share your password using Android’s Nearby Share feature. The feature has gone live in the Android 12 developer beta, which has recently become available to download (via Android Police and XDADevelopers’ Mishaal Rahman). 

To do it, open Settings, go to Wi-Fi, select the network you want, and tap “Share.” You’ll get the option to share the network via a QR code, or through Nearby Share. If you choose the latter, the phone will look for nearby devices, and the person on the other device will get a notification, asking them to accept the share. The password will not be displayed for security reasons, but should the receiver accept the share, they will then be able to connect to the Wi-Fi network. 

Android has offered users the ability to share Wi-Fi networks via a QR code since version 10, but the new way to do it is perhaps a little better as you don’t have to walk up to the person you want to share the network with and show them the QR code. 

For it to work, however, the person on the other end needs to have Nearby Share enabled. This feature, which rolled out in August last year, is similar to AirDrop on Apple devices, allowing you to send and receive files between Android devices and Chromebooks. Unfortunately, not all Android phones support Nearby Share, but many popular ones do, including Google’s Pixel phones and Samsung’s Galaxy phones. 

Earlier this week, 9to5Google noticed another cool, new feature that involves Nearby Share, allowing users to share apps with nearby Android devices.