Transfer files between Android devices at top speed using Wi-Fi Direct

Do you need to transfer a game backup, large video or any other sort of file from one Android phone to another at top speeds? Wi-Fi Direct is a fairly new Wi-Fi standard that allows devices to connect to each other at typical Wi-Fi speeds without the need for a wireless access point. If you’ve usually put off by low Bluetooth bandwidth while transferring a favorite music video from your phone to a friend’s, Wi-Fi Direct provides a faster, better solution. It’s able to connect phones from different OEMs, and it’s increasingly becoming popular. In fact, Wi-Fi Direct is expected to replace Bluetooth at some time in the near future.

How does it work?

Wi-Fi Direct facilitates convenient file transfer through Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) protocol. It’s backward compatible and doesn’t require any additional hardware. The two devices that need to connect both act as access points.

How to use Wi-Fi Direct

1. Option 1 – when your device has stock Wi-Fi Direct software

Most Android devices in the market today come equipped with an option for Wi-Fi direct. To check whether your phone supports this standard, simply open the Settings app and then tap on the Wifi menu option (you have to enable Wi-Fi first).

• Depending on the make of your phone, the Wi-Fi Direct option might be found in different places. Be sure to check under Advanced Wi-Fi settings too.
• Once you select the Wifi Direct option, your phone will scan for other devices that have the Wifi Direct available. These will be displayed in a list so that you can easily choose what device you want to connect to.
• An invitation is sent to the device that you choose to connect to. If the connection request is accepted, the two devices will be able to share files between them.

It’s important to note that when connection devices from the same manufacturer, things are quite smooth. But it can be quite problematic connecting phones from different manufacturers. The problem often results from differences in the Wi-Fi software used by different OEMs. These issues can almost always be resolved by using third-party apps from the Google Play Store.

1. Option 2: using third party apps

If your device doesn’t have inbuilt Wi-Fi direct, or if you're having trouble making the inbuilt Wi-Fi Direct work, third party apps are the way to go. To use third-party apps, the only requirement is that the phone runs on Android and is Wi-Fi capable.  There are two top apps that you can use for this are:

• SuperBeam – this is the most popular Wi-Fi Direct app that you can use. It’s currently installed on millions of Android devices. The free version of this app offers just what you need to realize top-speed file transfers. Using SuperBeam, you can transfer video, audio, picture and just about any other type of file. The app generates a QR Code that’s used to authenticate transfer between the two devices involved. SuperBeam can also use NFC (if available) to initiate a connection for fast data transfer between android devices.
• Wi-Fi Shoot – this is another useful app that uses Wi-Fi direct to transfer files between Android devices. It offers basic functionality and the Premium version doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. It’s not as feature-laden as SuperBeam is, but could be a good start if you just want to look around and get an idea of what you can achieve with Wi-Fi Direct.

With its numerous advantages, Wi-Fi Direct is increasingly a preferred choice for users looking to utilize peer to peer connections to realize faster speeds. If you already aren’t doing so, you should get started using this standard to move files faster between Android devices!

Image Source: The Next Web