WiFi Direct Samsung
Want to save precious mobile data? Share large files in seconds instead of minutes. Learn how to use the WiFi Direct Samsung feature on your phone and save a lot of data and time. See the different applications of WiFi direct and how you can use them. Learn how to use WiFi directly on your Samsung phone with our amazing step-by-step guide. If you want to take a short way then see the video on our YouTube channel.
Nowadays, our smartphones are filled with features that we are not even aware of. Many of the features are hidden under the sub-menus and section of the phone which is not very accessible. This should not be the case since we paid for these features and they can make our life a lot easier. WiFi direct is such a feature and in the article, we will see what it is used for and how you can use it.
But if you already know about the WiFi direct then you should skip the intro and move towards the steps. We will suggest that you still read the intro as it can make you understand the feature better.
What is WiFi direct?
In simple words, it is a simple way to directly communicate between 2 devices (device-to-device). Unlike the regular WiFi which we use in our daily life, it does not require several devices or a router(centralized device) to operate. WiFi direct lets you connect to any other device with this feature hassle-free. The word “direct” tells us that users can connect to devices directly without any setup or steps involved.
EXRTA: It is called WiFi direct because it follows the same security protocols as in the regular WiFi connection. WiFi comes with several security protocols like WPS, WPA/WPA2 which you must have seen while adding a new network.
We can also see WiFi Direct as the newer version (second-generation) of the WiFi technology. It allows phones which do not have their internet connection to establish a mutual connection with each other, like routers, modems, hotspots. Take the example of friends creating their network to share data and the internet amongst themselves.
Also WiFi Direct allows us to create a wireless network between you and your friends with WiFi direct on their phones.
Another feature supported by WiFi Direct is that you can screencast/miracast on another device (sharing what’s on your screen on the screen of your friend). WiFi Direct is also compatible with the NFC (near-field communication) which allows you to connect phones with a single tap. You can learn more about the NFC chip on your phone by a simple Google search.
More info about WiFi Direct Samsung
Nowadays, WiFi Direct is used widely around the globe for multiple things, as it is also supported on laptops, smart TVs, tablets, and more. Samsung Galaxy S came with the WiFi Direct first back in 2010. After it, all smartphones have this feature natively, only a handful of devices does not this feature. Even Apple’s iPhones have WiFi Direct by the name “AirDrop” or “AirPlay”, these are better known as they are much easier and faster. You must have heard about the AirDrop feature even if you are an Android user.
Now you must have understood the basic reason behind using the WiFi Direct feature on your phone and why it can make your life easier. But if not then we will summarise it for you.
WiFi Direct allows you to have a connection with other phones even without cellular service or WiFi service available. Through this connection, you can share files and other data. Isn’t this a lifesaver when you do not have access to cables or high-speed internet connection at that spot/time?
Why use WiFi direct over Bluetooth?
You must be wondering as to how it is different from Bluetooth sharing which we already use. The reason is the following:
- Higher data transfer speeds
- Wider distance allowed between the devices
- Fewer connection issues and steps involved
- Better data sharing experience
You should have seen yourself the slow speed of data transfer with Bluetooth and the number of times the transfer was canceled or failed. WiFi Direct is a huge step up from the traditional Bluetooth data transfer.
We would highly suggest you give it a try.
Different uses of WiFi Direct
We will be seeing the different use cases of the WiFi direct and why it is used for all kinds of applications. These applications range from sharing screens, file sharing, playing games in sync, data sharing, etc. You can skip this part if you are not interested in the applications or if you already know about them. Now let’s discuss these applications in detail:
File Sharing
As we all know that sharing large files is not something we want to do or we want to enjoy doing. Even using Bluetooth sharing is not very straightforward, and the problem is still there after so many years. The alternative we have is to use physical cables and transfer the data from and to a laptop/computer.
But with the introduction of WiFi direct, large files can be transferred without the hassle and in a fraction of time. Even the files from older devices can be shared much quickly and hassle-free using WiFi direct. We will be seeing the steps on how you can use WiFi Direct on your phone.
Another place where WiFi Direct is used is “Files by Google”, you should have noticed the higher speed on the app for the same reason.
Wireless printing
If you own a modern printer then it must have the WiFi Direct feature in-build. This allows you to communicate with your printer wirelessly and even allows you to print directly from your phone. The option for wireless printing is available on your phone, open any document and see the printer icon at the top or the bottom.
Screen sharing & games
Apps such are Miracast or the share screen casting uses WiFi direct to show what’s on your screen, on the screen of your choosing. This is mainly used for sharing movies directly from the phone to the TV. If you have a smart TV then you can share the screen from the YouTube app directly.
If you have ever played game like space team then you should be familiar with the multiplayer support. Any game which provides offline multiplayer support is using the WiFi Direct feature to do so. Or the games which tell you to stay near while playing multiplayer with friends are using WiFi Direct. In any case, you should be able to enjoy the multiplayer feature without any setup or steps.
How to set up WiFi Direct in Samsung?
Every smartphone has the WiFi direct feature natively and only some of the phones might not support it. The steps may vary from device to device (depending on the company and User Interface), but the core steps will be the same. In this article, we will be focusing on the Samsung devices which use the One UI.
The feature “WiFi direct” is also known as Nearby Sharing and you should not get confused with the new name. Google has its own app for sharing files with WiFire Direct known as “Files”, click here to download the app.
Lucky for us, in modern shart phones we do not need to manually turn on anything, everything is taken care of automatically. If you want to check if your device supports WiFi Direct or not, go to Settings -> Network & Internet -> WiFi -> WiFi preferences -> WiFi Direct. If you click on WiFi Direct then your device will automatically start searching for nearby devices.
For Android 12:
If your device is running the latest version of Android then you will not be able to find the option to turn it on manually. It will be activated as you get a stable internet connection and is managed automatically without needing your help. The scanning for nearby devices will start only when you tap on WiFi Direct Tab.
NOTE: If you want to connect your phone with a laptop, smart TV, printer, desktop, etc. Then you need to activate WiFi Direct on that device as they will not connect automatically, turn it on the smartphone also to be sure.
Steps for using WiFi Direct in Samsung
Follow the steps mentioned below to use WiFi directly on your Samsung smartphone, but if you have any other smartphone then you can find steps for them easily. We will be focusing on Samsung devices exclusively in this article.
For Android 9:
- Open your phone and go to Settings and search for WiFi. (You need to turn your WiFi on before you can use WiFi Direct or share files wirelessly.)
- Now tap on WiFi Direct and you should be able to see a scan. (The scan will search for all the nearby devices.)
- Select the device with which you want to connect. Make sure the other device should have WiFi-enabled to locate each other easily.
- Now the other device will get an invitation for the connection request, tap on the “Accept” button to connect both the devices.
- The another gadget will receive an Invitation to connect, Tap Accept for the connection to be made.
For Android 11 and above:
- Open Settings and look for “Connections”.
- Open Connections and then tap on “More connection settings”.
- Now either tap on “Nearby device scanning” or on the slider.
- From here you can turn on & off the WiFi Direct and even know about it by clicking on “About Nearby device scanning”.
Summary
In the article, we saw that is WiFi Direct in Samsung, and why we should care about it. Nowadays we don’t need to share files this way but sometimes the larger files can cause problems. This is a good way to share any large file with your friends without wasting your data away. We hope that the article was able to help you, but if not then feel free to drop your query. And if you want to take a short way then be sure to see the video on our youtube video.
