How to use Android Beam, a feature that lets you send content by holding phones close together

• Before you can use Android Beam on your phone, you'll need to enable the feature in your settings menu.
• Once it's enabled, you can use Android Beam by simply holding your phone against another phone that has Beam enabled.
• Android Beam works using near-field communication (NFC) chips, which can send data over short distances.
• Not all Android devices have Android Beam built-in.

These days most smartphones, including Androids, are equipped with near-field communication technology, known as NFC.

The tech itself is pretty cool — it's like having an antenna in your phone that can help securely verify and send data.

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Android's proprietary NFC software, called Beam, can be used as a secure way to make payments or transfer data between Android phones.

However, be aware that not all Android devices can use Beam.

Here how to check if your phone can use Beam, and how to enable and use it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

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How to enable Android Beam

1. On your Android's home screen, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the main options menu.

2. Tap the gear icon in the bottom-right of the menu. This will open your phone's Settings app.

3. Open the "Connected devices" tab.

4. Tap "Connection preferences."

5. Near the top, you'll see "NFC." Toggle the slider so that it goes from gray to green.

6. Only when NFC is toggled on will you be allowed to enable Android Beam. Double-check that it is by tapping the Android Beam tab, and toggle the slider to "On" if it isn't already.

How to use Android Beam to send content to another Android

1. Make sure both Androids are unlocked, and have Android Beam enabled. Open the content you want to send.

2. Physically touch the phones to each other. You may need to place them back-to-back.

3. The content you want to beam will shrink to a smaller window, and you'll see the message "Tap to Beam." Tap the screen.

And just like that, the content will be zipped over to the other Android.

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