Chrome OS may soon use Nearby Share to hook your guests up with Wi-Fi

No more asking if that’s a zero or the letter O in your password

One of the more recent additions to Chrome OS is Google’s Nearby Share, a handy feature which many consider to be the counterpart to Apple’s AirDrop, as it allows for easy sharing of files among multiple Android and Chrome OS devices that are — you guessed it — nearby. And now, it looks like Google may soon expand those capabilities to also let you share your Wi-Fi credentials from your Chromebook to other devices.

This enhancement would let you use your Chromebook to easily transfer your Wi-Fi's SSID, security configuration, and password to other devices that have Nearby Share turned on and are within Bluetooth range. Just think — no more writing down your complicated Wi-Fi password or typing it into Mom’s phone for her. Sure, you've already got access to this kind of streamlined sharing in Android, but bringing it to Chrome OS sounds like the next logical step.

Early evidence for this Wi-Fi credential sharing has been spotted by ChromeStory in the Chromium code repository, so while you won't see any hints of this on your devices just yet, work is ongoing. Of course, it’s impossible to know when it may show up in a Chrome OS release, or even if it actually will, so we’ll have to keep an eye out for its arrival.

Google continues to improve Nearby Share, and using it to pass along Wi-Fi credentials on Chrome seems like a great feature. We can't wait to see what other ways the company comes up with to make use of sharing even more in the future.

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