Share Me on Xiaomi Redmi 8: How Wireless File Transfer Works and Why It’s Better Than Bluetooth

Xiaomi Redmi 8, released in 2019, is still a popular budget smartphone due to balanced characteristics and branded chips from the company. MIUI. One of them is Share Me, which is a feature that often asks users: What tool is it? How is it different from standard Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct? And why are files sometimes transmitted at a snail's pace, and sometimes almost instantly?

If you've ever tried to send a picture or video of Redmi 8 to another phone and faced a choice between Bluetooth, messengers and the mysterious Share Me, this article is for you. We'll take a look at how the technology works, what hidden capabilities it has (for example, transferring files without an Internet connection between devices of different brands), and why it sometimes refuses to work. And also compare Share Me with alternatives like Google's Nearby Share and see if it can be used on an iPhone.

What is Share Me on Xiaomi Redmi 8 and why is it necessary?

Share Me is Xiaomi’s proprietary technology for wireless file transfer between devices, designed as an alternative to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct. MIUI 11 and has since become a standard tool on all smartphones of the brand, including Redmi 8.The main advantage is the high transfer speed (up to 20 MB / s in ideal conditions) and the absence of restrictions on the size of files that are so annoying in messengers.

Unlike Bluetooth, which uses radio frequencies and is limited by speed. ~2-3 MB/s, Share Me works via Wi-Fi Direct (direct Wi-Fi connection without router) or Hotspot:

• 📲 Files are transmitted to 5-10 faster than Bluetooth.
• 🔗 No Internet connection – just enough for both devices to support Share Me or Mi Share (old name).
• 📁 You can send folders as a whole, not one file.
• 🔒 Data is encrypted, which reduces the risk of interception compared to open Wi-Fi networks.

On Redmi 8, the feature is integrated into the system menu and does not require additional applications to be installed. However, there is a caveat: on some firmware (especially custom) Share Me can be called Mi Share or Xiaomi Share - these are the same thing.

How to Enable and Configure Share Me on Redmi 8: Step-by-step Instructions

You can activate Share Me on Redmi 8 in two ways: through the notification bar or the settings menu.

Method 1: Quick access through the curtain

1. Swipe your finger down from the top of the screen to open the notification bar.
2. Swipe down again to turn the full panel around.
3. Find the Share Me icon (a two-arrow icon that goes in different directions). If it's not there, click on the pencil (Edit) and add it to the active elements.
4. Slip the icon to enable the function.

Method 2: Through system settings

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing.
2. Choose Share Me (or Mi Share).
3. Activate the switch at the top of the screen.
4. When you first start, the system will offer permissions to access files and location – confirm.

After activation, you will see a screen with QR-You can use the code and the name of your device (default phone model:

• 🔄 Change the name of the device for ease of search (for example, to "My Redmi 8").
• 🔐 Set a password for connection (optional).
• 📡 Switch between Wi-Fi Direct and Hotspot (if the second device does not support Share Me).

How to transfer files through Share Me: sending and receiving

The process of transferring files through Share Me is intuitive, but there are a few tricks that will speed up the process. Let's consider both sending and receiving scenarios.

Send files from Redmi 8:

1. Open the Files (or Gallery if you are sending a photo/video).
2. Select the required files with a long tap → Press Share.
3. Select Share Me (or Mi Share) from the list of options.
4. Wait for the smartphone to find the recipient, and it should have an active Share Me window in reception mode.
5. Slip the name of the receiving device and confirm the shipment.

Receiving files on Redmi 8:

1. Activate Share Me through the curtain or settings.
2. Select the Receive (or Receive) tab.
3. Wait for the sender to find your device and start the transfer.
4. Confirm the acceptance of files (if required).
5. Files will be saved to the Received Files (or ShareMe) folder in internal memory.

Important point: if the transmission is suspended by 0% or interrupted, try:

• 🔄 Reset Share Me on both devices.
• 📶 Switch from Wi-Fi Direct to Hotspot (Share Me Settings).
• 🔋 Disable the power saving mode – it can block background activity.

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If Share Me doesn’t see another device, make sure it’s not only Share Me enabled, but also Share Me enabled. Wi-Fi/Bluetooth. Sometimes a temporary shutdown helps. VPN or mobile.

Transmission speed and limitations: why Share Me is slowing down

In theory, Share Me can transmit data at speeds up to 20 MB/s, but in practice on Redmi 8 This figure rarely exceeds 5-8 MB/s: Several factors affect speed:

If Share Me is abnormally slow (e.g. 1MB/s), try:

1. Switch from Wi-Fi Direct to Hotspot in the feature settings.
2. Turn off Bluetooth – sometimes it conflicts with Share Me.
3. Reboot both devices.

⚠️ Note: When transferring large files (>1 GB Redmi 8 If the phone gets hot, pause on the phone. 5-10 minutes to avoid trottling (automatic performance reduction).

Share Me vs Bluetooth vs Nearby Share: Which is Faster and More Convenient

Many Redmi 8 users are wondering why you need Share Me when you have Bluetooth or Google's Nearby Share?

Conclusions:

• 🏆 Share Me wins in speed and no file size restrictions, but only works between Xiaomi devices (or with Mi Share support).
• 🔄 Nearby Share is more versatile (powers all Androids), but can be slower and consume more power.
• 🐢 Bluetooth is the slowest and most limited option, but it’s suitable for transferring small files to any device (including iPhones).

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If you need to send a file to your iPhone or laptop, use Bluetooth or cloud services. Share Me is incompatible with them.

Common Share Me Issues on Redmi 8 and How to Solve Them

Despite the convenience, Share Me sometimes fails, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

1. The devices don't find each other

• 🔹 Make sure both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled (yes, even if you use Wi-Fi Direct).
• 🔹 Check that the receiving device has a Share Me screen open in Receive mode.
• 🔹 Reboot both phones.
• 🔹 If one of the phones is not from Xiaomi, try turning on Hotspot mode in Share Me settings.

2.The transmission is interrupted in the middle

• 🔹 Turn off the power saving mode: go to Settings → Battery → Power saving mode and deactivate it.
• 🔹 Close all background apps, especially instant messengers and games.
• 🔹 If you are transferring a lot of small files, pack them in. ZIP-Archives – This will speed up the process.

3. Low transmission speed

• 🔹 Bring the devices closer to each other (optimally - up to a distance of 1 meter).
• 🔹 Switch from Wi-Fi Direct to Hotspot in Share Me Settings.
• 🔹 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version: the way of settings → The phone. → Updating the system.

4. Files are not saved after reception

• 🔹 Check if there is enough space in the internal memory (Settings) → Memory).
• 🔹 Make sure that the Share Me app has permission to write files: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Share Me → Permits.
• 🔹 Try manually specifying the folder to save in Share Me settings.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI Share Me is missing from the menu, reset the network settings: Settings → System system → Resetting settings → Resetting Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth settings, which will return the function, but remove the saved passwords from the networks.

The hidden possibilities of Share Me: about which few people know

Most Redmi 8 users only use Share Me to share photos or documents, but the feature has less obvious features:

1. File transfer between Xiaomi and other brands

Although Share Me is marketed as Xiaomi’s proprietary technology, it is compatible with some other devices as long as they support Mi Share or Wi-Fi Direct, such as sending a file to:

• 📱 Smartphones OPPO, Vivo, Realme (through their similar functions).
• 💻 Windows laptops (if you enable Wi-Fi Direct and use third-party utilities like Feem).

2.Sending files to multiple devices at the same time

Share Me has a Group Sharing mode that allows you to send the same file to multiple recipients at a time.

1. Select a file and click Share. → Share Me.
2. In the list of devices, select several recipients (long tap).
3. Confirm shipment.

Transfer of annexes (APK-file)

If you want to share an installed app (such as a game or utility), Share Me can send it. APK-file:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Select the desired application → Share.
3. In the list of options, select Share Me.

The recipient will be able to install the app without downloading from the Play Market.

4.Using Share Me for Backup

If you don’t have a computer on hand but need to quickly copy important files from Redmi 8 to another phone, Share Me can be a temporary solution.Share Me transfer speeds are faster than Bluetooth, and files are not compressed (unlike sending via instant messengers).

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To speed up your device search in Share Me, turn off both phones VPN And mobile data, sometimes it interferes with the direct connection.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions about Share Me on Redmi 8