Did you know that you can send files via Bluetooth to Surface tablets? How about, did you know you can use Bluetooth to send files from your Surface to your Phone?
Well, you can. In this article, I’m going to cover how to wirelessly send things like pictures or documents from your phone to your Surface and back again.
I happen to use a Windows Phone but the basic technique works with Android phones and iPhones as well.
Also, one thing to be aware of while you read this… I’m using the word “transfer” which implies moving a file from one device to another. That’s not really what’s happening. The procedures below will copy the files (you will have the file in both places, not just one).
I’m using “transfer” because a lot of the prompts and window names say “transfer” and I’m trying to cut down on confusion.
Let’s get started…
Send Files Via Bluetooth To Surface: Pair Your Phone
Before any transfers can happen, you will need to pair your phone and Surface via Bluetooth. It’s pretty simple to do but will vary a bit depending on the type of phone you’re using.
If you need help, you can check out some instructions from Microsoft on how to pair your Surface and phone HERE.
Send Files Via Bluetooth To Surface: Send The Files To Your Surface
Now that your Surface and Phone are paired, here’s how you can send files:
The procedure is very similar regardless of the type of phone/file you’re sending but there will be some differences since you would use different apps for different types of files. For example, you use the Photos or Camera app for pictures and the Adobe Reader app for PDF files.
As I don’t know what type of phone you have, I’m going to concentrate on the Surface side of the procedure to avoid confusion by giving you too specific of instructions for the phone side of the process. Besides, the “trick” to making it work is on the Surface side anyway.
Be aware, there will be a little bit of hopping back and forth between devices when you do this.
On Your Surface
- Ensure your Surface and phone are properly paired
- Go to the Desktop
- In the System Tray, find the Bluetooth icon
- Right-click (tap and hold) it to bring up the contextual menu and choose Receive a File. This is the “trick” to making it work. Way too many people don’t know about this step and then get frustrated because the files won’t transfer
- The following screen will appear:
On Your Phone
- Open the appropriate app on your phone and select the file(s) you wish to send
- Tap the Share icon or it’s equivalent
- Select Bluetooth then select the entry for your Surface and the transfer will begin.
On Your Surface
- You will get the following screen while the transfer is in progress:
- Once it’s done transferring, you will get this screen:
- From here, choose where you want the files to be stored; once you’ve done so, tap Finish.
Congratulations, you’ve successfully transferred files from your phone to your Surface via Bluetooth! Easy, right?
Send Files Via Bluetooth To Surface: Send The Files To Your Phone
Going the other way (Surface to phone) is also pretty easy and doesn’t require quite as much switching back and forth between devices.
On Your Surface
- Ensure your Surface and phone are properly paired
- Gather all the files you want to send to your phone in one folder. This step is not strictly required but it will make it easier to select multiple files this way
- From the Bluetooth icon in the System Tray on the Desktop, select Send a File
- Select your phone from the devices shown then tap Next
- From the screen below, tap on Browse then select the files you want to transfer to your phone
- Once the files are selected, tap Next
On Your Phone
- Make sure your phone is unlocked
- You will probably get a prompt asking if it’s OK to receive content (depending on your phone). Tap Accept (or the equivalent)
The transfer will happen and you will be given the opportunity to open the file(s) when it’s complete. Back on your Surface, you will see the following window when the transfer is done, tap Finish to exit it:
And that’s it. You should now be able to transfer files from your phone via Bluetooth to Surface tablets and vice-versa.
Tim
