PushBullet update allows you to push files to other devices

PushBullet at the time of my initial review enabled you to push files, texts, and other information to your Android device from the service's website or the Chrome and Firefox extensions.

Today's update brings a much needed feature addition that improves the service further. Instead of just pushing information from a desktop system to your Android device, it is now possible to push the same information from one device to the other.

What this means? Want your better half to buy the groceries because you are stuck at work? Just push the grocery list to the device to do so. Other options include sharing the latest apk files of an application with a friend, a pdf document that you want to share at work, or the latest and greatest wallpaper image with your ma or dad.

PushBullet device pushing

Pushing files to another device is not really that difficult. All you need to do is open the app on your Android device and either select one of the existing pushes or create a new one for that occasion.

If you create a new one, you are taken to a screen where you can add the necessary information. You find the connected device listing at the top so that you can select one of the connected devices that you want to push the information to.

To push existing pushes to another device, tap on them on the main screen. This opens the detailed view page in the app. From here, select the share icon at the top, and there the PushBullet option. It would have been easier if you could select the PushBullet app directly, but that does not seem be possible right now.

Another interesting - new - feature is the ability to display pushes from all connected devices.  This enables you to open all existing pushes regardless of device on the device you are currently working with.

You need to share your device before others can push data to it. This is done on the PushBullet website. Just click on the share button next to the device that you want to receive pushes on, and enter the Gmail email address of the "other" device owner.

Once that is out of the way, you are ready to receive pushes by that user on the selected device.

The update brings additional improvements. You get a fully redesigned interface for example, improved push reliability, and new homescreen and lockscreen widgets that you can make use of.

If you are running Android Jellybean or newer on your device, you will furthermore benefit from notification previews so that you can see right away what has been shared with you.

Verdict

Setup of the new device to device push feature is not really that straightforward, especially if you need to repeat the process multiple times to include multiple users. It is a one-time process though and may improve how you share information with others significantly.

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