# Nearby Connections

The [Nearby Connections API](https://developers.google.com/nearby/connections/overview) allows apps to
discover, connect to, and exchange data with nearby devices in real-time,
regardless of network connectivity. It uses Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other
technologies, and is designed to hide the complexity of these technologies
so your app can focus on discovering and interacting with nearby devices.

You should choose the Nearby Connections API for your app when:

- You want to discover nearby devices without requiring Internet connectivity
  and incurring the cost of a network round-trip on each operation.

- You want to stream content or transmit arbitrary payloads or files between
  nearby devices.

- You want to use the latest peer-to-peer technologies such as
  [Wi-Fi Aware](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/connectivity/wifi-aware)
  when available.