You can share files, images, music, and more using the Share menu on Android, which shows a selection of apps through which you can complete the sharing process. These can include cloud storage apps like Google Photos and Drive, messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, and other built-in and third-party apps as well, like Android's Quick Share option.

However, most people usually only rely on two or three different apps when sharing content with others. Since by default, Android offers a preselected list of apps first and then the other apps you can pick, the sharing process can get a bit cumbersome. To make it simpler, you can customize the Share menu in a few ways.

Option 1: Pinning apps

Till quite recently, the apps in the Share menu did not show up in any specific order. While the apps you used more frequently to share things with others did appear first, this could also be a problem if there were several different apps you used. In such instances, navigating through them and finding the app you wanted to use could be difficult.

Fortunately, now the apps in the Share menu show up in alphabetical order so it is comparatively easier to pick the app you want to use. You can also quickly go to recent conversations, thanks to the shortcuts that now appear at the top, or skip them entirely. To customize the Share menu, you can pin items, which will make it easier for you to access them when sharing things with others.

  1. Select a file, image, or something else you want to share and tap on the 'Share' button to open the Share menu.
  2. Once the Share menu appears, tap and hold an item and then tap on 'Pin app' when it appears. If an app lets you share things in multiple ways, like sending an image via an email or a chat in Gmail, you can pin your preferred sharing method.
  1. When you pin an app in the Share menu, it will appear before the other apps and a small pin icon will appear next to it. Only four pinned apps show up at a time, though you can pin any number of apps in the menu.
  2. To remove a pinned app, tap and hold it in the Share menu and then tap on 'Unpin app'.

Option 2: Adding new apps

To add an app to the Share menu, you just need to install it. If the app supports sharing, it will automatically appear in the menu. You do not need to add it to the menu manually or do anything else. Conversely, to remove an app from the Share menu, you will have to remove it from your Android device. Keep in mind that you cannot completely uninstall certain apps, depending on your Android device and OS version. To remove these apps from the Share menu, you will have to disable them.

Things to know

  • Earlier, you could customize the Share menu in Android even more using third-party apps like Sharedr, which let you rename and hide apps. However, starting with Android 12, such apps no longer work.
  • You will not find many options for customizing the Share menu even if you root your Android device, if it is running Android 12 or later.
  • On certain Android devices, such as Samsung phones, you can customize the Share menu using features like the Good Lock features.
  • One option to get a more customizable Share menu is to use a custom ROM. Custom ROMs often let you do things that regular Android does not.