If you’re considering an Apple tech upgrade, why not check out our guides to the best MacBooks, best iPhones and best iPads. In the menu that appears, hover over Share and click on AirDrop. Tap the Share button, which looks like a box with an arrow pointing out of it, and then tap the AirDrop icon, which should appear first in the list of app icons. Select the file or photo you want to send (you can select more than one at a time). AirDrop uses a combination of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transmit files, so your iPhone, iPad, or Mac have to be within about 30 feet of each other. To reduce the photo file sizes on your iPhone, you can start by compressing them, turning off Live Photos, or removing duplicates.
If you tap Decline, the transfer is canceled, and the other user is notified that you declined the request. should i sell my bitcoin experts predict what will happen to the price David Crookes is a freelance writer, reporter, editor and author. He has written for technology and gaming magazines including Retro Gamer, Web User, Micro Mart, MagPi, Android, iCreate, Total PC Gaming, T3 and Macworld.
Use Airdrop via Finder
Despite this extensive compatibility, the older your device, the more likely you are to have issues with AirDrop. We’ve split these tips between Mac and iOS devices, as you can use different methods on each platform. If you want to use AirDrop between an iPhone or iPad, and a Mac, be sure to check out both sections for relevant tips. If you’re not signed in with your Apple ID on your device, this setting reverts to Receiving Off after 10 minutes. If you AirDrop something to yourself, like a photo from your iPhone to your Mac, you won’t see an option to Accept or Decline—it’ll automatically get sent to your device. If they’re not in your Contacts, you’ll see just their name without an image.
Enable AirDrop on both devices.
If you choose Accept, the file will appear in your Downloads folder; choosing Open in Photos, will open the file in the Photos app. If your device was issued by your workplace, some of these settings may be managed by your administrator. So, you’ll need to contact your company’s support team for advice on how to proceed.
Now, let’s go through the solutions to fix Airdrop not working on your Apple devices. Apple appears to be skipping the M3 generation and waiting to launch an M4 Mac Studio in mid-2025. Image Playground is Apple’s dedicated image creation app that can build cartoon-like pictures based on text descriptions. Apple Intelligence is what Apple is calling its artificial intelligence feature set, previewed at WWDC in June 2024. To use AirDrop to securely share app and website passwords with someone using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, see Use passwords on iPhone. If the files haven’t finished downloading, double-click them.
When you receive a file via AirDrop, it opens immediately in the relevant app. This sometimes causes issues if you try to send multiple filetypes in one transfer. This is the nuclear option, but many people have had success with it so it might be worth a shot.
Fix 3: Reset Network Settings
Sometimes, new versions of iOS introduce compatibility problems, while other times, they fix them. Enabling Everyone, is a quick way to fix AirDrop as you may be trying to send files to an unknown contact. You won’t need the best iPhone to get AirDrop to work, as it has been around for a long time. However, if you’re on older tech, it’s possible you may not have the feature. When someone shares something with you using AirDrop, you see an alert with a preview, provided your device is discoverable (as per instructions earlier in this guide).
Hard Reset Your Device
Unfortunately, this may require special permissions that you won’t be able to address by yourself at home. You can AirDrop files from any iPhone or iPad app that includes the built-in Share sheet, and you can share to anyone and any of top 10 cryptocurrency news outlets that you should follow their devices that show up in the Share sheet. In order to make the devices discoverable, you need to unlock the devices and keep the screens awake for the duration of the file transfer.
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Ensure both devices are close to each other, and avoid using AirDrop in areas with heavy Bluetooth or Wi-Fi interference. This option will only be available if both you and your contact are using an iPhone that’s running iOS 17. If you want to reach out and connect with KnowYourMobile team, you’ll find us hangin’ out on the following social networks.
- You may not want to leave this setting on, particularly if you’re using a MacBook in a public place.
- If you select the “Contacts Only” option, the person you share with also has to be in your Contacts app (or the Phone app under the Contacts tab).
- Likewise, if you are using an iPad, AirDrop works on the iPadOS 13 and later – update your iPad to the latest version of the operating system if needed.
- And while most contemporary Apple devices include AirDrop, it can be a surprisingly finicky feature that sometimes fails to work for seemingly no particular reason.
Airdrop is one of Apple’s most convenient features, allowing quick file transfers without using 9 blockchain media and social media companies to know icos cables or external storage. However, when it stops working, it can be a major inconvenience. To use AirDrop to transfer files from a Mac to another Mac or an iPhone, open a Finder window and select a file or folder. Then click the Share icon at the top of the Finder window and select AirDrop. Finally, choose the device you want to send files to.
- Originally buying a Macbook for music and video production, he has since gone on to join the Apple ecosystem with as many devices as he can fit on his person.
- It’s hardly the most robust cloud storage service out there, but it’s integrated into every iOS and macOS device, so it’s a good alternative to AirDrop.
- Image Playground is Apple’s dedicated image creation app that can build cartoon-like pictures based on text descriptions.
- Just as with sharing to another iPhone, you can share to a Mac using the same method, as long as it has Bluetooth enabled (the settings for which can be accessed using the top toolbar).
- Outside of work, he’s an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography.
This makes future AirDrops much quicker as you can simply find your new contacts and send them files. Secondly, you can use the Share button just like in iOS. In most apps, including Photos, it’ll be found in the top right corner and will allow you to pick a device to send it to. If you see a red numbered badge on the AirDrop button, it means there are multiple devices nearby that you can share with.
You could try turning the device off and on again in the first instance but sometimes only a hard reset will do. The latter is something of a nuclear option, however, so be sure that your device is backed up and only use it as a last resort. Although AirDrop is able to share data from up to 30 feet away via Bluetooth, the feature will still work better if your devices are closer together. Make sure all of your devices are running the latest operating system. If an inherent fault has emerged with AirDrop, then it may well have been fixed with an update for iOS (iPhone & iPod touch), iPadOS (iPad) or macOS (Mac).
Don’t let AirDrop issues disrupt your workflow—get the help you need today. Use AirDrop to share and receive photos, documents and more with other Apple devices that are nearby. While a person still needs to accept an AirDrop request to receive the actual file, AirDrop gives the user a preview of the file in the notification message.