AirDrop, a handy feature on Apple devices, may be used to safely transmit files between Macs and iOS devices through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. But, does this approach have any disadvantages? If that’s how you’ve been using AirDrop, there are a couple of things you can do to fix it.
Images, movies, documents, contacts, and passwords may be sent and received using Apple’s in-app Action menu. If you’re having trouble using AirDrop, check if your Mac, iPhone, or iPad can use it.
Find out what your device can do with AirDrop.
To use AirDrop on iOS, you’ll need an iPhone 5, iPad 4, iPad mini, or iPod touch 5th generation or newer.
All Macs manufactured after 2012 and running OS X Yosemite or later are capable of using AirDrop. You can find out if AirDrop works on your Mac by selecting “Go” from the menu bar. Your Mac does not support AirDrop if it does not appear as an option in the drop-down list.
Make sure AirDrop is enabled.
There are three states for AirDrop: disabled, enabled, and disabled. In contrast to Receiving Off, which prevents anybody from sharing anything with you via AirDrop, Everyone enables you to receive shares from everyone. At the same time, Contacts Only allows you to receive shares from anyone whose email or mobile phone number is in your contact list. It’s possible to utilize these settings to avoid being the victim of an AirDrop share.
If you’re having trouble using AirDrop, ensure that Everyone is chosen in the drop-down menu.
Adjust your iPhone and iPad’s AirDrop settings.
It is possible to adjust AirDrop settings on both the iPhone and the iPad.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Select “General” at the very bottom of the page.
- Select AirDrop from the menu.
- You should tap everyone you see.
Change the settings for AirDrop on a Mac.
- The Finder should now be open on your Mac.
- If you want to open AirDrop, press Command-Shift-R on the keyboard.
- Enabling this setting will allow you to be found by everyone who visits your website.
AirDrop setup settings are also available in Mac’s Control Center, which you may find at the far right of the menu bar.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth may be toggled on and off.
AirDrop transfers files from one device to another by utilizing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology. You may also try turning off and then turning on both radios to see if that helps.
On the iPhone and iPad, you may toggle Wi-Fi on and off.
- You should open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Then, select Wi-Fi from the drop-down menu.
- Toggle Wi-Fi off by touching the switch next to it, and then back on by tapping the same switch again and again.
Bluetooth may be turned on or off on iPhones and iPads.
- You should open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- When you want to use Bluetooth, all you have to do is hit the Bluetooth button on your device.
- Bluetooth can be turned off by pushing the button next to it and then turned back on by pressing the switch again.
On the Mac, you can choose between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Choose the Control Center icon, which is situated at the far right side of the menu bar, and then navigate to the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth panes placed at the bottom of the screen.
Turn off the mobile hotspot on your phone.
Using AirDrop while your iPhone is serving as a Personal Hotspot, which allows you to share your internet connection with another device, will not be successful. The only other option is to turn off the Personal Hotspot device. Because of this, you will lose internet service on your hotspot-connected device, but you will be able to restore it via AirDrop.
With iOS 13.1 and later, there is no on/off button in the Personal Hotspot section of the Settings app. Following this new policy, your hotspot will remain operational, allowing you to connect other devices to the internet. In addition, if there is no Wi-Fi internet connection available, verified devices may be able to connect directly to your local instant hotspot if one is accessible.
To prohibit other devices from joining your hotspot while active, use the Control Center on your iPhone or iPad. In addition, you can hide your hotspot from other users by clicking the Personal Hotspot button in green if it is highlighted on the following screen.
First things first: Get your iPhone or iPad unlocked.
An unlocked or powered-on device is required to send an AirDropped file to another person. For example, to receive files over AirDrop, you must have your iPhone or iPad running and unlocked with the display on.
Increase the distance between the two devices to avoid interference.
When a Wi-Fi network is unavailable, AirDrop uses Bluetooth to detect and send files. Make sure you’re inside Bluetooth’s 33-foot (10-meter) range if you want to use AirDrop between two current iPhones. If not, AirDrop will not function.
Reduce the Mac’s firewall’s effectiveness.
Reducing the strictness of your Mac’s firewall may help you get around the problem of AirDrop files not showing up as an option on your transmitting device.
- To access System Preferences, choose the Apple menu item from the menu bar and click on it.
- Select the choice for safety and privacy from the drop-down menu.
- You may use Touch ID or your admin password to log in by clicking the padlock.
- Select Firewall Options from the drop-down menu.
- Remove the checkbox from the drop-down menu next to “Block all incoming connections.”
- Ensure that the box next to it is ticked to receive incoming connections.
- Use the Power Button to Restart Your Device.
You can try a hard reset on your iOS device to see if it addresses any problems with AirDrop. The procedure differs depending on the kind of gadget you have.
