How to Turn on and Use AirDrop on iPhone & Mac (2024)

How to accept AirDrop

As soon as someone tries to send you something via AirDrop, you’ll receive an alert and a quick preview. From here, you can decide whether to accept the pic (or file) or not. This can be especially useful when sharing with Everyone as you can decline any strange or unwanted files.

If you tap Accept, the AirDrop file will appear within the same app it was sent from. Website links will open in Safari, for example, and shared photos will appear within the Photos app. Worth remembering, if you are busy using the phone at the same time, you’ll be switched out from your current app and interrupted by AirDrop.

Hint: If you’re using AirDrop to share files to your own personal devices, the preview and alert will not appear. For instance, if you were sending a photo from your iPhone’s camera roll to your MacBook, you will not be able to Accept or Decline the transfer – the file will already be there. Just be sure to sign in on both devices with your Apple ID.

How to Turn on and Use AirDrop on iPhone & Mac (2024)

FAQs

How to Turn on and Use AirDrop on iPhone & Mac? ›

Use Control Center to manage AirDrop

How do I get AirDrop to work between my iPhone and Mac? ›

Make sure that both devices are within 30 feet (9 meters) of each other and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. Choose Go > AirDrop from the menu bar in the Finder, then check the ”Allow me to be discovered by” setting in the AirDrop window. A similar setting is available on Phone and iPad and on Apple Vision Pro.

How do I turn on AirDrop on my iPhone? ›

Launch the Control Centre by swiping up from your iPhone's bottom bezel. Press and hold the WiFi button until 6 further options appear on-screen. Tap the AirDrop icon. Once there, tap Contacts Only or Everyone to turn on AirDrop.

Why is AirDrop between phone and macbook not working? ›

Turn Bluetooth and Wi-Fi off and then on again

Lots of problems with wireless connections, including with AirDrop, can be solved by turning Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and then on again. On your Mac, click on the Control Center icon, then on the down arrow next to Wi-Fi, and toggle the switch to off. Repeat for Bluetooth.

Why is AirDrop declined on my iPhone to my Mac? ›

Some of the common causes of AirDrop's decline are: Both devices are not close enough to each other to let AirDrop connect them. Your iPhone or Mac is not fulfilling the AirDrop minimum requirements.

Why is AirDrop not working between iPhone and Mac waiting? ›

Turn on AirDrop restriction. AirDrop restriction is turned off might be a reason for Airdrop stuck on waiting then failed, you need to enable it. Go to the Settings app > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps, then turn on the toggle of AirDrop.

Why can't I AirDrop between my devices? ›

Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on

AirDrop relies on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® to transfer files. Make sure both are turned on by going to your phone settings. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to open your Control Center. They're off if the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi icons are not illuminated blue.

How do I Share between two Apple devices? ›

Set up Home Sharing
  1. Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, then click General in the sidebar.
  2. Click Sharing on the right.
  3. Turn on Media Sharing, then click the Info button. next to it.
  4. Select Home Sharing, then enter your Apple ID and click Turn on Home Sharing.
Jan 10, 2024

How to AirPlay from iPhone to Mac? ›

Stream video manually from iPhone or iPad
  1. Connect your device to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV, AirPlay-compatible smart TV, or Mac.
  2. Find the video that you want to stream.
  3. Tap the AirPlay button . In some apps, you might need to tap a different button first. ...
  4. Choose your TV or Mac from the list.
Apr 2, 2024

How to turn on AirDrop on Mac? ›

Use Control Center to manage AirDrop

On your Mac, click Control Center in the menu bar, then do any of the following: Turn AirDrop on or off: Click the AirDrop icon . Choose who can send items to you: Click the arrow next to AirDrop, then click Contacts Only or Everyone.

How do I transfer photos from iPhone to Mac? ›

Import to your Mac

Connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac with a USB cable. Open the Photos app on your computer. The Photos app shows an Import screen with all the photos and videos that are on your connected device. If the Import screen doesn't automatically appear, click the device's name in the Photos sidebar.

How do I connect AirDrop between iPhone and Mac? ›

On the iPhone, tap the sharing icon from where you want to airdrop the photos from iPhone to Mac. Step 2. Open Finder on Mac and click on the Airdrop option from the sidebar. Open a Finder window on a Mac and choose AirDrop from the sidebar or else pull down the go menu and choose Airdrop.

How to connect iPhone to MacBook? ›

The first time you set up syncing, you must connect your device to your Mac using a USB or USB-C cable. After you connect the device, the device icon appears in the Finder sidebar and selecting the icon displays syncing options. You then select which items to sync.

How to transfer files from iPhone to Mac? ›

With a capable, transferring files from your iPhone to your Mac is quite easy:
  1. Open iTunes. ...
  2. USB-connect your iPhone to your computer. ...
  3. Click the symbol for the device.
  4. On the left side of iTunes, choose Settings to see the sorts of material that may be synchronised.
  5. Select the desired files, then click Sync in iTunes.
Jan 24, 2024

Why can't I AirDrop between iphones? ›

If you're having issues or can't send files with AirDrop, adjust your AirDrop receiving settings in Control Center. Make sure that your devices have the latest operating system version, you have turned Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and on, or you have restarted your devices.

How to AirDrop from iPhone to computer? ›

To use AirDrop, make sure that both your iPhone and laptop are turned on and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled. On your iPhone, open the Photos app and select the photos you want to transfer. Tap the Share button and then select AirDrop. Your laptop should appear in the list of devices.

How to AirDrop photos from iPhone to MacBook? ›

Transfer photos from iPhone to Mac using AirDrop

Here's how to transfer files using AirDrop: Make sure you've turned on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for both your Mac and iPhone. Open the 'Photos' app and choose the pictures that you wish to send. Click the 'Share' button and select 'AirDrop' from the drop-down menu.

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