Even though the range is 30 feet, that’s ideal, and sometimes you need to be much closer. Occasionally I have to toggle Bluetooth on and off for my devices and sometimes even reboot. When Problems Develop #Īlthough the technology should be easy, it’s subject to the whim of interference and often unreliable devices. If it’s not a device you own, the receiver has an option to accept or reject it. Select the device you want to receive it, and you’re done. On my Mac, I select share from any app, and then the available devices appear.

After I hit send, it will appear on the downloads in my MacBook Pro. In this example, you can see my MacBook Pro is capable of accepting the file. If there are any devices nearby capable of receiving an AirDrop, they’ll show there. Below the picture, you’ll see the AirDrop section. Tap on a picture or another file and tap the share icon. You’ll most likely be doing this on an iOS device, so we’ll start there. Since it doesn’t use a data connection, you can use it in a place like an airplane or even with a device without a SIM. If your device is in Do Not Disturb mode, you’ll need to turn that off to receive file notifications.

If you’re in low power mode, it doesn’t work reliably. You’ll need to be within about 30 feet of each other.Īlthough you don’t need a data or cellular connection, you still need both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. Most iPhones and Macs made in the past five years support AirDrop, but here’s Apple’s detailed list of technical specs. Requirements: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but No Data # Additional options will show, including changing your AirDrop receiving settings. Then when you see the icons for Airplane Mode, Wifi, and Bluetooth, hold down in that area. On other devices, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen. To access it on the phone without a home button (iPhone X or later) or an iPad, swipe down from the upper-right-hand corner. In iOS, it’s under Settings > General > AirDrop, and on your Mac, it’s currently in AirDrop within the Finder on your sidebar click on Go > AirDrop or use Command+Shift+R.Īn easy shortcut on iOS is to use the Control Center. You can easily toggle it back on if you do intend to receive a file from a stranger. Otherwise, you might find an unexpected request coming through. Unless you’re suspecting a freebie from AirDrop, it’s best to tell Airdrop to accept files from either Contacts Only or just turn Receiving Off. If you’re politically minded, AirDrop can be used to distribute banned materials. If you’re lucky, you might even win a free pair of shoes at a concert for it.

That can happen on a plane or on public transportation. AirDrop, by default, allows anyone nearby to send you an image. There’s even a term for it: cyber-flashing. Go figure bad actors know how to use this feature well.

Files for airdrop