AirDrop not working? 10 fixes for iPhone, iPad and Mac

AirDrop is quick when it works and baffling when it does not. The other person does not show up, the file sits on Waiting, or the transfer fails halfway. Behind the scenes AirDrop uses Bluetooth to find a device and a direct Wi-Fi link to send the file, so a problem with either one stops it. These fixes go from the quick checks to the less common causes, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.

10 fixes when AirDrop is not working

Why is AirDrop not showing the other device?

AirDrop only lists devices that are awake, close, and set to be seen by you. If the receiver is set to Receiving Off, it never appears. If it is set to Contacts Only, it appears only if your Apple Account email or phone number is in the other person’s contacts and matches the details on your account. If it is set to Everyone for 10 Minutes, it appears for anyone nearby, but that setting expires. Between devices, Bluetooth finds the other side and Wi-Fi sends the data, so a switched-off radio, a busy Personal Hotspot or a Mac with a strict firewall can quietly stop the transfer. Knowing this tells you where to look.

Receiving settings: Everyone, Contacts Only and Receiving Off

On iPhone, open Settings › General › AirDrop and pick Receiving Off, Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes. You can also press and hold the connectivity card in Control Center and tap AirDrop. On a Mac, open Finder, choose AirDrop in the sidebar and use Allow me to be discovered by. For two friends who are not in each other’s contacts, Everyone for 10 Minutes is the simple choice. For your own devices, Contacts Only works if you are signed in with the same Apple Account. If the device keeps going back to Contacts Only, that is the 10-minute limit, not a bug.

AirDrop stuck on Waiting or Declined

Waiting means the receiver has not accepted the file, so ask them to look at the screen and tap Accept. If it stays on Waiting, the receiving screen may be locked, or a Focus may hide the prompt. Declined means the person tapped Decline, or the other device has a limit in place. If a transfer starts and fails, move closer, turn off Personal Hotspot and try fewer files at once. Large videos can fail if the iPhone runs out of storage or goes to sleep, so keep the screen on during a long transfer and check that the receiver has free space.

Personal Hotspot, VPN and Wi-Fi conflicts

AirDrop uses the same radio as your hotspot, so a phone that is sharing its connection cannot send or receive. Turn Personal Hotspot off for the transfer and turn it on again afterward. A VPN or content filter can also get in the way on a Mac, so turn it off for a test. On a Mac, open System Settings › Network › Firewall and make sure it is not set to block all incoming connections. On a work or school device, an administrator may have turned AirDrop off, and only they can change that. For hotspot trouble in general, see Personal Hotspot problems.

AirDrop on iPhone, iPad and Mac: what is different

• iPhone and iPad: Settings › General › AirDrop, or the Control Center connectivity card. Turn off cellular-only limits in Settings › Cellular if a large file stalls.
• Mac: Finder › AirDrop. If Wi-Fi is on but the Mac is not discoverable, turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and on, then check the firewall.
• Older devices: very old iPhones, iPads and Macs may not support AirDrop with newer ones, so check Apple’s compatibility list.

Fix a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi fault

If AirDrop never works with any device, test Bluetooth with headphones and Wi-Fi with a web page. A fault in either radio breaks AirDrop. Read the guide to Bluetooth problems on iPhone for step-by-step fixes. Then reset network settings and restart. If the radios work for everything except AirDrop, install the latest iOS or macOS, since AirDrop bugs are often fixed in updates.

Contacts Only: why a contact still can’t see you

Contacts Only matches the email address or phone number linked to your Apple Account with the details in the other person’s contact card for you. If they saved your old number, a nickname without your email or a different Apple Account, the match fails and you do not appear. Ask them to update your card with the number and email you use for your Apple Account. On your side, check Settings › [name] › Name, Phone Numbers, Email to see what is listed. When in doubt, use Everyone for 10 Minutes for the transfer.

Sending to your own devices

When both devices use the same Apple Account, they are matched even with Contacts Only. If your own iPhone and Mac do not see each other, check that you are signed in to the same account, that both have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and that the Mac is awake. For a Mac, the lid must be open. On a Mac, open System Settings › General › AirDrop & Handoff and check the options. If a file will not send, try sending a single photo as a test, then a larger set.

Alternatives when AirDrop will not work

If you need the file now, send it another way. Use Messages or Mail for small files, a shared iCloud Drive or Google Drive link for larger ones, or a cable to a computer. For photos to a PC, see moving photos to a Windows PC instead. For how AirDrop works when it is behaving, read how to send and receive with AirDrop. If you keep running out of space during transfers, it may be time to clear storage or look at an iCloud plan, which also backs up your photos.

Stay safe with AirDrop

Keep AirDrop on Contacts Only most of the time and use Everyone for 10 Minutes only when you need it. In public places, such as a train or a concert, turn it to Receiving Off, and never accept a file you did not expect. If you receive an unwanted image, tap Decline. Apple blurs sensitive images by default on newer versions, and you can turn that on in Settings › Privacy & Security › Sensitive Content Warning.