How To Fix AirDrop Not Working.
A common problem on macOS is when Airdrop doesn’t work and it usually happens when you try to send files from one Apple device to another This is annoying and prevents you from sharing files between your devices.
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to get rid of AirDrop issues and start sharing files between your iOS device and Mac.
AirDrop Not Working” />
Make your devices discoverable
You need to make sure your iPhone and Mac are available for AirDrop detection. If they’re not related to a settings option, you’ll need to turn it off so that your devices can be found when using AirDrop
Make your iPhone discoverable
- Launch in the Settings app and click General.
- Click AirDrop on the next screen.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Select all. This will allow anyone to find your iPhone in AirDrop
AirDrop Not Working” />
Make the Mac Discoverable
- Launch a Finder window and click AirDrop in the left sidebar.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Select “Everyone” from the “Allow Me Found” drop-down menu.
AirDrop Not Working” />
AirDrop Not Working” />
Bring your devices closer together
AirDrop uses Bluetooth to find and connect devices. As you may already know, Bluetooth has a range of 10 meters to connect. Hence, you must make sure both of your AirDrop-compatible devices are within 10 meters. Otherwise, you might find that AirDrop isn’t working.
AirDrop Not Working” />
If they are not, bring them closer and try sending files using AirDrop again. You will now find that you can connect both devices without any problem.
Make sure your iPhone is unlocked
When transferring files to iPhone, you must make sure it is unlocked and awake. If it is in sleep mode and locked with a password, you will have problems sending files from other devices to your iPhone.
–
AirDrop Not Working” />
Keep iPhone unlocked, awake, and on while using AirDrop This will save your phone from potential AirDrop issues.
Toggle WiFi and Bluetooth on your devices
AirDrop uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to help you share files between your devices If AirDrop isn’t working, try toggling these options and see if that solves the problem for you.
Switch Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your iPhone
- Launch Settings on your iPhone.
- Click on Wi-Fi and turn it off.
- Tap on Bluetooth and turn it off.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Switch Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your Mac
- Click Wi-Fi at the top of your Mac screen and select Disable Wi-Fi.
AirDrop Not Working” />
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
AirDrop Not Working” />
Turn off WiFi Hotspot on your iPhone
AirDrop does not work if Personal Hotspot is enabled on your iPhone. To use AirDrop to share files, you need to turn it off.
This will make the Internet unavailable on devices that use your hotspot, but you can turn it back on after the AirDrop transfer is complete.
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Click Mobile Data.
- Select a personal hotspot
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Move the Personal Hotspot switch to the off position.
AirDrop Not Working” />
AirDrop Not Working” />
Connect your devices to the same WiFi network
If your AirDrop-enabled devices are connected to a Wi-Fi network, we recommend that you connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network. Apple doesn’t specifically tell you that both of your devices must be on the same network. However, based on our personal experience, having the same network connection helps.
If possible, make sure your iOS device and Mac are using the same Wi-Fi network.
Turn off “Please Do Not Disturb” on your devices
Do Not Disturb mode turns off all your notifications on your devices, including AirDrop notifications. Since you do not receive notification of an incoming file, you cannot accept or reject it. Therefore, when using AirDrop, turn off Do Not Disturb mode.
Disable Do Not Disturb on your iPhone
- Open the Settings app and tap Do Not Disturb.
- Disable the Do Not Disturb option.
AirDrop Not Working” />
Disable Do Not Disturb on Mac
- Click the Action Center icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Set the Do Not Disturb switch to off.
AirDrop Not Working” />
AirDrop Not Working” />
Disable firewall option on your Mac
Mac Firewall has an option that blocks all incoming connections on your computer. It can also affect your AirDrop connections, so you should turn this off when using AirDrop
- Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen and select System Preferences.
- Select “Security & Privacy” on the next screen.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Click the Firewall tab and select Firewall Options.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- If the buttons on the screen are grayed out, click the lock icon at the bottom and enter your account password.
- Uncheck Block all incoming connections and click OK at the bottom.
AirDrop Not Working” />
AirDrop Not Working” />
Reset network settings on your iPhone
If AirDrop still doesn’t work on your iPhone, you can try resetting your network settings to factory defaults. This should fix your network configuration issues and you can change these settings later.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and click General.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Reset.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Select “Reset Network Settings” to reset network settings.
AirDrop Not Working” />
AirDrop Not Working” />
Update OS on your devices
Finally, you need to make sure both of your devices have the latest version of their respective operating systems. If they are not, update their OS versions and that should most likely fix the AirDrop not working issue.
Refresh your iPhone
- Open the Settings app and tap General.
- Click Software Update at the top of the screen.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Click Download and Install if an update is available. This will download the update and install it for you on your device.
Update your Mac
- Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen and select About This Mac.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- Click the Software Update button on the next screen.
AirDrop Not Working” />
- You will be taken to the Mac App Store to download and install an update for macOS, if available.
AirDrop Not Working” />
How often does AirDrop not work on your devices? Did the above methods solve AirDrop issues? Let us know in the comments below.
–