You grab an important file on your iPhone that your coworker needs right away. No problem! You open AirDrop and…wait, why isn‘t their device showing up?
We‘ve all been there. AirDrop can feel like magic when it works, letting you instantly beam files between Apple devices. But when it doesn‘t, it can be frustrating to troubleshoot.
Not to worry! In this guide, I‘ll walk you through the top 8 ways to fix AirDrop when it‘s not working. With just a few quick troubleshooting steps, you‘ll have AirDrop up and transferring files in no time.
What is AirDrop and How Does it Work?
First things first, a quick primer on AirDrop for anyone unfamiliar with how this nifty wireless transfer feature functions.
AirDrop allows fast, easy sharing of photos, documents, links, and more between Apple devices. As long as both devices have AirDrop enabled and are reasonably close together, you can bypass slow upload/download times from cloud services and wirelessly shoot files directly to another iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
So how does this magic happen? AirDrop uses a combination of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and WiFi:
- Bluetooth Low Energy detects nearby supported devices and establishes the initial connection
- WiFi then negotiates a peer-to-peer connection over WPA2 encryption to securely transfer files.
That means AirDrop won‘t work between non-Apple devices that lack this seamless integration from both operating systems and the hardware. But it provides a uniquely seamless sharing experience for us Apple users once configured properly.
The Interplay of Hardware and Software in Enabling AirDrop
Given AirDrop‘s reliance on radios, antennas, firmware, operating systems and more, there are a few key components that need to work in harmony:
- Compatible Apple devices released 2012 onwards (with exceptions like the iPhone 5)
- Bluetooth 4.0+ hardware with Bluetooth Low Energy support
- WiFi access points with Simultaneous AP mode to allow peer-to-peer data
- Supported operating systems – iOS 7+, MacOS Yosemite+
If any piece drops out, from outdated device hardware to disabled radios, AirDrop performance can suffer.
Fortunately, while the technology is advanced, basic troubleshooting can usually resolve most issues!
Onwards to the fixes!
Why Has My AirDrop Stopped Working?
If you‘ve used AirDrop flawlessly for years, having it suddenly fail can be endlessly frustrating. Before we look at solutions, let‘s look at some reasons why AirDrop might have stopped working properly:
- Bluetooth is disabled on one or both devices
- WiFi is turned off on one or both devices
- Software or iOS updates changed settings
- Devices are too far apart from each other
- AirDrop privacy settings are too restrictive
- Outdated device software/firmware
- Line-of-sight between devices is blocked
- External factors like MDM policies or firewalls blocking connections
Issues like these disrupt the discovery and communication AirDrop relies on. The good news? We can easily troubleshoot step-by-step until AirDrop is working again.
8 Ways to Fix When AirDrop Isn‘t Working
Without further ado, here are 8 troubleshooting tips to try when you can‘t seem to get AirDrop working:
1. Restart Both Devices
As simple as it sounds, restarting your iPhone, iPad, or Mac is the first troubleshooting step to try with any AirDrop issues.
Restarting clears out any temporary software glitches, refreshes all connections, and essentially gives devices a fresh start.
To restart an iOS device:
- Hold down the Power button until the "Slide to Power Off" prompt appears
- Drag the slider to turn your device completely off
- After 30 seconds, hold down the Power button again to restart back up
To restart a Mac:
- Click the Apple menu and select "Restart…"
- Click "Restart" when prompted
Give AirDrop a try after restarting both devices. Hopefully that cleared out any temporary connection issues!
2. Ensure Bluetooth Is Enabled
Since AirDrop uses Bluetooth Low Energy to first discover nearby supported devices, having Bluetooth enabled is mandatory to establish connections.
Double check Bluetooth is turned on for both the sending and receiving devices:
On an iPhone or iPad:
- Open Settings > Bluetooth
- Toggle Bluetooth "On" (green)
On a Mac:
- Click the Apple menu > System Preferences > Bluetooth
- Check "Bluetooth: On" is enabled
If Bluetooth was disabled, toggle it back on for both devices and test AirDrop again.
3. Confirm WiFi Is Turned On
Similar to Bluetooth, WiFi is also required for AirDrop to transfer files after initially detecting a nearby device.
So let‘s check the WiFi status on both the sender and recipient devices:
On iPhone/iPad:
- Launch Settings from the home screen
- Tap on the Wi-Fi option
- Turn on Wi-Fi if disabled using the toggle
On a Mac:
- Click the Wi-Fi icon in the top toolbar
- Select a Wi-Fi network and click Connect
The two devices should be on the same WiFi network for optimal AirDrop connectivity. Keep this requirement in mind if AirDrop fails during an active transfer.
4. Change AirDrop Settings to "Everyone"
AirDrop lets you limit who can send files to your device. If your privacy settings are too restrictive, your intended recipients won‘t appear as options to transfer files.
To allow all nearby Apple devices to discover you via AirDrop:
On iPhone/iPad:
- Go to Settings > General > AirDrop
- Tap "Everyone" (default is "Contacts Only")
On Mac:
- Click the AirDrop icon in your menu bar
- Select "Allow me to be discovered by: Everyone"
By expanding to "Everyone", any close-by supported Apple devices should now show up as expected in AirDrop.
5. Move Devices Closer Together
Believe it or not, physical proximity is still important for AirDrop wireless transfers despite using WiFi. While modern WiFi gear can stretch across entire houses, AirDrop uses peer-to-peer connections restricted to around 30 feet reliably.
Basically, closer = better throughput when it comes to AirDrop.
If your intended recipient device isn‘t showing up to share files with, try physically moving your two devices closer together in the same room. Even just a few feet makes a difference reducing radio interference.
For fastest file transfers, stay within 10-20 feet and avoid walls or structures blocking line-of-sight between sending & receiving devices whenever possible.
6. Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off
Here‘s an oddly effective trick for resetting wireless connections when troubleshooting AirDrop issues:
- Open Control Center and enable Airplane Mode for 30+ seconds
- Close Control Center and turn Airplane Mode off
- Wait for WiFi/Bluetooth to reconnect
Toggling Airplane Mode essentially power cycles both wireless radios, clearing out any temporary glitches or stuck sessions. Once WiFi and Bluetooth reconnect, give AirDrop another whirl.
7. Clear Out Old AirDrop Connection Data
Particularly for transfers getting stuck mid-process, try resetting the AirDrop connection entirely by clearing old session data and caches.
On iPhone or iPad:
- Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings
This will wipe all WiFi connections, so you‘ll need to rejoin networks afterwards.
On Mac:
- Open Finder > Go > Go to Folder…
- Type /private/var/folders
- Delete com.apple.AirDrop* folders
- Restart computer
With fresh connection data, AirDrop has an easier time establishing transfers.
8. Update Device Software
As a final step, check whether either device needs a software update. Apple issues periodic iOS and macOS bug/performance fixes relevant to services like AirDrop.
Updating to the latest OS version rules out any software quirks disrupting connections.
To update an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch:
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update
- Install any available updates and restart device
To update a Mac:
- Click the Apple menu > About This Mac > Software Update
- If updates are waiting, click Update Now
Following these 8 troubleshooting steps should resolve most AirDrop issues! But if problems persist…
Additional Troubleshooting Suggestions
Still struggling with wonky AirDrop behavior after methodically trying the above fixes? Here are a few other things to test out:
WiFi Access Point Interference
If your AirDrop connection drops mid-transfer (despite showing strong WiFi signal strength), proximity to the access point providing WiFi could be an issue.
WiFi access points leverage optimization technologies that can sometimes inadvertently disrupt the peer-to-peer nature of AirDrop data transfers.
Try shifting device positioning farther away from the nearest access point. Or test toggling WiFi modes like band steering, mesh hops, MU-MIMO, or 160 MHz wide channels off temporarily on the router or access point controller (consult your WiFi gear documentation for these wireless feature details).
Check for MDM Restrictions
Managed Apple devices commonly have additional restrictions like firewall policies that can block services like AirDrop over company WiFi or networks.
Check for any MDM (mobile device management) profiles installed from employers that might be limiting file transfer capabilities. You can find and troubleshoot further under Settings -> General -> Device Management on iOS, or System Preferences -> Profiles on MacOS.
The best bet is engaging your IT/networking team at work to whitelist and allow the Apple file sharing services properly through firewalls/proxies if needed.
Confirm No Other Local Network Interference
Check for other smart home tech and IoT devices clustered closely around WiFi access points and the area you are trying to get AirDrop working. Large volumes of IoT gadgets constantly chatting on 2.4 GHz WiFi in particular can crowd out the local radio spectrum needed for optimum AirDrop peer links.
Isolate the iOS/MacOS devices to a clear area without as much potential wireless interference to test AirDrop functionality.
When In Doubt, Contact Apple Support
I hope working through some standard troubleshooting has managed to get your AirDrop transfers functioning properly again. But if issues continue despite your best efforts, don‘t hesitate to reach out to Apple support.
Whether you schedule a callback, bring devices into a Genius Bar, or reach Apple support by phone, they can provide tailored troubleshooting beyond this standard guide. Sometimes finicky software bugs require advanced techniques that only Apple engineering teams would know to pinpoint.
Clearly explain the issues you‘re experiencing, what troubleshooting you‘ve tried already, and any noteworthy contextual factors. Apple can take things from there helping restore your AirDrop file sharing convenience.
Back to Seamlessly Sharing Files
Few features symbolize Apple magic more than opening AirDrop and seamlessly firing any file across to nearby devices in seconds.
Hopefully with these 8 troubleshooting tips, you‘ve successfully revived AirDrop connections to happily share documents, photos, contacts and more wirelessly between your Apple gadgets again.
Next time inspiration strikes and you want to fling a spectacular vacation photo to your coworker one desk over, you can open AirDrop with total confidence it just works exactly as intended to beam that image on over in a flash! No cables, no uploads, no delays interrupting that creative momentum. Just pure Apple ingenuity at work.
