Photos and videos that you receive via AirDrop will automatically be saved into the Photos app, and links will automatically open in your default web browser. To start using AirDrop on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll first need to ensure that wifi and Bluetooth are turned on. But as NBC showed, this setting can be abused by perverts. Tap the Share button, which looks like a box with an arrow pointing out of it, and then tap the AirDrop icon, which should appear first in the list of app icons.
If you’re AirDropping files or media to someone else, the recipient will get a notification that you’re trying to AirDrop them something. Your Mac must be running at least OS X Yosemite or later, and your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch must be updated to iOS 8 or later. I do hope, though, that you’re not still running iOS 8! One more thing; both the sending and receiving device must have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. If your device is compatible, but there is an issue with AirDrop, check out these troubleshooting tips. AirDrop relies on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to transfer files over the air.
- Once you’ve tapped the Share icon, the other steps are the same.
- If they’re not in your Contacts, you’ll see just their name without an image.
- If none of the above have solved AirDrop issues on an iOS device, try doing a hard reset.
- By turning on AirDrop on your iPhone, you allow nearby iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices to send and receive files from you.
Will My Device Work with AirDrop?
But sometimes a user may have previously set AirDrop preferences to accept files from “everyone”–which means anyone who is within 30 feet of you. Since the sender is not in your contacts, you’ll only see the name of the device they are sending you the file from. AirDrop is Apple’s file transfer technology that allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to wirelessly send files to other iOS devices or Mac users within 30 feet of each other. In case you’re new to the feature, AirDrop is Apple’s file transfer feature that allows you to share files between your Apple devices.
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When receiving an AirDrop, a pop-up will appear on the receiving device with the option to Accept or Decline the AirDrop. When sending to one of your personal Apple devices signed into your Apple ID, files will be shared automatically. AirDrop is an Apple feature that allows you to wirelessly transfer media between your iOS and Mac devices. It’s one of the most painless Apple Continuity features; it’s easy to use and works exactly as it should. You’ll need to know how to turn on and use AirDrop on iPhone and iPad if you want to start making use of Apple’s seamless file sharing method.
On Mac
If you’re hosting a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone to provide internet access to another device, AirDrop won’t work. The only solution is to turn off the Personal Hotspot. This will make the internet connection unavailable to the device that was using the hotspot, but you can always turn it back on again once you’ve transferred files over AirDrop. On the AirDrop screen, you should see icons for all of the AirDrop-compatible devices in range (it might take a moment for them to appear). Tap the icon for the Mac you want to send the file to. The icon will say “Sent” when it’s done sending the files.
What Devices Support AirDrop?
If you’re expecting to receive a file, you’ll first need to turn AirDrop on. Conner Carey’s writing can be found at conpoet.com. She is currently writing a book, creating lots of content, and writing how do you value a company based on financial statements poetry via @conpoet on Instagram.
Resetting can be a huge pain, but if something has gone wrong with the way your iPhone or iPad connects to other devices, like with AirDrop, it might just be necessary to finally get a fix. Apple’s Bluetooth stack, the set of software that controls your device’s radio, isn’t without its occasional quirks. Sometimes, new versions of iOS introduce compatibility problems, while other times, they fix them. If the person you’re sharing content with is in your Contacts, you’ll see an image with their name.
If you’re not signed in with your Apple ID on your device, this setting reverts to Receiving Off after 10 minutes. When someone shares something with you using AirDrop, you see an alert. Peter is Reviews Editor at Tom’s Guide. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he’s an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography.
Anytime you start to Share something (document, picture, etc.) on your iPhone, you’ll see the option to AirDrop it at the top of the Share menu. You can share files from your iCloud Drive, pictures from the Photos app, songs you’ve found on Apple Music, recordings from Voice Memos, and much more. If you see the option, you can AirDrop that content. In iOS 17, Apple introduced a new AirDrop feature that lets you initiate an AirDrop transfer by bringing two iPhones close together.
While a person still needs to accept an AirDrop request to receive the actual file, AirDrop gives the user a preview of the file in the notification message. As you can imagine, this makes it easy for one stranger on a packed subway to send a dick pic to his victim in the same carriage. Your recipient will get a prompt to accept or reject your file transfer request. If they accept it, your file will be sent.
As long as you have relatively recent devices running on an updated operating system, you’re probably already set up to use AirDrop. Let’s go over what AirDrop is below, as well as how to turn AirDrop on, how AirDrop works, and how to use AirDrop whether you’re on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Once you know how to use AirDrop, you’ll never go back. AirDrop has been around for more than a decade, providing Apple users a quick and easy way to share files between devices—when it chooses to work, anyway. You can use AirDrop to send everything from photos, documents, videos, audio files, web links, contact cards, and notes between iPhones, iPads, and Macs. AirDrop provides a fast, secure way to transfer data between Apple Devices by creating a P2P (Peer-to-Peer) Wi-Fi connection.
If you’re sending the photos to a device of yours, they’ll automatically download and save to your device. If you’re sending pictures to someone else, they’ll receive a notification that you’re trying to AirDrop them something. Remember, these same steps apply to other media. It doesn’t have to be photos that you’re sending.