AirDrop is an exclusive feature of Apple Inc. which allows the wireless transfer of files between apple items like if you want to share the file from iPhone, iPad or Mac to another Apple device, AirDrop will help in the transfer and that also without cable.

It uses Bluetooth and WiFi to find the device and complete the transfer process. It is blue with lines all around showing the signals which area little similar to the WiFi buttonand is located near the Wifi Button.

It allows sending of photos, videos, location, documents and everything. AirDrop allows exchange up to 30 feet not more than that and there is no limit on the number of photos or videos that is shared.

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The sharing is secured and the quality remains the same, AirDrop does not reduce the quality as happens in WhatsApp. It takes a few seconds to complete the sharing process so it is quite simple, secured, less time consuming and a useful app for files and data transferring.

If you want to stop AirDrop from sending then go to the settings and select the receiving off option. Sometimes the AirDrop does not work and this can happen when either the Bluetooth or the Wifi is turned off or if you have the old model of iPhone as the older versions are not compatible with the AirDrop.

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Contents

Which Devices Are compatible With AirDrop?

The older versions of Apple devices are generally not compatible with AirDrop and both the devices between which the transfer is taking place must be compatible. If the devices are not compatible, the transfer will not take place.

Here is the list of some devices that are compatible with AirDrop, To transfer files between two iOS devices, the following requirements need to be met,

  • iPhone 5 or newer.
  • iPad 4th generation or newer.
  • iPad touchesthe 5th generation or newer.
  • iPad Air, iPad Pro and iPad Mini, all models.

To transfer files between two Mac devices, the following requirements need to be met:

  • MacBook Pro and Aluminum MacBook, late 2008 or newer.
  • MacBook, iMac and Mac Pro, late 2009 or newer.
  • MacBook Air and Mac Mini,late 2010 or newer.

To transfer files between a Mac and an iOS device:

  • iPhone, iPad, iPod touch using iOS 7 or later.
  • MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, mid:2012 or newer.
  • Mac Mini and iMac, late 2012 or newer.
  • iMac Pro, all models
  • Mac Pro, late 2013 or newer.

How To Fix AirDrop Not Working Issue?

AirDrop is a free service provided by Apple Inc. to share files among different Apple devices.

Sometimes the AirDrop does not work due to Bluetooth, Wifi turned off or older versions being used as many users have filed complaints about the same issue so this problem needs to be fixed. There are some solutions to fix the AirDrop Not Working Issue, these are:

Method 1: Adjust AirDrop Settings

If the AirDrop is not working, the first step should be to check the WiFi and Bluetooth button that it’s turned ON.  There are some settings for AirDrop that need to be adjusted, which are Off, Contact Only and Everyone.

Receiving Off will not allow sharing, Contacts Only will allow sharing whom you know and are in contact with, Everyone will allow sharing with anyone. If the trouble is occurring in the working of the AirDrop, this can be due to the receiving off or contacts only option being selected.

To enable the transfer, select the everyone option. This can be done by following the given steps.

When adjusting AirDrop settings on iPhone and iPad;

Step 1: Go to Settings.

Step 2: Scroll down and select General.

Step 3: Select AirDrop and click on Everyone.

When adjusting AirDrop settings on Mac;

Step 1: Open Finder Window and select AirDrop.

Step 2: Click the setting prefaced with allow me to be discovered by: and from the drop: down menu, select Everyone.

Method 2: Toggle radios

Toggling. Can’t change settings between two options that are different. Bluetooth and Wifi should work properly to use AirDrop. If there occurs some issue,  it is suggested to reconnect the Wifi and Bluetooth by switching it off and then on.

To toggle off WiFi on iPhone and iPad, follow the given steps:

Step 1: Go to settings from the home screen.

Step 2: Go to Wifi.

Step 3: Click on the WiFi switch twice, the first time to switch it off and the second time to switch it on again.

To toggle off Bluetooth on iPhone and iPad, follow the given steps:

Step 1: Go to settings from the home screen.

Step 2: Go to Bluetooth.

Step 3: Click on the Bluetooth switch twice, the first time to switch it off and the second time to switch it on again.

To toggle off Wifi and Bluetooth on Mac, follow the given steps:

Step 1: From the menu bar, select Wifi and Bluetooth one by one.

Step 2: Click on Wifi to switch it off and then again click on it to switch it on.

Step 3: Click on Bluetooth to switch it off and then again click on it to switch it on.

Turning Off and then On of the airplane mode can also work. After turning on the Airplane mode, toggle all the radios at once.

Method 3: Hard Reset

If the above solutions do not work, try to reset the hard drive. First, maintain the backup of the data as resetting can lead to data loss. There are different steps for different devices to reset the hard drive,

For iPhone 6 and earlier models,

Step 1: On the right side of the handset, press and hold the sleep button.

Step 2: Press and hold the Home button with the sleep button still held.

Step 3: Hold both the buttons till the screen returns and displays the Apple logo.

For iPhone 7,

Step 1: Hold the Volume Down button and the Sleep button at the same time.

Step 2: Continue holding the button till the screen turns blank and again opens with the Apple logo.

Step 3: Leave the button and wait for the restart process to be completed.

For iPhone 8,p and iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11 series, iPhone 12 series, iPhone 13 series;

Step 1: Tap and release the Volume up the button.

Step 2: Tap and release the Volume Down button.

Step 3:Hold the Side button till the Apple logo appears then release it.

For iPad;

Step 1: On the top of the iPad, there is a button present to turn the iPad on and off, press the button for some time.

Step 2: A slider will appear saying Slide to turn off, slide a finger along it and it will be turned off.

Step 3: Again press and hold the top button to turn it on until the apple logo appears on the screen.

For Mac;

Step 1: On the top left of the menubar, there is an Apple logo, click on it.

Step 2: Then select Restart and the reboot process will start.

Step 3: Once it finishes rebooting, switch it on again to see whether the issue is resolved or is still there.

Method 4: Check For Updates

It is possible that the reason behind the AirDrop not working issue can be outdated or older versions of iOS that are less compatible with the AirDrop. The latest version can solve many problems like Bluetooth connectivity, software working, etc.

To update the system on iPhone/iPad, follow the necessary steps mentioned below:

Step 1: Go to the Settings of the device.

Step 2: Click on the General and then go to System Update.

Step 3: Update the system as it is available.

To update the system on Mac, follow the given steps:

Step 1: Open the Apple menu and go to System Preferences.

Step 2: Select Software Update and complete the updates.

Method 5: Reset Networks

If there is no proper internet connection, the AirDrop will not work. The solution to this problem is to reset the network setting which will help in reconnecting with the Wifi and Bluetooth.

Though resetting can be dangerous to the device and also leads to loss of data it becomes necessary for the AirDrop when it is not working and other solutions for not work to solve this issue. The solution to this problem is to reset the network setting which will help in reconnecting with the Wifi and Bluetooth.

After resetting, every Bluetooth and Wifi device is required to be reconnected and check that now it’s getting the proper connection to allow the transfer. To reset the network, follow the steps given below:

On iPhone or iPad

Step 1: Go to Settings.

Step 2: Select General.

Step 3: Click on Reset and select Reset Network Settings. It can ask for a passcode, enter it and confirm.

On Mac

Step 1: Click on the Apple menu present at the top left of the screen.

Step 2: Select System Preferences and click on Networks.

Step 3: List of networks will appear on the left side. Select them.

Step 4: You will see a minus sign at the bottom of the list, click on the minus sign and then on the plus sign to reset it.

Method 6: Contact Apple

After trying all the methods, if still, the AirDrop does not work there can be some technical issue. The final step left is to contact Apple as now they can only solve the issue, it’s beyond the limits of the user.

There’s an official website for customer services, drop the query there or they provide the customer care number, try contacting them. If there is no reply, go to the near Apple store to get the device checked.

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Conclusion

AirDrop allows wireless transferring of files and documents from the Apple device to the other Apple device. This feature is only available to Apple users not to android users. It is easy to transfer the data just by turning on the WiFi and Bluetooth but sometimes the AirDrop does not work which is a common problem faced by its users.

This can happen due to the lack of internet connection or if some glitch occurs and generally when the wifi or Bluetooth are turned off.

There are various ways mentioned above to fix the issue of AirDrop Not Working as it is a very convenient feature provided by Apple for sharing.