Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
Overview
AirDrop lets users wirelessly share photos, videos, documents, and more with a nearby iPhone, iPad, or Mac. It uses Bluetooth to discover nearby devices and Wi-Fi to send the content. AirDrop transfers are encrypted.
A user can share with a nearby device without signing in to an Apple Account. The recipient can accept or decline each transfer as it arrives. When both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account, transfers are accepted automatically.
AirDrop works between nearby devices unless a device management service restricts it.
Requirements and expected behavior
AirDrop requires both devices to have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on and to be awake and unlocked. The devices must also be within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other. Turn off Personal Hotspot when using AirDrop. For the steps on each platform, see the Apple Support article How to use AirDrop on iPhone and iPad and Use AirDrop to send items to nearby Apple devices in the Mac User Guide.
A device’s AirDrop receiving setting controls which nearby devices can discover it. On iPhone and iPad, the options are Receiving Off, Contacts Only, and Everyone for 10 Minutes. On Mac, the options are No One, Contacts Only, and Everyone. When Everyone for 10 Minutes is selected, iOS 16.2 or later reverts it after 10 minutes to Contacts Only if the device is signed in to an Apple Account, or to Receiving Off if it isn’t.
With Contacts Only, both devices need to be signed in to an Apple Account, and each user needs the other user’s Apple Account email address or phone number in the Contacts app.
If the sender isn’t in the recipient’s contacts, devices with iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2, and macOS 26.2 or later require a one-time AirDrop code. The recipient shares the code, the sender enters it, and the two can then exchange items for 30 days. Each user then appears in the other’s Other Known list in the Contacts app. A user can review or remove these contacts in Manage Known AirDrop Contacts (in AirDrop settings) or in the Contacts app.
On an iPhone with iOS 17 or later, holding two iPhone devices together also starts sharing. This works when Settings > General > AirDrop > Start Sharing By is set to Bringing Devices Together. The same setting also controls NameDrop, which shares contact information instead of an item.
A transfer that has started doesn’t need the devices to stay in range. If they leave Bluetooth or Wi-Fi range, AirDrop completes the transfer over the internet on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. On iPhone and iPad, the transfer continues over cellular when Settings > General > AirDrop > Out of Range is set to Use Cellular Data.
A device management service can prevent AirDrop or restrict sharing between managed and unmanaged destinations.
Reported behavior
What a user describes usually points toward the cause. A user may report that:
Nearby devices don’t appear in AirDrop
A transfer stays in a waiting state or fails
AirDrop appears unavailable
AirDrop works with some devices but not others
AirDrop asks for a code before a transfer starts
Holding two iPhone devices together doesn’t start a transfer or share contact information
AirDrop is unavailable on a managed device
Isolating the issue
When nearby devices don’t appear, check the requirements first. A device won’t appear if Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is turned off, or if it’s asleep, locked, or out of range.
The recipient’s receiving setting determines who can see the device. When set to Contacts Only, a sender who isn’t in the recipient’s contacts won’t appear.
In the sender’s share sheet, a recipient that matches a contact appears with a first name and photo. A recipient that doesn’t match appears in the Other People section with a silhouette and the device’s name.
When devices appear but the transfer fails, the connection or the receiving device is the likely cause. On Mac, check whether the firewall is blocking incoming connections. Wireless interference can also slow or stop a transfer. See Block connections to your Mac with a firewall in the Mac User Guide and the Apple Support article Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless interference.
When AirDrop is dimmed or unavailable as a sharing option, a restriction may be the cause. Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time can turn AirDrop off, and a configuration profile or device management service can remove it entirely.
Send in the opposite direction to determine whether the issue is with the sender or the recipient. Try another nearby device, or the same device in another location, to see whether the problem follows a device, a user, or a place.
Troubleshooting
If devices don’t appear in AirDrop:
Confirm both devices have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.
Check the receiving setting.
Confirm both devices are awake, unlocked, and within range.
Turn off Personal Hotspot.
Rule out an AirDrop restriction from Screen Time, a configuration profile, or a device management service.
If the receiving setting is Contacts Only:
Confirm both devices are signed in to an Apple Account.
Confirm each user’s Apple Account email address or phone number is in the other’s contacts.
To rule out a contact-matching problem, set the recipient’s receiving setting to Everyone, then try again.
If the recipient isn’t in the sender’s contacts:
Have the recipient share the AirDrop code, then enter it on the sending device.
To stop sharing before the 30 days are up, remove the person from Manage Known AirDrop Contacts in AirDrop settings, or select Forget This Person in the Other Known list in Contacts.
If holding two iPhone devices together doesn’t start a transfer:
Confirm both iPhone devices have Bringing Devices Together turned on.
Select the recipient in the share sheet instead, to confirm AirDrop itself works.
Restart the recipient’s iPhone, then try again.
If transfers fail after devices appear:
Send a small file as a test.
Check Wi-Fi connectivity on both devices.
Confirm the receiving device has sufficient storage.
On Mac, check the firewall and incoming connection settings.
Try the transfer in the opposite direction.
Test with another nearby device.
Restart the recipient’s iPhone, then try again.
If AirDrop remains unavailable:
Restart both devices.
Update both devices to the latest software.
Confirm Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work outside AirDrop.
On iPhone or iPad, check Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps & Features, and confirm AirDrop is allowed.
On iPhone or iPad, reset network settings, then rejoin Wi-Fi and try again.
Managed environments
A device management service may leave AirDrop unrestricted. When it does restrict AirDrop, it can either prevent it entirely or allow it while preventing organizational data from moving to unmanaged destinations. In that case, personal content still transfers, but organizational data doesn’t.
Before changing settings on a managed device, confirm whether the behavior is expected under the organization’s policy. If it isn’t, check with the device management administrator.