AirDrop is one of those features that when you first use it, you’re like, “That’s awesome.” It’s one of my favorite features, so much so that I use it almost every day. However, there are times when AirDrop not working and that can be very frustrating. Here we collect solutions to the most common AirDrop errors.
What devices are compatible with AirDrop
AirDrop has been with us for a good season. In fact, he already has more than ten years behind him. This makes the devices compatible with AirDrop are numerous, so there is normally no need to worry about this problem. Either way, here are the minimum requirements to use AirDrop:
- iPhone 5 with iOS 7 and later.
- iPad 4 with iOS 7 and later.
- iPod touch with fifth generation iOS 7 or later.
- All Macs from 2012 with OS X Yosemite.
Additionally, there are older Mac models that they support parachutingbut only between Mac devices. You won’t be able to transfer AirDrop items from these computers to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
The Simple Solution to Fix AirDrop: Restart Your Computers
If you already know that your devices support AirDrop because you’ve used it before, you can a simple reboot fixed the issues. On your Mac, tap the apple menu and select restart. On your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, perform the appropriate combination to turn the device off and on again.
A few months ago AirDrop stopped working for me on the iPhone with my MacBook Air. All I had to do was restart the iPhone only. to correct the problem.
Check your AirDrop settings
Luckily, there are only a few settings to check if AirDrop is working. The first is to go on your iPhone to Settings > General > AirDrop and you choose to be active for contacts or everyone (The former prevents anyone from trying to AirDrop things to you.) On your Mac, open Control Center and in AirDrop you’ll see those same options. There are times when completely turning AirDrop off and on again can make it work again.
To make sure everything is fine to use AirDrop, you need to check if the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas are active. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth & Wi-Fi to turn them on and off. And on Mac, do the same from its control center. This way you make sure to restart the connections you had active.
Other Ways to Fix AirDrop Not Working
There are times when AirDrop does not work because we share the Internet. If we have the iPhone Personal Hotspot active, AirDrop won’t work. To send photos and documents with AirDrop, you need to disable the hotspot from Settings > Personal hotspot. When you’re done sharing with AirDrop, you can easily turn it back on later.
AirDrop relies on your device’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication antennas, so it’s limited by them. You must be within range to be able to transmit, about 10 meters. If you think the two devices are too far apart, move them closer together.
You can fix an AirDrop not working very easily, but if the error persists, you should contact Apple Support
Other times, AirDrop may not work because the receiving device is locked. If it’s an iPhone, unlock it with Face ID, Touch ID or passcode and accept AirDrop content delivery. If it’s a Mac, wake it up if it was sleeping and enter the password if needed.
If none of these solved your problem and AirDrop still isn’t working, there’s one last thing you can try first. go to Apple Support. This is to put the iPhone into DFU mode. This is a time consuming solution and that is why it is recommended that before diving into it, you go through all the solutions that we have detailed throughout the article.
With this already you should have made AirDrop work for you again. If so, great, now you can share things between Apple Teams at lightning speed.
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