Ultimate Guide On How To Fix Airdrop When Not Working

• The MacBook Pro that was introduced in late 2008 or later, excluding the MacBook Pro 17-inch, Late 2008
• The MacBook Air model introduced in late 2010 or later
• The MacBook introduced in late 2008 or later, excluding the white MacBook launched in Late 2008
• The iMac introduced in early 2009 or later
• Mac mini introduced in mid-2010 or later
• Mac Pro introduced in early 2009 or mid-2010
• All models of iMac Pro

Airdrop Not Working? How to fix airdrop?

In the following section, we will cover up some ways by which you can fix Airdrop.

1. Is Airplane mode activated?

It is possible when Airplane mode is on airdrop will stop working. Because when the Airplane mode is on, it disables all cellular connections like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on which AirDrop relies on for work. Make sure you turn that off by going to Settings and toggle off the Airplane Mode.

Or you can swipe up for iPhone 8 and older versions or swipe down from the top right corner for iPhone X and later model to access Control Center and deselecting on the Airplane mode icon.

2. Are you in Do Not Disturb mode?

As we discussed above, turning on Airplane Mode turns off both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth which is required by Airdrop to work. If you have enabled your Do Not Disturb mode, Airdrop will stop working. Here is what you need to do, Open the Settings on your device to switch it off. 

To turn off Do Not Disturb mode:

          • If Airdrop not working on iPhone or other iOS devices, Open settings> Toggle off Do Not Disturb by tapping Moon Icon

          • If an airdrop is not working on Macs: Click the Notifications icon available on the menu bar > Scroll up > Turn off Do Not Disturb mode i

Moreover, the Do Not Disturb (DND) mode is suitable for ensuring that you get some sleep at night or can focus at work, it creates big problems with AirDrop if you are trying to receive the internet connection. Not only does it stop any upcoming notifications but also it makes your device unable to be seen by others. 

3. Is a personal hotspot on?

Another reason for Airdrop not working can be because of Personal Hotspot is turned on. This happens because both features rely on the Wi-Fi connection. We recommend you to turn off Personal Hotspot to fix Airdrop.

To do so, head over to Settings on your iPhone, tap on Personal Hotspot, and switch the toggle off to deactivate the same. You might need TO manually disconnect your MAC once Personal Hotspot is turned off on your iPhone. 

4. Is your device discoverable in AirDrop?

If your device is not discoverable, AirDrop will stop working. Here’s what you are required to do to let others see your device in AirDrop.

Go to finder on your Mac, then click on AirDrop in the left hand sidebar. Once you have reached there you will be able to configure who you’d like to share contents with by using one of these three settings:

No One: If choose this option no one will be able to see you, but it will be possible for you to share files with others.

Contacts Only: Only the people in your contact list will be able to see your device in AirDrop. But as a necessary condition, both devices need to have each other’s phone number or Apple ID and be signed in to iCloud to work

Everyone: If you select this option everyone who’s using AirDrop and is nearby can see your device.

5. Check files type for multiple shares via AirDrop

If you have used AirDrop service before you would have noticed that your iPhone, iPad, iPod automatically opens the file received with the appropriate app.

So if you are trying to send multiple files of different types at the same time it won’t be successful. An error message will pop up on your screen which says: “Cannot receive all of these items at the same time”.To get rid of this issue try to send one type of file at a time.

6. Check your Mac firewall settings

Many people report MAC firewall settings as a reason why Airdrop is not working. If your Firewall has been enabled it will block certain or all incoming connections, which will let you report an issue of “AirDrop not working”.

To turn MAC firewall settings off, go to your Mac System Preferences from the Apple menu available in the upper left corner. Click on the Security & Privacy icon, then click on the Firewall tab.

If you want to make any changes to the settings, you will need to click on the Lock icon available at the lower-left corner of the windows and then enter your administrative password when prompted.

Click on Firewall Options and then deselect the box next to “Block all incoming connections.”

7. Is your Mac using Ethernet?

Another reason why your Airdrop is not working because you might be using a wired connection. Despite wireless connection is much more convenient than a wired connection, some people might prefer ethernet because of speed. If you happen to be one of those people disconnect the wired connection from your Mac and then turn on Wi-Fi. Now try to send a file using AirDrop and it will surely work.

8. Update your iOS and macOS  

Another reason why airdrop is not working on iPhone and MAC is that the devices are not updated. We recommended you to keep your iOS devices and MAC updated with the latest software. Failing to do so may cause certain functionality issues on your device. To update your iOS device, go to the control center or Settings > General > Software Update. The system will check if there’s any update available for your device. Now, Tap on Download and Install to update your device.

For Mac laptops and computers, click on the Apple logo, then on About this Mac, and lastly select Software update. Download and install if any update is available

This was our complete guide on how to fix the “AirDrop not working” problem. We believe we have provided the solution to your issue. If any of these still don’t work, you need to visit the Apple store for the same.