AirDrop not working on a Mac? 7 fixes to try

2 min read · 7 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Bring the two devices within 10 metres, switch on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both, and set AirDrop on the receiving device to Everyone. If the other device still does not appear, restart both devices.

AirDrop sends files between Apple devices without cables or the internet. When the other device does not show up, the cause is nearly always a switch in the wrong position on one of the two devices.

Menu names are from recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings. The pictures are our own screenshots from macOS Tahoe 26 on a MacBook Pro.

Step by step

  1. Move the devices closer

    Apple gives a range of about 10 metres (30 feet). Walls and other radio devices shorten it. Put the devices next to each other for the test.

  2. Switch on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both

    AirDrop needs both, on the sender and on the receiver. The devices do not have to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

  3. Turn AirDrop on at the Mac

    Click Control Centre in the menu bar and click the AirDrop icon. When it is blue, AirDrop is on.

  4. Part of the Mac System Settings window: Set receiving to Everyone

    Set receiving to Everyone

    On the device that should receive the file, set AirDrop to Everyone. On the Mac the setting is also under System Settings, General, AirDrop & Continuity. Our picture shows it set to Contacts Only.

  5. Check the contact card if you use Contacts Only

    With Contacts Only, the receiver must have the email address or phone number of your Apple Account in your contact card. If you are not sure, use Everyone for the transfer.

  6. Wake and unlock the other device

    An iPhone or iPad has to be awake and unlocked to appear as a recipient.

  7. Restart both devices

    Apple's last step: restart your device and try again.

Good to know

On a Mac, received files are saved in the Downloads folder. Some items let you choose where to save them.

After the transfer, set AirDrop back to Contacts Only or No One, so that strangers cannot send you files in public places.

How sending works: how to use AirDrop on a Mac and how to use AirDrop on an iPhone.

If Bluetooth itself is the problem: Mac Bluetooth not working: 7 fixes to try.

In short: Close together, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, AirDrop on, receiving set to Everyone, restart.

Sources
  • Apple Support: Use AirDrop to send items to nearby Apple devices

Rules and prices change. Check the official source before you act.