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Airdropping is a convenient way to share files wirelessly between Apple devices. It allows you to quickly and easily transfer files, photos, videos, and other types of data from your iPhone to your Mac without the need for an internet connection or a cloud service. In this article, we will explain why you might want to use airdrop, what you need to do in order to use it, and how to actually perform the transfer.
Is AirDrop through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth?
AirDrop uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transfer files between devices. When you initiate an AirDrop transfer, your Mac or iOS device will use Bluetooth to establish a connection with the other device. Once the connection is established, your device will automatically switch to using Wi-Fi to transfer the actual data. This allows AirDrop to transfer files quickly and efficiently, without using up all of your device’s battery power.
6 Ways to Airdrop from iPhone to Mac
Using AirDrop directly
Before you can start sending files with Airdrop, you’ll need to make sure that both your iPhone and Mac are using the same Wi-Fi network, and both devices must be compatible with airdrop. This means that they must be running at least iOS 7 on the iPhone, and OS X Yosemite on the Mac. If your devices meet these requirements, then you are ready to start using airdrop to transfer files.
Step 1. Enable Airdrop
On your iPhone, open the Control Center. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen if you’re using an iPhone 8 or earlier. On an iPhone X or later, swipe down from the top right of the screen.
Step 2. Tap the "AirDrop" icon, then select the best option for your situation. If you’re sending files to someone else, choose "Contacts Only" or "Everyone."
Step 3. On your Mac, open a Finder window. Click on the "AirDrop" option in the sidebar. Choose the best option for your situation, then click "Allow."
Step 4. Send files
On your iPhone, open the app that contains the file you want to transfer. Tap the "Share" icon in the bottom left corner. Tap the "AirDrop" icon, then select the Mac you want to send the file to.
On your Mac, a window will pop up asking you to accept the file. Click "Accept" to save the file to your Downloads folder.
Using iCloud Drive
To airdrop files from your iPhone to your Mac using iCloud Drive, both devices must be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID and have iCloud Drive turned on. Additionally, both devices must be compatible with airdrop and be connected to the same wireless network.
- To start the transfer, open the app on your iPhone that contains the files you want to transfer. For example, if you want to transfer a photo, you would open the Photos app.
- Once you have located the files you want to transfer, tap the "share" button in the app.
- This will bring up a list of available options for sharing the files. Tap the "airdrop" option, and a list of nearby devices that are compatible with airdrop will be displayed.
- Select your Mac from the list, and the files will be transferred wirelessly to your Mac.
- The files will automatically be saved to your iCloud Drive folder on your Mac, which you can access by opening the Finder and selecting "iCloud Drive" from the sidebar. From there, you can move the files to a different location on your Mac if desired.
Using Email
- On your iPhone, open the app that you want to share a file from. For example, if you want to share a photo from your camera roll, open the Photos app.
- Select the file that you want to share and tap the share icon (usually a square with an arrow pointing up).
- In the list of options that appears, tap the Mail icon.
- This will open the Mail app on your iPhone and create a new email message with the file attached.
- Enter your Mac’s email address in the "To" field and tap Send.
- On your Mac, open your email client and download the file from the email message that you received from your iPhone.
Using USB Cable
To transfer files using Airdrop from an iPhone to a Mac using a USB cable, you will need to use a feature called "Airdrop over Ethernet". To do this, follow these steps:
- Connect your iPhone to your Mac using a USB cable.
- On your iPhone, go to the "Settings" app and tap on "General".
- Tap on "Airdrop" and set it to "Allow me to be discovered by: Contacts Only" or "Everyone". This will make your iPhone visible to other devices for Airdrop.
- On your Mac, open the Finder and click on "Airdrop" in the sidebar.
- Your iPhone should now be visible in the list of available devices. Click on it to initiate the transfer.
- On your iPhone, you will be prompted to allow the transfer. Tap "Accept" to continue.
- Select the files you want to transfer and tap "Send". The files will begin transferring to your Mac.
- Once the transfer is complete, you can find the files in the "Downloads" folder on your Mac.
Using Bluetooth
To use Airdrop to transfer files from your iPhone to your Mac using Bluetooth, follow these steps:
- Make sure that your iPhone and Mac are signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID.
- On your iPhone, go to the app or file that you want to share, then tap the share button.
- In the share sheet, tap the Airdrop icon.
- In the Airdrop menu, select your Mac from the list of nearby devices.
- On your Mac, you will see a notification asking if you want to accept the file. Click "Accept" to receive the file.
Keep in mind that Airdrop uses Bluetooth to establish a connection between devices, but it uses Wi-Fi to actually transfer the files. This means that you need to have both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled on your devices in order for Airdrop to work.
Using Send Anywhere
If you don’t want to use Airdrop to transfer files from your iPhone to your Mac, you can use a third-party app such as Send Anywhere. Send Anywhere is a file-sharing app that allows users to transfer files between devices over the internet. It is available for iOS, Android, and desktop platforms, and it uses a combination of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the internet to transfer files. The app is free to use and does not require an account to send or receive files. It is an alternative to Apple’s Airdrop feature, which is built into iOS and macOS and allows users to transfer files between devices using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Download and install the Send Anywhere app on both your iPhone and your Mac.
- On your iPhone, open the Send Anywhere app and tap the "Send" button.
- Select the files that you want to transfer, then tap "Next".
- On your Mac, open the Send Anywhere app and click the "Receive" button.
- On your iPhone, tap the "Send" button to start the transfer.
- On your Mac, you will see a notification indicating that a file transfer is incoming. Click "Accept" to receive the file.
- Send Anywhere uses a combination of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and the internet to transfer files, so you will need to have all three enabled on your devices in order for it to work.
Why Won’t My iPhone Let Me AirDrop to My Mac?
There are several potential reasons why you might be unable to AirDrop from your iPhone to your Mac. Some possible reasons include:
- Your iPhone and Mac are not signed in to the same iCloud account. In order to AirDrop between an iPhone and a Mac, both devices must be signed in to the same iCloud account.
- Your iPhone and Mac are not in close proximity to each other. AirDrop uses Bluetooth to establish a connection between devices, so they must be within Bluetooth range (usually around 30 feet) in order to transfer files.
- Your iPhone and Mac are not using compatible versions of iOS and macOS. In order to use AirDrop, both devices must be using relatively recent versions of their respective operating systems.
- Your iPhone and Mac have AirDrop turned off. AirDrop must be turned on in order to transfer files, so make sure that it is enabled on both devices.
If you’re still having trouble with AirDrop after trying these steps, you may want to try restarting both your iPhone and your Mac. This can sometimes resolve issues with AirDrop. You can also try using AirDrop in a different location to see if that helps.
Why Is My Mac Not Showing up on AirDrop?
There are several possible reasons why your Mac may not be showing up on AirDrop. Some common reasons include:
- Your Mac is not within range of the other device you are trying to AirDrop to or from. AirDrop only works over short distances, so both devices need to be relatively close to each other in order to use AirDrop.
- Your Mac’s Bluetooth or Wi-Fi may be turned off, or there may be a problem with your Mac’s Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection. AirDrop uses Bluetooth to establish a connection between devices, and then uses Wi-Fi to transfer data. So, if either of these is not working correctly, it can prevent AirDrop from working.
- You may have AirDrop turned off on your Mac. You can check if AirDrop is turned on by opening the Finder on your Mac and selecting "AirDrop" from the left-hand menu. If AirDrop is not listed, or if it is grayed out, then it is likely turned off.
- The other device you are trying to AirDrop to or from may not be compatible with AirDrop. AirDrop is only available on certain Mac models and iOS devices. So, if the other device is not one of these, it may not be able to use AirDrop.
- The other device may have AirDrop turned off, or may not have AirDrop enabled for the type of content you are trying to transfer. For example, if you are trying to AirDrop a file from your Mac to an iPhone, the iPhone may not have AirDrop enabled for that type of file. You can check the other device’s AirDrop settings to see if this is the case.
Airdrop is a great way to quickly share files between your iPhone and Mac. Just make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network and have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled. Then, choose who can send you files and send away! Now that you know how to use Airdrop to transfer files between your iPhone and Mac, you’ll be able to quickly share files with friends, family, and colleagues.