AirDrop has always been a quick and convenient way to transfer files between Apple's devices. You can use it to easily share photos, documents, videos, audio recordings, contact cards, web links, notes and other data between iPads, iPhones and Macs. You can also use AirDrop to transfer those files to nearby contacts (as long as they have iOS or MacOS) and it works with any iOS device with iOS 7 or newer and Macs running OS X Yosemite or newer.
For a detailed explanation of how to use AirDrop, check out our guide here. But even if you follow these steps, sometimes AirDrop can fail. Here are a few possible reasons why it's not working.
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Bluetooth or Wi-Fi isn't on
AirDrop uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to discover devices and share files. So both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi need to be turned on in order for it to work. If even one of the connections is disabled, AirDrop will not work. If you're having trouble with either of these connections, you can try toggling these features off and on again. To do so, simply head to Settings or Control Center and enable both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Personal Hotspot is enabled
If your phone or tablet's Personal Hotspot feature is turned on, that might prevent AirDrop from working. Make sure that's disabled and make sure that the other device also has it turned off. A VPN connection might also create issues with AirDrop. If you're using a VPN, make sure that local networking is allowed. Otherwise, try disabling it in case you're having issues with AirDrop.
You can double-check your AirDrop settings from the Control Center using these menus. Nicole Lee/CNET
AirDrop is set to Receiving Off
Another reason AirDrop might not be working is that your AirDrop settings are incorrect. If you have it as "Receiving Off," no one can AirDrop files to you. To correct this, you need to do the following:
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