9 Fixes for AirDrop Not Working on Mac (2025)

AirDrop not working on Mac is one of those problems that can feel baffling because the feature seems like it should "just work" — and when it doesn't, the error messages are usually vague. Whether AirDrop from iPhone to Mac is not working, your MacBook won't appear as a destination for another device, or transfers get stuck partway through, this guide covers every reliable fix available in 2025.

AirDrop uses a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to transfer files without an internet connection. That dual-radio dependency means there are two places things can go wrong — and the fixes target both.

Table of Contents

• Quick Fix Summary Table
• Why AirDrop Is Not Working on Your Mac
• Fix 1: Turn Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Off and Back On
• Fix 2: Check AirDrop Visibility Settings
• Fix 3: Disable "Block All Incoming Connections" in the Firewall
• Fix 4: Sign Into iCloud on Both Devices
• Fix 5: Move the Devices Closer Together
• Fix 6: Turn Off Personal Hotspot on iPhone
• Fix 7: Restart Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Services via Terminal
• Fix 8: Update macOS and iOS
• Fix 9: Reset Network Settings
• FAQ
• Conclusion

Quick Fix Summary Table

Why AirDrop Is Not Working on Your Mac

AirDrop uses Bluetooth to discover nearby devices and then creates a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection to transfer files. If either radio is compromised, AirDrop fails. Here are the specific causes you're most likely dealing with:

• AirDrop is set to "No One." Your Mac can be configured to be invisible to AirDrop entirely. If someone changed this setting (or a macOS update reset it), your device won't appear as a destination for anyone.
• "Block All Incoming Connections" is enabled in the firewall. macOS Firewall's strictest setting blocks the peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections that AirDrop relies on, even though AirDrop doesn't use the internet.
• Personal Hotspot is active on the iPhone. When an iPhone's Personal Hotspot is turned on, it repurposes the Wi-Fi hardware for sharing cellular data. This disables the device's ability to participate in AirDrop's peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network simultaneously.
• Both devices are not on the same Wi-Fi network. AirDrop creates its own direct Wi-Fi link, but both devices need to have Wi-Fi enabled (not necessarily connected to the same network). If Wi-Fi is off on either device, AirDrop can't establish its transfer channel.
• Bluetooth is off on one or both devices. Bluetooth is how devices discover each other before the Wi-Fi link is established. Without it, neither device appears as an AirDrop destination for the other.
• "Contacts Only" mode and iCloud mismatch. If your Mac is set to accept AirDrop from Contacts Only, and the sending device's Apple ID isn't in your Contacts (or you're not signed into iCloud), your Mac won't appear for that person.
• Devices are too far apart. AirDrop has an approximate range of 9 meters (30 feet) under ideal conditions. Walls, interference, and obstacles can reduce effective range to as little as 3–4 meters.
• macOS or iOS software bug. Specific versions of macOS and iOS have shipped with AirDrop bugs — particularly around iPhone-to-Mac transfers and the interaction between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi hardware sharing.
• Low Power Mode on iPhone. On some iPhone models and iOS versions, Low Power Mode throttles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth behavior in ways that interfere with AirDrop's peer-to-peer discovery.
• Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode blocking transfers. Certain Focus modes can block incoming AirDrop requests on the receiving device.

Fix 1: Turn Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Off and Back On

AirDrop depends on both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi being active and functioning correctly. Cycling both radios clears any temporary state that might be blocking discovery or the file transfer channel.

On your Mac:

Step 1: Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar (or go to System Settings > Wi-Fi) and toggle Wi-Fi off. Wait 10 seconds, then toggle it back on.

Step 2: Click the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar (or go to System Settings > Bluetooth) and toggle Bluetooth off. Wait 10 seconds, then toggle it back on.

Step 3: Re-connect to your Wi-Fi network if your Mac doesn't reconnect automatically.

On your iPhone or iPad (the sending device):

Step 4: Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and toggle it off, wait 10 seconds, toggle it back on.

Step 5: Go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle it off, wait 10 seconds, toggle it back on.

Tip: Swiping up to Control Center on iPhone and tapping Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in the Control Center does NOT fully disable these radios — it disconnects from networks and devices temporarily but leaves the hardware active for features like AirDrop and Handoff. To fully cycle the radios, always use the Settings app.

Step 6: After both devices have their radios back on, try the AirDrop transfer again. On Mac, you can open Finder > AirDrop to see nearby devices; on iPhone, use the share sheet and look for the AirDrop section.

Fix 2: Check AirDrop Visibility Settings

Your Mac has three AirDrop visibility modes, and the wrong setting is one of the most common reasons your Mac doesn't appear as a destination on another device.

On your Mac:

Step 1: Open Finder and click AirDrop in the left sidebar. If AirDrop isn't in the sidebar, go to Finder menu bar > Go > AirDrop.

Step 2: At the bottom of the AirDrop window, look for the Allow me to be discovered by dropdown. Set it to one of:

• Contacts Only — your Mac only appears for people whose contact info matches your iCloud account
• Everyone — your Mac appears for any nearby Apple device (most useful for troubleshooting)

Step 3: Set it to Everyone temporarily for testing. If your Mac now appears as a destination, the issue was with the Contacts Only filter.

Tip: On macOS Ventura and later, you can also find the AirDrop setting via System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff. Make sure AirDrop is set to "Contacts Only" or "Everyone" — not "No One."

On your iPhone (receiving):

Step 4: Go to Settings > General > AirDrop. Set it to Everyone for 10 Minutes or Contacts Only.

Step 5: Note that Everyone for 10 Minutes is a timed setting in iOS 16 and later. After 10 minutes, it reverts to Contacts Only automatically. If you need permanent Everyone visibility, you'll need to re-enable it after each 10-minute window.

Fix 3: Disable "Block All Incoming Connections" in the Firewall

macOS has a firewall option that blocks all incoming connections to your Mac — including the peer-to-peer connections that AirDrop uses to receive files. This setting is sometimes enabled on work Macs or after a security-conscious macOS configuration.

Step 1: Click Apple menu () > System Settings > Network > Firewall (on macOS Ventura and later). On older macOS, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall.

Step 2: Check whether the firewall is turned on. If it's on, click Options (Ventura) or Firewall Options (older macOS).

Step 3: Look for the option Block all incoming connections. If this checkbox is enabled, uncheck it.

Step 4: Click OK to save the change.

Step 5: Test AirDrop again. You don't need to disable the firewall entirely — just make sure "Block all incoming connections" is turned off, as AirDrop can work fine with the firewall active as long as this specific option is disabled.

Tip: If you're on a work Mac with managed security profiles, you may not have permission to change firewall settings. Contact your IT administrator if the firewall options are greyed out or locked.

Fix 4: Sign Into iCloud on Both Devices

If your Mac's AirDrop is set to Contacts Only, it uses iCloud to match the sender's Apple ID against your Contacts database. If either device isn't signed into iCloud, this matching process can fail — making your Mac invisible to the sender even when the setting appears correct.

On your Mac:

Step 1: Click Apple menu () > System Settings > [Your Name] to check iCloud status. If you see "Sign In" at the top, you're not signed into iCloud — click it and sign in.

Step 2: Once signed in, confirm that Contacts is enabled in your iCloud sync list. Go to System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and scroll down to check that the Contacts toggle is on.

On your iPhone:

Step 3: Go to Settings > [Your Name] and confirm the Apple ID shown is the correct one.

Step 4: If you want to transfer from iPhone to Mac and your Mac is set to Contacts Only, make sure the iPhone's Apple ID is listed as a contact in your Mac's Contacts app. You can add yourself: open Contacts, create a new contact with your Apple ID email address attached.

Tip: The simplest workaround for iCloud or Contacts-related AirDrop issues is to set both devices to Everyone temporarily for the duration of the transfer, then switch back to Contacts Only afterward.

Fix 5: Move the Devices Closer Together

AirDrop uses Bluetooth Low Energy for device discovery, which has a practical range of around 9 meters under ideal conditions. In real-world environments — with walls, metal furniture, microwave ovens, and other 2.4 GHz interference — the effective range can drop to 3–4 meters. If you're trying to AirDrop across a room or through a wall, proximity matters more than you might expect.

Step 1: Move the sending device and your Mac to within 1–2 meters of each other. Set them on the same desk if possible.

Step 2: Make sure there are no large metal objects between the devices — metal blocks both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi signals effectively.

Step 3: Retry the AirDrop transfer. With devices this close, signal strength shouldn't be a limiting factor.

Step 4: If AirDrop now works at close range but fails at the normal distance you use, you may have persistent interference in your environment. USB 3.0 hubs, certain monitors, and external hard drives all generate 2.4 GHz interference that can reduce AirDrop range.

Tip: USB 3.0 devices are a well-documented source of 2.4 GHz radio interference. If you have an external drive, USB hub, or USB 3.0 device plugged directly into your Mac, try unplugging it before testing AirDrop. Apple's own support documentation acknowledges this interference issue.

Fix 6: Turn Off Personal Hotspot on iPhone

When an iPhone is sharing its cellular connection as a Personal Hotspot, the Wi-Fi hardware on the phone is repurposed to broadcast the hotspot network. This prevents the phone from simultaneously joining the peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network that AirDrop uses. Turning off the hotspot restores full AirDrop functionality.

Step 1: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot.

Step 2: Toggle Allow Others to Join to off. If any devices are connected to your hotspot, they'll lose their internet connection immediately.

Step 3: Wait 10 seconds for the hotspot to fully deactivate and the Wi-Fi hardware to return to its normal operating mode.

Step 4: Try the AirDrop transfer again. The iPhone should now appear as an AirDrop destination on your Mac (and vice versa).

Tip: If you need the hotspot and AirDrop simultaneously, the practical workaround is to transfer via iCloud instead — save the file to iCloud Drive on one device and access it on the other. AirDrop and Personal Hotspot cannot be active at the same time on the same iPhone.

Fix 7: Restart Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Services via Terminal

When the standard radio toggles don't resolve discovery issues, restarting the underlying macOS services responsible for AirDrop via Terminal gives a more thorough reset without requiring a full Mac reboot.

Step 1: Open Terminal — press Command + Space, type Terminal, and press Return.

Step 2: Restart the Bluetooth daemon by running:

sudo pkill bluetoothd

Enter your administrator password when prompted. The Bluetooth daemon will restart automatically within a few seconds.

Step 3: Restart the AirDrop-related networking service by running:

sudo ifconfig awdl0 down && sudo ifconfig awdl0 up

The awdl0 interface is Apple Wireless Direct Link — the proprietary Wi-Fi protocol that AirDrop (and also Handoff and Sidecar) uses for peer-to-peer communication. Bringing it down and back up forces a fresh initialization.

Step 4: Close Terminal and wait 15 seconds for the services to fully reinitialize.

Step 5: Open Finder > AirDrop on your Mac and check whether nearby devices now appear.

Tip: If you see an error like Operation not permitted when running the ifconfig awdl0 command, try adding sudo at the beginning: sudo ifconfig awdl0 down && sudo ifconfig awdl0 up. On some macOS versions, this interface requires elevated privileges to modify.

Fix 8: Update macOS and iOS

AirDrop compatibility between macOS and iOS versions can break when one device is significantly behind on updates. Apple has also shipped fixes for specific AirDrop bugs in point releases of both operating systems.

Updating macOS:

Step 1: Click Apple menu () > System Settings > General > Software Update.

Step 2: If an update is available, click Update Now and follow the prompts. Your Mac restarts as part of the process.

Step 3: After updating, test AirDrop before installing other apps or making other changes — this isolates whether the update fixed the issue.

Updating iOS on iPhone or iPad:

Step 4: On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

Step 5: If an update is available, tap Download and Install. Connect to Wi-Fi and plug in to charge if the download is large.

Step 6: After both devices are on their latest software versions, retry the AirDrop transfer.

Tip: Compatibility is best when both your Mac and iPhone are on recent software. Trying to AirDrop between a Mac on an old version of macOS and an iPhone on a newer iOS version is a known source of failures — Apple's AirDrop implementation has evolved, and very old macOS versions sometimes can't receive files from newer iOS devices.

Fix 9: Reset Network Settings

If all other fixes have failed, a corrupted network configuration on your Mac or iPhone may be preventing AirDrop from establishing its peer-to-peer link. Resetting network settings on the iPhone is quick and non-destructive (no data is deleted). On the Mac, you'll need to remove and recreate network location settings.

Resetting network settings on iPhone:

Step 1: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset.

Step 2: Tap Reset Network Settings. Enter your passcode if prompted.

Step 3: Your iPhone will restart. Wi-Fi networks and passwords, VPN configurations, and Bluetooth pairings are cleared. You'll need to reconnect to Wi-Fi networks.

Step 4: After the reset and restart, test AirDrop from your iPhone to your Mac.

Removing and recreating network locations on Mac:

Step 5: Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Network.

Step 6: Click the Location dropdown at the top and choose Edit Locations.

Step 7: Click the + button to create a new location named something like "Home" or "Default." Select it, then click Done.

Step 8: Reconnect to your Wi-Fi network with the new location selected. Test AirDrop again.

Tip: Before resetting network settings on iPhone, take a screenshot of your Wi-Fi passwords or store them in a password manager. The reset will clear all saved networks, and you'll need to re-enter passwords manually.

FAQ

Why does AirDrop from iPhone to Mac keep failing midway through a transfer?

Partial transfer failures usually mean the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer link is dropping during the transfer. This can happen when the devices are at the edge of their Bluetooth/Wi-Fi range, when there's heavy interference, or when the iPhone's Personal Hotspot activates mid-transfer. Move the devices closer together, disable Personal Hotspot, and try again. For large files, also consider whether iCloud Drive or a cable transfer via Finder would be more reliable.

Why doesn't my Mac show up in AirDrop on my iPhone even after enabling Everyone?

The most common cause is that the Mac's AirDrop window in Finder isn't open. AirDrop on Mac becomes more "visible" to nearby devices when the AirDrop pane is actively open in Finder. Open Finder, click Go > AirDrop, and leave that window open while you try to send from your iPhone. Also confirm Bluetooth is on and that the Mac's AirDrop setting is set to Everyone, not No One.

Can I use AirDrop between an iPhone and a Mac that aren't on the same Wi-Fi network?

Yes. AirDrop doesn't require both devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network — it creates a direct peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection between the two devices. You just need Wi-Fi to be enabled (not necessarily connected to a network) on both devices. The only requirement is physical proximity (within roughly 9 meters) and both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi being active on both devices.

Why is AirDrop slow when transferring large files?

AirDrop's transfer speed is limited by the peer-to-peer Wi-Fi link speed, which varies based on signal quality, distance, and interference. On newer Macs with Wi-Fi 6 capability paired with a newer iPhone, you can get very fast transfers. On older hardware, or when there's interference from USB 3.0 devices or crowded 2.4 GHz networks, speeds can drop significantly. For large files, using a USB cable and Finder (or iCloud Drive) will often be faster and more reliable than AirDrop.

Does AirDrop work on non-Apple devices?

No. AirDrop uses Apple's proprietary AWDL (Apple Wireless Direct Link) protocol, which is not publicly licensed. Android devices, Windows PCs, and Linux machines can't send or receive via AirDrop natively. For cross-platform file transfers, alternatives include Google Drive, Dropbox, or tools like LocalSend (which is an open-source AirDrop equivalent that works across all platforms).

Conclusion

When AirDrop is not working on your Mac, the most effective path is to start by cycling both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on both devices, then verify that AirDrop is set to Everyone (not No One) and that the macOS firewall isn't blocking all incoming connections. These three checks alone resolve the vast majority of AirDrop failures between iPhone and Mac.

For cases that don't respond to those quick fixes, turning off iPhone's Personal Hotspot, keeping devices within 2 meters of each other, and restarting the AWDL networking interface via Terminal will handle most remaining scenarios. Updating both macOS and iOS is the best long-term investment, as compatibility and reliability improve consistently with each release.