How to Use AirDrop: a Guide for iPhone, Mac, and iPad

what is an airdrop

Since both devices are assumed to be yours, the transfer is accepted automatically. You now know how to share files using AirDrop. Want to transfer across platforms? Check out how to share files between Android and iPhone.

Some people get a kick out of sending memes — or more unwelcome, lewd content — to complete strangers with AirDrop. Thankfully, Apple gives you a few different options for limiting how easily you can be reached with the feature. This article explains how to use AirDrop on your iPhone including how enable it, send a file, and accept or decline a file AirDropped to you on iPhones with iOS 14 through iOS 11.

what is an airdrop

Since 2011, he has published nearly 6,000 articles, from breaking news and reviews to useful how-tos. Some third-party apps support AirDrop. However, it’s up to developers to include AirDrop support in their apps, so not everything you download from the App Store works with AirDrop. Right click the document that you wish to share.

On Mac

When you’ve finished using the feature, you can turn AirDrop off to prevent people from sending you files. You can share between different operating systems (iOS to macOS, for example) or between devices using the same operating system (iOS to iOS, for instance). If you tap Decline, the transfer is canceled, and the other user is notified that you declined the request. To share a file, open the how to buy pillar image or file you want to send. AirDrop isn’t just for photos. You can use it to transfer almost anything that you can share.

While a person still needs to accept an AirDrop request to receive the actual file, AirDrop gives the user a preview of the file in the notification message. As you can imagine, this makes it easy for one stranger on a packed subway to send a dick pic to his victim in the same carriage. If you tap Accept, the file is saved to your device and opened in the appropriate app. For example, accepting a transfer of images over AirDrop saves the photos to your phone and opens the images in the Photos app, URLs launch in the Safari browser, and so on. AirDrop must be selected in a Finder window sidebar to be able to transfer files. Furthermore, files are not automatically accepted, but instead give a prompt asking to receive or decline the file sent.

  1. Gone are the days when transferring data on mobile devices was a headache.
  2. Since both devices are assumed to be yours, the transfer is accepted automatically.
  3. When you’ve finished using the feature, you can turn AirDrop off to prevent people from sending you files.

How to use AirDrop on iPhone and iPad to send files

Some apps provide a similar file sharing capability using Bluetooth. And some Android devices use a combination of Near Field Communications (NFC) and Bluetooth to share files. But both Bluetooth and NFC are relatively slow compared to Wi-Fi, which makes sharing larger files using AirDrop much faster and more convenient.

Receive AirDrop on Mac

If you’re not signed in with your Apple ID on your device, this setting reverts to Receiving Off after 10 minutes. Peter is Reviews Editor at Tom’s Guide. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he’s an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography.

It uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transmit the files via a proprietary, close-range wireless communication process. Those can be text, image, or other types of files, such as playlists and locations. There are no size limits on the file. You can put your AirDrop receiving setting to Contacts Only or Receiving Off at any time to control who can see your device and send you content in AirDrop.

When someone tries to send you a file, you’ll receive a notification asking whether you’d like to accept the file. Tap Accept if you’re expecting a file. Check your Photos or Files apps to find the relevant file. Many of the preinstalled apps that come with the iOS work with AirDrop, including Photos, Notes, Safari, Contacts, and Maps. You can share photos, videos, websites, address book entries, text files, and more. If you share a file with a device that’s logged in with the same Apple ID you’re logged in with, that device is not shown the Accept or Decline message.

Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Fast Share, Google’s Answer To AirDrop. Click on the recipient from the list to send the file and click Done. Tap the Share button, which looks like a box with an arrow healthcare models and domains overview pointing out of it, and then tap the AirDrop icon, which should appear first in the list of app icons. Choose who you want to be discoverable to by selecting Contacts Only, or Everyone. In the AirDrop window, choose who can AirDrop to you. Click Allow me to be discovered by and choose either Contacts Only or Everyone.

What’s great about AirDrop is its simplicity. On the AirDrop screen, you should see icons for all of the AirDrop-compatible devices in range (it might take a moment for them to appear). Tap the icon for the Mac you want to send the file to.

If you AirDrop something to yourself, like a photo from your iPhone to your Mac, you won’t see an option to Accept or Decline—it’ll automatically get sent to your device. Just make sure that both devices are signed in with the same Apple ID. If the person you’re sharing content with is in your Contacts, you’ll see an image with their name.

A Waiting message displays as the file is sending, a Sending message displays during the transfer, and a Sent message appears after the file is accepted and delivered. If the other user declines your AirDrop request, a red Declined message appears instead. In case you’re new to the feature, AirDrop is Apple’s file transfer feature that allows you to share files between your Apple devices. This feature works wirelessly so you don’t have to use cables to transfer your files.

what is an airdrop

Often when you want to share photos with someone, you’ll either text it or email it. While that will work, it can be much faster to just use AirDrop to send the picture(s) to them. The only requirements are that both devices are from Apple and the devices are in close proximity to one another.

In the share menu, at the top, select an AirDrop-enabled device to send your file. If you’d like to use AirDrop to share files, first, launch the app in which the file you want how to buy bitcoin for the first time to share is located. For the example, we’ll use the Photos app.

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