Eight Fixes
Work through these in order. Seven are from Apple's own pages, read on 23 October 2026 and checked again on 2 November, and the last is a fix other people report that Apple does not mention. See Apple's guide to AirDrop on Mac.
- Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices. Apple lists this first, and says the devices must be within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other. Source: Apple.
- Turn AirDrop on. Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar, then click the AirDrop button. When it is blue, it is on. Source: Apple.
- Choose who can send to you. Click and hold, or click the arrow next to AirDrop, then choose Contacts Only or Everyone. On an iPhone the choice is Everyone for 10 Minutes, which reverts after 10 minutes. Source: Apple.
- If you chose Contacts Only, the sender must be in your contacts, and your contact card for them needs the Apple Account email address or phone number they use. Source: Apple.
- Use an AirDrop code. With macOS 26.2 or iOS 26.2 or later, someone who is not in your contacts must enter a code that appears on your device. You select Continue, the code appears, and the sender types it in. After that, the two of you can share for 30 days without another code. Source: Apple.
- Move closer, and switch off Personal Hotspot. Apple says Bluetooth and Wi-Fi share a radio band, and that metal, microwave ovens and cordless phones can interfere. On the iPhone, Apple says to disconnect Personal Hotspot if either of you has it on. Source: Apple.
- Restart both devices and try again. Source: Apple.
- Check the firewall. In System Settings, click Network, then Firewall, then Options, and look at "Block all incoming connections". Several sites and Apple Community threads say this stops AirDrop. Apple's AirDrop and firewall pages do not connect the two, and we did not test it. Source: reported by others.
Still Not Working
- The Mac is not in the iPhone's list. Check steps 2 to 4: AirDrop must be on, and the Mac must accept Contacts Only or Everyone. If the iPhone owner is not in your contacts, set the Mac to Everyone.
- The prompt is missing. If you opened AirDrop in a Finder window, Apple says the notification to accept or decline appears there rather than in Notification Center.
- Finder shows "Allow me to be discovered by". Other sites name this setting, but it is not on Apple's current Mac page, and we did not test whether macOS 26 or 27 still shows it. If your Finder AirDrop window has it, set it to Everyone.
- On the iPhone, a Screen Time block. Apple lists AirDrop under "Allowed on iOS" in Screen Time, so a block there affects the iPhone, not the Mac.
Limits
Apple's page describes AirDrop as sending to a nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac, and says it is best for sharing a small selection of files. If the other person is not nearby, is on Windows, or you are sending many files, use a link.
Android is no longer a flat no. Google says Quick Share now works with AirDrop on some Android phones: Pixel 8a or later, and certain phones from Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, Transsion and Motorola. See Google's announcement and its help page. Google's security post says it works with AirDrop's Everyone for 10 Minutes mode. For everyone else, send a link.
Send a Link
| Tool | Free allowance | Cost, one person |
|---|---|---|
| AirDrop | Built in, nearby only | Free |
| iCloud Drive | 5 GB free | $0.99 a month, 50 GB |
| WeTransfer | 3 GB, 10 transfers | $228 a year, branded |
| Google Drive | Up to 15 GB free | Free for one link |
| Dropbox | 2 GB free | $180 a year, branded |
| Loop | 14-day trial | $49 once |
These are US dollars for one person, before tax. WeTransfer Ultimate and Dropbox Standard are the cheapest plans that add your own branding. iCloud+ is billed monthly, and the iCloud+ price is from Apple's page, read 23 October. WeTransfer's price is from its US prices of 23 October, and Dropbox's is from an archived US copy of 23 October, with yearly billing selected.
iCloud Drive. In Finder, select the file or folder in iCloud Drive, click the Share icon and choose Share a Link. Under Who can access, choose Anyone with the link, and under Permissions, choose Can view or download, then Copy Link. Apple warns that with "Anyone with the link", people you invite can share the link with others. Apple's iCloud guide says people who do not use iCloud can download from the link. See Apple's guide to sharing with iCloud and what you can do with iCloud Drive.
WeTransfer. The free plan allows 10 transfers or 3 GB in any 30 days, for non-commercial use, and anyone can download without an account.
Google Drive. Every Google account has up to 15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Photos, and a link set to "Anyone with the link" works without signing in.
Dropbox. The free plan has 2 GB. Plus is $9.99 a month billed yearly.
Loop
Loop does not fix AirDrop, and the free options above come first. Loop is a Mac app that turns a file into your own branded link, which opens in any browser. It suits people who already send files from a Mac to clients and want the link under their own name, with a notification on your Mac when it is opened or downloaded.
It is not for a single failed transfer. It needs a free Cloudflare account to be set up first, and Cloudflare may ask for a card to turn on storage, though it is free up to 10 GB. It is Mac only on your side, and costs $49 once after a 14-day trial. We do not promise a maximum file size.
Your own branded link, with notes on the exact second. $49 once.
Cost
For a one-off send, nothing: iCloud Drive gives 5 GB, WeTransfer 3 GB in 30 days, Google Drive up to 15 GB and Dropbox 2 GB. A branded link costs $228 a year on WeTransfer Ultimate or $180 on Dropbox Standard. Loop is $49 once, plus Cloudflare's storage rate past 10 GB. Cloudflare's pricing page, updated 30 October 2026, lists $0.015 per GB-month with no data-transfer charge for downloads.
Loop includes a 14-day free trial that starts on first run. During the trial a small "Shared with Loop" badge shows on the pages your clients see, and it goes with a licence.