AirDrop on iPhone not working? How to fix it

When AirDrop on your iPhone is not working, check four things first: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on for both devices, Personal Hotspot is off, the devices are within about 30 feet (10 meters), and the receiver accepts AirDrop from Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes. If the other person is not in your contacts, they must pick Everyone for 10 Minutes. Restarting both devices clears most remaining failures. New to AirDrop? Our guide on how to AirDrop on iPhone covers sending, receiving and every setting step by step.

This guide explains what AirDrop on iPhone needs to work, walks through the fixes in the order that solves most problems, and covers the newer cases: AirDrop codes for unknown senders, iPhone to Mac transfers and sharing from Android phones.

What AirDrop on iPhone needs to work

AirDrop on iPhone sends photos, videos, files, links and contacts directly to a nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac, and it only works when a few conditions are met on both ends. Apple lists them in its AirDrop guide for iPhone and iPad:

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on: both devices need both radios switched on.
• Personal Hotspot off: if either device is sharing its connection, disconnect the hotspot first.
• Close range: the devices must be near each other; Apple's Mac guide gives the AirDrop range as 30 feet (10 meters).
• A matching receive setting: the receiver must allow AirDrop from Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes. Receiving Off blocks everything.

Contacts Only works when the sender is saved in the receiver's contacts with the phone number or email address tied to their Apple Account. If you share between your own devices signed in to the same Apple Account, items are accepted and saved automatically, without a prompt.

How to fix AirDrop not working on iPhone

To fix AirDrop on iPhone, work through these steps in order on both the sending and the receiving device, testing a transfer after each one:

1. Open Control Center, touch and hold the connectivity controls (the group with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), and confirm Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on.
2. In the same panel, tap AirDrop and choose Everyone for 10 Minutes on the receiving iPhone. This rules out a contacts mismatch.
3. Turn off Personal Hotspot on both devices.
4. Turn off Airplane Mode, which switches off the radios AirDrop depends on.
5. Keep the receiving iPhone unlocked and awake while you send, so the Accept prompt is seen.
6. Move the devices closer together, well inside the 30 feet range.
7. Toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and on again, then retry.
8. Restart both devices.
9. Install the latest iOS update on both iPhones (Settings, General, Software Update), since AirDrop code support and other changes only work when both sides are current.

If AirDrop is missing completely from the Share sheet or Control Center, the device may be restricted. On a child's iPhone, a parent can switch it off in Screen Time under Content and Privacy Restrictions; on a work or school iPhone, the organization's device management can block AirDrop. Ask the person who manages the device in that case.

Why AirDrop keeps switching back to Contacts Only

AirDrop switches back on its own because Everyone for 10 Minutes is a timed setting. Since iOS 16.2, the open setting expires after 10 minutes and the iPhone returns to Contacts Only, or to Receiving Off if you are not signed in to an Apple Account.

In practice, this means a transfer that worked a few minutes ago can fail with the same person if they are not in your contacts. The receiver simply needs to select Everyone for 10 Minutes again right before you send. If you exchange files with the same person often, saving them as a contact with the email or phone number they use for their Apple Account lets Contacts Only work without the timer.

AirDrop codes for people who are not in your contacts

An AirDrop code is a short code that lets you AirDrop with someone who is not in your contacts, and it appears when both iPhones run iOS 26.2 or later. Apple describes the flow in its iPhone AirDrop support article:

1. The receiver opens Control Center, touches and holds the connectivity controls, taps AirDrop and chooses Everyone for 10 Minutes.
2. The sender opens the Share sheet, taps AirDrop and taps the receiver under People.
3. The receiver taps Get AirDrop Code and reads the code to the sender.
4. The sender enters the code, and the transfer starts.

After a successful code exchange, the person is added to an Other Known list for 30 days, so you do not need a new code each time. You can mark them as unknown in the Contacts app before the 30 days run out. If the code prompt never appears, one of the two iPhones is probably on an older iOS version. Macs use the same system from macOS 26.2.

AirDrop from iPhone to Mac not working

When AirDrop from iPhone to Mac fails, the Mac is usually not visible because its own AirDrop setting is off or too strict. Apple's AirDrop guide for Mac lists the controls:

• Turn AirDrop on: click Control Center in the menu bar, then click the AirDrop icon. It is on when it is blue.
• Choose who can send: click and hold the AirDrop icon, or click the control next to it, and pick Contacts Only or Everyone.
• Use the Finder window: click AirDrop in the Finder sidebar. Keeping it open makes the Mac easy to find, and incoming requests appear there instead of in Notification Center.
• Check the firewall: in System Settings, Network, Firewall, the option to block all incoming connections stops sharing services. Turn it off, test the transfer, and decide whether you need it.

Files you receive on a Mac go to the Downloads folder in most cases. If the Mac and iPhone use the same Apple Account, the Mac accepts and saves items without asking, so a file that seems to have vanished is often already in Downloads.

AirDrop from Android to iPhone

Android phones can send files to an iPhone through AirDrop via Google's Quick Share, but only on supported models and only when the iPhone is set to Everyone for 10 Minutes. Google added AirDrop compatibility to Quick Share on the Pixel 10 series in November 2025 and extended it in June 2026 to more phones, including recent Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S and Z, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi and HONOR models, as MacRumors reported.

Contacts Only does not work with Android senders, so a transfer from an Android phone fails while the iPhone is on its default setting. If your phone is not on the supported list, use a cloud link or a messaging app instead; WhatsApp, for example, can send photos as documents in full quality between Android and iPhone.

AirDrop failed: common causes at a glance

The table matches the most common AirDrop error or symptom to its likely cause and the fix to try first.

If nothing on this page helps, contact Apple Support, since a persistent failure on one device can point to a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth hardware fault.

FAQ

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