Mac AirDrop Not Working — Discovery & Transfer Failures

Overview

Fix AirDrop issues including devices not appearing, transfer failures, stuck on 'Waiting', and connectivity problems between Mac and iPhone/iPad.

Key Details

• AirDrop uses Bluetooth Low Energy for discovery and Wi-Fi Direct for file transfer
• Both devices need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled (do not need to be on same Wi-Fi network)
• AirDrop visibility settings: No One, Contacts Only, Everyone (for 10 minutes on newer macOS)
• Firewall settings can block incoming AirDrop connections
• Older Macs (pre-2012) may not support AirDrop or have limited compatibility

Common Causes

• Bluetooth or Wi-Fi disabled on one of the devices
• AirDrop set to 'Contacts Only' but sender is not in Contacts
• Firewall blocking incoming connections on the receiving device
• Devices too far apart (Bluetooth range is approximately 10 meters)
• Personal Hotspot enabled, which disables AirDrop

Steps

1. 1Ensure both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are ON on both devices
2. 2Set AirDrop to 'Everyone' temporarily: Finder > AirDrop > Allow me to be discovered by: Everyone
3. 3Disable Personal Hotspot on both devices
4. 4Turn off firewall temporarily: System Settings > Network > Firewall > Off
5. 5Reset network settings: toggle Wi-Fi off/on, toggle Bluetooth off/on on both devices

Tags

More in Network

Frequently Asked Questions