How to Fix When AirDrop Not Working on iPhone

Being in the Apple ecosystem comes with a fair share of benefits. Features like AirDrop are one of them. For example, AirDrop makes it easy to transfer photos, videos, and other content between two Apple devices. If you want to share a recently taken photo from your iPhone, you can use AirDrop. As is the case with most Apple features, AirDrop also works flawlessly.

You can spot nearby devices and send the media/files if WiFi and Bluetooth are turned on. However, there are times when you find AirDrop not working correctly on iPhone devices. As a result, you might find it difficult to send something via AirDrop to your friends or colleagues. And we completely understand if this situation is frustrating.

Here is the good thing. Because Apple designs every feature to work smoothly, you can quickly fix the issue if you find AirDrop not working on your iPhone. You need the proper steps and some patience to do it. Don’t worry; we have prepared a complete guide on how to fix when AirDrop not working on iPhone. You can use almost the same methods if your iPad has trouble sending or receiving files via AirDrop.

Potential Reasons for AirDrop Not Working on iPhone

It is good to understand why airdrop is not working on your iPhone in the first place. This way, you can keep the feature working by removing potential issues. Unfortunately, even though there are only a few iPhone models, we can’t reduce the possible reasons for non-functional AirDrop.

Instead, we have to check general issues before moving to specific ones.

• Connection issues with Bluetooth and WiFi can make AirDrop stop working. In particular, problems with WiFi and WiFi Direct on iPhone will be used while running AirDrop. So, if you have permanently turned off Bluetooth or WiFi, you may have trouble sending files via AirDrop.
• We have also seen that software bugs on iOS can increase the chances of AirDrop not working as it should. In most cases, Apple is quick to fix these bugs through an incremental software updates. But you may find it tricky when using an older iPhone/Mac running a not-so-recent version of iOS/macOS.
• Specific changes to network settings on your iPhone may also prevent AirDrop from working correctly. For instance, if you have limited system services from automatically turning on WiFi or location services, AirDrop may have trouble starting up.
• The incompatibility of devices can also be a reason for AirDrop not working on iPhones. Therefore, you must ensure that both the sender and receiver devices run a compatible iOS, iPadOS, or macOS version.
• In the worst-case scenarios, hardware issues with your iPhone can also cause AirDrop to stop working correctly. However, these are exceptional situations, and you do not have to worry much. Even in that case, you can seek help from Apple Support—of course, after you have tried the best fixes.

In short, many factors may cause AirDrop not working problem on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

How to Fix the AirDrop Not Working Problem on Your iPhone?

As you can see, solving the AirDrop not working problem is not a one-step-one-method process. Since many factors cause and affect the problem, you must try multiple steps. Rest assured, we have covered all these steps below.

Fix #1 Make Sure the Devices Are Compatible with AirDrop

Even though AirDrop has been a core Apple feature for some time, you may have an incompatible device. For instance, if you try to send a photo from your iPhone 13 to an old model Mac, there may be issues with AirDrop.

Similarly, the AirDrop not working case will appear when you have a device running the non-latest iOS or iPadOS. You can use two methods to confirm whether you have AirDrop-compatible Apple devices.

Step One

First, you should check whether you have a compatible iPhone running iOS 7 or later. If your iPhone doesn’t support iOS 7, it will not work with AirDrop. Similarly, your iPad must also be using iOS 7.

To send a file to a Mac, you must confirm whether the Mac is running OS X Yosemite or later versions. If it uses an older version of macOS, it will not support AirDrop.

Step Two

If you do not know the iOS version on your iPhone or iPad, there is an easy way. You can open Settings > go to General and see if you can find the AirDrop entry.

If the AirDrop entry is on the list, you have an AirDrop-compatible iPhone. And you can use the entry to set up AirDrop and change preferences.

On a Mac, you can open Spotlight and search for AirDrop. If your Mac supports AirDrop, it will open the main AirDrop window.

Fix #2 Ensure Both Devices Are Discoverable

Even though both devices support AirDrop, they may not be visible. So, to prevent the AirDrop not working issue, you should check whether both devices are discoverable for AirDrop transfer.

To check this, open Settings on your iPhone and go to General. On this page, tap the AirDrop entry. It will show you the current status. To be on the safe side, make sure that you select the Everyone option.

Please keep in mind that the latest version of iOS and iPadOS does not hold the Everyone mode. Instead, in some time, your iPhone or iPod will change it to Contacts Only. So, if you want to receive an AirDrop from a device that is not in your Contacts list, you need to change this setting every often.

On the other hand, if you are sending/receiving AirDrop to your friends or family, keeping the Contacts Only mode should work every time.

You can try to send an AirDrop, and the device should be visible.

Fix #3 Enable Bluetooth and WiFi

As you know, AirDrop requires Bluetooth and WiFi access to work properly. In addition, the feature may use Cellular Network to locate nearby AirDrop devices. Therefore, you must ensure that all these three options are turned on on your iPhone.

To do it,

1. Go to Settings
2. Choose Bluetooth
3. Turn on Bluetooth

In the next step,

1. Go to Settings
2. Choose WiFi
3. Turn on WiFi

It is also wise to keep your Cellular Data turned on. If you want to AirDrop from your iPhone to a Mac, you should connect these devices to the same wireless network. However, when transferring files from an iPhone to another, being on the same WiFi network is not a prerequisite.

Fix #4 Toggle Airplane Mode

We know you cannot use AirDrop when you have Airplane mode turned on. However, toggling Airplane mode will help you set things straight. To do it,

1. Open Settings on your iPhone
2. Go to Airplane Mode
3. Turn it on
4. Wait for a good 30 seconds
5. Turn it off

Now, your iPhone will reset the cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth connections. So you can go back and check if AirDrop is currently working.

Fix #5 Disable Personal Hotspot

Personal Hotspot is an excellent feature on your iPhone, and it works seamlessly with other Apple devices. If you haven’t noticed, you do not have to turn on Personal Hotspot manually. Instead, your Apple devices can detect a nearby hotspot and connect to it.

So, a personal hotspot may be running on your iPhone without you manually turning it on. Here comes the problem. Personal hotspot on iPhone needs to use WiFi, which AirDrop also requires. Therefore, AirDrop will not work when you turn on a personal hotspot.

It means you will have to disable the personal hotspot on your iPhone. To do that,

1. Go to Settings
2. Choose Cellular
3. Go to Personal Hotspot
4. Turn off the Hotspot

When you try to send something via AirDrop, it should work fine.

Fix #6 Ensure that Do Not Disturb is Turned Off

Do Not Disturb is a fully-fledged option to stay focused and avoid distractions. Now, the Do Not Disturb settings on Apple devices can sync. Therefore, even if you have set up Do Not Disturb only on a Mac, it will be active on your iPhone.

But you will find AirDrop not working on your iPhone when DND is turned on. You can turn off the Do Not Disturb mode to prevent this mishap.

1. Go to Settings
2. Tap Focus
3. Select Do Not Disturb
4. Turn off DND

You can now go back and retry sending something through AirDrop. It will work without any issues.

Fix #7 Update iOS or iPadOS

As we said, software bugs in iOS or iPadOS can cause the AirDrop not working problem. Therefore, you must be running the latest version of iOS/iPadOS available. To update your device,

1. Go to Settings
2. Select General
3. Tap Software Update

Your iPhone/iPad will now check for available software updates and install them. Then, you can try to see whether the issue goes away after the update. It is also worth noting that you can read about a common bug if it is affecting the AirDrop functionality, at least for a small group of devices.

Fix #8 Reset Your iPhone Network Settings

If the methods mentioned above have not solved the AirDrop not working issue, you can try an extreme fix. It is not dangerous, do not worry. We recommend resetting the Network Settings on your iPhone so that all changes you have made will be reset. The steps you need to follow are:

1. Go to Settings
2. Choose General
3. Pick Transfer or Reset iPhone
4. Go to Reset
5. Choose the option to Reset Network Settings

You will have to provide the lock-screen password to continue the reset process. While resetting, the iPhone will reboot as well. Once it turns back on, you can turn on and set up WiFi. By this point, you will be able to use AirDrop again.

Fix #9 Seek Professional Support

If you still face the AirDrop not working problem, you do not have many options left. Of course, you can reset your iPhone, but it may not have much impact. Therefore, the wise thing to do is to take your iPhone to the nearest Apple service center.

Experts at the support center will use diagnostics tools to find out the issues with your device. You may have to repair or replace your iPhone or iPad if it has something to do with the wireless connectivity systems. Of course, it will be expensive if you do not have AppleCare or a warranty.

FAQs

#1 Why is my Apple AirDrop not working?

Your Apple AirDrop is not working because of many reasons, including WiFi and Bluetooth. You should also check whether you have enabled AirDrop from the settings. Similarly, ensuring the compatibility of both the devices (sender and receiver) is important.

#2 How do I get AirDrop to work?

You can get your AirDrop feature to work by making sure that both Bluetooth and WiFi are turned on. If you want to send something from your iPhone to a Mac, both devices should be connected to the same WiFi. To fix the problem, you can consider resetting the network settings on your iPhone.

#3 Why is my AirDrop not showing up on someone else’s phone?

There are two possible reasons your AirDrop is not showing up on another person’s phone. First, one of the devices may not support AirDrop. The second reason is that one of you may not have set the discoverability of AirDrop to Everyone or Contacts Only.

#4 Why does my AirDrop automatically fail?

Your AirDrop feature may automatically fail due to network issues. If you have an unstable WiFi or Bluetooth connection, AirDrop will turn off automatically. Similarly, you cannot use AirDrop when you have enabled a personal hotspot or Do not Disturb.

#5 How do I reset AirDrop on my iPhone?

There is no dedicated option to reset AirDrop on your iPhone. On the other hand, you can use a broader way of resetting network settings on your iPhone. The good part? Resetting these settings will also offer a better WiFi and Bluetooth experience in general.

Conclusion

As you can see, AirDrop not working on iPhone is not a big deal, per se. On the other hand, you should try as many methods as you can, especially the wireless connection settings. It is also important to ensure that you have not turned on any feature—like DND or personal hotspot— when you want to AirDrop something.

You should also check whether the other device (yours or someone else’s) has checked all these boxes so that its AirDrop function is also working.