How to use AirDrop on your iPhone or iPad

how to do air drop

If you’d like to use AirDrop to share files, first, launch the app in which the file you want to share is located. If you’re not signed in with your Apple ID on your device, this setting reverts to Receiving Off after 10 minutes. 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. Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical.

how to do air drop

How to block AirDrop with Screen Time for iPhone and iPad

To initiate the transfer, you simply move your iPhone next to theirs. Accept this prompt and you’ll receive the sender’s file. If the person you’re sharing content with is in your Contacts, you’ll see an image with their name. If they’re not in your Contacts, you’ll see just their name without an image. If you prefer to control/right-click on your Mac, you can access AirDrop that way as well.

  1. AirDrop is best for sharing a small selection of files between devices.
  2. If you choose Everyone, even though you are highly visible to other devices, you will always be prompted when someone is trying to share files with you through AirDrop.
  3. Then, tap the Share button, which is often iconized by a square box with an arrow protruding upwards out of it.
  4. If you’d like to use AirDrop to share files, first, launch the app in which the file you want to share is located.
  5. 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.

Enable AirDrop

Tap the bitcoin and cryptocurrencies profile picture of that device’s user to share your chosen content. If you want to share many files between your Mac and other Apple devices, see Transfer files from iPhone to a storage device, a server, or the cloud. By turning on AirDrop on your iPhone, you allow nearby iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices to send and receive files from you.

If it doesn’t, the device will need to switch its AirDrop receiving setting to Everyone in order to receive files. From Photos Library, tap on “Select” and mark all of the photos and videos you want to share. You can also select the share icon from the bottom navigation bar when viewing individual photos and videos in the Photos app. AirDrop is best for sharing a small selection of files between devices. If you want to share many files between your Mac and other Apple devices, see Sync content between your Mac and iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Then, you’ll want to tap the AirDrop button, which looks like a radar icon.

Sometimes, your phone’s privacy or screen time settings might prevent you from making your device discoverable to AirDrop. Just as with sharing to another iPhone, you can share to a Mac using the same method, as long as it has Bluetooth enabled (the settings for which can be accessed using the top toolbar). To do this, head to Settings, General, then AirDrop, where you’ll see all discovery options. bitcoin mining what is it On an iPhone, you can also access this page via the control centre. Swipe down from the top right corner, hold down the Bluetooth button, then apply further pressure to the AirDrop button. Before you use AirDrop, there’s a few things you’ll want to check beforehand to make sure you can share content with ease.

If you don’t recognize the sender or do not want to receive the files, you can always choose not to accept them. The Contacts Only option is available on devices that support iOS 10 and later, iPadOS, or macOS Sierra 10.12 and later. If AirDrop is set to Contacts Only on your device with an earlier software version, you’ll need to adjust AirDrop settings to the Everyone option in Settings or from Control Center. You can select the Everyone option while using AirDrop and disable it when not in use. Any available devices will appear right there in the window, enabling you to easily drop the icon to them.

If you own an Apple device, though, you’ve got access to a bespoke mode of content sharing that arguably trumps the lot. When you’re using AirDrop between iPhones and iPads, you can AirDrop photos, videos, contacts, Passbook passes, Voice Memos, Map locations, and any and everything else that appears on a Share sheet. Typically this is a one-time setting, but you might want to change it if, for example, you’re traveling and want to avoid roaming charges.

Use AirDrop on iPhone to send items to nearby Apple devices

Your recipient/s will see a notification on their screen with the option to accept the content or decline it. When the person accepts, the content starts transferring. Even for large files and multiple photos and videos, the process is a matter of seconds. AirDrop is built into Apple’s iOS what is bitcoin and why is the price going up and uses Bluetooth and WiFi to transmit content – photos, videos, contacts, links, and documents – to nearby Apple devices with a single tap.

To use AirDrop to securely share app and website passwords with someone using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, see Use passwords on iPhone. In the Control Center, long-press on the communications widget, and a screen with options will come up. Your recipient will get a prompt to accept or reject your file transfer request. When you’ve finished using the feature, you can turn AirDrop off to prevent people from sending you files.