Apple's AirDrop file-sharing feature debuted with the release of OS X Lion and allowed users to transfer files from one Mac to another without using email or an external storage device. The feature made its way to iOS devices with the release of iOS 7, and offered a simple way for users to share files like photos between iOS devices. Now, with the release OS X Yosemite, users can use AirDrop to transfer files between the Mac and an iOS device for the first time.

This video shows you how it works:


Prior to the release of OS X Yosemite, users looking to transfer files between a Mac and iOS device usually had to resort to a third-party service like Dropbox or use an iCloud-connected app like Messages. AirDrop on OS X Yosemite and iOS 8 provides an easy-to-use solution for transferring files, as users can either drag and drop files from the Mac to iOS or move files from iOS to the Mac using the Share feature.

On the Mac, a number of apps like Safari, Preview, Pages, and Contacts support the Share feature. Third-party Mac apps like Deliveries, Ember, and Notability also feature Share support, allowing content to be transferred via AirDrop. On iOS, most of Apple's stock apps including Photos, Safari, Notes, and Maps feature Share support. Third-party apps including Camera+, Evernote, and eBay also support the feature.

Before you Start

You will need iOS 7 or later and OS X Yosemite in order to use AirDrop to transfer files between a Mac and an iOS device. Using AirDrop to move files between iOS and Mac is supported by all Mac models released in 2012 and later running OS X Yosemite. You can confirm that your Mac is compatible with AirDrop by clicking the Finder icon in the Dock and clicking the "Go" icon in the Menu Bar. If AirDrop is not listed as an option, then your Mac is not compatible with the feature. AirDrop between a Mac and an iOS device also requires an iPhone 5 or later, iPad 4 or later, iPad mini, or fifth-generation iPod touch.

airdrop ios mac
Apple notes that AirDrop users should ensure that devices being used are within 30 feet of each other. If you have a firewall enabled on your Mac, navigate to Menu Bar -> Apple -> System Preferences -> General -> Security & Privacy -> Firewall -> Firewall Options and ensure that "Block all incoming connections" is not checked.

Keep in mind that it is not required for both devices to log into the same iCloud account to use AirDrop, but doing so offers the benefit of transferring files through AirDrop automatically without the need to approve each transfer. Files transferred between devices logged into different iCloud accounts will need permission to accept file transfers. Both iOS devices and Macs must be powered on and not locked in order to make AirDrop file transfers.

Steps

1. Turn on Wi-Fi on your iPhone (Settings -> Wi-Fi) and Mac (Menu Bar -> Wi-Fi -> Turn Wi-Fi On. AirDrop will still work between the Mac and an iOS device even if both are using different Wi-Fi networks.

2. Turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone (Settings -> Bluetooth) and Mac (Menu Bar -> Apple -> System Preferences -> Bluetooth -> Turn Bluetooth On).

3. Turn on AirDrop on your iPhone (Slide up to access Control Center -> AirDrop -> Choose "Contacts Only" or "Everyone") and Mac (Finder -> Menu Bar -> Go -> AirDrop -> Click "Allow me to be discovered by:" -> Choose "Contacts Only" or "Everyone").

airdropht1
4. You may now begin using AirDrop to transfer files between a Mac and an iOS device. To test it out, go to the AirDrop menu in Finder and notice that your iOS device is represented by circle. Drag and drop a file onto the circle, and your iOS device will prompt you to accept the file.

airdropht2
You can also transfer files from the Mac to an iOS device using apps that have Share feature built-in. The Share menu can be accessed in the upper right corner of an app and is represented by a square with an upward facing arrow.

sharebar

The iOS share icon (middle) as seen in Safari

Selecting the AirDrop option from the Share menu brings up a list of devices that can receive files.

airdropht3
5. Transferring a file from an iOS device to the Mac can be done in any app that supports the Share functionality. Like on the Mac, the Share button brings up a list of options for transfers including AirDrop. For example, sending an image to the Mac from the Photos app can be done by tapping the Share button, tapping AirDrop, and selecting the desired Mac. A prompt to accept the file should then appear on the Mac.

airdropht4

Troubleshooting

Some users have had trouble with AirDrop functionality between the Mac and iOS devices since it launched with OS X Yosemite. Members on our forums and on Apple's support forums have reported that restarting both devices fixed their problems. If the devices aren't recognizing each other, make sure AirDrop is set to "Everyone" instead of "Contacts Only," as the latter setting has caused some problems for users. A number of users have also realized their Macs are too old to support AirDrop functionality between OS X and iOS after attempting to try out the feature, so ensure that your Mac is a 2012 model or newer by going to Menu Bar -> Apple -> About This Mac.

Related Forums: iOS 8, OS X Yosemite

Top Rated Comments

k2director Avatar
135 months ago
Airdrop DOES NOT work reliably when I try to share photos on my iPhone with my 2013 Mac Pro.

Every once in a while it works, but most of the time the Mac icon does not show up on the iPhone's Airdrop dock.

Airdrop does work reliably when going from Mac to iPhone, but that's not useful because I'm always snapping pictures on the phone that I want to share with my Mac.


I wish Apple's passion for quality control matched its new-found passion for diversity, LQBG rights, women freezing their eggs, children's education. etc. Tim talks a lot about those issues, but can I get a statement about all the bugs I'm increasingly finding in Mac products? No.

I miss the old Apple, which didn't carry the Progressive torch quite so high, but could launch products that Just Worked.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Someyoungguy Avatar
135 months ago
I have to say, I'm more than a little perturbed at the gimping of older Macs with regard to this feature. This isn't the BT LE issue that limits other continuity features to newer machines. This is a WiFi file transfer that was already supported between Macs built before 2012, and separately, iPhones. If I can't have ecosystem features on my 3 year old computer, maybe I need to find another ecosystem.

I know Apple has played this type of game before, as do other manufacturers, but in recent memory they struck a good balance between planned obsolescence and backward compatibility that endeared them to me. I think that balance is off now. If I can't use ecosystem features after such a short amont of time (computers are usually depreciated over 5 years), I don't see why I need to pay the "Apple Tax" when it's time for a new computer.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
janderson0719 Avatar
135 months ago
Wait, is this MacRumors or OSX Daily?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jackzig Avatar
135 months ago
A Right-Wing Apple?



I wish Apple's passion for quality control matched its new-found passion for diversity, LQBG rights, women freezing their eggs, children's education. etc. Tim talks a lot about those issues, but can I get a statement about all the bugs I'm increasingly finding in Mac products? No.

I miss the old Apple, which didn't carry the Progressive torch quite so high, but could launch products that Just Worked.

So I guess if Apple didn't support Gay Rights, Women's Rights, or Children's Education one of two things would take place: 1) Air Drop would work 100%, all the time, or 2) It wouldn't bother you because Apple would not have nasty Progressive tendencies.

I guess Tim Cook is just fixated about being a decent human being and doesn't give a damn about quality products like he would if he were a Neanderthal.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Potus Avatar
135 months ago
One Of These Things Is Not Like the Other

Airdrop DOES NOT work reliably when I try to share photos on my iPhone with my 2013 Mac Pro.

Every once in a while it works, but most of the time the Mac icon does not show up on the iPhone's Airdrop dock.

Airdrop does work reliably when going from Mac to iPhone, but that's not useful because I'm always snapping pictures on the phone that I want to share with my Mac.


I wish Apple's passion for quality control matched its new-found passion for diversity, LQBG rights, women freezing their eggs, children's education. etc. Tim talks a lot about those issues, but can I get a statement about all the bugs I'm increasingly finding in Mac products? No.

I miss the old Apple, which didn't carry the Progressive torch quite so high, but could launch products that Just Worked.

OOOOOKaaaay. We can now infer your position on a variety of issues. But why you link Apple's concern with those issues and Airdrop is unfathomable to me. They are not related in any way.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Padmini Avatar
135 months ago
AirDrop is extremely unreliable.

Across my many devices, there are certain transfers, like from my iPad Air to my iMac, that work every time.

But there will be others such as iMac to iPhone 6 Plus that fail every time. By fail, I mean I will try to transfer the file, the icon on the Mac will say "Waiting..." and nothing will ever appear on the iPhone. If I cancel the transfer and initiate it again, usually it will work.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...
cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
iphone 17 lineup cad render majin bu

Revealed: Entire iPhone 17 Lineup's Striking New Camera Designs

Monday February 24, 2025 2:49 am PST by
A new CAD render of all the devices in Apple's upcoming iPhone 17 lineup has been shared online by leaker Majin Bu, specifically showing the allegedly different rear camera system designs of the standard iPhone 17, all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. The leaker Majin Bu has had some hits in the past, but some of his information has been wrong,...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...