How to Use AirDrop on iPhone, iPad, and Mac — The Easiest Way to Share Files Nearby
AirDrop is one of Apple’s most powerful — and most underused — features. It lets you instantly share photos, videos, documents, webpages, and even contact cards between nearby Apple devices without cables, email, or cloud uploads.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to use AirDrop on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, how to control who can see your device, and how to troubleshoot common issues so sharing works every time.
🎓 What You’ll Learn
• How AirDrop works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• Where to find and change AirDrop settings
• How to control AirDrop privacy and device visibility
• How to share files, photos, webpages, and contact cards
• What to do when AirDrop isn’t working
🔄 Understanding AirDrop: How It Works
AirDrop uses a combination of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to discover nearby Apple devices and transfer files securely. Devices must be relatively close and have AirDrop enabled to send or receive files.
AirDrop does not require an internet connection — it works entirely locally.
🧭 AirDrop Discovery & Privacy Settings
You can control who can see your device using three discovery options:
• Receiving Off — No one can send files
• Contacts Only — Only people in your Contacts
• Everyone — Any nearby Apple device
These settings exist on both macOS and iOS, and can also be quickly changed from Control Center on iPhone and iPad.
📄 Sharing Files, Photos & Videos
AirDrop is built directly into Apple’s Share menu, which means you can send files from:
• Finder (Mac)
• Photos (Mac, iPhone, iPad)
• Pages, Safari, Files, and many other apps
Simply tap or click the Share icon and choose AirDrop to send the item instantly.
👤 Sharing Contact Cards (iOS 16 vs Older Versions)
On iOS 16, you can selectively choose which contact fields to share before sending — phone number, email, address, and more.
Older versions of iOS automatically send the full contact card without customization.
📄 Bonus Tip: Share a Webpage as a Clean PDF
Using Safari’s Reader mode, you can strip ads and clutter from a webpage and AirDrop it as a clean, readable PDF — perfect for saving articles or sharing reference material.
🛠️ Troubleshooting AirDrop Issues
If AirDrop isn’t working:
• Toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and on
• Restart the device
• Check Screen Time → Allowed Apps for AirDrop restrictions
• Ensure both devices are unlocked and nearby
Large files may take longer or fail — AirDrop works best for quick, local transfers.