How to Use AirDrop, and How to Stop Strangers Sending You Files

You want to send a video to the person sitting next to you, and texting it would crush the quality. That is exactly the job AirDrop does. This guide covers how to use AirDrop on iPhone, iPad and Mac, how to accept files, how the newer AirDrop codes work for people who are not in your contacts, and how to make sure strangers on a train cannot push pictures onto your screen. It is written for anyone with an Apple device, and the whole setup takes about five minutes.

What AirDrop needs before you start

AirDrop is picky about a few basics. Check these first and most problems never happen.

• Both devices need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. You do not need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, but both radios must be on.
• Stay close. Apple's Mac AirDrop guide says devices should be within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other.
• Turn off Personal Hotspot. Apple's iPhone and iPad AirDrop article says that if either person has Personal Hotspot on, they should switch it off.
• Know who is in your contacts. Sending to someone saved in your Contacts app is the smoothest path. Strangers need an extra step, covered below.
• Update if you can. AirDrop codes need iOS 26.2, iPadOS 26.2 or macOS 26.2 or later on both devices.

Send a file with AirDrop from your iPhone or iPad

The steps are the same for photos, videos, PDFs, web links and most other things you can share.

1. Open the app that holds the item, such as Photos or Files.
2. Tap Select, then tap the item or items you want to send.
3. Tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up).
4. Tap AirDrop.
5. Under People, tap the person or device you want to send to.

If both phones run iOS 17 or later, Apple notes you can also try holding the two iPhones close together to start an AirDrop share. That is handy when you are standing next to a friend and do not want to hunt through the share sheet.

Sending to someone who is not in your contacts

This is where most people get stuck. The other person has to open the door on their end first.

1. Ask them to open Control Center, touch and hold the group of connectivity controls (the box with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), tap AirDrop, and choose Everyone for 10 Minutes.
2. On your device, share the item with AirDrop as above.
3. If both devices are on iOS 26.2 or later, you will be asked for an AirDrop code. The other person taps Get AirDrop Code and reads it to you, and you enter it.

Once a code is used, Apple says that person goes into an Other Known list in your contacts for 30 days, so you will not need a code again during that window. If you would rather not keep them, you can mark them as unknown in the Contacts app before the 30 days are up.

Receive files on your iPhone, iPad or Mac

When someone sends you something, a notification appears. Tap or click Accept to take the file, or decline it if you were not expecting anything.

There is one exception. Items sent between devices signed in to the same Apple Account are accepted automatically, so moving a photo from your iPhone to your own Mac skips the prompt. On a Mac, many received files land in the Downloads folder.

Use AirDrop on a Mac

Macs have two easy ways to send.

1. Open the file, click the Share button in the app's toolbar, and click AirDrop, then pick the recipient.
2. Or open a Finder window, click AirDrop in the sidebar, and drag the file onto the person you want to send it to.

To turn AirDrop on or change who can reach you, click Control Center in the menu bar and click the AirDrop icon. It is on when it shows blue. Click and hold the icon, or click the arrow next to it, then choose Contacts Only or Everyone.

If you need to move files the other way, from a phone to a computer, the same rules apply. Moving a whole phone's worth of data is a different job, and our guide to setting up a new iPhone from your old one is a better fit for that.

Stop strangers from sending you AirDrop files

Unwanted AirDrops (often called cyber flashing) usually happen in crowded places when a phone is set to accept from everyone. Locking this down takes a few seconds.

1. Open Settings and tap General.
2. Tap AirDrop.
3. Choose Contacts Only for everyday use, or Receiving Off if you never use AirDrop.

You can make the same change from Control Center by touching and holding the connectivity controls and tapping AirDrop.

The good news is that Apple already limits open sharing. Since iOS 16.2, the Everyone for 10 Minutes setting switches back on its own after 10 minutes. If you are signed in to an Apple Account it reverts to Contacts Only, and if you are not signed in it reverts to Receiving Off. On recent versions, strangers also need an AirDrop code from you before a transfer goes through, which shuts down most drive by sends.

If a stranger keeps trying, just tap Decline and keep your setting on Contacts Only. For a wider checkup of what your phone shares, see our iPhone privacy settings guide.

If you receive something threatening or are being harassed, take a screenshot of the notification before you decline, then report it. Our walkthrough on how to report a scam lists the official US places to file a report.

When AirDrop does not work

Work through these in order. Most failures come down to the first two.

1. Check Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both devices. Open Control Center and confirm both are on. Verizon's support page notes that turning AirDrop on switches both on automatically, but a quick look saves time.
2. Check the receiver's setting. If it is set to Receiving Off, nothing gets through. Switch it to Contacts Only (if you are saved in their contacts) or Everyone for 10 Minutes.
3. Make sure you are actually in their contacts. If you are not, Contacts Only will hide you. Use Everyone for 10 Minutes and an AirDrop code instead.
4. Move closer. Stay within about 30 feet. Once a transfer has started, Apple says it continues over the internet if you walk out of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi range.
5. Turn off Personal Hotspot on both devices.
6. Restart both devices and try again.
7. Update the software. AirDrop codes and the hold together share depend on newer versions, so an older iPhone or Mac can behave differently.

A common follow up question is whether AirDrop works with Android phones or Windows PCs. AirDrop is built for Apple devices, so for mixed households a cloud link or a dedicated app is usually the dependable route. Our guide to moving data from iPhone to Android covers the bigger version of that problem, and you can find more phone guides in our gadgets section.

One last check before you put your phone away: open Control Center, touch and hold the connectivity box, and glance at AirDrop. If it says Contacts Only, you are set for crowded places and still ready to share with friends.