What is Reddit's opinion of AirDrop?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

From Apple's page for AirDrop:

> To send items to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you need a 2012 or newer Mac model with OS X Yosemite or later, excluding the Mac Pro (Mid 2012).

Unfortunately, your computer doesn't support AirDrop to iOS devices. AirDrop started as a file-sharing method over a Wi-Fi network, and since all non-obsolete Macs have Wi-Fi enabled, you can easily share from computer-to-computer. The newer version of AirDrop, included in iOS, uses both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 (aka, Bluetooth Low Energy) to create a "handshake" between the two devices.

"To send items to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or to receive items from those devices, you need a 2012 or later Mac model with OS X Yosemite or later, excluding the Mac Pro (Mid 2012)."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

AirDrop between Macs or AirDrop between Mac and an iOS device?

> To send items to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you need a 2012 or newer Mac model with OS X Yosemite or later, excluding the Mac Pro (Mid 2012). (Apple)

To send a file to another Mac, the other Mac needs to go to the AirDrop Finder screen also and it should appear there, then just drop the file onto it. There are no more settings.

"On an iOS device, the item appears in the appropriate app. For example, photos appear in the Photos app and websites appear in Safari."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

So I'd say look in iBooks for the PDFs and either Videos or Photos for the videos.

Do you have airdrop enabled?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

If you do, you're expressly opting in to this behavior. Airdrop cannot work without bluetooth. Turn airdrop off, and this should solve your problem, yet you'll no longer have airdrop functionality.

AirDrop on Mac requires a computer made 2012 or later. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

I believe that the Bluetooth hardware on older Macs just can't work with AirDrop.

Hmm. That would only be for 2 Macs (since it's pretty hard to connect iOS devices to ethernet). Good question. It's not clear from the Apple Use Airdrop Apple Support.

It does say that Airdrop is automatically turned on when Wifi and BT is turned on. I know Airdrop uses Adhock WiFi connection and you can't do that in Ethernet so I'm going to guess No, you can't do Airdrop over Ethernet.

I don't know why, but it is faster (finding available devices) if you set your devices to be able to see anyone.

Also, is your mac a macbook pro or a macbook pro with retina display? They need bluetooth 4.0.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

You can only airdrop between Macs; Mac <-> iOS AirDrop requires a Mac(Book) built after 2012.

> To send items to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or to receive items from those devices, you need a 2012 or later Mac model with OS X Yosemite or later, excluding the Mac Pro (Mid 2012). — https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

Yes, essentially.

I would recommend that you take a look at these resources. First for your Mac, then for your iPad. Although, the Mac section covers the necessary parts of the iPhone section.

If you’re friend has a Mac, he can use AirDrop to save this on his iPhone, otherwise he can login into [iCloud.com](icloud.com) on his pc, add the file to iCloud Drive and then move it on his iPhone in the files app so it stays offline

iOS/macOS don't natively support Bluetooth File Exchange and never have because they have AirDrop which uses both wi-fi and bluetooth. On you iPhone, go to Settings>Phone and under "Call blocking and identification" check your blocked list and make sure that you don't have any of your own information listed there as this can block you from AirDropping from or between your own devices. Also, you should update your Mac to a later version if possible.

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https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

Syncing via Bluetooth has never been a thing for iOS devices. You can try using AirDrop to share your books since you don't have an adapter.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

You can also upload your items to iCloud drive to download to your iPhone that way.

You upgraded “just fine” to “perfectly”.

This is all very silly, sometimes there are reasons to not bother to make something work even if you could or have already started. There are plausible technical reasons, and plausible logistical reasons, and many 2008 Macs do work with AirDrop, and it’s such a minor feature on such a niche Mac it’s hard to imagine that decision was going to meaningfully juice the sales numbers. Who exactly would be the target? I guess a few people with 2008 Mac Pros who really wanted AirDrop would upgrade? Maybe some people who would have bought used 2008 ones but instead bought new 2009 ones?

I dunno, seems like “hey we have a slight hardware change in the 2009 ones that maybe we’ll need for AirDrop in the future so let’s set the cutoff there” is the best explanation. The original poster is speculating about the reason anyway.

Those features (AirDrop, Handoff, Continuity, etc.) rely on proximity, and that's made possible by BTLE. That older hardware doesn't have BTLE chips.

I'm not sure what else you were expecting. The list of compatible models is pretty specific: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

To share between a Mac and an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you need any of these devices and operating systems: Mac from 2012 or later (excluding the mid-2012 Mac Pro) using OS X Yosemite or later.

You should be able to go from computer > computer > iOS device.

AirDrop system requirements are located at the bottom of this page.

&quot;To share between a Mac and an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you need any of these devices and operating systems: Mac from 2012 or later (excluding the mid-2012 Mac Pro) using OS X Yosemite or later&quot;

Your computer is just too old.

I think it might possibly be the year of your MacBook Air.

> If you're sending to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch: Your Mac needs to be a 2012 or newer model with OS X Yosemite or later.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

>although the adapter will have to come out if I have to transfer large files hundreds of megabytes in size.

That's what AirDrop or File Sharing is for. File sharing will work with Windows.

Do you have a mac 2012 or later? I ran into this issue as my mac is 2011 so it can only airdrop to other macs and not iPhones which sucks.

"To send items to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or to receive items from those devices, you need a 2012 or later Mac model with OS X Yosemite or later, excluding the Mac Pro (Mid 2012)."

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

I would not expect AirDrop to work over any cellular network. ... So I would probably throw that expectation right out the window.

Apple's KB article is here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

Wikipedia says: "Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have to be turned on for both Mac and iOS devices. (Both devices are not required to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.)"

Regarding your comment of:

> "Also, which seems strange to me, e-mails sent from Google Inbox from the cellphone take 15min to 20min to get sent."

Makes me suspicious that there's some networking or data-transmission or DNS issue on whatever Network you are using.

If it was me personally in your situation... I would go out and purchase an Apple Router (like an Airport Express or Airport Extreme).. and set it up as an isolated hub (NOT connected to Internet or any network).. but simply broadcasting an open WiFi signal,.. and then connect the troublesome devices to it (the Macbook and iPhone).. and see if you can Airdrop THEN ...

I know that may sound silly... but I have an Airport Extreme at work.. and my own personal Airport Extreme at home.. and AirDrop has always been 100% rock solid reliable for me.

Testing that way may not solve your problem... but it may help isolate the issue. If Airdrop works reliably on an Apple Router.. then you know the issue is with your Network and not the devices.

Mac <-> Mac Airdrop is supported on older Macs (2008 or newer).

iOS<->Mac Airdrop requires:

>2012 or later Mac model with OS X Yosemite or later, excluding the Mac Pro (Mid 2012).

Apple Tech Note - These Macs can use Airdrop

I think you might be misinterpreting what I wrote. I was only using AirDrop to send the picture over. In case you still need help, below is what I did.

1. From your Mac or iOS device, send it to their Mac using AirDrop.
2. Go to their Mac.
3. (Optional) The picture should end up in the Downloads folder on their Mac. Move it to a different folder that they likely won't check.
4. Change their background.

I assume you have WiFI and Bluetooth turn on for both devices. Have you looked in the Use Airdrop to send.. technical note?

One requirement that's not obvious is that your iOS device must have Personal Hotspot turned OFF.

However if your Bluetooth connectivity to your Magic Mouse is affected by your WiFi status then you have something wrong. Perhaps your antennas are disconnected or shorted out in some way?

AirDrop uses BT for auth then does the transfer over WIFI. It's why you have to have both enabled.

No mention of BT for handoff: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204689

States clearly that BT must be on for AirDrop: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106

Also, previous Apple employee.

I guess I used the wrong word because Handoff is just one of the features of the overall Continuity feature.

I mostly use it for quick switching between my iPhone and my Mac when writing e-mails or looking something up online.

I also really like using AirDrop between my Mac and iPhone because its a super easy and quick way to transfer a few pictures from my phone to my computer in seconds.