Transferring files from a computer to another computer is pretty straightforward. But what if you needed to transfer files from a phone to a tablet, or a tablet to a computer, or a computer to your phone? It is slightly less straightforward, but if you’ve bought into Apple’s ecosystem, then you’re in luck, thanks largely to a proprietary feature known as AirDrop.


What Is AirDrop?

In case you’re unfamiliar, AirDrop is a feature that comes with pretty much all of Apple’s products. It allows users to wirelessly transfer files between devices, like from an iPhone to another iPhone, an iPhone to an iPad, an iPhone to a Mac computer, and so on. This is a more convenient method compared to uploading files to the cloud or sending yourself an email.

It can also come in handy if you’re outside and you don’t have an external hard drive or flash drive. The entire process of AirDropping is pretty simple and straightforward, so here’s how you can go about using it.

How To Use AirDrop

Before you can use AirDrop, there are certain functions on your device that you need to make sure are enabled, which are Bluetooth and WiFi. Once those have been turned on, simply follow the steps below and you should be good to go.

  1. Open the file that you wish to AirDrop
  2. Tap the Share button at the bottom left corner
  3. Tap AirDrop
  4. If the other device or user has AirDrop enabled, their name should appear
  5. Select their name
  6. The other device/user will receive a notification letting them know that you want to send them a file
  7. Repeat the steps above until all the files have been successfully transferred

AirDrop Isn’t Working

If you have turned on AirDrop and the other party/device has AirDrop enabled, but you still can’t see them in your list, you might need to check your settings. This is because while even though AirDrop is turned on, the other device might have restricted it to only receive files from users in their contact list.

If you’re not in their contacts, either get them to add you to their contacts to get the other device to enable AirDrop receiving from Everyone (although this does have certain disadvantages, which you can learn about here by checking our guide on how to turn off AirDrop).

The overall AirDrop process is pretty simple and also relatively quick. It also has the added benefit of not being compressed, which is important if you’re trying to transfer image files and don’t want it to be compressed through email or messenger apps.

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