(All devices need to be awake to display: Macs can’t be asleep, and iOS devices need to be unlocked and have their screen on.)ĭrag a file onto one of the icons. A window shows which devices are available to received files. The first is to go to AirDrop in the Finder by choosing Go > AirDrop, or pressing Command-Shift-R. On the Mac, there are two ways to use AirDrop. To use AirDrop, both devices need to have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on, and neither device should be acting as a personal hotspot. How to Use AirDropĪirDrop is the simplest way to transfer files from one device to another. Also, AirDrop only works with devices that are within about 10 meters, or 30 feet, because it uses Bluetooth to create a connection (that’s the distance limit for Bluetooth connectivity), then creates the peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network.

This will be slower if the devices are further apart (they were both on my desk), and if there’s interference with other devices around. As a test, I transferred a one-gigabyte file from my iMac to my MacBook Air over AirDrop in about 36 seconds. Since you’re not transferring files over a network, you don’t share bandwidth with anyone. There is no limit to file size, and files transfer as fast as their individual hardware allows. This makes it practical anywhere, such as in the field, where you may want to transfer files from, say, an iPhone to a MacBook Pro. This transfer does not use the Internet, nor a local Wi-Fi network you don’t need to be on a Wi-Fi network to use AirDrop. It uses Bluetooth to find devices that you can send to, and the device you send from creates a secure peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network connection with the receiving device and transfers the file(s). How AirDrop WorksĪirDrop uses an interesting combination of technologies to transfer files securely. In this article, I’m going to show you how to use AirDrop to quickly and securely transfer files across your devices. I’ll also tell you how to configure AirDrop so you don’t get potentially malicious files from people you don’t know. Macs and iOS devices built since 2012 support AirDrop. The easiest and most practical way to do this, when both devices are near each other, is to use AirDrop. There are many ways to transfer files from one Mac to another, and a few ways to transfer files to and from iOS devices. How To How to Use AirDrop to Securely Share or Transfer Files

How to share files via airdrop