Why did my airDrop stop working?

[jadmt]

I used to have no issue AirDropping photos from my Iphone17 to my Mac but for some reason it now says declined or railed...I have not changed any settings and have plenty of storage..firewall is set to accept AirDrops from anyone..it works about every 10 times or so if I keep trying....my Iphone has no issue airdropping to my ipad just the mac computer..and I can send from my ipad to my computer just not the phone what is up? thanks

 

[jcy]

i assume you tried closing all your apps and restarting the phone?

 

[jadmt]

i assume you tried closing all your apps and restarting the phone?

yes and computer too..I have done both several times. not sure what is up.

 

[jadmt]

seems odd my phone and ipad have no issues airdropping between each other and my ipad and computer has not issues just my phone and computer.

 

[jcy]

i'm not sure if this is in the reset menu of your ios version, but there is a reset network settings option. i do not know if this would wipe out all your wifi passwords

 

[alarmguy]

I think at times this issue is universal. Sometimes for no reason that I found it just happens. For me though, it's air dropping between my wife's Mac mini and my Mac mini within 8 feet of each other. That distance might be a bit much but lately it has been working all the time. GO figure.
Sometimes between our phones you literally have to touch the two phones together, other times not.
With that said. As silly as this sounds, I would put the phone right up to or physically on the Mac and see if that works.

 

[jadmt]

I think at times this issue is universal. Sometimes for no reason that I found it just happens. For me though, it's air dropping between my wife's Mac mini and my Mac mini within 8 feet of each other. That distance might be a bit much but lately it has been working all the time. GO figure.
Sometimes between our phones you literally have to touch the two phones together, other times not.
With that said. As silly as this sounds, I would put the phone right up to or physically on the Mac and see if that works.

i have it resting right on the computer...is so weird it says declined or failed and if I keep trying eventually it will go thru but usually takes sending it 10 times...and it shows failed on my computer and declined on my phone so I know they are actually talking to each other...when go the settings and try and pair them via blue tooth it says imac is not supported but it does it with my wife's iphone and my ipad and my daughters iphone not sure what is blocking my phone and mac

 

[jadmt]

 

[melk]

You don’t need to Pair the phone/Mac in the traditional sense, just have Bluetooth enabled on each. Is each device current on system updates?

 

[jadmt]

You don’t need to Pair the phone/Mac in the traditional sense, just have Bluetooth enabled on each. Is each device current on system updates?

yes all are current on updates and I have restarted each several times....I have turned blue tooth off on both and turned it on...both work with other phones and ipads etc just not with each other..I only have tried pairing because on an iphone site they said to do that...crazy thing is up until the last week or so i had no issue with airdropping photos from my phone to the mac...

 

[Carmudgeon]

AirDrop uses Bluetooth to discover devices, and then initiate an ad hoc wi-fi connection between them, over which it transmits the data in encrypted form.

It does require both to be enabled, and will automatically do so, at least on the devices. I know that it won't on a Mac, at least on older versions of the OS. My Mac uses a wired network connection so its wi-fi is normally disabled, and AirDrop to it won't work unless I manually enable it.

No other need to pair, or explicitly prepare.

That said, it's not foolproof, and on iOS 26, which shipped with the iPhone 17 series, I've found that it can be buggy.

26.01 was fine. 26.1 was not. 26.2 it works again, but YMMV.

 

[jadmt]

AirDrop uses Bluetooth to discover devices, and then initiate an ad hoc wi-fi connection between them, over which it transmits the data in encrypted form.

It does require both to be enabled, and will automatically do so, at least on the devices. I know that it won't on a Mac, at least on older versions of the OS. My Mac uses a wired network connection so its wi-fi is normally disabled, and AirDrop to it won't work unless I manually enable it.

No other need to pair, or explicitly prepare.

That said, it's not foolproof, and on iOS 26, which shipped with the iPhone 17 series, I've found that it can be buggy.

26.01 was fine. 26.1 was not. 26.2 it works again, but YMMV.

I just looked it is 26.1 (23B85) I am updating to the 26.2..

 

[jadmt]

@Carmudgeon it worked..thanks..

 

[andrew_j]

If Mac or iPhone have Focus mode (half moon) or do not disturb on it blocks it.

 

[jadmt]

If Mac or iPhone have Focus mode (half moon) or do not disturb on it blocks it.

it was just the OS version 26.1 on my Iphone causing the problem. once I updated to 26.2 things went back to normal..