AirDrop not working on iPhone

• Estimated time: 3 min
• Easy
• Low risk

The visible transfer state selects the next test.

1. Bring the two compatible Apple devices close together and ask the recipient to watch their screen. Record whether their name is absent, appears with Waiting, declines the transfer or begins transferring and then fails.

2. If it says Declined, ask whether the person declined and respect that choice; do not resend repeatedly. If a request to accept or obtain a code appears, resolve that authorization before changing networking.

3. If nobody appears, follow discovery checks. If temporarily opening reception makes it work, follow contacts checks. If visible and authorized but the file fails, compare a small transfer.

• Estimated time: 5 min
• Easy
• Low risk

1. Confirm both are Apple devices supporting AirDrop with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. AirDrop is not generic Bluetooth sending to any phone. Keep the devices nearby during the test.

2. If either is sharing Internet through Personal Hotspot, warn its users and disconnect it for the test. This can interrupt their connection; do not change another person’s hotspot without permission.

3. On the recipient, check that Receiving Off is not selected. For an agreed test, use Everyone for 10 Minutes and accept only the expected transfer.

   1. Settings
   2. ›General
   3. ›AirDrop

4. If it now appears, the receiving-setting change matters: check identity/contacts instead of resetting the network. If still absent, check a second compatible willing recipient if available; only one failing narrows the problem to that endpoint or its compatibility.

• Estimated time: 5 min
• Easy
• Low risk

1. For Contacts Only, the recipient must have your Apple Account email address or phone number in your contact card. Compare the correct detail privately; a nickname or a different number alone does not guarantee identification.

2. If Everyone for 10 Minutes worked but Contacts Only fails again, correct only that detail and retry once. Do not erase the address book or sign out of iCloud to rebuild it.

3. The ten-minute mode automatically returns to Contacts Only when signed into an Apple Account, or Receiving Off without one. If it worked earlier and now disappears, check that expiry first.

• Estimated time: 10 min
• Easy
• Low risk
• Restart required

1. The recipient should watch for the request and accept the expected transfer. If both use iOS 26.2 or later and the flow between people outside contacts requests an AirDrop code, the recipient obtains that code in the request and shares it with the sender to enter. Follow both screens; do not mistake Waiting for a disconnection while this step is missing.

2. With consent, send a small photo containing no private information to the same recipient. If it works but the original file does not, narrow analysis to that file, app or original size/transfer; do not repeat contact changes that already allowed receiving.

3. If the small test also fails, compare a second compatible willing recipient using the same file. If only one fails, review that recipient’s receiving setting/version and authorization. If several fail after these checks, record the exact state and contact Apple; the comparison alone does not prove Bluetooth damage.

4. After testing, restore your chosen receiving setting and do not accept unknown requests. If the item was received, check its destination before resending: a completed transfer needs no further network changes.

5. If the recipient appears and authorizes but Waiting persists, compare the reverse direction with a small non-private item where both can receive. If B to A works but A to B does not, AirDrop is not globally broken on both: record direction, account, and the failing endpoint’s receiving state.

6. A small photo arriving while a large batch fails narrows size, file, or app behavior; it does not establish discovery failure again. If all comparisons fail after correct prerequisites, save work and try one normal restart. If it persists, contact Apple; do not globally disable firewall/security or sign out as a test.