Apple’s AirDrop feature first appeared in 2011 for transferring files and other kinds of information. It first worked only intra-platform: from iOS to iOS and macOS to macOS. Later versions could cross between iOS and macOS. It’s useful for your own equipment, when you want to send a photo from your Mac to an iPhone, and just as handy as when you’re reading an article and want to share the URL with someone you know nearby.
AirDrop relies on proximity, and requires both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on. It also won’t work on an iPhone or iPad while you have Personal Hotspot enabled, as it relies on a some Wi-Fi functions that are shifted to other purposes.
Readers often report difficulties getting AirDrop to work correctly, and that can be for a number of factors. Here’s a brief guide to the latest in setting up, constraining, and troubleshooting AirDrop.
Whom you’re sharing with
You control what AirDrop on your device will receive by selecting among Everyone, Contacts Only, and disabled. That last state is labeled as Receiving Off in iOS and No One in MacOS.
iOS: You can use the Control Center (on an iPhone X or later, or on an iPad with iOS 12 or later, swipe down from the upper-right corner; on other devices, swipe up from the bottom edge of any scree ), and then hold down on the network area (the box with the Airplane Mode, Cellular Data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, buttons). Now tap the AirDrop button on the lower left. Alternatively, you can open Settings > General > AirDrop and choose from the same options.
macOS: Switch to the Finder and select Go > AirDrop (Command-Shift-R) to open the AirDrop window.
I recommend most people leave AirDrop set to Contacts Only, as it’s the safest and simplest way. Then, anyone whose email address or phone number is in your Contacts list can send you files or other shared items. You can also send files to any device you own that’s in range and logged into the same iCloud account.
Read more at Macworld.com