How to turn on airdrop iphone 8

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AirDrop is a fast and easy way to share images, documents, and other files between Apple devices. But before you use it, you'll need to turn the feature on.

The AirDrop feature is often the quickest way to transfer content between iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. And beyond sharing images and documents, users can also AirDrop website links, passes from Wallet, Apple Maps locations, and pretty much anything else that can be shared via Share sheet.

Here's how to enable AirDrop on your iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Mac.

Enabling AirDrop on iPhone and iPad

Enabling AirDrop on Apple's mobile devices is simple and only involves a few steps.

Before starting, make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on both the sending and receiving devices. Also, turn off Personal Hotspot.

Turning on AirDrop is best handled in the iOS Control Center on iPhone and iPad.

Turning on AirDrop in the iOS Control Center

1. Open the Control Center on your device by swiping down from the upper-right corner, or swiping up from the bottom.
2. Press and hold on the tray that contains the Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth buttons.
3. In the expanded tray, tap on the AirDrop button.
4. Select either "Contacts Only" or "Everyone."
5. The AirDrop button should now be colored Blue, indicating that it's enabled.

You may not be able to send or receive content via AirDrop right away, depending on whether you selected "Contacts Only" or "Everyone."

For the first option, both devices will need to be signed into an iCloud account. The email addresses or phone numbers associated with the sending device must be in the Contacts app on the receiving device.

The "Everyone" setting, on the other hand, doesn't have any prerequisites. Because of that, it's a good idea to leave that off in most cases.

Enabling AirDrop on Mac

Turning on AirDrop on a Mac is equally as simple, but you'll need to make sure that both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on your system.

You can enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi from the Mac's top menu bar. Just click on the respective icon and make sure the toggle is switched on.

You can enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi using their respective icons in the top menu bar.

Alternatively, if Bluetooth or Wi-Fi aren't in your menu bar, you can head into System Preferences and select Networks or Bluetooth to enable your connectivity settings.

Once Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on, you can go ahead and enable AirDrop. On macOS Big Sur and later, you can do that from the Control Center.

You can enable AirDrop in the macOS Big Sur Control Center.

Turning on AirDrop in the macOS Control Center

1. Click on the Control Center icon in the top menu bar.
2. Click on AirDrop.
3. Make sure the toggle is set to on.
4. You'll also need to specify your AirDrop setting to "Contacts Only" or "Everyone."

On older versions of macOS that don't feature the Control Center, the easiest way to enable AirDrop is in Finder.

You can also enable AirDrop in Finder.

Turning on AirDrop in Finder

1. Open a new Finder window.
2. Click on the AirDrop folder.
3. Click on the small dropdown menu next to "Allow me to be discovered by:"
4. Select either "Contacts Only" or "Everyone."

Whether you used Control Center or Finder, you should now be able to send and receive files via AirDrop on your Mac. Keep in mind that the "Contacts Only" and "Everyone" settings on macOS function the same way they do on iOS.

How to Receive a File with AirDrop

1. Turn on Bluetooth & Wi-Fi in Control Center

To do this, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. See the bluetooth and wi-fi icons in the bottom of that top left square? When they’re blue, they’re on. If they’re grey, simply tap each one to turn them on.

1. Set AirDrop to Receive Files

That top left square with all of your connectivity options (Airplane Mode, Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) – the AirDrop icon is hiding in there. To see it, force-touch anywhere on the square. (Force-touch is when you press down on the screen harder than normal, like pushing a button.)

You’ll see this screen…

AirDrop Receiving is set to OFF by default. Tap it to see your options.

You can set your phone to receive files from everyone or just from your contacts. Choose either one. You’ll know it’s on because the icon will turn blue.

Now your iPhone 8 (or whatever Apple device you’re using) will appear as an option in AirDrop on other devices!

1. Accept the File(s)

When another device attempts to send files, you’ll be prompted to Accept or Decline. Accept and the files will transfer.

Where Are AirDrop Files Saved?

On a Mac, your AirDrop files are saved automatically to your Downloads folder. On your iPhone, you’ll files will be stored within an appropriate app. You’ll be prompted upon receiving a file what app you prefer to use to access the file. By default, the file will be stored in the Files app on your phone, which will sync with your iCloud account.

How to Send a File Using AirDrop

1. Open the File & Click Share

Whatever file you choose to send, look for the share icon. It looks like a little box with an arrow pointing up out of it.

1. Choose the Recipient

The screen that pops up is called your Share Sheets. Share Sheets have all sorts of options for sharing a file, including third party apps. See the AirDrop section? Select the recipient. Here you can see a single recipient has been discovered.

If you don’t see the intended recipient, have them follow the instructions above to allow AirDrop Receiving.

That’s it! AirDrop is a handy feature. Once you get used to it, using it is a breeze, and much faster than emailing a file!
 

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