Make a nearby Apple device appear in AirDrop
Prove Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, range, receiving visibility, account state, and the current non-contact code requirement before restarting.
Direct answer
The shortest reliable path.
Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both Apple devices, keep them within 30 feet or 10 meters, and set the receiving device to Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes. For transfers between your own devices, sign in to the same Apple Account for automatic acceptance. On iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 26.2 or later, a non-contact recipient may need to share an AirDrop code.
System view
Check the whole path.
- 01Sending Apple device
- 02Wi-Fi and Bluetooth discovery
- 03Nearby range
- 04Receiving visibility and identity
- 05AirDrop acceptance
Scope before steps.
Supported Macs, iPhones, and iPads that do not appear to each other in AirDrop or cannot begin a nearby file transfer.
Unsupported legacy hardware, managed-device restrictions, internet-based transfer performance after a nearby transfer begins, file-format compatibility, or Apple Account recovery.
Procedure
Do this in order.
- 01
Prove radios and distance
Confirm Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on for both devices and move them within 30 feet or 10 meters of each other.
- 02
Expose the receiving device
On the receiver, turn on AirDrop and choose Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes. On Mac, use Control Center; on iPhone or iPad, use the expanded connectivity controls in Control Center.
- 03
Use the account or code branch
For your own devices, verify both use the same Apple Account. For a person outside Contacts on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS 26.2 or later, have the receiver show the AirDrop code and enter it on the sender.
- 04
Restart only after the prerequisites are visible
If the receiver still does not appear, restart both devices, restore the documented radio and receiving settings, and retry with one small file.
Diagnostic matrix
Read the result, not the guess.
| What you see | Check next | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| The device appears only with Everyone for 10 Minutes | Review whether the sender’s Apple Account address or phone number matches a Contacts entry on the receiver. | Nearby discovery works; the Contacts Only identity relationship is the limiting layer. |
| Your own device prompts for acceptance | Verify both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account. | Apple’s same-account automatic-acceptance condition is not being met. |
| A non-contact sender sees a code request | Use the temporary code shown by the recipient rather than repeatedly changing visibility. | Current AirDrop security behavior is working as documented, not blocking discovery because of a fault. |
Stop conditions
Know when not to keep changing things.
- Do not leave AirDrop receiving open more broadly than needed after the test.
- Do not share an AirDrop code with anyone other than the intended nearby sender.
- Contact Apple or the device administrator when supported devices meet the documented conditions but policy or repeated discovery failure prevents AirDrop use.