(They don’t have to be on the same network.)

Ensure all devices have Wi-Fi turned on.

Turn On Wi-Fi and BluetoothĪirDrop uses Bluetooth to create a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network between devices. However, some features covered in this chapter, like limiting discoverability to contacts only, won’t work. If you just want to use AirDrop Mac to Mac, you can get away with older hardware see this Apple article for details. As is the case with Handoff, this cool feature is available only to people with recently-made devices. To use AirDrop between a Mac and an iOS device, your Mac and iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch must meet the stringent Handoff Requirements.

Now, AirDrop takes on the whole kit-n-caboodle, promising instant sharing between Macs, iPhones, and iPads with just a few taps or clicks…if you have the right hardware. Prior to Yosemite, AirDrop simplified transferring files between Macs on the same network, and later between iOS devices in close range of each other, too. ① If you have a Yosemite or El Capitan Mac and an iOS 8.1 or later device that both meet Apple’s hardware requirements, you can use AirDrop sharing between them. Now-a-days we have options like the Messages app, email, and Dropbox, as well as Apple’s AirDrop ①. Once upon a time, moving electronic files from one computer to another required cables, know-how, and fair dose of determination.

How to turn airdrop off mac