How to use AirDrop on your iPhone, iPad or Mac

As those who are heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem will tell you, AirDrop is one of the biggest conveniences of the platform. It’s one of the simplest ways to transfer files between people and devices – provided they use an Apple device – and completely replaces physical USB drives for most use-cases.

If you’re new to the Apple ecosystem, or have never figured out how to use AirDrop, this guide is for you!

How to use AirDrop on an iPhone or iPad

To share an image from the Photos app or a file from the Files app, simply select the image or file you want to share and tap on the share button on the bottom left of the screen.

In the screen that now opens, you will see two large rows of icons. The first item in the top row is usually the most recently used AirDrop device. Tap on that to share the file or photo instantly to the most recently used device. Otherwise just tap on the icon labeled AirDrop in the lower row, and select a device to AirDrop the data to.

ALSO READ: How to transfer photos from an iPhone to a laptop

When you select the device, the data is immediately and seamlessly shared. A blue progress bar around the device icon will indicate progress.

Can’t see the AirDrop option

AirDrop is sometimes disabled on your device. To enable it, swipe down from the top right of the screen to open the Control Centre. Press and hold the connectivity folder. When the folder expands, tap on the AirDrop icon.

Select ‘Receiving Off’ to disable AirDrop, ‘Contacts Only’ to receive AirDrops from trusted contacts, and ‘Everyone for 10 Minutes’ to let anyone near you send an AirDrop for up to 10 minutes at a time. The last option is risky to use in public spaces.

How to AirDrop files from a Mac

Select the file(s) or folder(s) that you want to share by clicking on them or dragging a box over them with the cursor. In Finder, you can simply click on the Share icon on the top bar and select AirDrop, or you could right-click (or CMD+click) on the files/folders to select Share and AirDrop.

A new window will pop up indicating nearby devices that have AirDrop enabled.Click on the device you want to AirDrop files to. A blue progress bar will indicate the status of the transfer. Note that AirDrop lets you transfer all types of files, folders, and even URLs between Apple devices.

That’s it! AirDropping files to and from Apple devices is that simple and convenient. Once you start using the feature, you’ll wonder how you went through life without ever using it to begin with.