What is airdrop & how does it work?

AirDrop is Apple’s proprietary method of sending files or data locally between two devices. The devices initially connect over Bluetooth, with Wi-Fi doing much of the heavy lifting when it comes to file transfers. The feature was first introduced on Macs in 2008. It expanded to iOS devices with the rollout of iOS 7 in 2013.

Can everyone see my Apple device using airdrop?

Everyone: All nearby Apple devices using AirDrop can see your device. When you set your AirDrop option to Everyone in iOS 16.2 or later, your option reverts to Contacts Only after 10 minutes. Go to Settings > Screen Time. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Tap Allowed Apps and make sure that AirDrop is turned on.

When did airdrop come to iOS?

History AirDrop made its debut as a part of Mac OS X Lion back in 2011. But it didn’t arrive on iOS until 2013 when it was added to the iPhone operating system as a part of iOS 7. Even then, the macOS AirDrop protocol and iOS AirDrop protocol weren’t interoperable.

How do I airdrop a photo?

If you share a photo from the Photos app, you can swipe left or right and select multiple photos. Tap the AirDrop button. Tap the AirDrop user that you want to share with. Or you can use AirDrop between your own Apple devices. If you see a red numbered badge on the AirDrop button, there are multiple devices nearby that you can share with.