AirDrop Not Working on Mac OS X Yosemite, How to Fix It?

A number of Mac users have reported that AirDrop is not working on OS X El Capitan or Yosemite. Here is how to get AirDrop work on Mac as expected.

AirDrop has been designed to share files across compatible OS X and iOS devices easily. Though AirDrop has been around for many years, it has become more functional than ever before with the arrival of OS X Yosemite and iOS 8. Recently many Mac users have reported that AirDrop is not working on their Mac in letting them share files with other iDevices. In other words, AirDrop seems to get stuck while sharing files.

If you also find AirDrop unable to function as expected on your Mac, here is how you can quickly make it work. Let’s head over the jump to fix it straight away!

Note: AirDrop works with OS X Lion or higher. Hence, you must ensure your iDevices are compatible to send/receive files via AirDrop before moving ahead with the process.

How to Fix Airdrop Not Working in OS X Yosemite or El Capitan:

Solution #1

If you have turned on “Block all incoming communications” in Firewall on your Mac, you wouldn’t be able to share files through AirDrop. Hence, you need to turn it off.

Step #1. Click on Apple Manu on your Mac.

Step #2. Select System Preferences.

Step #3. Click on Security & Privacy.

Step #4. Select Firewall from the top menu and Click on Firewall options.

Step #5. Uncheck the box next to the Block all incoming communications option.

That’s it!

Solution #2

AirDrop provides you two options-Everyone and Contacts Only. While Everyone allows anyone to share files with you, Contacts Only lets only those who are in your contacts to share files with you. You need to select Everyone to allow anyone to share files with you.

Step #1. Go to Finder on your Mac.

Step #2. Click on AirDrop.

Step #3. Click on Allow me to be discovered by under the AirDrop icon and select Everyone.

Solution #3

To share files through AirDrop, you need to keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. If you are unable to send files even if they are turned on, you need to turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on/off a few times.

Simply go to Status menu which is on the top right corner of your Mac and turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on/off a few times.

Solution #4

Make sure AirDrop is perfectly enabled on other iDevices too. If AirDrop is not working in iOS 8 on your iPhone or iPad, you need to make sure that you have rightly configured your device to receive files via AirDrop.

That’s it!

Hopefully, you are able to share files successfully on your Mac using AirDrop.

Alex

Not working at all … with El capitan macbook pro late 2013 and iO9.0.2 iPhone 6 and iPad air
- ssj
  
  me too!!!!
RMorales

This problem has come all the way down to El Capitan, and there’s still no fix. Followed all these steps with no luck. I’m tired of this.
- Mateusz Desaniuk
  
  i have the same problem :/ El Capitan and iOS 9.0.2 – AirDrop doesn’t work :/
  - webdevbrian
    
    I found if I open up the bluetooth preferences menu on my mac it then and ONLY then detects that I’m trying to air drop something from my phone
- Tim
  
  Same here
Andrew Noon

I’ve had everything AirDrop-related turned on since AirDrop was released, including everything in this guide. It has never, ever, worked. To be honest I’d forgotten it existed. Tried it again after reading this. Nope.
- Anas CK
  
  same here!
em

dear macintosh. i am very tired. i shouldnt need to have a PhD to work out how to use airdrop. it should just work. do not give me 5 pages of instructions about how to fix it, just make it work. thank you
alien

there is other reasons if you can not do air drop with iOS device using mac but you can do it to other os x.
The reason is the hardware it’s self, AFAIK you can not do it with macbook pro older than late 2011, I have macbook pro early 2011, I can not use air drop to iOS device but I can do to other os x.
- Dee
  
  It drives me nuts. Sometimes it works, most times not. Spending too much time trying to make it work!