How to Fix AirDrop Not Working on Mac (2026 Guide)

Why AirDrop Stops Working on Mac

AirDrop is one of Apple's most convenient features — until it stops working. After updating to macOS Sequoia, thousands of users reported AirDrop not showing nearby devices, not completing transfers, disappearing from the Finder sidebar, or appearing stuck on "Waiting" forever.

AirDrop uses both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth simultaneously. A problem with either radio, a misconfigured firewall, a Focus mode, or an iCloud sign-in issue can silently break it. This guide covers every known fix, starting with the simplest.

Fix 1: Toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Off and Back On

AirDrop requires both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to be active — not connected to a network, just on. If either has got into a bad state, toggling both resolves most simple cases.

1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and turn Wi-Fi off. Wait 5 seconds, then turn it on.
2. Open System Settings > Bluetooth and toggle Bluetooth off and back on.
3. Open Finder, click Go > AirDrop, and check whether nearby devices appear.

You do not need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network for AirDrop to work — it creates a peer-to-peer connection. But both radios must be powered on.

Fix 2: Set AirDrop Discoverability to "Everyone"

The most commonly overlooked AirDrop setting. If discoverability is set to "Contacts Only" and the sending device's Apple ID is not in your contacts, AirDrop will not appear to that person at all.

1. Open Finder and press Cmd + Shift + R to open AirDrop.
2. At the bottom of the AirDrop window, change the dropdown from Contacts Only to Everyone.
3. On iPhone/iPad: swipe down to Control Center, long-press the network tile, and tap AirDrop > Everyone for 10 minutes.

After testing, switch back to "Contacts Only" for privacy.

Fix 3: Disable Focus and Do Not Disturb

An active Focus mode (Do Not Disturb, Work Focus, Sleep Focus) blocks incoming AirDrop requests. macOS treats an incoming AirDrop transfer as a notification, and Focus modes suppress notifications from unknown sources.

1. Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar (top right).
2. If any Focus mode is active (highlighted), click it to turn it off.
3. Alternatively, go to System Settings > Focus and disable all active profiles.

Fix 4: Re-sign into iCloud

Several Sequoia users found that AirDrop stopped working after an iCloud authentication issue. macOS uses your Apple ID to handle "Contacts Only" filtering, and if iCloud is in a broken state, AirDrop can fail silently.

1. Go to System Settings > [Your Name] (Apple ID).
2. Scroll down and click Sign Out. Choose to keep a local copy of your data when prompted.
3. Restart your Mac.
4. Go back to System Settings > Sign in with Apple ID and sign in again.

Test AirDrop after the re-sign-in completes.

Fix 5: Turn Off the Mac Firewall Temporarily

macOS's built-in firewall can block AirDrop's peer-to-peer connections. This is particularly common if you have enabled the "Block all incoming connections" option.

1. Go to System Settings > Network > Firewall.
2. Toggle the firewall off.
3. Test AirDrop immediately.

If AirDrop works with the firewall off, the issue is a firewall rule. Turn the firewall back on and go to Firewall Options — make sure "Block all incoming connections" is not checked, and look for any rules blocking AirDrop or Finder.

Fix 6: Restore AirDrop to the Finder Sidebar

A Sequoia-specific bug causes AirDrop to disappear from the Finder sidebar — the checkbox re-unchecks itself immediately when you try to enable it.

1. Open Finder > Settings (Cmd + ,).
2. Click the Sidebar tab.
3. Check the AirDrop checkbox.

If the checkbox keeps deselecting itself, try this Terminal fix:

defaults write com.apple.finder ShowAirDropInFinder -bool true
killall Finder

This forces the preference and restarts Finder to apply it.

Fix 7: Reset Network Settings with Terminal

If AirDrop cannot detect any devices at all, flushing the DNS cache and resetting the mDNS responder (which AirDrop relies on for device discovery) can resolve the issue:

sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

Run both commands in Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal). Enter your admin password when prompted.

Fix 8: Boot into Safe Mode and Test

If AirDrop works in Safe Mode but not in normal mode, a third-party app or kernel extension is interfering. Safe Mode disables all non-essential startup items and extensions.

Apple Silicon: Shut down, hold the power button until "Loading startup options" appears, click your disk, then hold Shift and click "Continue in Safe Mode."

Intel Mac: Restart and immediately hold the Shift key until the login screen appears.

Test AirDrop in Safe Mode. If it works, restart normally and disable recently installed apps or extensions one by one until you find the conflict.

If none of these fixes resolve the issue, CloudHouse Technologies offers per-ticket Mac support — our technicians diagnose AirDrop and network issues remotely without a monthly commitment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't my Mac see nearby iPhones on AirDrop?

The most common reasons are: the iPhone has AirDrop set to "Receiving Off" or "Contacts Only" (and the Mac's Apple ID is not in the iPhone's contacts), Focus/Do Not Disturb is active on either device, or one device has Bluetooth turned off. Start by setting both devices to AirDrop "Everyone" and disabling Focus modes.

Why did AirDrop disappear from my Mac's Finder sidebar after updating to macOS Sequoia?

This is a known macOS Sequoia bug. The AirDrop checkbox in Finder Settings > Sidebar re-unchecks itself. Fix it by running: defaults write com.apple.finder ShowAirDropInFinder -bool true && killall Finder in Terminal.

Does AirDrop require both devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network?

No. AirDrop creates a direct peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connection between devices — they do not need to be on the same network. Both devices must have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, but actual network connection is not required.

Why does AirDrop say "Waiting" and never complete the transfer?

Usually caused by the receiving device's screen being locked or locked by a Focus mode, or the two devices moving out of range (AirDrop works best within 9 metres). Keep both devices awake and unlocked, nearby, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. If it still hangs, toggle Wi-Fi off and on on both devices and retry.

AirDrop worked before — why did it stop after a macOS update?

macOS Sequoia introduced changes to how AirDrop handles discoverability and Finder sidebar integration. The most common post-update fixes are: re-sign into iCloud, restore the Finder sidebar entry via Terminal, and reset mDNSResponder with the sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder command.