In this article, we cover the most common AirDrop issues and how to fix them on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
AirDrop not working? Here’s how to fix it
AirDrop
Check out Snapdrop, a web-based clone of Apple’s AirDrop
The easiest way to share content between your Mac and an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad is AirDrop, a device-to-device wireless transfer technology built into the bowels of iOS and OS X. But when you want to transfer files between Apple devices and other platforms, AirDrop isn't very helpfu.
AirDrop, as you know, is limited to iOS and OS X and doesn't work on Android, Windows or other operating systems and computing platforms. Enter Snapdrop, an interesting web-based HTML5 clone of AirDrop by German developer Robin Linus.
Billed as the easiest way to transfer files across different devices, Snapdrop runs in a web browser and doesn't require you to install any special software. But does it work as advertised? Read on to find out.
Apple releases OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan update
Following an extensive testing, Apple on Tuesday released OS X 10.11.2 (build number 15C50), the second major update to El Capitan, for public consumption. In addition to improving the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, OS X 10.11.2 improves iCloud Photo Sharing for Live Photos, as well as the reliability of Wi-Fi networking, Handoff and AirDrop.
Moreover, the software update includes fixes for Bluetooth devices disconnecting on a whim, the Mail app deleting messages in an offline Exchange account and problems with importing photos from an iPhone to a Mac using a USB cable.
How to tell if your Mac supports AirDrop, a device-to-device wireless file transfer feature
AirDrop simplifies wireless file sharing between Macs and iOS devices without having to connect to an existing network or going through the hassle of typing a password.
Every Mac bought in almost the last decade supports AirDrop. But if you have an old Mac and are wondering if it supports AirDrop or not, this tutorial will help.
How to manage received AirDrop files with Hazel on Mac
Every waking day I send tons of screenshots from my iPhone to my Mac via AirDrop. And every day I wish that Apple allowed users to customize the AirDrop save location. Not only is the ~/Downloads folder the default save location, but it can't be modified, not even via undocumented methods.
As a workaround, I use Hazel ($29 w/ free trial) to automate the process of moving images sent via AirDrop to my Desktop. It's a great workaround that does the job. While it would be nice if Apple allowed you to specify an exact save location, this is probably the next best thing.
AnyDrop 3: share any file via AirDrop on iOS 8
Developer Majd Alfhaily is back with a new iOS 8-ready version of AnyDrop, the jailbreak app that allows you to share any file via the built-in AirDrop feature on iOS 8. Entitled AnyDrop 3, this latest version of the app supports both iOS 7 and iOS 8 out of the box. If you're interested in unleashing AirDrop, making it compatible with native file system files and even Music app tracks, then AnyDrop 3 is a jailbreak app that's worth investigating.
How to use AirDrop between OS X Yosemite and iOS 8
AirDrop is a file transmission tool that first debuted in OS X Lion. Prior to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, the AirDrop protocols between Mac and iOS were not compatible. This incompatibility made AirDrop worthless in the eyes of many, as most casual users would prefer to exchange data between a Mac and an iOS device, instead of two Macs.
The AirDrop issue has been solved in iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite. AirDrop now works beautifully between a Mac and an iPhone, or a Mac and an iPad. It’s a great way to make quick transmissions between local devices. Watch our video walkthrough after the break for a demonstration of AirDrop in action.
Read this before upgrading your iPhone 4s to iOS 8
Think twice before updating your rusty old iPhone 4s to the just-released iOS 8 because Apple's feature-packed upgrade makes its handset run most tasks about two times (or more) slower.
iOS 8 will slow down common tasks on the handset, including approximately two times slower launching of stock apps, almost three seconds longer booting and more, ArsTechnica reported Wednesday.
In addition to the performance hit, the three-year-old handset is incompatible with certain hardware-dependent iOS 8 features such as Handoff, AirDrop, the OpenGL ES 3.0 and Metal graphics run-time and more.
Microsoft’s OneDrive for iOS now supports AirDrop, adaptive video streaming and more
Having more than doubled free OneDrive tier from seven to fifteen gigabytes of cloud storage, Microsoft today rolled out an update to its free OneDrive client for iPhone and iPad.
In addition to the inevitable bug fixes and performance improvements, OneDrive now lets you share files via Apple's AirDrop technology and includes HLS support which lets it adapt to your available bandwidth when video-streaming...
AnyDrop 2: share any file using AirDrop
AirDrop is such a good feature, but on a jailbroken iPhone it's been turned into a great feature. That's because there's AnyDrop 2—a jailbreak tweak that supercharges the concept of AirDrop, and makes it accessible for any file on the native file system.
Imagine iFile with AirDrop sharing, and you pretty much have AnyDrop. It's more than that, though, because AnyDrop allows you to share media files from your Music app library, Video app library, and Photo app library. It even comes bundled with a hidden feature that lets you download and share YouTube videos called YouTubeDrop.
Needless to Say, AnyDrop 2 is a great jailbreak tweak to have if you're interested in getting more than the pedestrian experience out of AirDrop. Watch our video after the break to see what I mean.
Apple patents mysterious Nearby icon, believed to be part of iOS 7 AirDrop
Among the 35 patents the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple Tuesday was a design for a never before seen icon entitled Nearby. The icon could describe a wireless transfer feature expected in iOS 7, called Airdrop. This latest patent dump also unveils new emoticons for Messages, as well as another design patent for Apple's Lightning adapter...
iOS 7 simplifies file sharing with AirDrop
In addition to Control Center, a new iOS 7 feature which puts often used Settings toggled just a swipe away anywhere in the system, Apple has also made it easier to send your files and documents to other iOS devices and Macs with AirDrop. As you know, Apple launched AirDrop on Macs with OS X Lion.
AirDrop talks to devices directly over Wi-Fi, without the need for an Internet connection or having to join a Wi-Fi network. In fact, the system is hassle-free in that you don't need to configure anything - it just works...