Why will AirDrop or Quick Share not find the other device?
Both systems work the same way and fail for the same reasons. The five things that have to be true at once, why the receiving phone is usually the problem, and what to do instead when it will not co-operate.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 6 min
Short answer
Both devices need Bluetooth and wifi switched on — even though the transfer does not use your network, both radios are used, and turning wifi off breaks it. Both screens need to be awake and unlocked. The receiving device needs to be set to accept from everyone rather than contacts only, at least for a minute. Neither device should be running a personal hotspot or a VPN. Fix those five and it almost always appears within seconds.
AirDrop between Apple devices and Quick Share between Android devices are the same idea built twice: Bluetooth finds the other device and negotiates, then the phones create a direct wireless link between themselves to move the file. That design is why the transfer is fast, does not touch your data allowance and works with no internet at all — and why it fails in ways that make no sense until you know the mechanism. People turn wifi off because they know the transfer is not going over the network, and break it. They send from a locked phone lying on a table, and nothing happens. Almost every failure is one of a short list, and the list is the same on both platforms.
Step by step
- Turn on both Bluetooth and wifi on both devices.This is the single commonest failure. Bluetooth handles discovery; wifi hardware carries the actual file over a direct link between the two devices. Neither needs to be joined to a network, but the wifi radio must be switched on. A phone in flight mode with Bluetooth manually re-enabled will still fail.
- Wake and unlock both devices.A locked or sleeping phone will not advertise itself and often will not display the incoming prompt. Put both screens on, unlock both, and keep them awake for the few seconds discovery takes. A device face-down or in a pocket is a common reason a sender sees nothing.
- Set the receiver to accept from everyone, temporarily.Both platforms default to contacts-only, which requires the two accounts to have each other saved with the right details — and that is why sending to a colleague or a stranger fails while sending to your partner works. Switch the receiving device to everyone for a few minutes, then switch it back. Both platforms now time this out automatically, which is the sensible arrangement.
- Get physically close.Within a couple of metres, with nothing substantial in between. Both systems are short-range by design. A wall, a fridge, or being at opposite ends of a room is enough to make discovery unreliable even when everything else is right.
- Turn off any personal hotspot and any VPN.A hotspot occupies the wifi radio in a way that prevents the direct link forming, and it is easy to leave on without noticing. A VPN interferes on some devices too. Turn both off on both devices, transfer, then turn them back on.
- Check that the accounts are what each device expects, for contacts-only mode.Contacts-only matching works from the address book, so the other person must be saved with the email address or phone number their device is signed in with. Someone saved under a different number will not match. This is why the transfer that has always worked stops after one of you changes a number.
- Restart the radios, then the device.Toggling flight mode on and off resets both radios at once and fixes a surprising proportion of cases. If that does not work, restart both devices. Bluetooth stacks get into stuck states and this is the cheapest way out of one.
- Watch for the transfer being accepted but the file not arriving where you expect.Photos usually land in the photo library; documents land in a downloads or files location; some file types are handed to whichever app claims them. If the transfer said it completed, look in the files app before repeating it.
- Use the right fallback rather than fighting it.Between an iPhone and an Android phone these systems do not talk to each other at all, and that is not a fault to troubleshoot. Use a shared cloud link, a messaging app for small items, or a cable and a computer for large ones. The catalogue's guide on transferring files between devices lays out the options.
Common mistakes
- Turning wifi off because the transfer does not use the internet — It uses the wifi hardware to build a direct link between the two devices. The radio must be on even when there is no network to join.
- Sending to a phone lying locked on the table — A locked device does not advertise itself and does not show the prompt. Both screens need to be awake.
- Leaving the receiver set to everyone permanently — It allows anyone nearby to send you unsolicited content, which is a real nuisance on public transport. Both platforms now time the setting out on their own; do not defeat that.
- Repeating a transfer that actually succeeded — Files land in different places depending on their type. Check the files app and the photo library before sending it three more times.
If it doesn't work
The sender sees nothing at all
Cause: The receiver is locked, asleep, or set to contacts only — Fix: Wake and unlock the receiving device and set it to accept from everyone. This is the fix in the large majority of cases and it takes ten seconds.
It appears, you tap it, and nothing happens
Cause: The direct wireless link cannot form — Fix: Turn off any personal hotspot and VPN on both devices, then toggle flight mode on and off on both. Move closer.
Works with one person and not another
Cause: Contacts-only matching — Fix: The one it works with is saved in your contacts with the right details. Either save the other person correctly, or set the receiver to everyone for the transfer.
Transfer starts then stops partway
Cause: Distance, a screen locking, or interference — Fix: Keep both devices awake, close together, and still until it finishes. Large videos take longer than a screen timeout allows if you put the phone down.
Very slow for a large video
Cause: One device is old, or the link is congested — Fix: Expected on older hardware, which supports slower wireless standards. For very large files a cable to a computer is still faster and far more reliable.
An iPhone and an Android phone cannot see each other
Cause: They are different systems — Fix: Not a fault. Use a cloud link, a cross-platform transfer app, or a cable. There is no setting that makes them interoperate.
A Mac will not receive from a phone
Cause: The Mac's discoverability setting, or its firewall — Fix: Set the Mac to be discoverable by everyone in its sharing settings, make sure its screen is awake, and check whether the firewall is set to block all incoming connections — that setting blocks this.
Questions people ask
Does it use my mobile data?
No. The file travels directly between the two devices over a private wireless link, so it costs nothing and works with no signal and no broadband. That is the main reason to use it rather than a messaging app when you are away from home.
Is it safe to accept a transfer from someone I do not know?
You should not, and this is the reason the everyone setting is meant to be temporary. Unsolicited transfers in public places are a known nuisance and an unexpected file is not something to open. Decline anything you were not expecting.
Does it compress my photos?
It sends the original file, which is the main advantage over messaging apps — those compress photos and videos heavily and irreversibly. If image quality matters, this is the method to use.
Can I send to several people at once?
Yes on both platforms, provided each recipient's device is discoverable and each accepts. It is a good way to hand out photographs at the end of an event, and much better than a group chat for quality.
What is the equivalent between a phone and a Windows PC?
Windows has its own phone-linking arrangement for Android, and there are cross-platform apps that do the same job over your local network. For an iPhone to a PC, a cable and the photos import route is the most reliable, and the catalogue's guide on transferring photos off a phone covers it.