Just transfer a photo or video from the iPhone to the iPad, Mac, or another Apple device, but you can’t find the suitable cable or WiFi access quickly. Never mind. After all, Apple has already integrated its solution for fast data transfer into the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other devices: AirDrop.
AirDrop was developed for data transfer where the devices are very close to each other. Ideally, they will be in the same room. Apple specifies the maximum range as nine meters. However, less is more here: at a distance of less than one meter, the transfer rate is still twelve to fifteen megabytes per second. A greater distance is noticeable. Large files, therefore, take significantly longer to migrate from an iPhone to a Mac, for example. There is still no loss of quality with AirDrop. Although the transmission time increases with greater distances, the data is not compressed.
AirDrop is a way to transfer data from an iPhone to an iPad, for example, without having to connect the devices via cable. It is an alternative to Bluetooth, which also offers this. Apple AirDrop has certain advantages over this and cable connections.
The function is based on both Bluetooth and the so-called WiFi Direct technology, which enables direct data exchange without the devices involved having to be logged into an external network at the same time or connected via cable.
This means that the two Apple devices neither need to be logged into a shared network nor do you have to take a detour via a data cloud. You also don’t need an active internet connection. The latter ensures that data transfer does not come at the expense of your mobile data volume when you are on the move or when there is no WiFi available.
An essential cornerstone of AirDrop is its ease of use: a tap of the finger is enough to confirm the transfer. You don’t need to connect the transmitter and receiver devices in advance manually. Apple takes care of that for you. In addition, the data to be transmitted is not compressed, unlike when transmitted using messengers. This means that all information from the original file is retained. This means that neither the resolution nor other essential parameters are reduced for images and videos.
This is made possible above all by the excellent transfer rate of several megabytes per second. There are hardly any restrictions on the type of data you can transfer. Large 4K videos from your iPhone can be transferred in the same way as a simple text link that you copy from Safari on the Mac and want to forward to someone with an iPad. AirDrop, therefore, works between several Apple operating systems, i.e., iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS.
To turn on AirDrop from the Control Center on your iPhone or iPad:
To adjust settings on a Mac or MacBook, click AirDrop in the Finder sidebar, then click I’m visible at the bottom of the window. Similar to the procedure for iOS devices, a dialog will then appear in which you can choose whether everyone or only your contacts can send you data via AirDrop.
First, you should make sure that WiFi and Bluetooth are turned on on both your device and the receiver. iOS offers you two options for sending data via AirDrop. The first requires the latest version of the operating system, iOS 17, on all devices involved.
You use the second option to send data via AirDrop, as follows:
Alternative procedure for Mac and MacBook: On computers with macOS, you can alternatively access AirDrop directly via the Finder. There, you can then drag and drop the files you want to transfer onto the profile of the desired AirDrop profile, which is displayed on the right side of the window.
Apple has added a new feature to AirDrop with iOS 17. This is called NameDrop and makes it easier for you to exchange your contact information with other Apple devices. To pass on your contact information and receive that of the other person using NameDrop, all you have to do is hold your iPhones on top of each other—similar to contactless payment with the iPhone.
The devices do not have to be unlocked for this. All you have to do is wake up the iPhone by tapping the screen in advance. The two iPhones automatically recognize each other and then offer you the option to share contacts or receive information from the other side. NameDrop also works with the Apple Watch but not with the iPad, Mac, or MacBook.
To save data sent via AirDrop to one of your Apple devices: When someone sends you files via AirDrop, you’ll see a preview on your screen along with the Reject and Accept choices. If you tap “accept,” the content in question will be downloaded to your iPhone and then accessed in the application from which the broadcaster transmitted it. On your Mac, the data first ends up in the “Downloads” folder.
Many users of current Apple devices don’t even know about the possibilities that Apple offers with AirDrop and are therefore missing out on something: A wide variety of data can be transferred quickly and easily from one Apple device to another without entering passwords or other hurdles. The advantages are apparent, especially when compared to messenger apps, which are often used to quickly exchange data such as images, videos, and music.
In addition, WiFi is not required within range, nor is your mobile data volume used for the transmission. The only requirement is that the transmitter and receiver devices are in close proximity to each other, AirDrop is activated, and Bluetooth and WLAN are switched on on both devices.
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