If you’re an iPhone user, there’s no doubt you love sharing photos, videos, and other files with AirDrop. Well, it’s the official file-sharing feature for iOS so it’s a given. Besides that, it’s fast and easy to use. While that sounds great, many users have reported experiencing AirDrop not finding anyone. This implies that AirDrop won’t work for sharing/receiving files.
In case this is happening in your iPhone, it’s probably because the receiving iPhone’s AirDrop visibility is set to Receiving Off or there’s a glitch forcing it to go back to such a state. It’s also possible that the Bluetooth/WIFI feature of the source iPhone isn’t enabled or buggy. Either way is frustrating.
However, this doesn’t mean you can no longer use AirDrop. In fact, there are ways for you to fix the issue and we happen to curate them below. Read on and check them out now!
Quick Navigation:
Fix 1: Turn On Bluetooth and WIFI to Fix AirDrop Not Finding Anyone
The first things you need to check are the major features that AirDrop uses, which are Bluetooth and WIFI. If one of them isn’t enabled on either iPhone, it could result in AirDrop not finding anyone. This is especially the case with Bluetooth since it is responsible for detecting other devices and discoverability.
Step 1
Access the Control Center by scrolling up from the bottom of the home screen. In the upper-right corner, you should see the Bluetooth/WIFI card. Their icons should be in Blue.
Step 2
If they’re not in Blue, the features are turned off. Just tap on their respective icons to activate them. After that, try AirDropping files again and you should be able to find other devices.
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Fix 2: Check AirDrop Visibility to Fix AirDrop Waiting
If the source iPhone is stuck on AirDrop waiting, it’s possible that the receiving iPhone’s AirDrop visibility is set to Receiving Off. This blocks all attempts to detect and establish a connection with the device. You need to make sure that it’s either set to Contacts Only or Everyone, depending on the situation.
Step 1
Go to the Control Center and tap on the WIFI/Bluetooth card to see more options. There, the AirDrop icon should be in Green/Blue.
Step 2
If not, you may tap on the icon to enable it. Then, choose Contacts Only or Everyone. After that, proceed to the source iPhone and try AirDropping again. You should be able to see the device.
Fix 3: Reboot iPhone to Fix AirDrop Not Working
It’s probably a glitch or bug if the phone’s Bluetooth, WIFI, and AirDrop are already set, but it still doesn’t work. The best course of action when this happens is to reboot or restart the device. Yes! For starters, a reboot can refresh all system settings and possibly remove unknown glitches that may be causing the issue.
For iPhone X and later models:
Step 1
Press and hold the Side Key and the Volume Down button simultaneously. Release them both once you “Slide to Power Off” on the screen.
Step 2
Next, slide it to the right to start rebooting the device. You may need to wait for at least 30 seconds until it’s completely turned off. After that, just hold down the Side key to power on. Release it when you see the Apple logo.
For iPhone 8 and earlier models or iPhone SE and later iterations:
Step 1
Hold the Side button or the top key until you see the power-off slide on the screen. Drag it to the right and wait for 30 seconds to make sure the device is fully powered off.
Step 2
Then, press and hold the Side/Top key and release it when you reach the Apple Logo.
That’s it. After successfully rebooting/restarting your iPhone, try if you can use AirDrop without any issue. If AirDrop still won’t work, the problem is perhaps with the iPhone’s current iOS version.
Fix 4: Update your iPhone to Fix AirDrop Not Finding Anyone
Bugs and glitches are part of an ever-changing software like iOS. Some bugs can affect features such as Bluetooth, WIFI, and AirDrop. The good thing is Apple typically sends out bug fixes through updates. So, you really don’t have to worry as you can update to the latest iOS version to fix all the bugs.
However, you need to make sure that the phone is at 50% or higher battery percentage when updating to avoid bricking it due to interruption.
Step 1
Connect your iPhone to a WIFI network. Then, go to Settings and proceed to General. There, tap on Software Update. If there’s an available update, tap Download and Install. You may need to enter your iPhone’s Apple ID or Passcode for verification.
Step 2
When the download is complete, just tap on the Install Now option. The update will start. Just wait until it’s done. Just make sure that you don’t turn off the phone while the process is ongoing.
After that, try AirDropping files again and see if the bugs have been resolved.
Note:
If there’s no available update, your last resort is to factory reset your iPhone. This will delete all data and restore the device to factory settings (before the issue occurred). We recommend backing up your important data beforehand. You can access Factory Reset in the General section, too.
Bonus: Export/Import Files with iCareFone Instead of AirDrop
The methods above could fix the issue, but if they can’t, there’s still a way for you to export/import files on iPhone. There’s an app called iCareFone that is made for managing iPhone data and you can use it to transfer files across devices.
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Manage your iPhone & iPad With Mac/Windows PC Magically
- One step to move iPhone photos to PC/Mac
- Selectively add, delete, edit, and transfer contacts, audio, video, messages, etc
- Import data from PC/Mac to an iPhone
- Back up iPhone to computer and one-click to restore data
The best part is it doesn’t require AirDrop to transfer and receive files. All you need is a computer (Mac/Windows) and compatible USB cables to use the program. Once you install iCareFone, you can definitely use it every time there’s something wrong with AirDrop
iCareFone works by scanning the connected iPhone’s files, including photos, videos, music, contacts, apps, books, bookmarks, and other files. From there, you can export, import, delete, and whatnot. Yes! After the scan, you just need to select the type of data you wish to export. Then, tick them and hit the Export button right after. That’s how simple iCareFone is.
Moreover, you have the option to select your iPhone as the import destination or your computer/other iPhone as your export location. So, you can really use this app like AirDrop, only that it’s wired. Well, wired transfers are much faster anyway so it’s not really a disadvantage.
Also for media files, iCareFone allows you to export them and convert their file type at the same time. How cool is that? You don’t need a file converter at all. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more that iCareFone offers.
Further, the app is even more impressive than iTunes or directly accessing your files via Finder or File Explorer. iCareFone allows total management of your iPhone data without restrictions on file types.
Now, if you wish to try iCareFone, just click on the banner above to download and install the app for free on your computer.
Conclusion
AirDrop may encounter issues like not finding anyone, being stuck waiting, or not working, but you shouldn’t give up. There are solutions you can do by yourself to troubleshoot and fix the issue so you can continue sharing with or receiving files from everyone.
Buf if AirDrop still doesn’t work after applying all those fixes, it may be time to visit a professional technician to fix it for you. Nevertheless, know that you can always export and import files on your iPhone using iPhone manager apps like iCareFone. It’s a great alternative to AirDrop.