Can not connect my 2 macs with AirDrop

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Level 8

41,196 points

Can not connect my 2 macs with AirDrop

I have an iMac 27" mid 2011 running macOS Sierra 10.12.6 and a Macbook Pro Mid 2012 running macOS Catalina 10.15.

I would like to share TextEdit (or any) files between the 2 by AirDrop.

Both Macs are side by side, connected by WiFi to the same router, have Bluetooth, WiFi and iCloud turned on and I can see AirDrop open on both but they do not see each other.

I can not see anything in Security and Privacy that should block them.

I right click on my test file on the iMac 27" > Share > AirDrop > and get:

I have AirDrop open in my MacBook Pro with:

Allow me to be discovered by: Everyone

but see no other device or file.

I have read the Help instructions on this but nothing relevant or actionable by me.

Posted on Oct 21, 2019 6:01 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Luis Sequeira1

Level 9

67,648 points

Oct 21, 2019 7:38 AM in response to Barney-15E

I am afraid that the capability to use AirDrop with older macs has been removed in Catalina.

The old "Search for an older mac" that used to appear at the bottom of the AirDrop window is nowhere to be found.

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Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,848 points

Oct 21, 2019 6:10 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

To AirDrop to a 2011 Mac, you have to click that link so that your newer Mac will go into Legacy AirDrop mode.

With the newer capabilities of the BlueTooth module in 2012 and later Macs, they made a better version of AirDrop, but it won't work with the older system unless you tell it to use Legacy AirDrop.

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Answer 3

PeterBreis0807 Author

Level 8

41,196 points

Oct 21, 2019 6:52 AM in response to Barney-15E

That link gets me nowhere, nothing happens when I click on it, and I am looking at AirDrop on the MacBook Pro and do not see anywhere with "Legacy Airdrop".

The best I have been able to do is very clumsy.

Use Bluetooth File Exchange on the iMac to push the file, which it does but it then disconnects the Bluetooth connection after.

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Answer 4

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,848 points

Oct 21, 2019 7:24 AM in response to PeterBreis0807

You won't see "Legacy" anything.

Try in the Finder instead of the share menu.

If you are sharing from the 2011 Mac, you are in Legacy mode.

On the 2012 Mac, open AirDrop in Finder. You should see a similar link at the bottom of the page that will switch you into Legacy mode. However, Catalina could have dropped support for Legacy mode. I don't know.

This article probably has better explanations: http://osxdaily.com/2015/11/30/enable-airdrop-new-mac-to-old-mac-support/

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