Airdrop not sending/receiving pdf files

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Level 1

11 points

Airdrop not sending/receiving pdf files

Hello community,

I'm experiencing problems trying to transfer pdf's via Airdrop.

They can be sent from the iPad/iPhone and received by the iMac; but when trying to send them from the iMac to the iPad/iPhone I can hear the notification, yet nothing else happens (=no dialog offering to open the file using any apps).

I have followed all the common troubleshooting steps; all three devices are on the same wifi network, and all are updated to the most recent OS versions.

Any clue as to why this is happening specifically to pdfs?

Thank you.

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jun 21, 2020 12:25 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

chris_g1

Community Specialist

Jun 24, 2020 2:06 PM in response to RafaelG

Hello RafaelG,

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities!

We understand from your post that you are not seeing the AirDrop notification when you send items from your iMac to your iPhone. If you are using the same Apple ID on both devices this could be why. You may want to check your Files app to see if the items you are sending are there.

Use AirDrop on your Mac to send files to devices near you - Apple Support

"Receive items using AirDrop

When someone uses AirDrop to send an item to you on your Mac, you can choose whether to accept and save it.

If you send an item from one device to another (for example, from your iPhone to your Mac), and you’re signed in to iCloud using the same Apple ID on both devices, the item is automatically accepted and saved.

In the AirDrop notification on your Mac, click the Accept pop-up menu, then choose an option.
Look for the item in your Downloads folder or the app you saved the item to.

If someone who wants to send you a file can’t see your Mac, make sure you’ve set it up to allow others to send items to you using AirDrop."

Best Regards.

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Answer 2

RafaelG Author

Level 1

11 points

Jun 29, 2020 5:03 AM in response to RafaelG

I'm editing my earlier comment; sorry.

Thank you for the reply.

Unfortunately the problem has gotten even worse.

On the iMac, when I click on the Share > Airdrop option, I can see none of the other devices (iPhone, iPad, MacBook) available.

All of them are connected to the same wifi network, and all of them have Bluetooth enabled.

Using the MacBook, exactly the same problem I described earlier occurs: iPad/iPhone receives notification sound, but no visual notification (and therefore no choice of app to open/download the file).

Both the iPhone and the iPad can send files, and the iMac and MacBook will receive them; it's the other way around that consistently fails to work.

I have followed all the steps described in various sites to try to re-enable Airdrop on the iMac/Macbook, but unsuccessfully.

Thank you.

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Answer 3

RafaelG Author

Level 1

11 points

Jun 29, 2020 4:55 AM in response to chris_g1

Thank you for the reply.

Unfortunately the problem has gotten even worse.

On the iMac, when I click on the Share > Airdrop option, I can see none of the other devices (iPhone, iPad, MacBook) available.

All of them are connected to the same wifi network, and all of them have Bluetooth enabled.

On the MacBook, exactly the same problem I described earlier occurs: notification sound, but no visual notification (and therefore no choice of app to open/download the file).

Both the iPhone and the iPad can send files, and the iMac and MacBook will receive them; it's the other way around that consistently fails to work.

I have followed all the steps described in various sites to try to re-enable Airdrop on the iMac/Macbook, but unsuccessfully.

Thank you.

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Answer 4

sterling r

Community Specialist

Jun 29, 2020 5:41 PM in response to RafaelG

RafaelG,

Does the same thing happen when you use another user account on your Mac? If not, there could be a setting or 3rd-party app interfering in your user account. This article will provide you with steps to test the issue in a new user account:

How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac - Apple Support

Regards.

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Answer 5

RafaelG Author

Level 1

11 points

Jun 30, 2020 4:19 AM in response to sterling r

Thank you for the quick reply and the link to those instructions.

Yes, it definitely happens when I log in using a guest account on the iMac: the iMac can receive from the iPad, but Airdrop doesn't detect any available devices if I try to use it on the iMac.

What puzzles me even more is that the same thing happens on the MacBook, which doesn't have the same 3rd-party applications installed as the iMac.

Thank you.

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Answer 6

chuck_3rd

Community Specialist

Jun 30, 2020 10:06 AM in response to RafaelG

RafaelG,

If the issue persists on different Mac computers and in test accounts on those Mac computers then you may need to contact Apple Support for additional assistance.

Get Support

Take Care.

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Airdrop not sending/receiving pdf files

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