AirDrop is not working after new iOS 17 update

This is the only solution that has worked for me:

Do a hard reset and do not restore from iCloud. Manually download and reconfigure all apps. Signing in with Apple ID allows all photos and messages to sync. **Airdrop now works**

Clearly there is something causing the problem in the apps that the iCloud restore brings back.

@Maksi When you say "hard reset" do you mean erase your device? Then manually sign in with your Apple ID, do not restoring anything, and then reinstall every app from scratch and enter your logins for every app? That is very laborious and time consuming.

I use AirDrop infrequently. A better solution for me for the time being is to just text the photos to myself that I want to transfer from one device to another.

@Dasi22ind you may be on to something about clearing space in iCloud. I'm near max storage on my 200GB plan with 5 family members. Twice in the past month I've had to delete picts/videos as my storage was full and I'm probably 99% full now.

Unfortunately yes, a hard reset without a icloud restore is the only actual fix that seems to work for this issue. As an IT guy, I understand this is a laborious solution but it’s also the only one I found that works.

@75Westy I turned off cellular on my iPhone when trying to transfer to iMac/MacBook Air and it flashes "waiting" for a period of time then eventual comes back with the word "Failed" in red font, so that is not a universal solution.

I am having the same problem - my iPhone no longer will airdrop to my MacPro laptop - worked just fine prior to the latest phone update (v17?). Have tried all the typical checks, toggles, reboot, etc., nothing has fixed it. Apple - please fix this!!!!!

Update all devices to latest version of iOS on all devices.

If Airdrop still isn’t working restart your home wifi, once devices are back on wifi, now try to Airdrop a photo.

if it still doesn’t work, turn on Aeroplane Mode on each device, then turn it off again. Try Airdrop again.

This has worked for me when airdrop was working, then stopped.

Same issue, iPhone 15 pro with iOS 17.2.1.

I have to restart my iPhone several times till it starts working again. I share few files and it brakes again! I can't share large number of files either.

None of the solutions provided here fixed the issue :/

No iCloud, no hotspot, no cellular,... and still after 1 or 2 times using AirDrop, it either doesn't show any options!, or says the other decide has declined the resquest, or just keep waiting...

Having issues with the airdrop with my spouse. We have shared contacts and this was also quite a problematic setup with bringing devices together. And for a brief moment airdrop worked as it should. Later once i try to airdrop i cant see her in airdrop contacts. Bringing devices together does nothing other than just flashing the animation. we have tried to turn on and off phone, bluetooth, network and wifi. We have tried to turn on and of and change who sees the airdrop possibility from off to contacts only to everyone. Any way we try the airdrop does not work anymore.

Are the Airdrop issues related to the iPhone Airdrop issues in China? Please see this CBS article I happened to see https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-apple-airdrop-encryption-cracked-to-block-inappropriate-information/

Ever since the update to iOS 17 I am unable to airdrop 98% of the time. I does not find anyone despite them being right beside me and they have receiving from anyone on for 10 mins. Never had issues before. So frustrating.

Not working on both my iphone and ipad pro. But, it did work if I airdrop from my iphone to my macbook, then airdrop from my macbook to my ipad... Weird! My macbook pro is running macOS Ventura 13.6.1

This worked for me! Power cycling iPhone is always a good start, resetting AirDrop was the necessary next step. Did not know about the press and hold function on Wi-Fi.

iPhone 15 Pro 17.0.3 < > iPad Pro 17.2

This has worked for me! I’m so excited. Thank you Wondered2close2daedgeofspace your solution seems to have fixed the issue for me.

I was not able to airdrop photos from my iPhone to my iPad without turning my VPN off and then I had to remember to turn it back on afterwards. I updated my location on my iPad to my iPad and without turning my VPN off I was able to airdrop in both directions. Then I realised the location on my iPhone had been updated to my iPad which I didn’t want. So I updated the location on my iPhone back to my iPhone the same as it had been previously and airdropping of photos still works. So the changing of the location has does something but it seems you can change it to your other device and then change it back and that seems to have fixed the issue. At least it has for me. I hope it works for others too.

Oh yes, this works. Thank you for providing this

This is like an extra step, hope Apple fix this soon. We should get less steps not more now with the technologies and all expensive gadgets that they sell

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Same here but we are running 17.2 which the "fix" for Airdrop. We depend heavily on Airdrop for our video production ipads to transfer videos for editing. Any attempt to airdrop appears to work but immediately after accepting, it says "AirDrop canceled" on the receiving iPad. Sending iPad says failed. So frustrating!