AirDrop is not working after new iOS 17 update

I just encountered this issue after updating my iPhone Xs to iOS 17.1.1 . I couldn't airdrop from my iPhone to my 2020 iMac running Ventura 13.6.1 . Here is what solved the problem for me ( temporarily? time will tell ):

1. power iPhone down
2. power iPhone back up
3. swipe down from top to open control center
4. press and hold Wi-Fi
5. my AirDrop (after powering down then back up again) had been turned off....

tap on AirDrop and click on 'Contacts Only'

After completing these 5 steps, my AirDrop works perfectly again (and transfers photos quite a bit faster than previously). Hopefully this lasts and hopefully this solution will help some other folks.

Yeah AirDrop on iPhone is buggy af with iOS 17(.1.2) on iPhone. I had to both remove app iVerify that I had installed for some reason and restart my iPhone to get it working again.

Hi everyone!

I was an early responded to this support thread, and I think I may have cracked it. I know difficulties that many of you and myself we’re facing with airdrop not working. I believe I may have found one solution to this issue, during the update what is happening is my Apple devices within “Find My” were turned off. Once turned on, I can communicate between devices with regards to airdropping, photos, documents, etc..

So here’s how to go about it, go to settings in the search bar above type “find my” under share my locations you should see something that says “find my Apple ID”once that is open. Check to make sure that your device whether it’s an iPad or iPhone or whatever Apple device is selected to the one position. If not, turn it on and then try to use AirDrop, once selected to the on position, I hope that this helps as it did for me.

Airplane mode on then off worked ... such a waste of time ... this would NEVER have happened if Jobs were alive.... NEVER this long an issue if it was reported a year ago...

I'm unable to use Airdrop after updating to iOS 17.1.1 to share document from my iPhone SE to a Mac Air Early 2015.

The iPhone just not find the Mac anymore. I already tried to reset the phone, settings, etc. I feel like this is a bug on the code. It is incredible and frustrating that there is always something wrong on every iOS update. PLEASE HELP!

I found a temporary fix, it's definitely an iOS 17 bug. I turn off the Bluetooth on my iPhone - I'm sending from an iPad to my iPhone. - My iPhone appears in the iPad AirDrop and i select and send over the photos on my iPad that I'm trying to AirDrop to my phone. as the AirDrop icon on my iPad says "waiting" I then turn on the Bluetooth on my iPhone and the items get airdropped. This is obviously just a temporary fix to help people out until this bug is solved.

Agree. There has not been a fix for this. I'm getting a great many no-Internet messages which may or may not go away after I check wifi and VPN. I'm now getting these while not on wifi, but on 5G. They usually correct, but only after I verify that yes there is a wifi connection already. Today I got a failed airdrop to mac from 12mini (which has worked flawlessly up until 17) and the VPN was not on. In fact when it finally did work the VPN WAS ON.

Apple, Apple, Apple...

I just updated to 17.2 and it seems to contain a fix. I've been able to airdrop 12mini to Mac mini and I have not noticed the incessant connectivity drops... so far ;-)

And Apple if you're listening (seems you are not), your lack of transparency, your blatant disregard for user experience creates an environment in which we will be extremely hesitant to update in a timely fashion thereby putting us all at risk.

Now IOS 17.2. Problem still NOT fixed! Airdrop stooped to work properly on my iphone 12 after installing ios17.

Inside PHOTOS or MESSAGE apps I can no longer transfer photos to other people from my contacts OR everyone. The app just freezes and becomes NON RESPONSIVE when you try to airdrop the photos.

I have also wasted my time trying everything I could find in the apple and internet sites!

Very unfortunate this lack of care with customers that have slightly older phones (iPhone 12)!

Apple should pay more attention to these feedbacks!

For one, I will be very cautious with ANY new update from this point on …

Not worth if we lose previously available functionality and time to try to fix a problem that DID NOT EXISTED BEFORE!

It is absolutely ludicrous of Apple to think they know what a use should have when creating updates. It is extremely frustrating to rely on a feature such as AirDrop for years and then suddenly somebody at Apple decides the users should not be about to use it unless they change some esoteric setting buried deep within Settings. If Apple thinks such features should not be used, or should be changed to something else, they should make a list of recommended changes with each update and let the users decide if they want to make the change. Given the users' comments I imagine MANY hours have been wasted and frustration elevated over these sorts of changes made by Apple without consent or agreement from the user community.

I don’t use a VPN so it is not that in my case

I do have a VPN and SOMEtimes turning it off helps airdrop, but not always. Now I'm getting the No Internet messages while on 5G and it seems to work after a couple of attempts of turning on the VPN and the VPN connecting. This has gone past annoying and is now dangerous--I cannot rely on navigation for one.

I'm reposting this link and asking everyone on this thread to hit Apple with bug reports; they obviously don't pay any attention to Community.

Product Feedback - Apple

I just did iOS 17.1.1 update on both my iPhone and iPad and I still have to turn off Express VPN off to get airdrop to work.

I still have to turn off Express VPN even after iOs 17.1.1 update to get airdrop between iPhone and iPad to work.

I think Apple needs to fix this glitch asap with a new update