AirDrop is not working after new iOS 17 update

Having same issue except I can Airdrop from iPad to iPhone but not from iPhone to iPad.

Try this. Turn off cell on all devices that want to use airdrop. You should be able to airdrop. That’s the only way I can airdrop between iPad, iPhone and my MacBook.

I tried this and still it did not work!

My iPhone 13 is on update 17.1.2 and followed all the instructions with my iPhone and my wife’s iPhone 12 and neither will AirDrop at all… Really disappointed…

The worst part is that there is no error message. It simply doesn’t work. There is no clue about what stage is failing.

I have iOS 17.2.1 on my iPhone and macos Sonoma 14.1.1 and the iPhone picks up the airdrop presence of the Mac but DOES NOT send anything, just shows "waiting" for ever!!

Is this a glitch ?

tried everything to… it’s too frustrating. Please fix the airdrop issues

iPhone 12 mini just upgraded to 17.0.3 and using Mac Mini Sonoma 14... I cannot airdrop from phone to Mac, though I can airdrop from Mac to phone. Phone tells me "No People Found"

Wondering if this is not related to the multitude of reports about 17 and wifi issues.

this is ridiculous

My girlfriend and I (both on iPhone 13 Pro with iOS 17.0.3) also have the same issue as we can’t airdrop to each other. Happens since iOS 17 and worked for years before…

Airplane mode or restart help if anything only once

UPDATE: I've now seen the same behavior--wifi shows connected, I get messages there's no Inet, wifi connection not working randomly, as well as failure of airdrop--using my same phone, same Mac mini, in another city while on a different Inet provider, needless to say different router/modem. The constant in this issue is APPLE!!

DO SOMETHING, Y'ALL BROKE IT.

I see this as well, but the fact is that it worked with a VPN--that I'm paying for--before I updated to 17 and now it doesn't with no change to VPN, network, wifi, iPhone, Mac...

I'm really starting to pay more attention to those Galaxy ads

I’ve just updated my iPhone and iPad to iOS 17.1 and rebooted both devices but airdrop is still not working. One suggestion above advised turning ExpressVPN off. So I turned ExpressVPN off on both devices and airdrop works. But it’s very annoying that every time I want to use airdrop I have to turn VPN off, then use airdrop and then turn VPN back on. That’s not convenient but it is a work around. I have reported this to Apple using the link above.

Let's try formatting this in a way Apple can possibly use.

Summary:

Attempting to send a password from an iPhone 13 Pro Max ("sender iPhone") to an iPhone X ("recipient iPhone") via the AirDrop function encounters a critical issue. When initiating the AirDrop transfer, the sender iPhone, running iOS 17.1.1, is required to select the recipient iPhone's corresponding saved contact name under the "People" section of the recipient selection screen. Selecting the recipient device name directly instead of choosing the corresponding contact under "People" results in an instantaneous and automatic decline of the password transmission.

Device Information:

- Sender iPhone: iPhone 13 Pro Max

- iOS Version: 17.1.1 (latest available version as of writing)

- Recipient iPhone: iPhone X

- iOS Version: 16.7.2 (latest available version as of writing)

Steps to Reproduce:

1. On the sender iPhone, initiate an AirDrop transfer of a password from the iCloud Keychain.

2. When prompted to select the recipient, ensure the corresponding saved contact name of the recipient iPhone is chosen under the "People" section.

3. Observe successful password transmission.

Expected Behavior:

The AirDrop functionality should allow the sender iPhone to transmit a password from the iCloud Keychain to the recipient iPhone seamlessly.

Actual Behavior:

On the sender iPhone: Selecting the recipient iPhone's corresponding saved contact name of the recipient iPhone flashes "Waiting..." After 30 seconds, "Failed" is displayed, indicating the timeout of the transmission.

On the recipient iPhone, nothing happens. The device is unlocked and is idling with the screen on the entire time.

Additional Notes:

- The issue appears to be unique to AirDrop to "People".

When sending other . types of files (e.g., images, videos, apps) using AirDrop, the sender iPhone can select the device under "Devices" and be able to successfully send the aforementioned types of files.

- When the recipient iPhone (or a device running iOS 16.7.2) AirDrops a password or any other file to the sender iPhone (or a device running iOS 17.1.1,) by any means, this issue does not apply in this case.

Relevance:

This bug report aims to highlight a specific issue that may be overlooked when users claim the problem is resolved. The inability to send passwords and files through AirDrop by selecting the recipient contact under "People" could affect the overall user experience and needs attention for a comprehensive resolution. This is especially important for functionality of sending passwords via AirDrop, where the only acceptable transmission of a password is to a contact under "People."

Attachment:

No specific attachment is required as the issue is related to the AirDrop functionality within the iCloud Keychain on the mentioned iOS devices.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I hope this detailed report aids in the investigation and resolution of the identified issue.

We're just now getting our iPads into 17.x and seeing the same thing. What I observe is this: when I remove the school's content filter smart PAC (Securly), then air-dropping starts working again for iPads on 17.x. When I put the smart PAC back on the iPad, air-dropping stops working again. I've started a ticket with Securly on this issue; they're usually very good about investigations.

So, if you all use a filter, you might want to try that experiment. Good luck.

Just updated my mother in law iPhone 12pro to ios 17.2.1, now the phone airdrop keep automatically denied. I have tried turn off and on Bluetooth, turn off airdrop off and on, turn airdrop available to all still not working. Even reset the phone setting and still have same problem. Something from the upgrade broke the Bluetooth function. Highly drivers issue.