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Airdrops from Macbook to iPhone no longer give me the option to save to Files. No prompt, everything is automatically going to iCloud.

I recently upgraded to iOS 17, and an extremely frustrating change (that I can't seem to find any information on) is the new, seemingly unchangeable airdrop habits.


I frequently swap files between my Macbook (Ventura 13.4) and my iPhone 14 Pro (iOS 17.0.3). Before upgrading to iOS 17, an alert would pop up on my iPhone and let me choose what to do with the incoming file. Now, it goes straight to iCloud without prompting. I try to MOVE the file into a folder on my phone using Files, but it forces me to make a COPY instead. Then I have to backtrack and delete the file from iCloud if I don't want it getting cluttered up with files I didn't want there in the first place.


I use iCloud for backups. That's it. I do not want it to function as a middleman between my devices any time I want to use airdrop. It's also incredibly annoying that an action which used to be a single step now requires three.


Is there any way to change this that I'm just not finding?

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Oct 23, 2023 4:42 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 31, 2023 1:22 AM

EXTREMELY UPSET WITH THIS CHANGE!

I have all my passwords on a spreadsheet. I do NOT EVER want them on the cloud!

So, I downloaded the latest ios update, only to have the file automatically go to the cloud when I did my usual air drop, without my consent! The whole reason I use air drop is to AVOID the cloud. The file is password protected, but I still do NOT want it outside of my local files!


Now this!

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!


PUT IT BACK!

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 31, 2023 1:22 AM in response to kidchemical

EXTREMELY UPSET WITH THIS CHANGE!

I have all my passwords on a spreadsheet. I do NOT EVER want them on the cloud!

So, I downloaded the latest ios update, only to have the file automatically go to the cloud when I did my usual air drop, without my consent! The whole reason I use air drop is to AVOID the cloud. The file is password protected, but I still do NOT want it outside of my local files!


Now this!

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!


PUT IT BACK!

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!

Nov 4, 2023 3:35 PM in response to kidchemical

For anyone who comes across this thread in the future, I went to:


settings > appleid > icloud > icloud drive > disable "Sync this iPhone"


It still doesn't give me the option to choose what to do to my airdropped files (it just automatically drops them into the Download folder in Files), but it does prevent it from sending EVERYTHING to iCloud drive without my consent.


Ugh. This is not an actual solution for anyone who used iCloud drive for other stuff but better than nothing I guess.


Airdrops from Macbook to iPhone no longer give me the option to save to Files. No prompt, everything is automatically going to iCloud.

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