airdrop stopped working after 14.4/17.4 update

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Level 1

127 points

airdrop stopped working after 14.4/17.4 update

Hi,

Airdrop used to work fine. Then my Macbook Air got updated to 14.4 and my iPad mini (6th gen) also got updated to 17.4. I most often can't send from my iPad to my Mac and vice versa. It fails. (it has worked a few times since the updates.) Sometimes, when sending from the ipad to the mac it thinks about it for a long time and then fails. Going from Mac to iPad fails quickly.

My workaround is to send things to an old iPhone running 15.8.2. Then I send from that to my Mac. That works every time. I haven't tried going the other way but I suspect it will work.

I signed out of and back in to my Apple ID on my Mac and that fixed it for a few hours...

I'm guessing the next update will fix things. Meanwhile...

Rebooting (both/either) might work for a little while but the problem comes back soon enough.

I'm filing this under my Mac and Sonoma but it is just as much a problem with my iPad and the 17.4 update...

Thanks for any help.

Cheers,

John

MacBook Pro 15″, OS X 10.10

Posted on Mar 18, 2024 11:43 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Matti Haveri

Level 6

19,988 points

Mar 19, 2024 9:45 AM in response to lipwak

> option to reset network doesn't exist under General/Reset

At least in my iOS 15.8.2 it is under General/Reset/Reset network settings (i.e. after bravely clicking Reset, there is that option).

You might also try this:

Remove all 3rd party virus apps (Avast, AVG, Bitdefender, Intego, MacAfee, Norton, ESET NOD32, Trusteer etc) and 3rd party "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up" apps (CleanMyMac, MacKeeper etc). They produce only obscure errors and money loss.

Don't use VPN services unless you're using it to tunnel into a secure private network such as your employer or school. It's doing absolutely nothing to protect your privacy or secure your data traffic. Exactly the opposite, in fact.

Reset SMC & PRAM (not possible on silicon Macs)

Safe boot

Disk First Aid in Recovery mode

Does it work in a new dummy user account?

Does it work in a new clean install on an external disk?

An EtreCheck report would eliminate much guesswork:

Using EtreCheck to Troubleshoot Potential… - Apple Community

How to use the Add Text Feature When Post… - Apple Community

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Answer 2

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 23, 2024 10:53 AM in response to lipwak

It is now fixed. I called AppleCare. We went through a bunch of things including resetting the network connection on the iPad and turning off and on the Firewall on my Mac. All seems to work well on reboot.

The only "issue" that remains is that the notifications since the update are now alerts when they used to be banner so I have to dismiss them. I think that is a design change and we couldn't find any way for me to change it. I'll live with it.

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Answer 3

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 24, 2024 9:00 AM in response to lipwak

3/24/24 Update

It is NOT fixed. It stopped working last night.

I called Applecare today and we turned off the Firewall and it worked. So, the solution, for now, until a new update comes along, is to toggle the Firewall on and off. Boo.

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Answer 4

tbirdvet

Level 6

17,295 points

Mar 18, 2024 4:23 PM in response to lipwak

Did you reboot your router?

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Answer 5

Mar 18, 2024 11:57 PM in response to lipwak

Try these: Safe boot on the Mac and forget connected Wi-Fi network. And reset Network settings on the iPhone. And reboot the router. Then re-connect both to the same Wi-Fi and try again.

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Answer 6

Mar 21, 2024 8:35 AM in response to lipwak

> iPad mini end. I can send files to it (although I just sent a pic (twice) and it says it worked but I can't find the pic on the iPad. It's not in Photos. It doesn't turn up when I search for the file name

Once time I stumbled on forgetting to hit "Save" in the iPadOS dialog so the AirDropped file did not go anywhere ;-/

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Answer 7

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 19, 2024 1:41 PM in response to lipwak

Airdrop worked both ways on the dummy account. I can airdrop TO my iPad from my Mac in my normal account but still cannot airdrop from the iPad to the Mac. I think the iPad needs some work...

I did first aid on the Mac before this and it fixed a bunch of things.

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Answer 8

tbirdvet

Level 6

17,295 points

Mar 19, 2024 5:07 AM in response to lipwak

My iPhone will not do the airdrop occasional and I have to turn off the phone completely then restart to work again.

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Answer 9

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 19, 2024 7:48 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Did it. It didn't fix it in either safe mode or when I rebooted. (I "forgot" the network on my iPad (not iPhone) because the option to reset network doesn't exist under General/Reset (the instructions I found.) One can only reset the iPad and I didn't want to do that.)

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Answer 10

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 20, 2024 12:06 PM in response to lipwak

Today, I have tried to send pics from (apple photos on) my ipad to my Mac which is what I have been trying to do throughout. One set just worked! Seconds later, another set didn't. This has happened a few times over the past few days. Most of the time it doesn't work. Just giving an update.

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Answer 11

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 21, 2024 7:40 AM in response to lipwak

I think the problem is at the iPad mini end. I can send files to it (although I just sent a pic (twice) and it says it worked but I can't find the pic on the iPad. It's not in Photos. It doesn't turn up when I search for the file name....)

How do I fix the iPad? To be honest, I think Apple needs to fix the latest update 17.4. Everything worked before that.

One other thing that has changed on my Mac. Airdrop notifications used to be banners, now they alerts, staying on the screen until they are dismissed. I prefer banners that go away after a little while. I don't see that I can change that behavior.

Another behavior tied in with this: Today, I tried to send from the iPhone to the MBA. The fist attempt got declined (which has only ever happened since the latest update to the Mac and iPad.) I tried again. It worked. The first batch DID get copied over but only as zero byte files... This has happened alot since the updates when the Airdrop gets declined. Then, when I try to delete them I get a pop up message saying they are in use by another task. I say delete them anyway and they get deleted. It's just another part of this new routine since the update.

Thanks for any help.

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Answer 12

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 18, 2024 4:37 PM in response to tbirdvet

No, that's one thing I haven't done. I'll do that right now.

Ok, did it. Not fixed. iPad took a long time to think about sending and then failed to send to the Mac.

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Answer 13

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 19, 2024 6:08 AM in response to tbirdvet

I've done that. Didn't help.

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Answer 14

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 19, 2024 7:50 AM in response to Matti Haveri

(Apple won't let me delete this.)

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Answer 15

lipwak Author

Level 1

127 points

Mar 19, 2024 1:15 PM in response to Matti Haveri

Here's the EtreCheck report.

I will uninstall Malwarebytes and do First Air in recovery mode. Then try the dummy acocunt. I don't think I want do a clean install on an external disk...

Thanks.

etrecheck report

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