I'm trying to AirDrop a photo from an iPhone to Mac. I want to save to the Photo roll, not the downloads folder, and I get this error message. I've tried from several iPhones, same result. I'm on the latest version of MacOS.
Saving to the Downloads folder works fine, it's just saving to the Photo roll that doesn't work properly.
Any ideas on how to fix this?
As far as I can tell, files AirDropped to a Mac go to the Downloads folder. If it's a picture, you can drag the file to the Photos icon, and delete from Downloads.
I'm not sure of the logic, but for me, it would be weird to have a picture go to Photos where it would automatically be synced back to my phone or iPad where it came from, and go round and round, I suppose.
Also, on an iPhone, Photos is the app used for displaying a picture file, but on a Mac I view pictures in a variety of apps in addition to Photos, depending on my need.
However, If you would like to make suggestions to Apple, go here:
As far as I can tell, files AirDropped to a Mac go to the Downloads folder. If it's a picture, you can drag the file to the Photos icon, and delete from Downloads.
I'm not sure of the logic, but for me, it would be weird to have a picture go to Photos where it would automatically be synced back to my phone or iPad where it came from, and go round and round, I suppose.
Also, on an iPhone, Photos is the app used for displaying a picture file, but on a Mac I view pictures in a variety of apps in addition to Photos, depending on my need.
However, If you would like to make suggestions to Apple, go here:
My experience: used to be able to airdrop photos and reverse edits by moving from multiple iPhone iPads with their respective OS to the Mac with the option to accept an open in Photos (effectively importing into a photo library on the Mac ) or put in downloads folder
I have an open case with Apple now where my Mac with Sequoia 15.2 no longer gives that same option multiple respondents and the author have commented about
For me and iPad with OS 18.2 or an iPhone with OS 18.2 provide no option when airdropping to the Mac with Sequoia 15.2 to accept and open in the Photos app when sending one or more photos by AirDrop method
what I did discover is that if I AirDrop a photo taken on an iPhone 7 years ago or yesterday on a 15 Pro Max or 16 Pro Max, etc. it doesn’t matter when the photo was taken away from what device but Apple‘s current software seems to allow to AirDrop with the option to accept into the Mac photos library with the latest sequoia. Only if the photo is coming from a device with a legacy operating system such as 15.3 point X on an iPhone 7 that can’t get updated past iOS 15. I think the same is true for an old iPad Air or limited to iPadOS 15.m
so I have an open case with Apple that I’m not optimistic about and have explained that the same Mac with the same latest level software is interpreting the exact same photo differently when it is being airdropped from a device with a iOS or iPadOS 18.2 software level but if pushing that same photo to the older iPad or iOS device, I can AirDrop it with the same pop-up message on Sequoia with 15.2 that I don’t get when sending the same image from the newer devices with the iPhone and iPad os operating systems.
i’ll also do feedback with Apple and I’m trying to push this case, but the user experience is inconsistent because we’ve lost the functionality of basically simply transferring photos from one library on one device to the library on the Mac and instead forced into sub folders in the downloads folder where sub folders are created when the photo is a live photo or has edits that result in creation of sidecar files, resulting in the user experience of countless sub folders without any thumbnail tiles or ability to see what’s in each one or organize them efficiently. It’s a step backwards for sure and hopefully wasn’t intended, but there is a mixed ability to receive airdrop photos into the Mac photos library depending on from what device and operating system you send it in my experience and I have encountered these types of problems with Apple software in the past with inconsistent behaviors that I share with engineering but many times they never get resolved despite escalation with proof of root cause provided to senior technical support past engineers in these types of things can persist for years. Please open a case with Apple if it matters to you one 800 my Apple and state the words technical support and do feedback that apple.com request because even direct proof of issue and resolution or cause do not guarantee Result of resolution and remedy if not enough users seem to care and report
My experience: used to be able to airdrop photos and reverse edits by moving from multiple iPhone iPads with their respective OS to the Mac with the option to accept an open in Photos (effectively importing into a photo library on the Mac ) or put in downloads folder
I have an open case with Apple now where my Mac with Sequoia 15.2 no longer gives that same option multiple respondents and the author have commented about
For me and iPad with OS 18.2 or an iPhone with OS 18.2 provide no option when airdropping to the Mac with Sequoia 15.2 to accept and open in the Photos app when sending one or more photos by AirDrop method
what I did discover is that if I AirDrop a photo taken on an iPhone 7 years ago or yesterday on a 15 Pro Max or 16 Pro Max, etc. it doesn’t matter when the photo was taken away from what device but Apple‘s current software seems to allow to AirDrop with the option to accept into the Mac photos library with the latest sequoia. Only if the photo is coming from a device with a legacy operating system such as 15.3 point X on an iPhone 7 that can’t get updated past iOS 15. I think the same is true for an old iPad Air or limited to iPadOS 15.m
so I have an open case with Apple that I’m not optimistic about and have explained that the same Mac with the same latest level software is interpreting the exact same photo differently when it is being airdropped from a device with a iOS or iPadOS 18.2 software level but if pushing that same photo to the older iPad or iOS device, I can AirDrop it with the same pop-up message on Sequoia with 15.2 that I don’t get when sending the same image from the newer devices with the iPhone and iPad os operating systems.
i’ll also do feedback with Apple and I’m trying to push this case, but the user experience is inconsistent because we’ve lost the functionality of basically simply transferring photos from one library on one device to the library on the Mac and instead forced into sub folders in the downloads folder where sub folders are created when the photo is a live photo or has edits that result in creation of sidecar files, resulting in the user experience of countless sub folders without any thumbnail tiles or ability to see what’s in each one or organize them efficiently. It’s a step backwards for sure and hopefully wasn’t intended, but there is a mixed ability to receive airdrop photos into the Mac photos library depending on from what device and operating system you send it in my experience and I have encountered these types of problems with Apple software in the past with inconsistent behaviors that I share with engineering but many times they never get resolved despite escalation with proof of root cause provided to senior technical support past engineers in these types of things can persist for years. Please open a case with Apple if it matters to you one 800 my Apple and state the words technical support and do feedback that apple.com request because even direct proof of issue and resolution or cause do not guarantee Result of resolution and remedy if not enough users seem to care and repo
Richard.Taylor wrote:
Where do you choose the AirDrop location? I don't see it.
Between some recent iOS/iPadOS and macOS (maybe Sonoma?) version I could set AirDrop send option "All Photos Data" (just before selecting AirDrop icon) in the mobile device. And then in the Mac I could choose whether to put it in Download folder or automatically open Photos.app so it imports the file and the possible .aae file with it so edits done in the mobile device could be further edited or cancelled.
But it seems that option is no longer present in Sequoia where the options are now only to "Show in Finder" or "Open" (the latter just opens the enclosing folder where the image and the possible .aae sidecar are).
Matti Haveri wrote:
Between some recent iOS/iPadOS and macOS (maybe Sonoma?) version [...]
[digs out old memo to clarify the version numbers]: This feature is no longer present in iPadOS 17.6 and macOS 14.6: AirDrop "All Photos Data" option with "Open in Photos" selected in macOS edited date, transfers and displays location and caption in Photos.app, and it also transfers the originals to Photos.app library. All edits except date can be reverted in Photos.app.
Found this: [ I think it's with Moneterey ]
1) Drag the Downloads folder to the trash (you may be asked for your password) - make sure that you don't have anything in there that you want to keep, of course. (you don't need to empty the trash right away).
2) In Terminal, paste the following command:
ln -s ~/Desktop ~/Downloads
This can be easily reversed with
rm ~/Downloads
mkdir ~/Downloads
Changes to Desktop instead of Downloads.
You can choose where AirDrop'd photos go, either to Downloads or the Photo app. AirDrop to Downloads works great, no issues.
Syncing isn't an issue in my case, AirDrop'd photos are coming from multiple iPhones with different Apple IDs than the Mac that's hosting the photos in the Photos app.
For my particular use case, it's easier to send directly to the Photos app, which should work, it used to anyway, but is now broken and I don't know how to fix it.
drabin1122 wrote: … which should work, it used to anyway,
I don't know what should work and what shouldn't, but I know that I don't get to decide. Where do you choose the AirDrop location? I don't see it.
You haven't told us what OS you're using. I'm on macOS 15.1.1
For those of you saying this isn't an option, this is on macOS Sequoia (15.1.1). Maybe we're talking about different things. Save to Downloads works fine, Open in Photos gives the error message I originally posted. From what research I've done, Open in Photos saves the image to the Pictures folder (or is supposed to anyway).
Wow-- thanks. I see nothing like that! There's nothing in Mac Settings that addresses this. The AirDrop app doesn't even have preferences. When I AirDrop from my phone to my Mac, I get an alert to look in Downloads. That's it! I'm sure this was true in Sonoma, as well.
Actually, now, I don't get any notification, at all. It didn't even beep. I AirDrop and the Downloads folder opens.
Does it depend on the phone? Are you in iOS 18?
iOS 18.1.1 on the phone, but that makes no difference.
There must be some setting configurable in the terminal that controls this. I will try macOS 15.2, will be upgrading today at some point since that just came out yesterday.
Matti Haveri wrote: …This feature is no longer present in iPadOS 17.6 and macOS 14.6: AirDrop
[without looking anything up] Right! In fact, I think the last time I saw an option was Monterey.
AirDrop - can't save files to Photos
