Why can’t my iPhone 8 AirDrop to my wife’s iPhone 8 Plus, but hers can to mine?

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Level 1

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Why can’t my iPhone 8 AirDrop to my wife’s iPhone 8 Plus, but hers can to mine?

iPhone 8 cannot airdrop to my wife’s iPhone 8+. Both on iOS 16.7.11 and on the same wifi. Note the 8+ will share to the 8, just not the other way around. Settings for airdrop are the same on both phones as far as I can see. Cmon Apple, this is a function of the phone that should work flawlessly. I’ve searched the community and this problem has been posted many times, but hasn’t been answered successfully. What is the issue? How hard can it be to have this simple function that android manage so successfully?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 8, iOS 16

Posted on Jun 1, 2025 2:47 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

SravanKrA

Level 10

432,876 points

Jun 1, 2025 6:26 AM in response to shaunali63

To ensure AirDrop functions properly between an iPhone 8 and an iPhone 8 Plus, follow these steps:

AirDrop Settings: On both devices, set AirDrop to Contacts Only if you prefer to share files securely with known contacts. This setting restricts AirDrop visibility to people saved in your Contacts.
Contact Details: Make sure each device has the other person's Apple ID email address or phone number saved in their Contacts. AirDrop uses this information to recognize devices when set to Contacts Only.
Alternative Option: If you're unsure whether the correct contact details are saved, or you want a quicker setup, you can switch AirDrop to "Everyone for 10 Minutes" on both devices. This allows them to be visible to each other temporarily without needing to be in each other's Contacts.
Additional Requirements:

- Make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on for both devices.
- Personal Hotspot should be turned off, as it can interfere with AirDrop.

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