AirDrop Problems in iOS 8.1

How much this *****. I want Steve Jobs back at the helm.

MId 2011 iMac 27, 10.10.x Yosemite

iPhone 5,5s, 6+, iPad Mini OS8, iPad Mini 3 OS8. MacBook Pro 17", MacBook Pro 15" - All latest 8.1.2 iOS and 10.10.x to date.

Signed out, in, out in, deactivated, reactivated, rebooted, disabled firewalls, (Little Snitch & Default Firewall is never on), Turned on WIFI same network (TimeCapsule), Rebooted, reset PRAM, Tried a new user on OS X. Enabled Bluetooth pairing (but that never works it says "NOT CONNECTED" all he time in BT Prefs/Settings.

Ok, so this is frustrating. I can't see any devices and the post above shows "allow by everyone" mine does not show this setting on OS X. It's set as EVERYONE on IOS, and yes my name is registered in "ME" in my contacts.

Not sure if this has something to do with it, but I have a @mac address, which was way back.. If you address me username@mac.com or even @me.com then it works.. as far as @icloud. I'm not sure.. I can log into iCloud.com using my @mac.com address and also the @me.com and they are all the same on itunes/Appstore/iCloud....

This really stinks, Isn't the whole idea for apple to remain a "hardware AND software company for tighter control" to make things actually work?? I'm beginning to lose my 30 year loyalty with Apple...oh and another note. my 15" MBP video is all jacked up.. colors are not working, pink and white all over the screen, so I'm sure I"ll have to "buy a new one because apple care expired" - conveniently right after it expired I have problems..likewise on my iMac.. video problems.."conventionally after apple care expired" - so it seems as if every 3 years, be prepared to buy another Apple product.. if not sooner. And yes, I'm on my 3rd iMac and 2nd MBP for failure options, oh and toss in an iPhone 5 who's power button won't turn it off and the photos come out all washed out..

You're 100% correct, this is a backend issue with iCloud and not the device itself. Confirmed by a L2 support staff that is now escalated to Apple engineering Dept. First, there's two different yet related issues on this thread, I'll address the first only.

AirDrop "Contacts Only" bug/iCloud password prompt iCloud mail when composing is a backend service issue with your account with iCloud. There's no troubleshooting that can alleviate this problem from the user's end from the device in question. It will only to help diagnose the issue for now. So restoring, signing out and back into iCloud, and rebooting etc. will most likely not work.

Example, You'll notice a dummy iCloud account on the device in question that "Contacts Only" in AirDrop will work again as it normally would, but your real account won't. (Remember to delete your iCloud data on your device before using a dummy account so that non of iCloud data is uploaded to the test account.)

The device, in this case your iPhone or iPad attempts to ping the iCloud service with a password prompt entry on the device to enable "Contacts only" within AirDrop, it hangs a bit and then does nothing. You'll also notice that the bluetooth icon in the status bar is now exhibiting a new habit of disappearing and reappearing, when normally it would remain present on the top. "Everyone" works as white highlighted text, "Contacts Only" doesn't highlight when it should.

This bug sprang up when when I was experiencing an entirely different issue with contacts, calendars, reminders that were not syncing without manually pulling to refresh. Signing out of iCloud alleviated that sync issue to bring up a new bug the "Contacts Only" and "iCloud mail Password Prompt" issue.

Additionally as someone mentioned previously, you might notice that if you toggle off a service like calendars or contacts from iCloud on iOS settings in any of those apps and turning them back on will render the app useless or inactive and icons within the app appear grayed-out. Two ways to alleviate that specific bug is to either sign out of iCloud on the device completely and sign back in or add a "Test" entry within the specific app when it's toggled off and toggle it back on so that it prompts a "merge" to push back all your data back onto the device.

These software bugs and or quirks are more prevalent when the device itself is heavily tied cloud services, i.e. iCloud. So whenever there's a backend/server issue, expect your device to act wonky especially if the device itself unresolved software bugs. The growing pains of the cloud.

To help escalate this issue, ask for L2 support at Apple, describe the issue as best you can, and ask for an iCloud ticket to put your iCloud account in troubleshooting mode.

These are basic quality assurance (QA) issues to be focused on.

As informed on this other thread,iOS 8.1: creating new mail asks for icloud password user name Scoobs figured out the iCloud backend bug or quirk is a result of a capital letter in the iClouds user name that causes the password prompt for AirDrop's "Contacts only" and iCloud Mail app not behaving correctly.

I've given up and plugged my iPhone into my MBP. Next time I will use my wife's Samsung and dropbox as that works

Another Apple POS software. I have all the "right" stuff but of course the only time I need want to move a file using airdrop is fails to work. Did what I always do; spent an hour trying to make it work, then sent the file to myself via email to open it on my ipad. Thanks again Apple for overpromising and under delivering. Now you are just like Microsoft, but easier to spell.

I too am extremely disappointed that AirDrop is not working for me as well - with the latest updates, reboots, or all coddling efforts reminiscent of Microsoft!

Alas, it is hard to see Apple starting to crumble! (As much as we love the "features" - but they need to work!) Just when the financial success seems at a pinnacle. It is history repeating. Perhaps they will get someone to wake up out of the stupor and make the groups either talk or work with each other, or create a Infrastructure team to oversee Compatibility issues such as this apparently/reportedly is. It sure is affecting enough users! Yet no fix as of todays latest software!

Be Well

Utterly pathetic show by Apple I'm afraid. Don't offer or advertise a feature if it won't work consistently.

All the references to the system requirements just add insult. Running Yosemite on a 2013 MacBook Pro, no firewall, iPhone 5c, everyone visible.

Both devices can discover each other, attempt to pair, send pairing code, but just will not connect. Sometimes it'll tell me my Macbook Pro isn't supported, other times it just says 'connection unsuccessful, try again'. Occasionally, like 1 time out of 10 it works and I'm able to send pictures from my Mac to the phone, but not the other way around. What's the bloody point...

Just tried something that worked! Can't say whether it will solve anyone else's problems...

So far my procedure was the following: (bear in mind I've only tried sending picture files)

1. I would activate wifi and bluetooth on my Macbook

2. Then I would select the pictures I wanted to send to my Mac (in order to free up space to take more)

3. Then I would hit the share button. The phone would tell me to activate wifi and bluetooth, which I would do. The connection would never work.

This time I tried the following sequence:

1. I activated wifi and bluetooth on my Macbook

2. Then I activated wifi and bluetooth on my iPhone.

3. Then I selected the pictures on my phone, and hit the share button, and selected AirDrop

My Macbook was immediately listed as available and the pictures were sent.

I don't know but it might be that trying to establish the AirDrop network connection from within the Photo app doesn't work... Going to keep trying it this way a few more times and report back.

Good luck!

Hi all

This is to share you my experience with you all about airdrop problem

My devices are 2009 24" iMac, 2011 MBP with Yosemite. iPhones and iPads with iOS 8. I had airdrop working ok until Yosemite and iOS 8. But now nothing.

Airdrop icon is shown in finder but no links underneath to select the options of discoverability.

Spoke to apple today. Here are the out comes

1. IOS 8 airplay WILL NOT function with iMac or MBP manufactured before 2012, because iOS airplay now rely on a new bluetooth firmware only available in newer machines. So IOS devices will not talk to older machines. So don't try no further.

2. Airplay works between iMac and MBP despite of the age. He advised me to disable the firewall on my iMac and it started working, probably facilitated by the fact that two machines were in close proximity. (Bluetooth connectivity depends on the distance )

There it is ! hoping to save you sometime

Hi everybody!

Just solved this between my new iPhone 6 and my macbook pro mid 2012 with bluetooth LMP-version 0x6. Problem was sending files from iPhone to my macbook. Worked the other way around.

Turned iCloud on and off on both devices.

To Apple! Don't turn all Microsoft on us!

--

Steffen

I can see my iPad Air (late 2013) on my MacPro (10,1) but the MacBook does not show in my iPad. In my Pad's Control Center AirDrop is set to Everyone, as on my MAcBook...iOS 8.2 did not do the job.

I was trying to airdrop photos from my iPhone 6 to my iPad Air. The iPad to phone was working, but not the other way around. Nothing was coming up, even though the iPad was sitting right next to it. I tried restarting both devices. No. Then turning off the wifi and Bluetooth and turning them back on for both devices. Nope. Then I tried turning them off again, doing a hard reset, then tuning both back on. Again for both devices. That did not work either. I finally got it to work again by turning the airdrop completely off for both devices, and the turning them back on again. Success! Now my airdrop works again from my phone to my iPad. Hope this helps.

I was trying to airdrop photos from my iPhone 6 to my iPad Air. The iPad to phone was working, but not the other way around. Nothing was coming up, even though the iPad was sitting right next to it. I tried restarting both devices. No. Then turning off the wifi and Bluetooth and turning them back on for both devices. Nope. Then I tried turning them off again, doing a hard reset, then tuning both back on. Again for both devices. That did not work either. I finally got it to work again by turning the airdrop completely off for both devices, and the turning them back on again. Success! Now my airdrop works again from my phone to my iPad. Hope this helps.

Those with Macs ought to check out the specs before attempting AirDrop: Mac Basics: AirDrop lets you send files from your Mac to nearby Macs and iOS devices - Apple Support