Where can I find airdropped files on my ipad?

Ok, I just had to add my 2 bits here. I also have the same problem. My iPad 3 gives me no way to respond. It simply shows the progress wheel downloading the video. No option as to where to open, and after it's done it can't be found in either the default video or photo apps. Don't be so quick with the glib answers, and you might actually be of some help to somebody.

Hi cdavis411. As you know, an iOS device cannot store a generic file in some "downloads" folder. It can only hand the file over to an app that can manage it.

What is the format of the image, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, raw, PDF, etc.?

What iOS versions do you have on the two devices?

Which app on the iPhone accepts the file?

Does the iPad have the same app?

I had this same problem this week, and found this thread. I do understand the differences between .mov files (which are containers for content in a variety of compression formats), and video files in those formats. I don't think the original question has yet been answered.

My main question has to do with where the file lands (if anywhere) if the format is not supported. Specifically:

• If the file is downloaded, but not openable by any currently installed app, where is the file stored, and how can I delete it? (The previous poster described how to successfully transfer and play such files—which is helpful—but not what happens to an unsupported file that transfers but doesn't appear.)
• If I do have an app that can open the file, why won't it see it?

  In my case, I have VLC installed, and can successfully transfer and play the file in question via that app's transfer method, but it doesn't "see" the same file if AirDropped.

• If the file is transferred, but discarded, why isn't that fact indicated when the transfer is completed?

Cheers,
Mitch

I will wait and see if you get any responses because I still have the same problems with video, iPad accepts it transfer, is made and lo and behold, no video to be found, I am sure a good magician could make some money out of such a clever trick.

I have seen the reply "open the file in the app that belongs to that file type" in more than one thread on this question. Yet that does not always answer the issue. On one occasion I had files that had read only permissions. To solve that I changed the file permissions to read & write before airdropping and the file/s showed up.

However, I am having this issue again but permissions is not the issue. I am able to airdrop an image to my iPhone SE not problem, but when I airdrop it to my iPad Pro, I cannot find the image/s. These are the same exact image files being sent to both devices from my MacBoo Pro.

Anyone with an answer that is not the same old "check the Photos app" is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Lets try something out.

Try downloading the mov file form this link to your computer:

QuickTime Sample files - Apple Support

The second one from the top.

Take it out of the Zip file it comes in, and AirDrop it to your iPad.

Have your iPad just be at the home screen, No App open. And see if the Photos App opens automatically when the AirDrop is complete.

If you have a different App that can open them you should be able to choose it from the Dialog box.

FYI: You can not accept MP3s into the default Music App. The only way to get music into the Music App is either to buy it from the iTunes Store or Sync it from a computer with iTunes.

If you do not have an other App that can accept the types of files being sent, you may need to download one from the App Store, you should get a prompt to that effect.

Once you have an app that can accept the file type, it will be stored within that App.

Phil0124 wrote:

FYI: You can not accept MP3s into the default Music App. The only way to get music into the Music App is either to buy it from the iTunes Store or Sync it from a computer with iTunes.

DUH? Why would Apple choose not to do the OBVIOUS and load MP3's into the default Music App?!?

ballyeden wrote:

Ok, I just had to add my 2 bits here. I also have the same problem. My iPad 3 gives me no way to respond. It simply shows the progress wheel downloading the video. No option as to where to open, and after it's done it can't be found in either the default video or photo apps. Don't be so quick with the glib answers, and you might actually be of some help to somebody.

Totally agree with the glib answers.

Having a very similar problem to tbross70 and though the answers here weren't very helpful, particularly from the appropriately initialed WC, I thought I'd try again rather than start a new topic:

Trying to Airdrop a homemade .mov video file from my iMac 10.10.2 to my iPad Air2 8.4.1. I have "successfully" sent and accepted the transfer several times under several names but when I search in spotlight on the iPad it's nowhere to be found (and yes, I checked in All Photos). I get only the prompt on the iPad to accept, which I do, the wheel fills and then...it evaporates. I search on spotlight for any part of the various names of the video and get nothing.

Though it's an .mov file that should play easily on anything Apple, I also downloaded a fresh copy of VLC and tried finding and opening from there (as well as Videos and iMovie, etc.) but again- nothing.

Any ideas?

.mov video is opened in the photos app for me. Other formats may need other applications, but as I've said previously (and received snarky replies for) you can't open a file that you don't have an app for, I'm not sure why some here can't see that. If you try opening the file in an app that doesn't support it, it will just disappear.

Like Winston Churchill point out, MOV files should automatically appear in the Photos App.

Spotlight will not search the Photos app for filenames. So even if its there it will not appear in the results.

In Photos it should appear in the Camera Roll album, or the Videos album.

As has been mentioned already, if you do not have an App that can handle the file type being sent a prompt will appear suggesting you download an App from the store.

Thanks for the specificity and clarity of your reply - unfortunately, as I indicate above, the files don't appear in my Photos app (to be clear, nowhere in the app including Videos, etc.), so am still at square one and now wondering why Apple hasn't made Spotlight able to search all files??? Also-- I don't get the prompt for an App download, so I don't see the way forward...

And please correct me if I'm missing something, but isn't it logical to expect that every iPad would be prepared to play Apple's proprietary .mov format? In Videos, in iMovie, in Photos...somewhere?

Ewal60 wrote:

And please correct me if I'm missing something, but isn't it logical to expect that every iPad would be prepared to play Apple's proprietary .mov format? In Videos, in iMovie, in Photos...somewhere?

Thank you for the invitation. No, it's not logical, .mov is not a single format as such it's a container that can contain many different formats. It's quite common for products to be limited by specification, for example the Apple TV can only play H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High or Main Profile level 4.1 or lower, I don't know what the iPad can play, it's not my area of interest.

So the next thing to determine is how this MOV file is being made.

Where is it coming from.

What exactly appears when you AirDrop it. Perhaps a screenshot would help us understand what is happening.