iOS9 Airdrop to Mac not working

strange I am using El Capitan 10.11.3 and iphone6 9.2.1 once it got connected for 5 minutes and after that it is practically impossible. Why apple is not responding on this ????

I just paired the two devices again in the Bluetooth settings and it started working again

So Airdrop problems AGAIN!!! I find all these problems that continually crop up with updates to OSX and IOS a real PITA. Some of the random fixes that folks come up with, which luckily MIGHT work for them, can be time consuming (e.g. sign out of iCloud on all devices, restore phone as new etc etc) and, at the end of the day, likely WON'T work and are just 'hack' fixes to problems that shouldn't be there.

We use 2 Macs here, both on El Crapitain 10.11.3 and three iPhones on 9.2.1 and since recently we find that the Macs can see each other and Airdrop to each other and the phones can see each other and Airdrop to each other. The phones however cannot see the Macs and the Macs cannot see the phones. This is after trying all of the 'hack' fixes that I'm prepared to try (reboots, hard resets, reset network settings, delete bluetooth.plist files, reboot routers etc etc etc).

One thing I have noticed with being on a variety of networks over the last few years is that Airdrop seems to work more consistently when on a wifi network using an Apple Airport Extreme. I can't test whether that's the case with the latest glitch as I'm not near an AEBS presently and it's an expensive fix to try out if this issue is not wifi router related. In the past though I found Airdrop issues to be a real PITA when at some people's houses on different networks, only to have it work fine once I return home with my Apple router's network. Seems once (if) I get inter IOS-OSX Airdrop working again I will have to remember to check that Airdrop is working both before and after any updates to ascertain precisely when the functionality stops working.

Concur about using AirPort Extreme. Better AirDrop results than using an older Belkin router.

Hi, TechAddict

My situation and results -

Preamble -

AirDrop System Requirements

To send items to an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you need a 2012 or newer Mac model with OS X Yosemite or later, excluding the Mac Pro (Mid 2012). The iOS device must have Personal Hotspot turned off in Settings > Cellular.

To send items to another Mac, you need:

MacBook Pro (Late 2008) or newer, excluding the MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2008)

MacBook Air (Late 2010) or newer

MacBook (Late 2008) or newer, excluding the white MacBook (Late 2008)

iMac (Early 2009) or newer

Mac Mini (Mid 2010) or newer

Mac Pro (Early 2009 with AirPort Extreme card, or Mid 2010)

I have checked AirDrop both ways on all devices, now my AirPort Extreme router is operational.

Results

Pro < > Late 2008 Mac √

Pro < > - Air √

Air < > Late 2008 Mac √

Pro < > iPad and iPhone √

Mid 2011 Air < > i Pad and iPhone X

Late 2008 Mac < > iPad and iPhone X

iPad < > iPhone √

Images and text are ok. √

Yah, cheers. The two Macs are both rMBP (2015) 1 x 13" and 1 x 15". The iPhones are 2 x IP6 and 1 x IP5S. So there are no hardware issues.

IP <> IP (any combination) OK

Mac <> Mac OK

Mac (either) <> IP (any) NO

It's been a bit flaky since we had the new ISP provided router here but Airdrop between Macs and iPhones WAS working, I THINK prior to IOS 9.2.1. Now Airdrop between OSX <> IOS is a no go. That said, as I described earlier, iPhones are OK Airdropping to / from each other on this wifi network with that router as are the two Macs to each other (only).

Tomorrow I'm going to a friend's house which has an AEBS and will try there.

Will also try the previous ISP router (that I had from another ISP that did also work fine - or at least it did 2-3 months ago) here tomorrow. That router working fine though I guess was before IOS 9.2.1 so that may also flunk out now.

Given my experiences with various routers vs AEBS I'm inclined to think that in some cases in can be as much of a router issue as an OS / Inter-OS issue.

So far we've had:

AEBS Malaysia - No problems

AEBS BKK - No problems

Condo provided wifi network - No Airdrop

ISP provided router x 2 - No Airdrop

ISP provided router x 1 - No problems

finally got tired of trying. My Mac still won't recognize my iPhone 6+ after update. So, e-mail the book to yourself (I use a gmail account). after received, it will ask you where to send it. choose "copy to iBooks" Will show up in iBooks just like the Airdrop used to do.

Same issue. AirDrop just won't work.

iMac 10.11.3, iPodT 9.2.1.

Tried to transfer some photos from my iPod Touch to my iMac. They just don't see each other.

FAIL.

Most frustrating.

In my case I'm now absolutely certain this issue is caused by router incompatibility.

Today I dug out my modem/router that was provided by a previous ISP. Never even bothered configuring it with the internet PPPoE sign on credentials, just plugged it in, connected to its wifi network, changed both phones to that network and bang. Both phone immediately appear as Airdrop available connections once a picture is selected to 'Share'.

What I''m now trying to figure is whether it's a user configurable adjustment within the router that can be changed so that the new one will work or whether it's a hardware issue in terms of what makes up the guts of the router. I gave security shot, trying all the varying options, inc no security, but no, that's not it. None, WEP, WPA etc etc makes no difference. Switch back to the old router again and the phones show up again.

Nothing else I could find that I could change and in any event, most of the settings on both routers looked the same. So I've just switched back to using my other modem / router, a TP Link TD8961ND, which works perfectly with Airdrop, both ways phone <> Mac.

So for those for whom the software related fixes don't work it may well be that the router you are using is just not compatible with what is needed to make this work.

yes Jamespaski is right .."Airdrop can and will work without a connection to a router (try it outside of your home and do not connect to a router) just as long as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options for Macs and iOS devices are activated. To back this up, I tried Airdrop in different places...it was successful. Then, again failed at home. So, I just concluded (1) that there may be some routers that interfere the functionality of Airdrop when trying to make a connection between Macs and iOS devices, or (2) both OSX and iOS may need another update to improve Wi-Fi stability to make connection between Macs and iOS devices".

Getting a wifi connection without using a router is tricky so what I do is turn off wifi on my iPad then turn it back on and then select my iphone hotspot. I have to persist with this sometimes when my iPad says airdrop won't work on a hotspot .. I turn off wifi on my macbook and turn it on again using my iPhone hotspot. Airdrop works every single time now !! even when you connect back to wifi it "remembers" airdrop. I have to do this every day but it has consistently worked since I read Jamepaski's advice .. Apple need to fix this wifi stability issue.

Interesting. I'm using an Apple Airport Extreme router. It is two feet away from my iMac and my iPod Touch. I don't see any settings that I can tweak on the router to change things.

For that reason, I think the issue I'm facing is not related to my router.

In fact I keep getting an error when trying to sync my iPod Touch with iTunes. The process will go through all the steps, and then I'll get an error saying that the iPod has disconnected. This is when I'm trying to sync by connecting my iPod Touch to my iMac using the USB cable and/or using WiFi. Same error.

The sync symbol (rotating arrows) will be showing on both the iMac and the iPod - but it stops syncing.

This is beyond frustrating!

try to reset your network settings on your iOS devices, it worked for me

SOLVED: Go in network setting wi-fi. Wi-fi must be ON. Go to WINS setting. Change the NETBIOS NAME in something different, and press ok. TEST AIRDROP.Then you can set again the netbios name in what you prefer. I have tried more than one restart and AIRDROP always was OK.

Nicola

Reseting WIFI on iOS and Mac, that's ok!