How to make my Macbook Pro Discoverable with Airplay?

Question

Level 1

8 points

How to make my Macbook Pro Discoverable with Airplay?

I have a Late-2011 Macbook Pro and have used Airdrop before. However since the Sierra update, i can't change the setting of Airdrop anymore to allow others to find me. As can be seen in the attached image below.

I've checked my firewall, i've checked sharing options, or anything i can think of that could be related to Airdrop, but i can't find a way to change this setting. Can anyone help to find a way so my other devices can discover my Macbook Pro again?

MacBook Pro

Posted on Oct 30, 2016 4:31 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,084 points

Oct 30, 2016 6:19 AM in response to Jonsoh81

You don't make that Mac compatible with the new Airdrop, you make newer Macs go into Legacy Airdrop mode in order to see your Mac and for your Mac to see them.

You need a 2012 or newer Mac to use the new Airdrop.

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Answer 2

Jonsoh81 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 30, 2016 8:20 AM in response to Barney-15E

So, revert back to a previous OS is the only solution? Thats dumb, since it's been update to easily handle almost any software.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,084 points

Oct 30, 2016 4:34 PM in response to Jonsoh81

Jonsoh81 wrote:

So, revert back to a previous OS is the only solution? Thats dumb, since it's been update to easily handle almost any software.

I guess I don't know what you are looking for.

Your Mac isn't capable of using the new Airdrop which can Airdrop between Macs and iOS devices.

Your Mac can Airdrop directly between it and other Macs made before 2012. You can Airdrop to a post-2012 Mac if that Mac is put into Legacy Airdrop mode.

What is missing?

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Answer 4

Jonsoh81 Author

Level 1

8 points

Oct 31, 2016 1:33 AM in response to Barney-15E

But i HAVE been using Airdrop between my Macbook Pro and iPhone, however, now with Sierra, the setting of my Macbook can't be se to "Discoverable". So now i can't use Airdrop at all. Not between Macbook and iPhone, not between Macbook and Macbook, and not between iMac and Macbook.

All functions i could do before the "upgrade" to Sierra. So my conclusion from the responses is that i have revert back to El Capitan again for example.

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Answer 5

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,084 points

Oct 31, 2016 7:46 PM in response to Jonsoh81

You can try reverting back to El Capitan, but your Mac wasn't on the list of supported Macs for the "new" Airdrop. Why it worked for you I don't know. There were pre-2012 Macs that had the required Bluetooth modules, but Apple set a cutoff of 2012 Macs (2015 MacBooks and 2013 Mac Pros): https://www.apple.com/macos/how-to-upgrade/

This requirement was the same in El Capitan. Again, if it was working then I don't know why and I don't know if reverting will give you that capability as you should not have had it.

When you open the Airdrop window in Finder, your Mac is "discoverable." There is nothing to turn on.

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