Sometimes you may run into this AirDrop problem on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max: When you want to AirDrop to share something, you may get an error message saying, “No People Found. There is no one nearby to share with.” You may be surprised to get this message even when the person you are sending to may be very close to you. Apparently, AirDrop is not working properly because it fails to see the other Apple devices that are nearby. There may be several causes for this problem. For example, it is possible that the other Apple device is set to not receive AirDrop requests. Until you fix this problem, you won’t be able to use AirDrop. You can use AirDrop to share items like photos, documents, etc., between Apple devices, such as iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Fixes for the iPhone 18 Pro AirDrop ‘No People Found’ error
- Ensure that you and the other person you are sending to are close to each other; your iPhone 18 Pro and the other device must be within 30 feet (10 meters) of one another. If you are too far apart, AirDrop may not establish a connection, and thus, you should move closer and try again.
- Ensure that your iPhone and the other device have the latest version of iOS, iPadOS or macOS. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Software Update. On Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click General in the sidebar, then click Software Update.
- Ensure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled on your iPhone and the other device. On iPhone or iPad, turn both on in the Settings app or in Control Center. On Mac, click Control Center in the menu bar and check that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on.
- Ensure that Personal Hotspot is turned off on your iPhone and the other device (Settings > Personal Hotspot).
- Restart your iPhone and the other device and try again. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Shut Down, drag the slider, wait 30 seconds, then press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo. On Mac, choose Apple menu > Restart.
- Check the AirDrop settings on the other device. These settings are available on iPhone, iPad or Mac via Control Center. On an iPhone or iPad, open Control Center, touch and hold the top-left group of controls, then tap AirDrop. Ensure that the other device is using one of the following options:
- Contacts Only: If this option is selected, ensure that they have your Apple Account email address or phone number in their contact card on their device.
- Everyone for 10 Minutes: All nearby Apple devices will be able to see the device in AirDrop for ten minutes.
- On your iPhone and the other device, turn off AirDrop and then turn it on again:
- On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > AirDrop. Select Receiving Off, then select Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes again.
- On Mac, click Control Center in the menu bar, then click AirDrop to turn it off and on again. When it’s blue, it’s on. To choose who can send items to you, click and hold AirDrop, or click the button next to it, then click Contacts Only or Everyone.
- Ensure that AirDrop is not restricted in Screen Time:
- On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Other Features and make sure that AirDrop is allowed.
- On Mac, go to the System Settings app, click Screen Time in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down), then click Content & Privacy and check the app restriction settings.
- If you are unable to see a Mac via AirDrop, it is possible that a Firewall may be preventing the connection. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Network in the sidebar, then click Firewall on the right. Click the Options button, then make sure that “Block all incoming connections” is turned off.
