AirDrop Failing to Send From iPhone 18 Pro? Here's The Fix

This article explains how you can troubleshoot AirDrop when sending fails from your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The purpose of this article is to provide you a guide for dealing with some of the most common AirDrop sending problems on iPhone 18 Pro, including:

AirDrop is not working as expected.
AirDrop doesn’t show up.
AirDrop is saying “waiting” then “failed”.
The other device can’t be seen.

AirDrop is a neat and convenient feature that lets you quickly and easily share files between Apple devices. You can wirelessly share photos, videos, contacts, documents, map locations, and more.

Before you begin

Make sure that the person you’re sending to is nearby and within Bluetooth range, and that you both have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on. Your iPhone 18 Pro and the other device should be within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other. If either of you have Personal Hotspot on, turn it off.

Turn on Wi-Fi: go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
Turn on Bluetooth: go to Settings > Bluetooth, then turn on Bluetooth.
Turn off Personal Hotspot: go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and turn off Allow Others to Join.
Make sure your iPhone has the latest version of iOS: go to Settings > General > Software Update. If there is an update, tap Download and Install.

Check the receiving device’s AirDrop setting

This is the most common reason a send fails. Check that the person you’re sending to has AirDrop set to receive from Contacts Only. If they do, and you’re in their Contacts, they need to have your Apple Account email address or phone number in your contact card for AirDrop to work. If you’re not in their Contacts, have them set their AirDrop receiving setting to Everyone for 10 Minutes to receive the file.

On an iPhone or iPad, they can change this by going to Settings > General > AirDrop and tapping one of these options:

Receiving Off (won’t receive AirDrop requests)
Contacts Only (only your contacts can see your device)
Everyone for 10 Minutes (all nearby Apple devices using AirDrop can see your device)

The setting called Everyone for 10 Minutes changes after 10 minutes. If they are signed in to their Apple Account, it reverts to Contacts Only. If they are not signed in, it reverts to Receiving Off.

If the recipient is on a Mac, they can click Control Center in the menu bar, click AirDrop, then select Contacts Only or Everyone.

Sending to someone in your contacts

If someone in your contacts is nearby, they appear under People. Open the app you want to share from, tap the Share button, tap AirDrop, then tap the name of the person you want to share with. Ask the other person to tap Accept on their device.

If the other device is on iOS 17 or later, you can also try holding the two devices together to share via AirDrop.

Sending to someone who is not in your contacts

Here is how you can send a file to someone who is not in your contacts from your iPhone 18 Pro:

Open the app that you want to share content from. For example, if you want to share a file, open the Files app.
Tap the More button, then tap Select and tap the file or files that you want to share.
Tap the Share button, then tap AirDrop.
Ask the other person to open Control Center on their device and do this: touch and hold the connectivity controls, tap AirDrop, and tap Everyone for 10 Minutes.
On your device, tap the other person under People. If both devices use iOS 26.2 or later, they are prompted to use an AirDrop code.
Ask the person to tap Get AirDrop Code on their device, and then tell you the code to enter on your device. They’re added to the Other Known List in your contacts for 30 days. If you want, you can mark the person as unknown in the Contacts app before 30 days.

Check AirDrop setting on your iPhone 18 Pro

Make sure that your iPhone 18 Pro is discoverable. Go to Settings > General > AirDrop. If Receiving Off is selected, change it to Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes.

If the recipient is on a Mac and cannot see you, their firewall may be blocking the connection. On their Mac, 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.

Troubleshoot AirDrop problems

I frequently use AirDrop and whenever I encounter a problem, I do one of the following to fix it. If AirDrop keeps failing to send from your iPhone 18 Pro, complete the steps below on both devices (sender and receiver). And lastly, after each step check to see if AirDrop starts working again:

Turn off Bluetooth and wait 15 seconds and then turn it on. This is the first thing I do, and it almost always fixes my problem. Go to Settings > Bluetooth.
Turn off Wi-Fi and wait 15 seconds and then enable it again. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
Go to Settings and turn on Airplane Mode. Wait at least 15 seconds, then turn it off again.
Restart your device. On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Shut Down, drag the power-off slider, then wait 30 seconds. To turn it back on, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.
You may be having a connection problem. You may want to reset your network settings. Before proceeding you should know that doing so will erase your network settings such as your Wi-Fi passwords. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, then tap Reset Network Settings.