Easy Ways to AirDrop from iPhone to Mac [Support Various File Types]

"Someone else having trouble sharing from iPhone to Mac via AirDrop? When sharing from Mac to iPhone, I have no trouble at all. B.T.W., I have iPhone 13 and MacBook Pro 2019."

- Malin Catharina on Apple Support Community

AirDrop is a useful built-in feature on Apple devices to wirelessly send files across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Whenever you want to AirDrop from iPhone to Mac or Mac to iPhone, you can easily make it with the following three methods. Let's check how to AirDrop to iMac from iPhone or vice versa.

Part 1. What Is AirDrop?
Part 2. How to AirDrop an iPhone to a MacBook?
Part 3. How to AirDrop from a Mac to an iPhone?
Part 4. Problems You May Encounter When Using AirDrop
Part 5. Use an AirDrop Alternative to Transfer Files from iPhone to Mac
Extra FAQs on Airdropping from iPhone to Mac

Part 1. What Is AirDrop?

AirDrop is Apple's way of transferring data between iOS devices. It is safe and easy to use, and the whole process is encrypted. It supports photos, videos, websites, documents, map locations, and other data from a nearby iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac running iOS 7 or macOS X Lion or higher.

It is simple to transfer files between iPhone and Mac with AirDrop. Since AirDrop uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to establish a connection between your iPhone and Mac, the migration will automatically start once you enable AirDrop on both devices and successfully make a connection.

Part 2. How to AirDrop an iPhone to a MacBook?

The following steps display how to use AirDrop from iPhone to Mac. Refer to these instructions if you wish to wirelessly AirDrop from iPhone to Mac.

1. Toggle on AirDrop on your iPhone and Mac.

On iPhone:

• Pull down the screen on your iPhone to access the Control Center.
• Press and hold the square with the Wi-Fi icon to open more options.
• Switch on AirDrop, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi options.
• Choose Contacts Only or Everyone to make your device discoverable.

On Mac:

• Launch Finder on your Mac and click Go > AirDrop on the sidebar.
• Check the Allow me to be discovered by option and select Contacts Only or Everyone.

2. Wait until your Mac's name appears on iPhone's AirDrop list.

3. How to AirDrop videos from iPhone to Mac.

• Open the Photos app and select the wanted videos to transfer.
• Tap the Share icon > AirDrop > your Mac's name. The status will become sent when done.

See also: If you want to export your messages from your iPhone to PDF, open this guide to learn simple tricks.

Part 3. How to AirDrop from a Mac to an iPhone?

Check the guidance below if you wish to AirDrop from Mac to iPhone.

Preparations:

• Connect your iPhone and Mac to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Bluetooth works well on both devices.
• The Mac and iPhone are put within Wi-Fi and Bluetooth range.

To AirDrop from Mac to iPhone:

1. Turn on AirDrop, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth on both devices.

2. Open Finder > Go > AirDrop > drag and drop the desired photos from your Mac to the iPhone's image > hit Send. Or, open the Photos app on your Mac > pick the items you wish to send > tap Share > AirDrop > select the recipient > hit Done.

3. Receive the photos on your iPhone.

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Part 4. Problems You May Encounter When Using AirDrop

According to user's feedback, you may meet the following problems when you AirDrop from iPhone to Mac:

• AirDrop is not showing up in Control Center.
• AirDrop from iPhone to Mac is not working.
• AirDrop is not showing up in Finder.
• Mac is not showing up on AirDrop.
• Can't AirDrop music.

Perhaps you like: Is it easy to copy music from a computer to iPhone 11? Certainly, you can follow this guide if needed.

Part 5. Use an AirDrop Alternative to Transfer Files from iPhone to Mac

AirDrop is convenient when sharing between iPhone and Mac, but the files you can send are limited. Since AirDrop exclusively supports sending one type of data each time, including videos, photos, locations, documents, and websites, a better file-sharing app is needed if you wish to move more files.

Coolmuster iOS Assistant is a powerful file transfer app that works for transferring data between Mac and iPhone via a USB cable. Compared with AirDrop, it consumes no network, and the operation is easy - without Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirDrop enabled.

The highlights of Coolmuster iOS Assistant:

• Transfer contacts, messages, photos, videos, music, notes, calendars, bookmarks, iBooks, and user apps from iPhone to Mac via USB.
• Selectively share contacts, notes, calendars, and iBooks from Mac to iPhone.
• Back up and restore all iPhone data to/from Mac in one click.
• Manage iPhone data on your Mac.
• Support macOS X 10.9 or later and iOS 5 to iOS 16, such as iPhone 14/SE (3rd generation)/13 Pro Max/13 Pro/13/13 mini/12/11/XR/XS/X/8/7/6, etc.

How to share from iPhone to MacBook via a USB cable?

1. Install and open the appropriate version of Coolmuster iOS Assistant on your Mac.

2. Connect your iPhone to the Mac using an original USB cable and click Trust on your iPhone when asked. Once the program detects your iPhone, it will display the iPhone's information on the home interface.

3. Select one data type on the left panel and preview all the items. Later, tick off the desired items and hit the Export button on the top to transfer them from your iPhone to the Mac.

Further reading:

How to Transfer Songs from iPhone to iPhone Using AirDrop? (Step-by-Step)

How to AirDrop from iPhone to PC Windows 11/10/8/7 in Six Practical Ways?

Extra FAQs on Airdropping from iPhone to Mac

1. Can I AirDrop 1,000 Photos or the Whole Camera Roll from iPhone to Mac?

Theoretically, yes. But the success rate of sharing photos from iPhone to Mac over AirDrop depends on the file size. The process may take more than 20 minutes, and you should not use your iPhone and Mac during the transfer.

How to AirDrop the entire Camera Roll from your iPhone to your Mac?

1. Open the Photos app on your iPhone and tap Library > All Photos.
2. Click Select on the top > pick the first photo > press and hold the image > drag your fingers upward to select all photos.
3. Click the Share icon at the bottom > AirDrop > your Mac's name.
4. Wait until the transfer process is complete.
5. Hit Done on your device.

Tips: How can you import your photos from an iPhone to a PC breezily? Get helpful information from this guide.

2. Why Is My Mac Not Showing Up on AirDrop?

• Your Mac is undiscoverable in AirDrop.
• You forget to enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on both devices.
• Your Mac is asleep.
• Both devices are more than 30 feet distance.
• The firewall on your Mac blocked the incoming connections.
• The Internet Sharing is turned off.
• Ensure that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

3. Why Is AirDrop Not Working on My Mac?

• Your Mac runs an outdated operating system that does not support AirDrop.
• You have set up your AirDrop settings on your Mac as No One.
• Wrong iPhone configuration.
• The device is not in your contact list when setting AirDrop to Contacts Only.
• There are issues with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
• Both devices are too far from each other.
• One device has glitches.

4. Troubleshooting when AirDrop Is Not Working

What if AirDrop is not working suddenly? Review the following solutions to troubleshoot the issue quickly.

1. Check whether your devices support AirDrop.
2. Adjust AirDrop settings for Everyone.
3. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
4. Ensure your devices are turned on.

You can also check this guide to fix AirDrop not working on the iPhone issue.

Final Words

After browsing the above content, you may understand how to AirDrop from iPhone to Mac or vice versa. Actually, AirDrop is a reliable and safe way to transfer files between iPhone and Mac. However, if it doesn't work nor send certain file types, the alternative app Coolmuster iOS Assistant is a wise choice. You can migrate multiple files simultaneously at a fast speed.

Thus, don't forget to download it and have a try.

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