How to AirDrop a file from your Mac notch

Shelf and AirDrop Published 4 November 2026

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To AirDrop a file with NotchStar, drag it toward the notch, drop it on the AirDrop zone on the left of the Shelf tab, and choose the device in the picker that opens. The file is already attached, so there is nothing else to select.

Steps

Drag the file toward the top of the screen. The notch opens on the Shelf tab.
Drop it on the AirDrop zone. The icon pulses while the file is over it.
The standard macOS AirDrop picker opens with the file attached.
Click the nearby device or person. The transfer starts.

Sending a file that is already on the shelf

You do not have to re drop it. Click the AirDrop button beside the shelf to send everything on it, or right click one icon and choose AirDrop to send just that file.

What macOS needs

NotchStar only opens the picker. The transfer is macOS AirDrop, so Apple’s rules apply. According to Apple’s page, checked on 4 November 2026, WiFi and Bluetooth must be on for both devices and they should be within about 10 metres. The recipient chooses Contacts Only or Everyone. With macOS 26.2 or later, a sender who is not in the recipient’s contacts needs an AirDrop code that shows on the recipient’s device. Older macOS versions do not ask for one.

See also the File Shelf page and what the AirDrop zone does.

Quick answers.

Do I need to park the file first?

No. Drop it straight on the AirDrop zone. The shelf is only for files you want to keep for later.

Link to this answer

Keep reading.

A shelf and an AirDrop zone in the notch: Park files in the notch while you work, then drag them out or AirDrop them. Drag a file toward the notch and the shelf opens by itself.
What the AirDrop zone in the NotchStar shelf does: The AirDrop zone does not keep files. Whatever you drop on it opens the macOS AirDrop picker with those files attached, and nothing is stored.
How to AirDrop from your Mac notch to an iPhone: Drop a file on the NotchStar AirDrop zone, then tap your iPhone in the picker. The iPhone must be nearby with AirDrop receiving turned on.
A file shelf for Mac: stop stacking files on the Desktop: A file shelf is a temporary holding area for drag and drop. Learn the workflow, why it beats the Desktop, and how an AirDrop zone speeds up sharing.

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