How to AirDrop from a Mac to an iPhone

AirDrop and files Published 4 November 2026

All of mac tips Try NotchStar in the browser Buy for $4

To AirDrop from a Mac to an iPhone, turn AirDrop on for the iPhone, share the file from the Mac with the Share button, choose AirDrop and tap the iPhone, then tap Accept on the phone. If both devices use the same Apple Account, Apple says the item is accepted and saved automatically.

On the iPhone

Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Open Control Center, touch and hold the top left group of controls, then tap the AirDrop icon.
Choose Contacts Only or Everyone for 10 Minutes. Choose Everyone for 10 Minutes if the Mac belongs to a different Apple Account and is not in the iPhone’s contacts.

On the Mac

Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Check AirDrop in Control Center: click the Control Center icon in the menu bar, then the AirDrop icon.
Open the file, click the Share button in the toolbar and click AirDrop.
Select the iPhone from the list.

Or open a Finder window, click AirDrop in the sidebar and drag the file onto the iPhone.

On the iPhone again

Tap Accept on the notification. Apple says most items go to the app they were sent from. A photo goes to Photos, and on an iPhone some items may be saved in the Files app.

Keep them close

Apple says within 30 feet (10 meters). If the phone does not appear, work through AirDrop not showing up. The phone also has to be set to accept from you.

Which phones

This page is about iPhones. Apple’s guide covers iPhones, iPads and Macs, and says nothing about other phones, so use a different method for an Android phone.

Same Apple Account, no taps

When you send to your own iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account, Apple says there is no Accept step. That is the quickest way to move a photo or a PDF from your Mac to your phone. The file appears in the matching app or in Files.

Drop to send from anywhere

NotchStar’s File Shelf has an AirDrop zone: drag a file toward the notch, drop it on the zone, and the macOS AirDrop picker opens so you can choose the iPhone. For the general steps, see how to AirDrop from a Mac and AirDrop settings.

Keep reading.

How to AirDrop from a Mac to another device: Send a file from your Mac with AirDrop in two ways: the Share button in an app, or the AirDrop window in Finder. Steps, requirements and the 30 foot range.
AirDrop settings on a Mac: Contacts Only and Everyone: How to choose who can AirDrop to your Mac: open Control Center, click AirDrop, pick Contacts Only or Everyone. Plus Everyone for 10 Minutes on iPhone.
Where do AirDrop files go on a Mac?: Files you receive by AirDrop go to the app they came from or to your Downloads folder. How to find a received file when you cannot see it.
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.

Put your notch to work.

Buy it once for $4, activate it in a minute, and keep it. Not sure yet? Try every tool in the browser on the home page, or install the 7 day trial.

Buy NotchStar for $4 Try it in the browser