How AirDrop actually works on your iPhone. And what to do if it suddenly breaks

AirDrop is very convenient for transferring files between Apple devices, as long as it works.

iPhones, iPads and Macs never explain why things are wrong.

Because of this method of data transfer, sometimes I just can’t stand it and avoid it. Everything hangs, and no one says why.

When I figured out what principle and what exactly AirDrop works by, I began to understand approximately all the principles by which it sometimes Hellishly slows down and freezes. It’s a pity, Apple, this is not an error during an error, but that’s why we write posts like this.

So, surprise.

Turns out, Bluetooth In general, do not refer to the source files, home Wi-Fi was never needed for a profitable and fast process. Let’s figure it out.

The two iPhones have an independent Wi-Fi network. This is another “Apple magic”

Apple’s AirDrop wireless data technology was first introduced at WWDC in 2011 during the presentation of Apple OS X 10.7 Lion.

In 2013, along with iOS 7, it appeared on the iPhone.

At that time, it was impossible to send a file between iPhone and Mac, since the desktop system used a protocol based only on the Wi-Fi module, and iOS operated to transfer data via Bluetooth and WiFi.

In 2014, with the release of iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite, AirDrop provides universal file transfer between all Apple devices.

The operation scheme is relatively simple.

1. Using Bluetooth, two iPhones find each other.

This is why they are created hash identifiers Phone and email numbers in the form of a set of numbers to compare them with the database and determine whether the owner of the smartphone is in the contact lists.

2. Next, a peer-to-peer (P2P) connection is created between two iPhones using their Wi-Fi modules.

That is The device will create a secure Wi-Fi network with each otherno matter what they are connected to to communicate with the Internet.

A little more detail. This connection is based on the company’s IEEE 802.11 protocol, called Apple Wireless Direct Link. The technology uses AirDrop for transferring files, AirPlay for broadcasting video to other devices, Sidecar for mirroring the screen from Mac to iPad, and that same magical feature of Universal Control that controls the iPad via the Mac mouse and keyboard.

3. Smartphones are fixed symmetric encryption keyswhich will be used to convert the file into a protected data set when sent.

A popular protocol is used for this Transport Layer Securitywhich has the right to intercept and change data during transmission.

4. The created peer-to-peer connection without Wi-Fi modules, one iPhone transmits data in a protected form, the second decrypts it and displays it in a form familiar to us.

✅ In short, the iPhone sender sees the iPhone receiver using Bluetooth > gadgets create a direct connection with each other using their Wi-Fi modules > the device generates encryption keys > iPhone sender encrypts the file and sends > iPhone receiver receives the file and decrypts it in a clear form for the user.

Understanding how the method works, it becomes obvious why AirDrop sometimes has problems. Below we will look at the most popular ones and how to solve them.

4 popular problems and their solutions

iPhone not each other

Cause: There is probably a problem with ID exchange between the two iPhones.

If the left device’s AirDrop status is “Visible to Everyone”, this problem is almost certainly related to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. AirDrop uses both of these connections for virtual contact between devices, and if one of them does not work properly, the devices cannot support each other.

We are talking about a breakdown only in rare cases, most often it is a bug.

Solutions:

1. Turn off and restart AirDrop again
2. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi > turn the Wi-Fi toggle switch off and on.
3. Go to Settings > Bluetooth > turn the Wi-Fi toggle switch off and on.
4. Reboot both devices
5. Check if iOS, iPadOS, macOS and VisionOS are up to date.

This will help eliminate software errors without having to send the device in for repair.

iPhone takes a long time to prepare files for sending

Reason: Large files take extra time to encode and compress. Some items must be downloaded from iCloud before they can be sent.

The front end of the file goes through conversion to the desired format, and then through compression and encoding, all of which takes extra time. Therefore, sometimes the iPhone shows the status before sending Preparation. If the file is large, such as a 4K video, it takes much longer to “wrap” it during encoding.

Items may also experience some corruption and may not load from iCloud.

Solution:

1. Reboot the sending device
2. Send smaller document files or even one at a time.

Second question regarding the application Photo.

To make it easier to send small document files, select everything you want to AirDrop > click Share > Add to album > + > Name the album. Then go to this album and drop 5 pieces here, for example. After successful deletion, remove them from the album.

So you’ll quickly figure out which files are taking a long time to prepare, didn’t download from iCloud, or were corrupted and the guide can’t.

iPhone takes a long time to transfer small files

Reason: The WiFi module of one of the devices is overloaded with parallel traffic.

Although AirDrop uses its Compute Data Transfer Protocol (AWDL) over a direct connection between devices, that connection still relies on the same iPhone, iPad, or Mac WiFi module that is used for other tasks. If the Wi-Fi channel is heavily loaded with video streaming, downloading games on Steam, or large files via torrent, this increases the data transfer speed via AirDrop.

Solution:

1. Turn off Wi-Fi exactly through Control room
2. Disable heavy file downloads on both devices.

This separates smartphones from parallel threads and helps the sender and receiver of Wi-Fi modules focus on each other.

The media did not come in this format

Reason: The Apple device automatically determines what format to send media to the Photos app. This is being fixed.

Solution:

After selecting the required files and clicking Shareclick at the top Options and select the options you want.

With the Snapshot All Data option enabled, the device always sends files to video folders in their original format.

I hope these tips and new knowledge will help you feel less annoyed by AirDrop. I’ve definitely saved myself some nerves.

And if nothing works, read our other post: