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

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

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

Because of this, sometimes I simply cannot stand the data transfer method and avoid it. Everything hangs, and no one says why.

When I figured out what principle and what exactly AirDrop works for, I began to understand approximately all the reasons why it sometimes hellish slows down and freezes. It’s a pity that Apple doesn’t explain this at the time of the error, but that’s why we write posts like this.

So, be surprised.

Turns out, Bluetooth is not involved in sending files at all, and home Wi-Fi was never needed for a successful and fast process. Let’s figure it out.

Two iPhones create an independent Wi-Fi network. This is another “Apple magic”

Apple’s first AirDrop wireless data transfer technology presented 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 files between iPhone and Mac, since the desktop system used a protocol based only on the Wi-Fi module, and iOS used Bluetooth and WiFi to transfer data.

Since 2014, after the release of iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite, AirDrop has been made a universal technology for transferring files between all Apple devices.

The operation scheme is relatively simple.

1. Using Bluetooth, two iPhones find each other.

To do this they exchange hash identifiers phone and email numbers in the form of a set of numbers to compare with your 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 devices create a secure WiFi network with each otherindependent of the one to which they are connected to communicate with the Internet.

A little more detail. This connection is based on the company’s proprietary IEEE 802.11 protocol, called Apple Wireless Direct Link. The technology is powered by 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 exchange 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 prevents interception and modification of data during sending.

4. Through a peer-to-peer connection created without Wi-Fi modules, one iPhone transmits data in a secure form, and the second decrypts it and displays it in the form we are familiar with.

In short, the iPhone sender sees the iPhone receiver using Bluetooth > gadgets create a direct connection with each other using their Wi-Fi modules > devices exchange encryption keys > iPhone sender encrypts the file and sends > iPhone receiver receives the file and decrypts it into a form understandable to 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

iPhones do not see each other

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

If both devices’ AirDrop status is “Visible to Public”, then the problem is almost certainly related to a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi failure. AirDrop uses both of these connections to establish contact between devices, and if one of them does not work properly, the devices may not detect each other.

We are talking about a breakdown only as a last resort, most often it is a bug.

Solutions:

1. Turn AirDrop off and on again
2. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi > turn Wi-Fi toggle switch off and on
3. Go to Settings > Bluetooth > turn Wi-Fi toggle switch off and on
4. Reboot both devices
5. Check that the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS are available.

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. Also, some items need to be downloaded from iCloud before being sent.

Before sending, the file goes through conversion into a suitable format, and also through compression and encoding, and all this takes additional time. Therefore, sometimes the iPhone shows the status before sending Preparation. If the file is large, for example, 4K video, it takes much more time to “wrap” it during encoding.

Also, some objects may be damaged and may not load from iCloud.

Solution:

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

Let’s look at the second point using an example application Photo.

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

This way you can quickly find out which files are taking a long time to prepare, have not yet been downloaded from iCloud, or are damaged and cannot be sent.

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 own protocol to transfer data (AWDL) over a direct connection between devices, this connection still relies on the same WiFi module of the iPhone, iPad or Mac 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 will affect 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 will relieve smartphones from parallel streams and help the sender and receiver Wi-Fi modules focus on each other.

Media arrived in the wrong format

Reason: Apple devices automatically decide which format to send media in 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 All Photo Data option enabled, the device always sends files as a folder in the original format.

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

And if nothing works, then look at our other post: