AirDrop
Sign in to saveAirDrop is a file-sharing service in Apple's iOS, macOS, iPadOS and visionOS operating systems that operates over a wireless ad hoc network. AirDrop was introduced in Mac OS X Lion (10.7) and iOS 7, and can transfer files among supported Apple devices by means of close-range wireless communication. There is no limit on the size of files that can be transferred. This communication takes place over Apple Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) "Action Frames" and "Data Frames" using generated link-local IPv6 addresses instead of the Wi-Fi chip's fixed MAC address. In November 2025, Quick Share added limited
Key facts
- Software.logo
- Airdrop logo 2025.png
- Software.screenshot
- AirDrop in macOS.png
- Software.caption
- AirDrop on macOS
- Software.developer
- Apple Inc.
- Software.operating system
- iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS
- Software.platform
- Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Vision Pro
- Software.genre
- Utility software
- Software.license
- Bundled proprietary software
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Official website
- support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106
Show 2 more facts
- Commons category
- AirDrop
- inception
- 2011-07-20
via Wikidata · CC0
~9 min read
Article
14 sectionsContents
- Routine
- iOS
- macOS
- System limitations
- Transfer between two iOS devices
- Transfer between two Mac computers
- Transfer between a Mac and an iOS device
- Transfer between an Apple device and select Androids
- Security and privacy
- Use in protests
- Incidents
- See also
- References
- External links
AirDrop is a file-sharing service in Apple's iOS, macOS, iPadOS and visionOS operating systems that operates over a wireless ad hoc network. AirDrop was introduced in Mac OS X Lion (10.7) and iOS 7, and can transfer files among supported Apple devices by means of close-range wireless communication. There is no limit on the size of files that can be transferred. This communication takes place over Apple Wireless Direct Link (AWDL) "Action Frames" and "Data Frames" using generated link-local IPv6 addresses instead of the Wi-Fi chip's fixed MAC address. In November 2025, Quick Share added limited AirDrop support in Android, starting with Pixel 10 phones.
Prior to OS X Yosemite (10.10), and under OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks (10.7–10.9, respectively) the AirDrop protocol in macOS was different from the AirDrop protocol of iOS, and the two were therefore not interoperable. OS X Yosemite and later support the iOS AirDrop protocol on Macs released in 2012 and later, which is used for transfers between a Mac and an iOS device, as well as between Macs, which use both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Legacy mode for the original AirDrop protocol (which only uses Wi-Fi), which was used by Macs introduced in 2011 or earlier (or Macs released after 2012 running an operating system earlier than Yosemite) was supported through macOS Mojave and removed in macOS Catalina.