Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

AirDrop: Basic Questions

FSMBP

FSMBP

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
2,712
2,623
I have some iOS 7 questions and I apologize if they've been answered already - I figure things have changed with every beta and was curious about the latest info regarding AirDrop.

1. Is it true that AirDrop requires you to have the other person's Apple ID email address for AirDrop to work? Or is it like iMessage where it uses your telephone number as the ID?

2. Also, what would happen if my friend AirDrops me a Pages document, but I don't have the Pages app?

Thanks in advance!
 
A

AbSoluTc

Suspended
Sep 21, 2008
5,104
4,002
Airdrop requires nothing but the person being in the vicinity of you. No ID/Email or anything required. Just their name which shows up when searching airdrop recipients.

You can still open the document, you just can't edit it.
 
FSMBP

FSMBP

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
2,712
2,623
AbSoluTc said:
Airdrop requires nothing but the person being in the vicinity of you. No ID/Email or anything required. Just their name which shows up when searching airdrop recipients.

You can still open the document, you just can't edit it.
Click to expand...

Awesome! Thanks for the quick response!
 
Z

zbarvian

macrumors 68010
Jul 23, 2011
2,004
2
I have a question: do both people need to be connected to the same WiFi network? What are the connection requirements for it?
 
W

WJKramer

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2008
422
39
zbarvian said:
I have a question: do both people need to be connected to the same WiFi network? What are the connection requirements for it?
Click to expand...

It uses low power bluetooth 4.0 for location proximity. So when you select it on it automatically selects your bluetooth on if not already active. This allows you to see people within 30 feet or so also using airdrop. You can select between only showing contacts or everyone. File transfer is conducted over Apple's peer-to-peer, ad-hoc Wi-Fi file transfer protocol (WiFi Direct).
 
Last edited:
FSMBP

FSMBP

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
2,712
2,623
zbarvian said:
I have a question: do both people need to be connected to the same WiFi network? What are the connection requirements for it?
Click to expand...

No. You don't need a WiFi network at all. The devices connect via WiFi Direct to each other (think how Bluetooth works). Also, Bluetooth is used for AirDrop as that is what it uses to gauge proximity of those iOS users (just my guess).
 
dadiy

dadiy

macrumors regular
May 27, 2010
167
208
Does anyone know if it will work between iphone and mac? That could be really handy.
 
Z

zbarvian

macrumors 68010
Jul 23, 2011
2,004
2
FSMBP said:
No. You don't need a WiFi network at all. The devices connect via WiFi Direct to each other (think how Bluetooth works). Also, Bluetooth is used for AirDrop as that is what it uses to gauge proximity of those iOS users (just my guess).
Click to expand...

Ah, that's very cool. Thanks for the info.
 
C

Cougarcat

macrumors 604
Sep 19, 2003
7,766
2,553
shandyman said:
It's probably going to be part of 7.1 I suspect. I'd like it to be GM, but just seems but late to add it in.
Click to expand...

It needs to be updated on OS X first. The iOS version uses Bluetooth LE, which means pre-2011 macs probably will never be able to use it with iOS.
 
cmChimera

cmChimera

macrumors 601
Feb 12, 2010
4,273
3,762
AbSoluTc said:
Airdrop requires nothing but the person being in the vicinity of you. No ID/Email or anything required. Just their name which shows up when searching airdrop recipients.

You can still open the document, you just can't edit it.
Click to expand...

As of now though, if you are on contacts only, it requires the Apple ID saved to the contact correct?
 
J

jigsjdg

macrumors newbie
Jul 9, 2012
21
0
Netherlands
shandyman said:
It's probably going to be part of 7.1 I suspect. I'd like it to be GM, but just seems but late to add it in.
Click to expand...
Not really... As I posted in a similar thread:
AFAIK it will work between iOS7 and OS X when Mavericks comes out.
No waiting for iOS7.1, but OS X Mavericks..

[Edit: I was just corrected in the other thread I mentioned... Apparently Mavericks won't support it either because of the BT LE changes]
 
S

shandyman

Suspended
Apr 24, 2010
6,458
397
Dublin, Ireland
jigsjdg said:
Not really... As I posted in a similar thread:
AFAIK it will work between iOS7 and OS X when Mavericks comes out.
No waiting for iOS7.1, but OS X Mavericks..

[Edit: I was just corrected in the other thread I mentioned... Apparently Mavericks won't support it either because of the BT LE changes]
Click to expand...

It's not working in the mavericks dev preview.
 
A

AbSoluTc

Suspended
Sep 21, 2008
5,104
4,002
cmChimera said:
As of now though, if you are on contacts only, it requires the Apple ID saved to the contact correct?
Click to expand...

I don't believe so. My buddy and I have done it and all we do is activate airdrop and we see each other. Nothing else.
 
cmChimera

cmChimera

macrumors 601
Feb 12, 2010
4,273
3,762
AbSoluTc said:
I don't believe so. My buddy and I have done it and all we do is activate airdrop and we see each other. Nothing else.
Click to expand...

Interesting. I'll try this out later. Good to know though, I thought that having to have the Apple ID saved was silly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom