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

AirDrop Barely Ever works

iwayne

iwayne

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 12, 2011
319
121
Santa Clara, California
Is anyone else experiencing serious difficulty with ever getting airdrop to work. 9 times out of 10 someone sitting right next to me will not show up. Both phones have airdrop turned on, for contacts only and even tried "everyone" both have Bluetooth on and logged into the same wifi network. Plus both are 5s iPhones. WTH?! So infuriating that apple released this thing that barely works.
 
iwayne said:
...and logged into the same wifi network.
Click to expand...

It's worked for me every time I've tried it.

On an aside, you don't have to be on the same network, you do t even have to be on a wifi network. Airdrop creates an invisible local network that the phones know to join. That's why the 4S doesn't get it; it doesn't have a wifi chip capable of creating that second network.
 
It's frustrating because it was probably the only feature I looked forward to in IOS 7. I understand all the things like not actually being needed to be logged into a wifi network, I was more proving a point in that everything is open and working on the phone. This IOS is the buggiest IOS Apple has ever released. The fact the 7.0.3 is set to be released says something.

The other thing is if it actually takes a minute to show up, then whats the point when you could have sent a text or email in the time you're waiting for airdrop to wake up.
 
Nailed it.

iwayne said:
It's frustrating because it was probably the only feature I looked forward to in IOS 7. I understand all the things like not actually being needed to be logged into a wifi network, I was more proving a point in that everything is open and working on the phone. This IOS is the buggiest IOS Apple has ever released. The fact the 7.0.3 is set to be released says something.

The other thing is if it actually takes a minute to show up, then whats the point when you could have sent a text or email in the time you're waiting for airdrop to wake up.
Click to expand...
 
iwayne said:
The other thing is if it actually takes a minute to show up, then whats the point when you could have sent a text or email in the time you're waiting for airdrop to wake up.
Click to expand...
The point for me is that I don't have to know the other persons phone number or email address (or vice versa). If I'm at a party and someone catches a great picture of something, I don't necessarily want to have to do a BFF-level exchange of information in order to get a copy of a freaking picture.
 
It works for me and the wife (my 5s/her 5) as long as I am literally right next to her with our phones. I thought it didn't work at first but found out later if the phones are more than a foot away from each other my phone can't find hers and vice-versa. Crazy.
 
Works well for me. I've used it a lot. It seems a bit slower than needed (as if the wifi networks aren't forming quickly or properly) at times. This was discussed in more detail in another thread here.

Hope you get it working soon.
 
iwayne said:
Is anyone else experiencing serious difficulty with ever getting airdrop to work. 9 times out of 10 someone sitting right next to me will not show up. Both phones have airdrop turned on, for contacts only and even tried "everyone" both have Bluetooth on and logged into the same wifi network. Plus both are 5s iPhones. WTH?! So infuriating that apple released this thing that barely works.
Click to expand...

I have the exact same problem. I have iphone 5, iPhone 5S, iPad mini, ipad 4. Trying any combination of devices and like you state above, 9 out of 10 times these devices don't see each other and they are in same room about 3 feet away.
Big fail on Apples part. :mad:
 
I initially had my airdrop set for "contacts only"...my co-worker had his "contacts only"...we are in each others contact list.

my 5S recognized his 5S...but his would not see mine

we switched both to "everybody" and airdrop worked
 
ngocnguyen said:
I initially had my airdrop set for "contacts only"...my co-worker had his "contacts only"...we are in each others contact list.

my 5S recognized his 5S...but his would not see mine

we switched both to "everybody" and airdrop worked
Click to expand...

Yeah same problem for me.
 
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
Back