AirDrop iOS 7 GM > 10.8.4

[0000757]

iOS supports Bonjour. Wake up.

Bonjour is an encompassing service that serves a multitude of purposes and is not one single "connection" but supports various types of protocols and connections as it is Apple's interpretation of the Zeroconf services which includes but is not limited to: service discovery, address assignment, and hostname resolution, and because something uses Bonjour does not mean it supports all of Bonjour's services, for example my printer supports Bonjour printing but that does not mean I can use my printer for AirDrop or use the Bonjour IM protocol. iOS supports some features of Bonjour but not most, and Bonjour on the iPhone is used for iTunes Wifi Sync and the iTunes Remote app exclusively.

Wake up.

Also, I'll ask again, for the third time, is there really any use out of AirDrop between iOS to OS X?

 

[179202]

Also, I'll ask again, for the third time, is there really any use out of AirDrop between iOS to OS X?

Yes, a crazy amount of use. Just because you don't find something useful, don't think others wouldn't.

Thanks for describing why it doesn't work. Here's to hoping Apple does something to connect these two things. I already have plenty of confused folk asking questions as to why their phone won't airdrop to their Mac and thinking it's just a beta issue.

 

[Gus Van Der Mee]

Yes, a crazy amount of use. Just because you don't find something useful, don't think others wouldn't.

Thanks for describing why it doesn't work. Here's to hoping Apple does something to connect these two things. I already have plenty of confused folk asking questions as to why their phone won't airdrop to their Mac and thinking it's just a beta issue.

Except it's not why it doesn't work. It doesn't work only because Apple thinks you don't need it. There are zero technical obstacles here. Wifi Ad-hoc connection can be made and bluetooth is crippled on purpose.

I can send and receive files on my old Motorola V3 using bluetooth to my Mac or other devices and i can't do that using iPhone in 2013. There are apps, but at the end of another device again need to have that app and os on. More work than gain.

 

[al256]

Wow.

Normally this would deepen my hatred of Scott Forstall but this isn't his fault.

All I want is to send some PDFs to my iPad mini from my MBP. And BT would absolutely solve this situation and they can call it whatever they want.

Now I'm left with this sentiment: I can't use Apple's Airdrop to send a file to another Apple device running Apple's Airdrop because Airdrop isn't compatible with Airdrop.

 

[ipedro]

Also, I'll ask again, for the third time, is there really any use out of AirDrop between iOS to OS X?

Are you really that short sighted? Somebody AirDrops a PDF to you. You want to save it to your Mac. How do you get it there? You shoot a video, and you're at a colleague's computer that needs your video for work. How do you get it on their Mac? Email it to them? iMessage a short version? Go back to your computer, unload it in iTunes (iTunes??), put it on a USB key and take it back to them? Those are workarounds not solutions.

Apple is clearly positioning AirDrop as a file transfer method within the Apple ecosystem. It may not be in the latest beta of Mavericks but no doubt it will arrive either further into development or in a later update. Apple wouldn't have named it AirDrop if they had no intention of making it work with AirDrop enabled systems (ie OSX).

 

[0000757]

I don't know if want cry or laugh here.

I guess it's no getting through to you.

Yes, a crazy amount of use. Just because you don't find something useful, don't think others wouldn't.

Are you really that short sighted? Somebody AirDrops a PDF to you. You want to save it to your Mac. How do you get it there? You shoot a video, and you're at a colleague's computer that needs your video for work. How do you get it on their Mac? Email it to them? iMessage a short version? Go back to your computer, unload it in iTunes (iTunes??), put it on a USB key and take it back to them? Those are workarounds not solutions.

Apple is clearly positioning AirDrop as a file transfer method within the Apple ecosystem. It may not be in the latest beta of Mavericks but no doubt it will arrive either further into development or in a later update. Apple wouldn't have named it AirDrop if they had no intention of making it work with AirDrop enabled systems (ie OSX).

I'm not saying that they shouldn't. I could get use out of AirDrop iOS - OS X easily. It would be much easier to drop a screenshot or photo than to have to go through iCloud to get it (considering I HATE iPhoto).

AirDrop for iOS is meant for mobile things, though. On Macs, I've used AirDrop to send large files, I'm talking files exceeding 10+GB, because it's easier to do than to upload it online or use a flash drive of course.

Even with the issue of PDF files, they've had an easy way to do so since iCloud. Open the file in Pages and it saves itself in iCloud, for example. I'm not saying since we have this solution already lets not put AirDrop iOS to OS X, what I'm saying is you have to look at the standpoint of what each functions for

AirDrop for iOS is sending photos, notes, websites, map addresses, contacts, or maybe other small files designed to be on mobile devices. All of these can be updated through iCloud as well.

AirDrop for OS X is for transferring LARGE files. Maybe ZIP files FULL of photos, or a big code for an app you've been working on, or your HD movie you just finished shooting and need reviews from people, or a collaborative effort on a research paper or novel or presentation and you need to share the files. That's more the vision of AirDrop for OS X.

I could envision AirDrop iOS <--> OS X for dropping photos, maybe some small video files, but for the most part the two are geared towards different uses.

You are right though, considering they did give it the same name, there's probably going to be some form of compatibility in the future.

 

[The JTizzle]

Check out instashare. It's basically airdrop for ios to Mac OS. Been using it for a bit now.

 

[meashish]

Airdrop support 10.9 to ios7

hope will support airdrop between ios7 & mac os ??
excited for update ios7 wait 4 it

 

[benji888]

iOS supports Bonjour. Wake up.

The problem is this:

AirDrop uses WiFi Direct to transfer data. Ok, fine, that's the same iOS/OS X
BUT
to recognize and communicate with the other device
OS X uses Bonjour
iOS 7.0.x uses Bluetooth LE (4.0)
this is the incompatibility. ...But, Apple used the same name, so, eventually, they have to change it. Probably not for some time though. I would guess the easier solution would be to change OS X to use Bluetooth LE.

I read, somewhere, that AirDrop for OS X is used for large files whereas for iOS is used for pics and such, so they think Apple won't make it compatible. But, I think that Apple would have called it something else if they were not planning to make them work together at some point (in the unknown future).

In any case, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirDrop_(OS_X)

Check out instashare. It's basically airdrop for ios to Mac OS. Been using it for a bit now.

That is not a solution, since it will require other device to have instashare. We want AirDrop to be compatible with AirDrop. It's simple, easy and quick.

 

[iapplelove]

airdrop isn't all that great between iOS devices either

 

[hafr]

Not to mention the file systems on the Mac are completely differently structured, which could easily cause issues.

Five bucks says creating a folder (for instance /Documents/AirDrop/[maybe even the sender's name]/) would cause no problems. The fact that OS X and iOS has differently structured file systems is irrelevant.

Besides, other than screenshots, why would you need AirDrop iOS to OS X?

In order for me to send a photo to a Mac computer, I have a few options. I can e-mail it, I can iMessage it, I can use iPhoto, I can plug my phone into the computer... But all of these options require something. In order to e-mail it, both the iPhone and the computer need to have an internet connection, and the picture has to be first sent, then received. In order to iMessage it, same thing, and iMessage has to be installed on the computer. In order to use iPhoto, same thing as iMessage, and I have to log onto my Apple ID in iPhoto, and we'll have to wait for ALL photos in my Photo Stream to download. Plugging it in requires a cable, and it really isn't wireless - is it? Kind of kills the whole point of wireless transfer...

With videos, it's even more of a hassle.

I really love your complete ignorance over the fact that maybe, juuuuuust maybe, not everyone has Pages on their iDevice?

Seriously dude, your arguments in this thread are just ridiculous. It IS messed up that Apple supports AirDrop on their two operating systems but NOT supporting AirDrop between them.

"Oh, but I only use it for large files, hurrdidurr"

Please.

 

[iapplelove]

Actually this last post made me think of something if airdrop for iOS uses BT then why do both devices need to be on the same internet network ? I can understand both need to be on but sometimes it's just really slow. So far every time I air dropped someone something it was always quicker to just iMessage it. It does come in handy for web links though.

 

[hafr]

Actually this last post made me think of something if airdrop for iOS uses BT then why do both devices need to be on the same internet network ? I can understand both need to be on but sometimes it's just really slow. So far every time I air dropped someone something it was always quicker to just iMessage it. It does come in handy for web links though.

It only uses BT to initiate the transfer, then it switches over to wifi (device to device). The devices doesn't need to be on the same network, they don't even have to be on any network. It's a peer to peer transfer.

 

[iapplelove]

It only uses BT to initiate the transfer, then it switches over to wifi (device to device). The devices doesn't need to be on the same network, they don't even have to be on any network. It's a peer to peer transfer.

Ohh gotcha! That's why the device needs to be on. I see. But it won't work outside of wifi?

 

[viewfly]

AirDrop iOS 7 GM > 10.8.4

Best to use InstaShare still. Large files okay. Videos too.

http://instashareapp.com/

Allows airdrop between Macs and iOS, and over WiFi ( or BT)

Mac and iOS app.

Apple wasn't complete in iOS 7

 

[haruhiko]

I'm a long time mac and iOS user and got confused by the same name and tried a lot of times getting the Air Drop to work between my mac and my iPhone 5s and iPad 4...... this is not "just works".

 

[0000757]

Five bucks says creating a folder (for instance /Documents/AirDrop/[maybe even the sender's name]/) would cause no problems. The fact that OS X and iOS has differently structured file systems is irrelevant.


In order for me to send a photo to a Mac computer, I have a few options. I can e-mail it, I can iMessage it, I can use iPhoto, I can plug my phone into the computer... But all of these options require something. In order to e-mail it, both the iPhone and the computer need to have an internet connection, and the picture has to be first sent, then received. In order to iMessage it, same thing, and iMessage has to be installed on the computer. In order to use iPhoto, same thing as iMessage, and I have to log onto my Apple ID in iPhoto, and we'll have to wait for ALL photos in my Photo Stream to download. Plugging it in requires a cable, and it really isn't wireless - is it? Kind of kills the whole point of wireless transfer...

With videos, it's even more of a hassle.

I really love your complete ignorance over the fact that maybe, juuuuuust maybe, not everyone has Pages on their iDevice?

Seriously dude, your arguments in this thread are just ridiculous. It IS messed up that Apple supports AirDrop on their two operating systems but NOT supporting AirDrop between them.

"Oh, but I only use it for large files, hurrdidurr"

Please.

Way to be selective, jerk.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't. I could get use out of AirDrop iOS - OS X easily.

I could envision AirDrop iOS <--> OS X for dropping photos, maybe some small video files, but for the most part the two are geared towards different uses.

You are right though, considering they did give it the same name, there's probably going to be some form of compatibility in the future.

You'd make a great politician, you know? Or a great news reporter, since you like to not read the full story.

 

[jonasdamn]

It could be upcoming feature for 7.1 within mavericks release, like keychain.

 

[hafr]

Way to be selective, jerk.

Did I miss something?

You're the kind of guy who doesn't understand why some people want to have bicycle lanes, because you don't ride a bike in traffic and figure they could just use the road.

 

[Curun]

Fair Enough.

Anyways, AirDrop for OS X uses a Bonjour Ad Hoc protocol, which the iPhone doesn't support.

And even still, if my theory is wrong, there are plenty of possible reasons:

-The filesystem structures are incompatible
-Two programs written for different protocols
-iTunes WiFi Sync solves the issue already
-The connectivity wasn't ready by iOS 7 launch/Mavericks

But again, I don't see what you could really do other than transfer screenshots/videos from the phone to the computer, which you can already do wirelessly.

Filesystem is not incompatible. iOS is based off of OSX, and likely use the same filesystem, HFS. There is also no reason for this to be an issue, as it's very easy to send files between NTFS, FAT32, HFS, etc etc.

Yes. That is the crux of the complaint.

WiFi sync doesn't let you send/receive from any Mac, only your own.

They could have made it ready if they want their ecosystem to just work, with no confusion.

 

[benji888]

Ohh gotcha! That's why the device needs to be on. I see. But it won't work outside of wifi?

While Apple has made this work quickly and easily, it does take a little explaining to understand why it doesn't work between iOS & OS X.

Let me try re-wording it:

File transfer and communication/discovery between devices is not using the same connection.

AirDrop OS X or iOS 7.0.x both use WiFi Direct to transfer data between the two devices. WiFi direct requires no network connection, it works using the wifi of each device (not all hardware has this ability). How it knows where to send or receive that info. is directed by either Bluetooth or Bonjour:

AirDrop communication/discovery between devices uses:
iOS 7.0.x Bluetooth LE (4.0)
OS X Bonjour AD Hoc protocol
So, you see, they use a different way of communicating. While two OS X devices can use Bonjour to say "Hey I'm over here, here's my contact info., send it here", and two iOS devices can use Bluetooth LE to say "Hey I'm over here, here's my contact info., send it here", you can't take an iOS device using Bluetooth to OS X's Bonjour because they can't reach each other.

Does that help? (If I could draw a picture it'd be easier).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirDrop

Why don't they just use Bluetooth? Because bluetooth is not meant for transferring large amounts of data quickly, it's too slow. It's meant to be a low power way of communicating between devices. Yeah, you can stream audio, but this is not the same as quickly getting photos to another device. Apple is making this quicker and easier than other people are doing it out there, and yet, maintain a secure, encrypted connection...that's why it isn't just over wifi or just over bluetooth.


For iOS, It works kind of like when you connect your phone to your car for bluetooth. The two devices discover each other (and then it's easier to just connect next time), but, here, instead of sending the data also over that bluetooth connection, it is using the much faster wifi connection.

 

[benji888]

Best to use InstaShare still. Large files okay. Videos too.

http://instashareapp.com/

Allows airdrop between Macs and iOS, and over WiFi ( or BT)

Mac and iOS app.

Apple wasn't complete in iOS 7

Saying "Allows airdrop between Macs and iOS..." is misleading...

No, this is not AirDrop, it is Instashare, and requires both devices have Instashare app installed in order to use it. The Mac app is not free, BTW.

So, someone might get this and think it will let them connect to another person using Apple's AirDrop on their end, when it will not.

My question is, is the file transfer encrypted? If not, I'm not going to be using it. (Apple's AirDrop file transfer is encrypted).

 

[oplix]

Just one less reason to downgrade to ios7. I mean upgrade (downgrade).

 

[hafr]

While Apple has made this work quickly and easily, it does take a little explaining to understand why it doesn't work between iOS & OS X.

Let me try re-wording it:

File transfer and communication/discovery between devices is not using the same connection.

AirDrop OS X or iOS 7.0.x both use WiFi Direct to transfer data between the two devices. WiFi direct requires no network connection, it works using the wifi of each device (not all hardware has this ability). How it knows where to send or receive that info. is directed by either Bluetooth or Bonjour:

AirDrop communication/discovery between devices uses:
iOS 7.0.x Bluetooth LE (4.0)
OS X Bonjour AD Hoc protocol
So, you see, they use a different way of communicating. While two OS X devices can use Bonjour to say "Hey I'm over here, here's my contact info., send it here", and two iOS devices can use Bluetooth LE to say "Hey I'm over here, here's my contact info., send it here", you can't take an iOS device using Bluetooth to OS X's Bonjour because they can't reach each other.

Does that help? (If I could draw a picture it'd be easier).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AirDrop

Why don't they just use Bluetooth? Because bluetooth is not meant for transferring large amounts of data quickly, it's too slow. It's meant to be a low power way of communicating between devices. Yeah, you can stream audio, but this is not the same as quickly getting photos to another device. Apple is making this quicker and easier than other people are doing it out there, and yet, maintain a secure, encrypted connection...that's why it isn't just over wifi or just over bluetooth.


For iOS, It works kind of like when you connect your phone to your car for bluetooth. The two devices discover each other (and then it's easier to just connect next time), but, here, instead of sending the data also over that bluetooth connection, it is using the much faster wifi connection.

I don't think anyone has missed the fact that iOS and OS X are using two different (and incompatible) ways of transferring files, what most people are asking is why. "Oh, it can't be done" is probably not the answer here...