Airdrop not working on iMac

[LRussoPhoto]

My daughter just showed my the airdrop feature, better late then never I guess. Be that as it may, airdrop is working with all my devices except my iMac. Any idea why? On my macbook when i click airdrop in finder at the bottom is shows the 'allow me to be discovered by option" but on my iMac it just says "to share with someone using a mac, ask them to go to airdrop in finder" why am i not getting the option to choose to to allow to discover me?

 

[ApfelKuchen]

My daughter just showed my the airdrop feature, better late then never I guess. Be that as it may, airdrop is working with all my devices except my iMac. Any idea why? On my macbook when i click airdrop in finder at the bottom is shows the 'allow me to be discovered by option" but on my iMac it just says "to share with someone using a mac, ask them to go to airdrop in finder" why am i not getting the option to choose to to allow to discover me?

What version(s) of OS X are you running on your Macs, and what are the models and years?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202267

 

[LRussoPhoto]

What version(s) of OS X are you running on your Macs, and what are the models and years?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203106
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202267

the iMac is mid 2011 os x yosemite and the macbook is new but thats working fine.

 

[andy9l]

Your MacBook is presumably newer than the iMac, correct?

Assuming so, the MacBook uses Bluetooth LE to discover other Macs, but your iMac does not have Bluetooth LE. There should be an option on newer machines (ie. your MacBook) to 'Search for an older Mac', or something along those lines, on the Airdrop tab in Finder. This should resolve your issue.

Your iMac is already discoverable, just not via Bluetooth LE.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

the iMac is mid 2011 os x yosemite and the macbook is new but thats working fine.

I just checked on a mid-2011 iMac (nice coincidence)... What you're seeing is normal for a pre-2012 Mac.

Are you seeing the MacBook when you're in AirDrop on the iMac (or vice versa)? If not, have you clicked the "Don't see who you're looking for?" link in AirDrop on the MacBook, and then clicked "Search for older Mac"?

For machines of that vintage, AirDrop does not work between iOS devices and Macs. Further, If a pre-2012 Mac is connected to a 2012 or later Mac via AirDrop, you will not see iOS devices in AirDrop on the newer machine - it's an either/or situation (either connect to the older Mac, or connect to iOS and newer Macs).