airdrop stuck waiting

Question

DrLeeDetroit Author

Level 1

8 points

airdrop stuck waiting

Airdrop (from my last two iPhones) sees my Macbook Pro but endlessly loops on "waiting"

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Dec 4, 2022 10:37 AM

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Answer 1

Omar_A1

Community Specialist

Dec 6, 2022 02:31 PM in response to DrLeeDetroit

Hello DrLeeDetroit,

Thank you for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

Let's check that your connections are not blocked:

"If you can't see the other device in AirDrop

Make sure that both devices are within 30 feet (9 meters) of each other and have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.

Choose Go > AirDrop from the menu bar in the Finder, then check the ”Allow me to be discovered by” setting in the AirDrop window. iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch have a similar setting. If set to receive from Contacts Only, both devices must be signed in to iCloud, and the email address or phone number associated with the sender's Apple ID must be in the Contacts app of the receiving device.

Install the latest software updates for your Mac and other devices.

Make sure that incoming connections aren't blocked in firewall settings:

macOS Ventura or later: Choose Apple menu  > System Settings. Click Network in the sidebar, then click Firewall on the right. Click the Options button, then make sure that “Block all incoming connections” is turned off.
Earlier versions of macOS: Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Security & Privacy. Click the Firewall tab, then click the lock and enter your administrator password when prompted. Click Firewall Options, then make sure that “Block all incoming connections” is deselected."

More details can be found here: Use AirDrop on your Mac

If the issue persists, can you provide a few more details? Are you able to Airdrop to or from any other devices? Also, which macOS and iOS versions are you currently using?

Cheers!

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Answer 2

DrLeeDetroit Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 6, 2022 03:42 PM in response to Omar_A1

Thanks Omar_A1. I spent almost seven hours with Apple in a chat window, followed by an actual tech-service *phone call* from Apple! [Spoiler alert: Workaround, but no real solution...]

Doing all the updates on both devices had no effect (final state of things: Macbook running Ventura 13.0.1, and iPhone running 16.1.2). Booting in SafeMode had no effect. Resetting the network had no effect.

Going in either direction (phone to laptop; laptop to phone), the sending device can see the receiving device. But nothing gets copied/sent. Infinite spinning loop of "Waiting."

We were able to figure out that if the receiving device's AirDrop setting is changed to "Everyone," it works.

Until about six months ago it worked fine, in both directions, with both devices sent to "Contacts Only." That was an iPhone 6s, and some version of Monterey. One day it just stopped working, and it's never worked since.

So I have a workaround, but it doesn't feel ideal to have to use "Everyone." And the people helping me had no idea why that would be necessary.

The last person I dealt with, the one I actually spoke to, said that the next stop would be a referral to Apple Research, but I'm too tired to go on. This works.

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